New York - from a European point of view

Yonder

Yonder

Member
Jun 22, 2003
47
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6
Munich, Germany
music.yonder.de
Hey,

I was in New York, Irving Plaza, 27/02/2004. This was the first time I was in the US. So please allow me some remarks from a European (German?) point of view.

1. Smoking - I knew NYC had some Anti-Smoking-Laws, but I was stunned about the NYC situation: No one was smoking! Unbelievable. I had never been to a metal gig where no one was smoking. I - 37 now and free from smoking for 4 years - would have never ever being going to a concert with that harsh restrictions.

2. Alcohol - well, this is a sad story. I am - like I said - 37, but this was my first trip to the US. So I had no idea that it was _essential_ to have an ID to get some beer. Well, I don't look like I'm 21 or younger, but I did'nt get a fucking beer without a written prove of my age.

3. Age - A few month ago I saw Porcupine Tree in Munich. Let's say - to make it easy - there was no one under 30. When I came to Irving Plaza, NYC, there was no one over 20. (At least on the first look). Astonishing.

4. Baseball Caps and bald heads - Well, I know the Americans love sports. And I know they love baseball. But I had never expected to see so many people with baseball caps on. No one - I repeat: No one - in Europe would don a cap when going to a metal gig. And they were so many skins/balds and so few long haired ones.

Opeth was great, btw. I love, love, love them. And I liked being in New York, which is a great city. But I'm glad to be back in Europe.

take care and don't let Bush win again
Yonder
 
Sounds like you had a good time. America is quite a strange place, long hair seems to be out in the Metal scene and short hair (crew cuts of shaved bald) seems to be in.

I also noticed a good portion of the fans we're quite younger than me, i'm 26 and i felt like an old timer at the concert, lol.
 
I too wonder what the hell has happened to the long hairs.

And all these smoking laws are indeed absurd, and why the hell do they even bother with the "Infect Truth" commercial crap...I don't know anyone who didn't know smoking was bad for you before those commercials, so it's fucking pointless to spend billions of dollars.......do they imply that smokers can't read the warnings on the cartons? hrmph
 
Yonder said:
Hey,

I was in New York, Irving Plaza, 27/02/2004. This was the first time I was in the US. So please allow me some remarks from a European (German?) point of view.

1. Smoking - I knew NYC had some Anti-Smoking-Laws, but I was stunned about the NYC situation: No one was smoking! Unbelievable. I had never been to a metal gig where no one was smoking. I - 37 now and free from smoking for 4 years - would have never ever being going to a concert with that harsh restrictions.
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Harsh? Because they asked people to go outside? I think it's rather refreshing. And I'm a smoker.

2. Alcohol - well, this is a sad story. I am - like I said - 37, but this was my first trip to the US. So I had no idea that it was _essential_ to have an ID to get some beer. Well, I don't look like I'm 21 or younger, but I did'nt get a fucking beer without a written prove of my age.
Click to expand...
Now that's odd; but in all fairness, all it takes is a simple wristband which was very clearly marked at the bottom of the main stairs to the concert hall. If you "look" anywhere close to 37, they would have just given you one, ID or not.

3. Age - A few month ago I saw Porcupine Tree in Munich. Let's say - to make it easy - there was no one under 30. When I came to Irving Plaza, NYC, there was no one over 20. (At least on the first look). Astonishing.
Click to expand...
While I understand that there are a variety of ages in the crowd, and the older you get the more noticeable it seems that everyone's younger than you, but in this case, you're exaggerating. I went to the concert with 6 other people besides myself. I'm 31, and the rest of the "supporting cast" I was with was 32, 32, 30, 29, 27, 27 respectively.

