nailz
Member
You're using the internet wrong. The Internet is for instant exposure after being told of a new band by someone. It's not a viable marketing option for someone who wants exposure.
US touring halted?
- Thread starter adaher
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You're using the internet wrong. The Internet is for instant exposure after being told of a new band by someone. It's not a viable marketing option for someone who wants exposure.
nailz
Member
Speaking of Word of Mouth and The Internet....
Zod said:
I agree. That's why I'm happy CM put their shit back on Spotify, like a god damned smart company.
Stingray said:
I hope not. I'd hate to think we're stereotyping people.
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AeonicSlumber
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I've got bad news for you dude, but the labels "throwing money" at bands, especially at the indie label level, is a thing of the past. Eyes Set to Kill in particular, got to where they are on their own. The story of Ghost getting almost a million bucks for signing to Universal (they were signed by the same dude who signed Mastodon to Warner) basically happens once per decade. Bands like Suicide Silence and Periphery had huge followings that they established on their own terms and had done extensive tours along the USA on their own dimes. They didn't complain about the scene, they just got up and made their own scenes.
It's a tough pill to swallow for elitist metal nerds (not at all saying you are one, but in general - it's the elitist armchair QBs that shit on "not metal" bands for being popular), but the fact of the matter is that kids like these bands because these bands worked their fucking asses off and didn't act like rockstars doing so. Alot of metal bands, however, do not work their asses off and don rockstar attitudes. Sabaton is a rare exception, which is why they are doing so well right now.
DuchessOfDork
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AeonicSlumber
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With all due respect, your friend kind of has a point. Alot of metal bands these days basically DO sound the same and very few are actually doing anything new. System of a Down was and still is one of the most unique bands of the last 10 years, but I wouldn't call them a metal band either.
I just saw SOAD live this past weekend with Deftones. Both bands showed what it means to be a "professional musician."
modernwizardry
I want stout!
Exposure was definitely how I got into power and progressive metal. I had no idea it existed until about 2002 or so. My friend put on Rhapsody's Dawn of Victory. At first I had no idea what I was hearing. My second thought was I had no idea that humans could drum that fast. Then he showed me Gamma Ray's Powerplant and that sealed the deal. Then I figured out that Kai Hansen was in a band called Helloween which started a whole other dive into 80's speed and power metal then to thrash and prog metal. I don't really know how I could have been exposed to this genre besides a friend because I didn't and don't listen to the radio.
Justin G
Member
That's the way to do it. When my kid was 6, he was the only one in his school circle who knew who Van Halen, Pink Cream 69 and Rocky was...
This will no doubt backfire on me when he's a teenager and turns to country or dubstep or some other godawful style of music that hasn't even been invented yet.
I kind of agree. While it's true that metal (especially power metal) is a niche market, I think it's a very under-realized niche market. Yes, it's metal for nerds, but there are a LOT OF NERDS out there that have no idea who Hammerfall and Blind Guardian. You don't hear about it here unless you go looking for it or have it played for you by a friend. I preach the gospel of power metal to almost everybody I meet at some time or another. At the very least, I get a big kick out of every "hit" I get when somebody likes what I'm playing.
What the hell is all this exposure crap?! I had to stumble onto metal all by my god damned self! Back in my day.....
If it wasn't for that cassette copy of Piece of Mind that I found in a parking lot in the 7th grade, I'd still be stuck listening to Vanilla Ice and MC Hammer.
If I'm going to hear about a new band through word of mouth, it's going to be talking to my fellow metalheads at ProgPower who are as crazy as I am about digging beneath the surface. Anywhere else, I'm the guy doing the "Hey, have you ever heard of Sabaton?" routine. It's all about the internet. Used to do it through message boards, but that was too slow when I was in the mood for something new RIGHT NOW. Sure, I filter through a bunch of average bands for every good one I come across, but they're still out there, and in numbers that swell my already alarming wish list. Youtube has been my best source for a while. Get subscribed to the right channels and you'll come across some pretty sweet stuff. Compilation videos with 2-3 minute clips of songs from 5 bands is a really good way to burn through new artists without much effort, I just replay the songs that catch my attention while I do something else in another tab.
