1.How old were you when you first got into metal?
Between 11 and 13. They were the years that made me who I am today.
2.Were you intorduced to it by an older sibling or friend and if so how?
I guess I was introduced to it by an older sibling. I have destinct memories of seeing the clips to Metallica's One, and all the black album era stuff, as well as Megadeth's cover of No More Mr Nice Guy playing through my brothers bedroom tv one day. It fascinated me. After that, I took it upon myself to get into metal, as my brother was more into grunge type stuff, Soundgarden, Stone Temple Pilots, Nirvana, etc. I borrowed his Metallica cds, and started getting into Rage and scouting second hand shops to discover new metal. Growing up in a country town made it kind of hard because there were few people in the town that were into metal, and the mainstream sportos saw me as a pretty weird outcast.
3.What sort of clothes,recreation or behaviour do you use or do to define yourself as a metal head.
I guess the main thing I do that defines me as a metal head is that I listen to metal, very frequently, and often very loudly. You will usually hear it coming from my house or my car when I am near. Other than that, I don't often dress like a big metal head unless I am going to a gig. Just the odd band shirt here and there.
4. what needs to you think are being met by being a metal head.
I think my creative needs are being met, as I think metal is far more intriguing to listen to than many other genres, and as well as being able to rock out and have fun, you can get some kind of intellectual satisfaction from hearing well written music. Also, playing metal and coming up with your own material services my creative output, even if the content isn't very good, I enjoy doing it.
5.What defines you as a metal head?
Just that fact that I enjoy listening to metal, do it often, and am still on the scene in search of new good shit to listen to, and enjoyable gigs to attend.
6. What bricolage do you use to show to society that you are a metal head?
Whilst I enjoy driving around with the music loud and the windows down, I guess it could be seen as making a statement about who I am. Also, the odd band shirt here and there.
7.What of the following 5 basic needs are met by being a metal head and how? Survival,Power,Freedom,Love & Belonging
Freedom - this is the most relevant as freedom is largely what metal is about. Not all metal is for everyone, but being able to explore it and enjoy whatever appeals to you is what I love about metal. I totally agree with what Spiff said here as well, metal heads are often very open minded and listen to many genres, where fans of other genres are often closed minded to metal. Being a metal head gives you the freedom to like what you like.
Belonging - this is a big part of being a metal head for many people, being part of a subculture that they enjoy, and feel they belong in. I think for many, this is more important than the actual music, which is why many metal heads drift away from the scene when they get older, as they no longer feel that they belong, or need the security of belonging to a group.
Survival - I think the relevance here might be that metal is not a trend, and anyone who latches onto metal knows that they are part of something that isn't going to die. It can be a long time commitment if they want it to be.
Love - there is much more passion in the metal scene than most other scenes. People are more passionate about both the music, and being a part of the scene itself. For example, you often see tattoos of album covers and band mascots, emblems and logos etc, which is something that doesn't happen with other genres. People love metal, and are proud to express it. There is also a good sense of mateship within the metal community (well, except for maybe some black metallers
).
8. Do you have any final comments regarding you as a metal head to add?
I think trying to describe metal heads as a group is a hard thing to do, as there are so many different types, just like the music itself. Many metal heads are intellectuals, whilst many are downright bogans.