4. Baseball Caps and bald heads - Well, I know the Americans love sports. And I know they love baseball. But I had never expected to see so many people with baseball caps on. No one - I repeat: No one - in Europe would don a cap when going to a metal gig. And they were so many skins/balds and so few long haired ones.
Click to expand...
This is the most laughable of all to me. Who really cares? I thought it was we Americans who were so "image conscious." Doesn't sound like it here. I wore a baseball cap that night; all the better to conceal the mic I had when I recorded the show. As for the short hair/long hair thing, well forgive me, but you sound biased to the point of absurdity here. Since when does hair length equal love for metal music? How about this one? Many of us have jobs, and need to not look like straggly '80s rejects.

Opeth was great, btw. I love, love, love them. And I liked being in New York, which is a great city. But I'm glad to be back in Europe.

take care and don't let Bush win again
Yonder
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:Smug:
 
AllWithinMyMonster said:
Come to los angeles. Everyone at the gigs have long hair.
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it's true! I actually like LA crowds at metal shows for the most part, not a big fan of the city still, but anyway.

as to the smoking thing...I know it must suck for you guys that do smoke, but for the rest of us..and it's a definitely a non-smoking majority in Cali at least...it's VERY nice. And besides, you know it's shit for your health, just think of this as more incentive to quit.

always nice to see things from a different point of view, so thanks for the post.

as to bush, i'm planning on going to europe for studies in a year or two, if he wins again I might just have to stay lol!
 
markgugs said:
And you live...where? West Texas? :rolleyes:
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Houston thanks. I'll be moving to Austin in a few months so all is good.

Houston is terrible. Fucking gang-ridden ganster culture lurking every corner of this hole.

Typical "stuck in the 80's" remark to guys with long hair.
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It's because he's ignorant.

The 80's look was puffy fucking hairy and messy. Long hair in general can be very neat.

Fuck...men have only just started wearing their hair long in the past what, 200 years?(this goes for northern European types who inhabited England and around anyway, sailing to the US).

I can't stand it when someone says long hair is for girls, that's such shit.
 
"Sorry you don't like it. I should have mentioned that many college educated, white-collar people enjoy metal too, and I don't see too many of those types of people with long hair."

Ugh, that's because they go with the belief they won't get a job. They could get discriminated. But if you wear it in a pony tail and wear a suit, it's likely you won't.

Most people in the US have short hair because that's how it is, they won't try anything new. Not very open-minded, I bet they believe they have to make as much money as possible too, yea.......
 
markgugs said:
Sorry you don't like it. I should have mentioned that many college educated, white-collar people enjoy metal too, and I don't see too many of those types of people with long hair. :rolleyes:
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Who cares? What does that have to do with my response to what you stated earlier?

You are the only person I have ever seen/met/heard into metal that seemingly has such (or any) disdain towards long hair. Perhaps I read into your words wrong, or too deeply.
 
Caelum Adustum said:
Perhaps I read into your words wrong, or too deeply.
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Or both.

I've had long hair. I've had short hair. When it came time for me to get a real paying job as part of corporate America, well off went the hair. When I lost my job, I grew it out again. When it was time to interview and get back into the swing of gainful employment, off it went again.

Guess what?! My musical tastes didn't change at all! Holy shit!
 
Caelum Adustum said:
Ignorant because he doesn't like cities?
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No, ignorant because writing things like "New York blows anyway" are fucking stupid. Is that easier for you to understand? I forgot this was the Opeth forum, where things typically need to be spelled out. My apologies, won't let it happen again.
 
Fuck...men have only just started wearing their hair long in the past what, 200 years?(this goes for northern European types who inhabited England and around anyway, sailing to the US).
Click to expand...

I'm sure men wore long hair way before that.. I highly doubt that the earliest of civilizations saw it fit to chop off the part of their body that was growing out of their head. The tampering of hair is really an Anglo-European concept, by nature.

And yes, cities do blow.. especially Philadelphia. Ever since the last Trocadero gig, I hate Philadelphia.. because I'll take my country backroads and two-lane highways over that confusing one-way infested hellhole anyday.
 
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