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We were speaking of spreading Power Metal outside of the existing audience...in that sense, the internet is not all that valuable because people who don't know about Power Metal also don't know about ProgPower, Blind Guardian or any other Power Metal related entity and have no desire to seek it out. In those terms, word of mouth is how they find out because they won't go looking for it.
modernwizardry
I want stout!
I don't see how you finding a cassette in a parking lot is any different then a friend happening to play a power metal album for me.
General Zod
Ruler of Australia
Well, in fairness, people will dismiss any evidence that doesn't suit their argument. They'll argue it's anecdotal, or the study was biased, etc. That said, while my specific examples may be anecdotal, the experience is not. Be it music, food, wine or cigars, people don't know what they like until they're exposed to it. At its core, that's a profoundly simple concept.
It's worth noting, I'm not trying to argue that if they got the appropriate exposure, Brainstorm would fill Yankee Stadium. I'm simply saying, that a very small percentage of people have ever heard the music discussed here. And it's merely logical, that the more people who are exposed to this type of music, the more fans it would gain. If twice as many people heard it, than it's statistically probable that it would have twice as many fans. As I said, that's true of anything.
That's not merely anecdotal, it's absurd. Someone who thinks all Metal sounds the same, doesn't understand anything about Metal, and likely understands little about music. To suggest Nightwish sounds the same as Blood Red Throne, that Circus Maximus sounds like Megadeth, or that Dimmu Borgir sounds like Iron Maiden, is patently absurd.
Couldn't agree more.
One of the biggest issues is the fact there are really only 2 booking agents that will even represent these types of bands in the US. And being the US is so large its extremely expensive to tour the entire country so it makes sense to only tour every so often to maximize the anticipation for the bands....
re: Hammerfall tours every other release so far.. and I am one of the oddballs that discovered them because of the Death tour
We can only hope that American audiences get better taste
re: Hammerfall tours every other release so far.. and I am one of the oddballs that discovered them because of the Death tour
We can only hope that American audiences get better taste
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General Zod
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AngraRULES
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AngraRULES
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There's 3... if you include Milt.
LOL thanks. Some killer stuff coming to town soon.
Jasonic
Doom On!
Sorry - I still truly feel that if EVERGREY or KAMELOT (Just two examples of bands who are extremely liked in this circle) acheieved mainstream success a large majority would find a reason to no longer like these bands............
How many people no longer follow DragonForce, Opeth, etc, once they achieved greater success?
Its not like their music has gotten any worse or anything.
I think people forget that a large part of what has ALWAYS made heavy metal so great is the feeling that you are part of a smaller sub culture of music fans who are in the know of something amazing. Once a band breaks out big, something is lost.
Sure, sometimes the loss of appeal has to do in the decline of the quality of the music (IE - In Flames, etc), but heck, GHOST is already no longer discussed in most underground circuits anymore, and that took less than 12 months!
I have never been to concerned as to "why" the bands I love aren't tearing up the charts, when what is tearing up the charts or the $$$$ earned on tours is 99% crapola (To me anyways).
I also think this is what is hurting many start up festivals as well.
There is nothing wrong with being a band or festival that draws no more than 200 or 300.
As long as you are smart with your promotions and expenses, you can make it happen.
If extreme profit and prosperous living is what you are after, then playing metal is not the smart way to go.
This is the reason why MANY metal musicians do non-metal or tribute bands on the side.
How many people no longer follow DragonForce, Opeth, etc, once they achieved greater success?
Its not like their music has gotten any worse or anything.
I think people forget that a large part of what has ALWAYS made heavy metal so great is the feeling that you are part of a smaller sub culture of music fans who are in the know of something amazing. Once a band breaks out big, something is lost.
Sure, sometimes the loss of appeal has to do in the decline of the quality of the music (IE - In Flames, etc), but heck, GHOST is already no longer discussed in most underground circuits anymore, and that took less than 12 months!
I have never been to concerned as to "why" the bands I love aren't tearing up the charts, when what is tearing up the charts or the $$$$ earned on tours is 99% crapola (To me anyways).
I also think this is what is hurting many start up festivals as well.
There is nothing wrong with being a band or festival that draws no more than 200 or 300.
As long as you are smart with your promotions and expenses, you can make it happen.
If extreme profit and prosperous living is what you are after, then playing metal is not the smart way to go.
This is the reason why MANY metal musicians do non-metal or tribute bands on the side.
