Aging Doesn't Mean Rusting

Time sneaks up on us. One minute we're in our teens and 20's, the next minute a decade or two has flown by. It's easy to lose track of time.

Our culture is so youth-oriented. I think it's gotten much worse over the past few years, with the rise of Botox, plastic surgery, and so on. It's ridiculous. There's no way you can remain 25 for the rest of your life. If you have enough money, you can hire the right doctors and surgeons to create the illusion of youth, but at some point it just ends up looking fake (and lame).

In the metal world, youth is worshipped too. But aside from the obvious physical challenges that come with age (loss of hearing, diminished muscle tone and strength, etc.), it's also an attitude problem. I mean, why do some people act as if there's some "magic age" at which you have to turn off the Metallica and start listening to Celine Dion? Give me a break! Metal music is ageless.

Recently I had the privilege to see Anvil's movie. I loved it. One of the things that really struck me is that these guys continue to rock, HARD, in their 50's. They're great - fun, loud, heavy music. But I know there are those who would judge them strictly on the age issue. That comes across in one scene where they're discussing their new album with a record executive. He's obviously very skeptical about the marketability of a metal band that has two members in their 50's. In my opinion, he's missing the point - the music. (Oh, and Robb the drummer - yow!)

My main thought is that you should always stay true to who you are. That includes musical taste. People that judge metalheads based on their age, or waistline, or whatever, are idiots. The music transcends it all. Who cares if you have more years, or wrinkles, or gray hair, or pounds than you did when you were rockin' out at concerts at age 20?

There are many examples of kick-ass rockers in their later years - Rob Halford, Ronnie James Dio, Anvil, Girlschool, Iron Maiden, AC/DC - the list goes on. Anyone who thinks metal has an expiration date can eat it - Metal is forever, no matter what your age!

A Touch Of Evil

I will never forget seeing Rob Halford on the defense stand. MTV covered the controversial case everyday during its duration. Rob looked so sad up there on the stand. He looked confused, like "Why am I here? Why am I being blamed for this?" You probably remember this scandal. Judas Priest was sued for having subliminal messages in one of their songs which encouraged 2 teen boys to kill themselves (one of them did, the 2nd died a few years later). When they played those tapes with the supposed evil message, I couldn't believe it. I didn't hear a thing. I don't see how anyone could hear a thing. Not only that but the evil message was supposedly, "Do it." Ummm, do what? Even if that message DID exist it could refer to pretty much anything couldn't it?

This ordeal and several others going on at the time remind us just how scared people were of heavy metal back then. People outside of it were terrified and were certain their children were being whisked away to hell. I know all this really impacted my teen years and made them hell for me! My very Christian family was certain I was becoming a direct channel of satanic communication through my beloved music. I'm sure others of you can relate.

Now when I think about that Judas Priest trial I cannot even believe it happened. It all seems so silly now doesn't it? I wonder if the people involved in these accusations feel just a little ridiculous looking back on it. I dont' believe the whole subliminal message thing would ever get to court now. On the other hand, "moral superiors" have always been at war with music. Elvis, the Beatles, they were the evils of their era. It was metal in the 80's and rap in the 90's. There always has to be a scapegoat for moral backsliding. What shocks me is the length some people will go to to create their story. I mean, subliminal messages saying "Do it"?? It makes me wonder what will be next. I hear video games are pretty evil these days.

Why must we have this concept of "evil" anyway? I think because western society is based on an "us verses them" mentality. This is the very essence of western religion. Evil exists and it is our duty to be saved from it and to rid the filthy world of it. When I heard the recent story of the boy being expelled from his Christian school because he attended a dance, I was reminded that humanity hasn't changed much in the last 20 years. They are still pointing their pious little fingers at music and they probably always will, even though in hindsight they will all look pretty darn silly.

Metal and Radio

Commercial radio has always been about revenue - getting the highest return for advertisers. It's no surprise then that commercial radio has traditionally ignored metal and hard rock (more about that later). But even non-commerical radio has shied away from metal shows.

