Metal vs The Mainstream

This week a news articles has given me a chuckle.The article was telling of how  pop star Rhiannon's tour was not selling any tickets in the US

I am not sure exactly why Rhianna not selling tickets to her tour is such a shock. Firstly its difficult to call these people musicians or artists as they are more celebrities. If she wasn't a celebrity then she wouldn't sell any records let alone play gigs. With being a celeb you distance yourself from fans as you need to be unaccessible, live music is all about getting closer to your heroes. Also being pop music also means at some point in the not to distant future your time is up. There is only so long you can still record relevant music for people who's tastes change quicker than the weather.

This is not a new phenomenon either the same celeb (we'll call them what they are as the word artist is flattering) had to cancel shows for her last tour. This time around some venues have only sold 3700 or so tickets for venues that need to sell 15000 just to break even. This is not an isolated incident either. Big names in pop such as Britney Spears and Beyonnce having similar problems. Some articles claim that for one of Britney's shows int eh O2 some tickets were sold for £2 so as to make the venue appear full. When she was on stage half of the show was lip synced anyway hardly what you are paying the money for.

With these people still popular i can only imagine that what puts people off would be high prices and the fact they  only do it for the cash. Its not like they have much new material to tour the odd song that makes the charts so you are not watching the progression of an artist but giving your hard earned money to fill their bank accounts.

On the other hand most rock and metal bands have to tour constantly and sell out all over the world. This must be because they give value for money and inspire loyally in their fans. Once a metal fan always a metal fan, you can put it down and leave it but it will always be there. This loyalty is hard earnt and in so doing acts becoming better performers. Rather than have stardom thrust upon them they more often or not start off small in the case of Maiden east end pubs and through hard work and perfecting their craft till they headline Rock in Rio in front of 200,000 people. No one in their right minds believes in 30 years time Rihanna will be selling a single Cd let alone heading the biggest venues in the world. I think in music you have to earn a fan base, the fan and the band are mutually supporting one doesn't work with out the other. I think a lot of pop music forgets this, that is all very well acting like a Diva but normal people don't like that. If you have £50 to go watch a gig go see Maiden in the O2 this summer, oh wait you cant as its sold out

So despite no mainstream support Metal supports its self, we go to our gigs and support our bands. Its not a small feat either. These are big huge gigs they never get press attention and they certainly never get advertised in the media and that is because they sell out anyway. I would just like the mainstream to acknoledge there is an all powerful force in music it isn't Beyonnce, it isn't Simon Cowell its Metal and one day sooner or later they will have to recognize that.

I for one cannot wait to see the Irons in August.