Could the chances of international metal acts touring Perth and Adelaide be in jeopardy? Brad from Soundworks Touring recently made a post on facebook hinting at such, and the reason why:
Here’s the facebook thread about it:
https://www.facebook.com/soundworkstouring/posts/10204775666892360
Read on to see my rant in relation to it and the state of the local metal scene these days:
Perth metalheads (and any from Adelaide that happen to be reading), you’ve officially been put on notice, regarding international touring metal acts – and the possibility that they won’t come to you anymore (see the link below). Soundworks Touring have given you the courtesy of a heads up when it comes to presale tickets, when plenty of other promoters in the past have simply pulled the plug on shows because of weak presales. They put their money, time (and sometimes houses or assets) on the line, to bring international acts down under for you to see, so you could at least repay them by not being lazy and buying tickets early. If you’re strapped for cash then put a bit aside for a week or two – don’t buy that carton of piss for one week, or go out on the weekend and blow a couple hundred bucks, or buy over priced fast food every second day, or whatever else you know you’re frittering money away on.
A phrase that Brad said on his thread stuck with me – “spoiled apathy ridden metal heads” – and it hits the nail on the head, not just with international shows, but with local shows too. There has been good and bad times in the metal scene over the years, it used to be average.. actually it used to be pretty weak in terms of turn outs at shows. We did everything we could to build up knowledge of the scene and get people involved and enthusiastic about it. To get people working together and as a cohesive unit – as an army of unstoppable metal heads. The scene became huge and prosperous, it was harder to find a show with a lacklustre attendance.
It seems that a bunch of people came along at this high point and they missed the hard times, they took it for granted that it took time and effort to build up, and they’re enjoying the fruits of others labour. They think that it’s cool to be picky and choosy about what they go to and support. Metal is not a whim, it’s not a fad, like gangnam style or dubstep or whatever other garbage, it’s a fucking way of life. When there is a gig on, you don’t think “ahh screw it, I’m sure other people will go along”, and sit around at home with the same old people, or go sip cocktails in Mount Lawley or Subiaco or wherever the fuck like a bunch of homos. A few years ago when the scene was huge there would be death metal dudes at prog/power gigs, and vice versa, even if they weren’t into the particular style that much. Partly because it’s always preferable to socialise somewhere that has at least some form of metal, as opposed to the crap that is playing in the background elsewhere, but also because everyone had made the effort to get to know one and other (although I guess the Western Front forum made that pretty easy).
Metal is a community, you can be part of it and watch it thrive, or you can stick in your own little groups and watch it decay.. which is what seems to be happening slowly more lately.
Now it seems to be spreading to international shows – people have been spoiled and become apathetic. If it continues this way then the shows will stop coming this way, and then everyone will be complaining about shows never coming to Perth. You could be crying too poor to shell out $50-60 to go to a show (while still being able to fork out for the latest video game), but I can guarantee you’ll be whining a lot more when you have to spend hundreds of dollars to fly over east when you want to see a band you really love.
Anyway, that’s my rant over, spread the message and forget the excuses cos that’s all they are, and it’s not metal.
Have your say on the facebook thread:
https://www.facebook.com/westernfront.com.au/posts/10154496619270322