I did my first on-air show for a non-commercial station the other night. Yes, it was a metal show. I wouldn't be surprised if it was the first metal show they've ever aired. I chose the bands and songs very carefully, mostly to avoid the restricted lyrics, but also to make sure I featured a very diverse list of bands and songs you would never hear anywhere else.

This made me consider why radio has always had such a disdain for metal and hard rock. There's the obvious reason of profane lyrics (including the dreaded "seven words you can't say over the air", courtesy of George Carlin). I suppose the station managers don't see much ad revenue potential beyond beer and motorcycles. That's rather shortsighted.

The "classic hard rock and metal" format is probably the easiest sell. The prime example is the popular "Nights with Alice Cooper" show, featured on numerous mainstream commercial stations. I love this show. Alice Cooper cracks me up, and in between the stale classic rock he features some obscure metal bands and cuts. Believe it or not, he's even played bands like WASP and Krokus. There are other "classic" syndicated shows out there, such as Dee Snider's "House of Hair". It's been nice to see these shows gain widespread acceptance. You wouldn't have seen these types of shows even ten years ago.

Power metal and European metal is very rarely heard on commercial radio in the U.S. I would guess it gets some airplay on college stations. I think the main reason is that this style of metal is not well-known in our country and you have to really know the genre in order to learn about the bands and find out about new releases. It's a shame because there are some talented musicians out there. Europe has always been more supportive of the metal scene than the U.S. Even during the grunge years in the U.S., the traditional metal bands maintained their following in Europe.

Death metal is not on commercial radio for the profanity reason, but also because of the dark and "non-P.C." messages inherent in many bands' songs. I can't imagine how one would sell a death metal format to advertisers. It might work as an overnight "niche" show in an overall hard rock and metal format, but never on a commercial station.

Stoner/desert metal and doom have other barriers that prevent them from being on the radio. The length of many songs is a barrier for this genre. Most stations would not feature a song that plays longer than maybe five minutes, and some of the best stoner bands have songs that can top six, seven, even eight minutes. I did feature a few stoner metal songs on my show, but the longest was around six minutes. I can't imagine a commercial station doing that.

Perhaps satellite radio will be the medium that finally breaks many of these talented outsider bands to the general public. Satellite radio seems to be the only place that allows niche shows and places fewer restrictions on what can be played. Commercial radio is probably never going to turn a friendlier eye to metal other than the syndicated shows I mentioned earlier. At least there are still non-commerical and college stations that allow this music to be heard.

Being a Rock Star is Not Enough- part 1

We all know the music industry is changing. Some people claim it is falling apart. Others see opportunity for positive change. I think musicians should be thrilled with what is happening. Finally the locus of control is leaving the record companies and giving it to whom it rightfully belongs, the artist. However, quickly fading are the days of rock stars being babysat by their managers and hand-held by their record companies.

In order to survive these days being a musician in a rock band is not enough. Musicians must see their band as a business and run it as such. Like no other time in history, musicians must learn the ways of marketing, promotions, and PR for themselves. Some artists are catching on fast and using the changing times to their advantage. Radiohead and Trent Reznor come to mind. They've seen tremendous success by releasing albums on their own without a label. Even no-name bands are using the concept of "tiered pricing" when enticing potential new fans with more than just a cd or an mp3 download.

Twitter is another powerful tool. I'm surprised more bands aren't using it. It's a great way to connect with fans. This tool allows the artist to be "more human". What I mean is the days of the untouchable rock star are fading fast. People want to see the artist for what he/she really is. Not some fabricated larger-than-life rock god that no one can relate to.

Sebastian Bach and Slash are a few examples of artists making decent use of Twitter. They share things about what they are doing in their day to day life and we can relate to them and we become invested in them. We are more likely to check out their new album because they have stayed in the front of our minds. They don't let us forget about them. Duff McKagan is also using Twitter right. He does contests, ticket giveaways, and arranges backstage meet-and-greets through Twitter. It is a very powerful marketing tool.

