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Rampant Rumors

METALLICA TO PLAY SXSW?

 Thursday, March 12th, 2009 at 6:13pm by

Metallica - Live EarthFrom Austin360.com:

Austin Powell of the Austin Chronicle says he’s received confirmation from the Metallica camp that the metal superstars will indeed be playing Stubb’s on Friday March 20 at 10 p.m. as part of the “Guitar Hero: Metallica” showcase…

Roland Swenson of SXSW was not too happy with Thursday’s “Off the Record” scoop, however. “He didn’t get it from us,” Swenson said. “We were told not to confirm anything and we’re sticking by that.”

So, let’s say this is true. Is it even worth attempting to get in? Seeing Metallica in a 2,100 capacity venue would be a priceless experience, but is it worth potentially having to wait on line for hours? Yours truly and Kip will be blessed with press credentials, but I still find it hard to believe that 10,000 indie rock-loving pretend Metallica fans who also have badges/wristbands won’t be trying to get in, too. Worth a shot, I guess?

-VN

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  • http://www.roxwel.com Pick-Axe Bobby

    Told ya!

  • bucketochicken

    You’re fuckin-A right it’s worth it (especially with press passes).

    I mean really, what the fuck? Are you going to skip seeing Metallica in a club setting to go see “The (noun)s” craptacular indie-Pitchfork band instead? Guh.

  • Kyle

    Seriously. It’s worth a shot. Say whatever you want about Metallica, but I would fucking kill to see them in a venue that size. Or, better yet, if someone happens to have a flux capacitor I would really like to catch that Seattle gig in ’89. Good luck, guys.

  • RomuluXX

    Completely 100% worth a shot

  • http://incoldblogger.blogspot.com Corey Mitchell

    If they do, it will be yet one more dickish move by the former titans of metal. As a SXSW attendee from Year One (1987), I have seen, first hand, the short-shrift this conference has always dealt towards metal. Back in the day, metal showcases were non-existent. In fact, I held one of the first non-sanctioned off parties of any genre when we rented out the Riverside Dollar Cinema and booked DeadHorse, Agony Column, Sedition, Dread, and more. It was also the gig where DeadHorse got noticed and then signed to Death Records/Metal Blade. It took nearly ten years before a solid metal showcase was booked, which, again, I set up. This time around (1996) it was Fear Factory, 16 Volt, Earth Crisis, Burn (ex-SKREW), and more.

    Now, metal is “hip,” so guess what we get: tons of metal bands and jackasses like Metallica stepping in on the playground to kick sand all over the neophytes. You know, the ones who truly need the recognition and bodies on the floor. Instead, everyone who thinks these wash-ups are still relvant will go to Stubb’s to check it out, call it the greatest show they’ve ever seen, and meanwhile, miss out on the following metal bands who are also playing during this two hour block, including ABSU, Ironweed, Black Cobra, Whitechapel, Black Tusk, Bring Me The Horizon, Rwake, Valient Thorr, Wino, The Devil Wears prada, Cancer bats, Kylesa, and Wolves in the Throne Room.

    So, piss off Metallica. Go away! Austin doesn’t need your “Death Magnetic” 80′s thrash-wannabe retread. If we needed that, we could spin Warbringer, Hatchet, or Bonded By Blood and get much better results.

  • Stop beating a dead horse.

    ^ CM – You hate Metallica. You’re old (school). We get it. Please give it a rest already.

  • Jason

    As an Austinite, musician, employee of Stubb’s/C3, and an attendee of SXSW since 1993, I say good luck. You are gonna need it. That is going to be one of the hardest gigs to get in all week. Thank God I will be on tour and will miss it! This is the first SXSW in 16 years that I haven’t played or worked. Yay for me.

  • http://incoldblogger.blogspot.com Corey Mitchell

    @Sbadh.: Yes, I’m old (43 on Sunday); hence, the nickname “The Old Fart.”

    Of course, it stands to reason that since I am of such an advanced age I would want to see Metallica live, yet again (15 times prior to TBA, twice since). But, hell no, I’d much rather see one of the aforementioned bands. You know, the younger upstarts. The ones who haven’t completely sold their souls for Thee Almighty Buck. The ones who still know how to look up the word “integrity” in a dictionary. Or, hell, I’ll even stick with some other old farts like ABSU who destroy any Metallica-post …AJ4A attempts at “music-making.”

