DOES THE SHOW HAVE TO GO ON?
I’m not a fan of bands overdoing the theatrical aspect of live shows. I would rather just get stuck into the music. The fact that so many people are amazed at a DJ standing there asking them repeatedly “Are you ready?” and “Can I see your hands?!” with a few flashing lights and some glitter, is just beyond me. And yet, the masses are attracted to it! JAMESY LAW Definitely. I feel that this is the reason why bands such as Machine Head, Lamb of God and so on are held back from headlining the main stages at festivals like Download; their music and performances are more than good enough for those slots, but they always get passed over for the bands who give you a great visual performance. This is why Metallica, Iron Maiden, Slipknot, Rammstein etc have headlined multiple times, as it’s guaranteed to be memorable. I’m far from an Avenged Sevenfold fan but I can understand why they were picked to headline in 2014. Having seen them perform on tour with Stone Sour, I don’t like their music but I can’t deny their showmanship is impeccable! JAMIE YOUNG I would like to see bands with more showmanship. Growing up, I was disappointed that a lot of the bands with cool costumes and themes were from the past. A lot of modern metal’s sound and performance style seemed boring in comparison. Then I discovered European bands like Rammstein, Ghost, Avatar and Powerwolf and I realised that this type of
WITH EVER-FEWER BANDS ABLE TO PRODUCE THE KIND OF BIG-ASS SHOWS OF YESTERYEAR,
DO WE NEED TO NURTURE MORE SHOWMANSHIP IN METAL? WE ASKED YOU GUYS…
metal hadn’t gone away, but it’s mostly in mainland Europe! Obviously, the sound is more important than what they look like, but I think a good show has always been a key tenet of metal. It’s just more fun.
ELLIE ANDERSON
Every gig is a performance, a show, and should be treated as such. I’m not interested in seeing four guys stand in the same place on an empty stage for two hours unless the music is absolutely amazing. There should be more facilities for big performances and more support for them, too. Especially since the tickets are usually damn expensive for the bands that do shows anyway!
NIKITA SOBOLEV
Seeing Rammstein’s performance at Download 2013 blew my mind! I love the theatrics and showmanship. I’m also a big fan of Avenged Sevenfold and Parkway Drive, plus I love Rob Zombie. We all know the songs – it’s the stage show that adds the something extra!
EMILY JENKINS I’m 19 and while I enjoy small club gigs more, big spectacle rock shows are always an amazing treat. There is a place for both and I hope neither goes away.
OLLI NIEMI
It’s up to us to give bands like Gojira the support they deserve to get them to the top. Buy their music. Go to their shows. Then the albums will hit the charts and their tours will sell out. Then, they’ll eventually sell out arenas. Then they’re ready to headline festivals. Their shows will only get better and better! MITCHELL ROBINSON
I went to Parkway Drive at Brixton recently, and the fancy theatrics added to the show for me (the drummer being turned upside down was pretty cool!). I do like seeing big productions as well as the music, but with or without it, as long as the band interacts with the crowd, shows will still be enjoyable.
LUKE PARSONS
Theatrics only work if they are a natural extension of the band’s persona and music. It has to feel genuine and the band’s enthusiasm needs to show. Fans can tell when a band is just going through the motions.
JANA KRAUSE
In all honesty, for me at least, showmanship takes a backseat to sound quality. If the band focuses on delivering good sound and live mixing, that’s a huge plus. Other than that, if the band encourage crowd vocals and overall inclusion of the crowd in the experience, it’s sure to be a badass show in my book.
AUSTIN SHAW
NEXT MONTH: ARE WE DOING ENOUGH TO PROTECT WOMEN AT GIGS?