What can I expect?

[wwallinga]

Hi everyone! I'm very happy to have found this forum...

Let me give you some background before I ask my question. I am male, 28, and I have been listening to various forms of heavy metal since I was 12 or 13. My favorite sub-genre while I was growing up was definitely "thrash" - bands like Metallica, Megadeth, Slayer, Anthrax, Testament, etc. Lately, I have gotten more into progressive bands such as Iron Maiden, Queensryche and Rush. I'm not what you would call a hardcore metalhead, but my concert credentials are solid.

So here's my question.

I'm going to the Worcester, MA show (last one of the tour) in February. What can I expect it to be like, crowdwise? I mean, I love Opeth for their ability to balance heaviness with beauty but what does that translate to in the crowd, especially when the transition takes place in the middle of a song?

 

[Lakestream]

eh? Are you asking if you're going to get crushed during the heavy parts? Nope, crowds are usually pretty calm at Opeth concerts..

 

[estimate]

On the quiet and peaceful parts, all the people are in harmony, group kisses and love-making. On the heavy parts, people put their knifes up and start cutting people to pieces, everyone go CRAZY WVEÆWÆRÆÆRÆRÆRL ÆBVBÆRÆBÆÆBRÆBRÆLBRLLEWÆAÆLALLÆVÆALEL KRISTNE SKAL BRENNE EGHEAHTEA FØAEA, yeah, kinda like that.

 

[osse87]

 

[Demoke]

;-))

 

[Xes]

The last time I saw Opeth it was pretty much non-stop mashing/crowd insanity...including Creedence, lol.

 

[John Gargo]

It was pretty funny when I saw them... During the soft songs, everyone would stand there and nod their heads to the music and just take it in. Then, they would play a heavy song and then the crowd would drift apart in various places and there would be moshing and crowd-surfing. Then they would play another soft song and people would go back to nodding their heads again and the moshpits would close in and disappear until the next heavy song. Well, you get the point...

 

[osse87]

What is / what is the point of moshing?

And not saying that because I think it's stupid for anything, I'm saying that because I don't know what the hell it is.

 

[Gymsokk]

in the peaceful, calm parts everybody just stands there waving there arms from side to side (watch out, you may get a finger in yout eye!) and in the heavy "kristne skal brenne!" parts you may get beaten, you may bleed a little and you may have most of the hair of the guy in front of you stuffed in your mouth because he headbangs so insanely!

But its a cool experience!!

 

[JoeVice]

there are the usual idiots who like to call opeth pussies when they play their damnation songs.

 

[ChrisEmerson]

iron maiden.. progressive?

interesting, never heard that interpretation before

 

[fadingessence]

there is usually at least three people making various death growls, screaming satan, or something else stupid during a quiet part.

there is also usually at least one person who is FAR too excited, jumping all around, trying to start a pit, the whole damn show, this person is also usually right next to me. When I saw Children of Bodom that person fell down and grabbed my leg as security was trying to pull him out, and I hit him really hard. Side note yes, but it was pretty funny! In a maniacal annoying sort of way.

oh and lets not forget the one or two people who are stoned off their asses, last opeth show there were two guys on well...either acid or x...that stared at their hands and waved around the whole show.

I don't really mind moshing, in the right place and time, but with opeth i'd really rather listen to the band. the whole hardcore dancing though, it better not show up at opeth...god please no...