What happened to the Rock Star Image in Metal?

[Krilons Resa]

You guys are so godamn judgemental, lol. I think you are all missing speed's point. Not so much missing the point but overanalyzing it and taking it to the extremity. Whoever said you have to sellout to be a "rockstar" anyway. I think you guys are horrified by the mere thought of you're favorite bands gaining mass appeal and becoming the least bit "popular." ...and who says you can't play death metal and have fun? I dunno....Ignorance perhaps.

 

[Krilons Resa]

the thing is you need a balance between being a rock star and being a musician. you dont go to a concert just to hear music. if you just want to hear music you can buy a cd and it will be cheaper that way. it seems like a lot of modern metal acts these days just arent too entertaining to see anymore and that is a problem. the point being you dont have to play pop music to be a rock star; for a show to be worth seeing rock starishness is somewhat required. besides if i had a band i wouldnt mind a few women being in the audience that arent fat smelly mexicans. thats what metal is missing, eye candy.

I concur.

 

[ThePhilosopher]

I concur about the women. I have seen some very good looking girls at metal shows though, they just aren't in the majority.

If metal bands didn't have fun playing their music, I doubt they'd be playing it in the first place.

 

[epicous]

for a show to be worth seeing rock starishness is somewhat required.

What are the elements of rock starishness?

 

[Krilons Resa]

lol

 

[metalicarus88]

,METAL IS NOT POP MUSIC. Fukk off.

Hell yea, Erik What the hell is that in your sig, it's gross, lol

 

[Black Winter Day]

that would be sorath

 

[byrne]

to get this "rockstar" image, you need something that appeals to a lot of ppl - such that they want to hear about what the bands do. metal doesnt.

the only reason you dont hear about the antics of metal bands on the 6pm news, is because no one cares. you will be inundated with michael jackson sex scandals and for australians, what ppl like delta goodrem had for breakfast. (i dont care, but it seems the general moronic public does)

your argument makes no sense speed. metal isnt popular, so why would you expect this coverage of what happens ...... you thus have two options.

1. leave metal how it is, and still not here about "rockstar antics"
2. make metal mainstream rubbish which 15y/o girls can get into, buy cds and posters for their walls, and here about the latest mishap on the opeth tour, like mikael losing his underpants on the bus, because he was off his face on cocaine, or some other boring crap.

 

[Erik]

and here about the latest mishap on the opeth tour, like mikael losing his underpants on the bus

You don't think an event like that would spawn a 30-page topic on the Opeth board?

 

[speed]

Its no big deal here guys, I understand why you wouldnt want metal to become more popular; you think the music would suffer, and image would become more important.

What I do think you guys need to accept, is metal is becoming rather boring and it has lost its apeal to the masses, and there is nothing wrong with a little rock star fun- even if the band doesnt sell well. When i look at the Ozzfest lineup, there is no doubt in my mind that Dimmu Borgir was picked because of their image and their actual stage presence, the same with Lacuna Coil. So what if they have to dress up etc., they are reaching more fans.

 

[Erik]

Metal is becoming "boring" only if you value prancing around in ridiculous outfits on stage and doing idiotic things that end up in magazine headlines higher than music, lyrics and ideology. I'll have to say it again; metal is not pop music. Why should metal cater to the superficial idiots of "the masses" when it's far above and looking down in contempt at them?

 

[R.I.P.2]

When i look at the Ozzfest lineup, there is no doubt in my mind that Dimmu Borgir was picked because of their image and their actual stage presence, the same with Lacuna Coil. So what if they have to dress up etc., they are reaching more fans.

Yes, and these fans are idiots who care more about image than anything else and should not be exposed to metal in the first place.

 

[Caelum Adustum]

metal is becoming rather boring and it has lost its apeal to the masses

OH NO! Lost it's appeal to the masses?

Why is this a bad thing?

 

[hypocrisy86]

I so hate that type of Metal... with a passion

 

[Tool]

Metal doesn't need a rock star image. That's what Hard Rock was here for.

 

[The Real Moonchild]

was

 

[speed]

Its very obvious that metal has become an elitist cult with most on this board.

Metal has become a reason why one is better than the "masses" for all of you people, a reason for arrogance, not for musical taste and enjoyment.