The concept of the big record company is gasping for air on its deathbed. Artists are being left to fend for themselves. But if they learn the necessary skills of "running a business" I declare this can be the best thing that every happened to them.

Sometimes You Just Have to Laugh

Metal is usually thought of as a very serious style of music - some even consider it threatening or evil. Some styles of metal are highly technical and require a high level of musical talent. However, there are a handful of metal bands, some of which have highly talented players, who are able to have fun with their music and make us laugh.

A few of the more well-known bands are Spinal Tap (who is releasing a new album soon), Gwar, Tenacious D, Green Jelly, Dethklok (death metal), Dragonforce (power metal), and Scatterbrain. Parody and tribute bands exist in nearly every major city. New York boasts King Hell, a comical metal band who manages to sound somewhat like Glenn Danzig channeled through 80's rock. Los Angeles has Metal Skool/Steel Panther, which has a strong and established following. All of these bands feature talented musicians who bring humor into their lyrics and stage shows. You can still party and bang your head, but you'll be laughing your head off too.

You could say that Spinal Tap started it all. Back in 1984, at the height of the hair metal boom, Michael McKean, Harry Shearer, and Christopher Guest , all Saturday Night Live alumni, made a mockumentary, "This is Spinal Tap", about a fake metal band. What made this movie so hilarious, and brilliant, was that it satirized all the main elements of being in a metal band (loud music, playing shows, women, partying, band conflicts, etc.). These are things that many bands take to such serious extremes. Even though they are not a "real" band, Spinal Tap's albums have sold well, and they became part of heavy metal history. The band is working on a new album and tour in 2009 - proof of their continued popularity. It's interesting that their reunion comes during the time when old-school metal is regaining its popularity and respect.

Death metal is often considered a frightening, dark style of metal. These are the "Satanist" bands who are suspected of devil worship, animal sacrifices, etc. Their vocal style is one of two types, "cookie monster" (deep growling) or high-pitched screaming. Yet even death metal has its own parody band - Dethklok. Dethklok doesn't actually exist as a "real" band - they're a virtual band featured in the Adult Swim TV program "Metalocalypse". Again, this band takes the normal aspects of metal and turns them into comedy. Dethklok has enjoyed huge success, and they've released two albums. They actually sound pretty good too.

The comical band Gwar is probably best known for its insane live shows. Gwar's members wear elaborate science fiction costumes. Their lyrics, band member names, and general content of their shows are raunchy. Gwar incorporates science fiction and fantasy, horror, mythology, and even political elements into their shows. Stage shows are another aspect of metal that has often gone over the top. Big stage sets, silly props, dressed-up characters, glammed-up costumes and makeup, and wild antics on stage have all been part of the metal scene.

And then there's Anvil. Anvil appears, at first glance, to be a "new" parody-type band - only the big joke here is that they're actually a REAL metal band that has been around since the early '80's. Anvil's new documentary movie is due out this month. It's fun to see a real band, who has doggedly pursued their rock and roll dream throughout the last three decades, finally making their mark. I can't wait to see their movie. Maybe non-metalheads would see two guys in their '50's plugging away as metal musicians as something pitiful, but I think they're great. Go Anvil! In a way that's also part of the humor - most "serious" metal musicians grow old ungracefully, but Anvil holds true to who they are. An Anvil/Spinal Tap tour would be awesome.

Some of these parody bands (especially Spinal Tap and Gwar) have been around for decades, surviving even when the "real" metal bands were out of favor. Why do they make us laugh? I think it's because they take the "serious" aspects of being a rock star and make fun of them. The excesses of rock stars, and their arrogant attitudes, have offended many fans. Any time something is taken to an extreme there must be a counterbalance. Metal, especially hair metal, got way out of hand in the late '80's and early '90's as the stars overdosed on their own success. It's no wonder that grunge arrived only a few years later.

Even metalheads have a sense of humor - I'm glad that Spinal Tap, Anvil, and the others have stuck around to keep us laughing, even as we rock out.