    Also, I’ll be sure to continue to flog the deceased glue contributor known as Metallica until they finally rid the world of their inanity and irrelevance.

    Besides, they’ve been doing a bang-up job of beating a dead horse since 1991.

  • Jason

    Addendum:

    While I may or may not agree with Corey’s assertion of Metallica’s current worth, he does have a point about SX’s “treatment” of metal over the course of its inception. The truth is, SX has basically ignored it. If it weren’t for labels pushing to have showcases (i.e. Relapse, The End), there would most likely be no metal shows during SXSW. I have played the festival many times (a few officially, most un-officially) since ’93 and have been amazed at the lack of metal and hard rock acts over the years. It is nothing new, especially to us locals, that SX basically wants nothing to do with metal as whole. I was at the FF, EC, Burn gig that Corey talks about and remember being blown away that it happened during SXSW because acts like that had never played before. In 2001, my band won the Austin Chronicle Poll Metal Band of the Year award…and we were not playing an “official” SXSW showcase. We did, however, play a showcase that week at the Flamingo Cantina and killed if I do say so myself. Anyway, SXSW has a mulitude of problems with it, not just the lack of metal, and the fact is that it will never be what it once may have been in the very early days.

  • Sbadh

    My point was that it’s tiresome to see people take the easy road and cloud an otherwise legitimate, well-reasoned concern by bashing Metallica (to be fair, it’s a pretty commonplace occurrence). We all know the arguments, valid or not, and we all have opinions on it. At this point, what is there to gain from it other than trying to make yourself look good?

    Is it a problem that younger bands will likely lose out on being seen because of Metallcia’s show? Absolutely. Does it help your argument to steep it your unabashed hatred toward Metallica because of what you think they’ve become? Absolutely not.

  • Toxteth O’Grady

    I would like to see Metallica at Stubb’s, but I am not about to wait in line for this. If it is anything like the free Motorhead/Napalm Death show last year, people will start lining up in the wee hours of the morning to make sure they get in. I, personally, don’t feel like sleeping on a sidewalk when it will be possible to hear the show from the patio of one of several bars across the street.

  • Hardcorebo

    Good luck in getting into the show guys! I guaren-fuckin-tee you that the 2100 seats you mentioned in the article have already been spoken for by all the insiders here in Austin. By you posting about the show too, you’ve also made sure that your chances of seeing it are virtually zero at this point, press pass or not. Get ready to be disappointed…

    I’ve quit going to SXSW for years since metal has not been included on a consistent basis. I also saw the FC, EC, Burn show and Dead Horse shows mentioned above and thought maybe metal would get a fair representation going forward. Sadly I was mistaken and it thee has been little to none ever since. I usually plan a trip during the week of SXSW to avoid the idiot wannabees, poseur assholes, and stupidity of the out of towners. This year I’ll be in New Mexico, so enjoy the BS.

  • kevin

    Give it a fucking rest Corey, we’ve heard this from you before and it’s not getting any more interesting. Learn a new trick douche.

  • Carter

    I wanna get tickets to see them in 1986

  • Johnny Ringo

    metallica is my favorite fucking band ever but i would much rather go see bands like kylesa and wolves in the throne room and absu and whitechapel because A: it’d be much easier to see them and B: i’ve seen metallica play in texas stadium and with down so as far as i’m concerned i’m not mission out on that much

  • BrandonMetal

    you’d think saying less is saying more- i’d think that bands wouldn’t play swsx once they’ve made it to say they don’t need it.

    i’m sure one day, metallica will make the big time….

    and to the guy a few posts up, can we PLEASE not encourage warbringer.
    i’d dunno who they’re blowing to get on all of these metal tours, but they’re poseriffic, and it would be great if they did not get on the next great tour.

  • Cowboy From Hell

    WHY MUST METALLICA LIVE LIKE THIS…WHY CANT YOU JUST DIE ALREADY!!!!

    Oh and BTW LARS LIKES LITTLE CHILDREN PENIS IN OR AROUND HIS MOUTH!!

  • http://www.pinoyloveforum.com Cyril Smith

    Clash of Titans is a superb movie and i am a fan of the classic movies featuring Hercules and some other greek god.