Its not as if metal is the most complex or dynamic form of music out there either- i think we can all say fusion jazz is even more complex and pretentious.

Jesus, I guess you guys dont watch hollywood movies because of their popular appeal- or TV- anything on Tv must be substandard- or hell any artist that has sold a painting of his art for a decent price is a sellout pandering for the masses? Damn I mean get a grip guys its just fucking music- its important to all of us- but fuck, its not a reason to act like a pretentious asshole that complains about everything successful. I mean shit, in 20 years when you guys stop listening to metal, I think you will laugh about how silly you all acted towards metal.

Christ how do you people operate in public? Not many people listen to underground metal. I guess you just tell friends and acquantances, that their music sucks, and they suck for listening to it. I had a nice dinner with some fellow Indian Grad students- who are off the charts in intelligence- the chicks put on George Micheal and Ace of Bass- they didnt know any better, and they liked the music. Is it their fault this is what they like, groups based only on image, and what they could listen to in India? Are they bad and tasteless stupid people for liking pop music when they all already have architecture and engineering degrees, and now are getting masters and doctorates?

 

[Erik]

Its not as if metal is the most complex or dynamic form of music out there either- i think we can all say fusion jazz is even more complex and pretentious.

Metal isn't necessarily complex and hopefully not pretentious, and no-one ever said it was. However, what it IS is far removed from the mainstream and fundamentally anti-society.

Christ how do you people operate in public? Not many people listen to underground metal. I guess you just tell friends and acquantances, that their music sucks, and they suck for listening to it.

I don't discuss music at all with such people. There are other things to discuss, you know, things that hopefully me and the acquaintance have in common. However, I tend to have mostly people who listen to extreme metal as friends, but that's neither here nor there.

Look, virtually all of the points you made above are entirely irrelevant. The fact is, and remains, that metal ideology is the antithesis to the mainstream and the rock star mentality. The "rock star image" does not belong in metal, and so it should be expected that you get an overwhelmingly negative response when you suggest on a metal forum that metal has too little of it. That has nothing to with whether we are "pretentious assholes," "elitist cultists" or whatever you choose to call us, and it CERTAINLY doesn't have anything to do with who watches TV and who doesn't.

 

[Sóti]

simply put: its metal not rock

 

[no country for old wainds]

Metal has become a reason why one is better than the "masses" for all of you people, a reason for arrogance, not for musical taste and enjoyment.

Ever considered that it may be the other way around? People enjoy the music and are confident enough in their own tastes to be 'arrogant'? Or maybe it's just that good metal music appeals to an intelligent crowd of people, and intelligence often leads to 'arrogance'.

Its not as if metal is the most complex or dynamic form of music out there either- i think we can all say fusion jazz is even more complex and pretentious.

Most jazz favours an aimless display of technical proficiency through instrumental-masturbation, over real compositional quality. Many metal bands do not.

Jesus, I guess you guys dont watch hollywood movies because of their popular appeal- or TV- anything on Tv must be substandard- or hell any artist that has sold a painting of his art for a decent price is a sellout pandering for the masses? Damn I mean get a grip guys its just fucking music- its important to all of us- but fuck, its not a reason to act like a pretentious asshole that complains about everything successful. I mean shit, in 20 years when you guys stop listening to metal, I think you will laugh about how silly you all acted towards metal.

There aren't even many people who are saying that. They're saying that bands who play just for money tend to suck. The problem is, to 'sell out', one has to appeal to the majority of people. The majority of people are morons. Therefore, they have to make music which appeals to morons. Morons like shitty music.

Christ how do you people operate in public? Not many people listen to underground metal. I guess you just tell friends and acquantances, that their music sucks, and they suck for listening to it. I had a nice dinner with some fellow Indian Grad students- who are off the charts in intelligence- the chicks put on George Micheal and Ace of Bass- they didnt know any better, and they liked the music. Is it their fault this is what they like, groups based only on image, and what they could listen to in India? Are they bad and tasteless stupid people for liking pop music when they all already have architecture and engineering degrees, and now are getting masters and doctorates?

They are if they listen to compositionally superior bands and claim that their simple pop music is greater.

But then, I'm in favour of this elitism you speak out against. People are not equal. Most people suck. I value my opinion more than I value most people's.