JUMPING DARKNESS PARADE: EYAL ON AMERICAN AUDIENCES VS. EUROPEAN AUDIENCES
Wednesday, September 23rd, 2009 at 5:00pm by Eyal Levi
You guys familiar with the phrase “Grass is greener?” Well, you should be. I think it’s human nature to get complacent and take for granted what we’ve got and think that what’s on the other side of the fence, or ocean, or job, or band, or girlfriend, or WHATEVER, is better and will make them happier. If they could just have “that” instead of “this,” then life would be better.
I’m thinking about this because I’m on tour in Europe right now. I love being on tour in Europe. I love being on tour in general. When on tour in the US, one of the questions I get asked constantly by friends or fans is whether or not the European audiences completely destroy the American audiences. People are living under the impression that Europe is some metal mecca and that you will instantly go over well here. Not the case. Also, over here people seem to think that America is the answer to your metal needs as a band, and if that they could just make it over there, then their answers would be solved. Also, not the case.
There are great shows here and there are great shows there. There are shitty shows here and there are shitty shows there. Keep in mind that the United States is basically the size of a continent. There are HUGE cultural differences from region to region, and the way that fans appreciate their metal, and what types of metal fans enjoy, varies greatly from place to place. The northeast does not respond to metal the way that the southeast does, the same way that audiences in Denmark will not respond to metal the way that audiences in Germany will. Granted, the United States is more uniform than Europe, but still, you can’t think of the United States as one giant people, because they are different from region to region. Same with Europe. When you are going on tour in Europe, you are hitting many different countries. All of them with their own cultural norms and quirks.
That said, the type of metal you play makes a HUGE difference. Things that got big in the US, like metalcore, haven’t really caught on in Europe quite the same way. Many bands that can pull in fifteen hundred people in the US will only pull in five hundred people on average in Europe in that scene. And the same is true on the other end. Power metal bands that will pull in thousands in Europe will only pull in hundreds in the US. Its not as simple as saying, “HELL YEAH, WE’RE GONNA TOUR EUROPE!!!” and expecting that you’re instantly going to be a hit. You have to work these markets just as hard as any other markets.
The only place in the world I’ve toured where the grass is actually greener is Japan. That is the perfect tour scenario. Besides that, it’s all the same. It changes from region to region. It’s easy to think of the US as a place where everything is exactly the same and forget that it’s a 3000 mile-wide country of 280 million people, the same way that its easy to think of Europe as just one big place known as “Europe.” When you actually start to pay attention to cultural differences from place to place, you realize that what you have to present to the world will be accepted differently in different places, because the people living there all have their own tastes. Some places will like you more than others. Some people will be more appreciative than others. Either way, it’s all work.
I’ve known this for awhile, but this tour definitely drives it home for me. No matter where you are, you have to make your mark and not expect that your mark will be made for you. It’s easy to think that there’s a place 5000 miles away, where people will instantly love what you do, but you get there and you realize that you need to win them over just like the people back home. Grass is never greener unless you tend to it yourself.
Anyone here got any thoughts on the matter?
-EL
Daath are touring Europe right now with Chimaira, Unearth and Throwdown. Visit their MySpace page for a complete list of tour dates.
My thoughts?
Time to move to Japan.
DUUDE! saw you guys last tuesday in Antwerp. Killer show. I didnt laugh when you fell backwards cuz i ate shit on the guard rail 5 min beforehand. I wanted to meet you after the show but i was …AHEM…. how do i put this, completely shitty by the end of the show.
One question?
Why in ibanez iceman?
i was there too and they killed it, i have to admit it was my first time kinda descovering them so i wasnt hugely into it but they were definately fucking good
the ibanez iceman rules like a fucking beast thats why
How the fuck hard is it to spell “definitely” right? Huh? Are you four years old? IT’S NOT THAT FUCKING HARD STUPID MOTHERFUCKER. Do it right next time.
From now on I’m calling out everyone I see make that mistake. I’ve seen that so many times today, that pushed me over the edge…me and my juggalo crew are gonna go start some shit…
ESL
And what is Mr. Daniel Winnett’s first language? Juggalese?
“going to”
Not “gonna.”
That was the Juggalo in me coming through. No amount of therapy can clear up everything.
Try to speak french half as well as we do speak english and then start talking shit about our english espèce de gros con va… Déjà que t’as des goûts de merde, tu vas pas en plus nous emmerder avec ta grammaire bordel !!!
Win. You really shouldn’t mock someone whose first language isn’t english’s english. Unless you speak his language flawlessly yourself.
Anyone got a net? I want to catch that FROG!
+10000 Buttor. Lo mismo va para toda la banda que habla español y que trata al menos gramaticalmente de escribir ingles correctamente . Se me hace una mamada que haya gente que no habla una puta palabra de otro idioma y te ande chingando por cualquier error gramatical que comentas.
Hey deanerhead, frogs is for french people, and i’m from belgium, so get lost.
Oh ever so fucking sorry for making a mistake my lord, I’m sure it never happens to you. And considering the millions of people who still spell it “defiantly” (don’t ask why, I don’t know) I think I’m doing pretty well.
But hey thanks for rectifying my mistake and next time I’ll definitely try to do better. (See learning already, you prick)
Calma cojones que esto es un foro de jebis XD
Q: WHO GIVES A FUCK ABOUT SPELLING IN A SHITTING INTERNET COMMENT?
A: A FUCKING ANNOYING NERD.
This whole section has nothing to do with the question or blog….haha…its great!!!!!!!!!
One day, while riding the train, I’ll look up at the advertisements, see a philosophers quote, and then see Eyal Levi under it.
I hear you on the Japan part of touring for sure! Any live video I’ve seen of bands playing in Japan the crowds are going completely nuts. I mean the Red Chord have a whole live section of songs from Japan on Clients. It just seems like Japanese fans are SUPER die hard and love like all types of music.
+1, they’re pretty damn loyal fans
JAPANESE PEOPLE ARE RENOWNED FOR THEIR POLITE TENDENCIES AND CULTURE OF RESPECT.
To add to what you said Eyal ill say that the grass is definately greener here in Europe Music/Metal wise. Ive had the luck/pleasure of experiencing festivals and Concerts here in Eurpoe that completely smoke anything offered in the states..HOWEVER.. as a Soldier/ U.S Citizen/ someone who misses the shit out of REAL mexican food/ Home is Home and the states is where its at.
Being stationed overseas gives you a new perspective on alot of things, but it also makes you appreciate the little things you do have back home.
Hope you guys enjoyed it, on behalf of myself, Dixie-normous, and The Cobra-Clutch Master thank you for comin, we had a blast.
Peace.
fuck!! I missed your show in Denmark!! damnit!!
anyways, I think one of the reasons we think of america as the place to go if you wanna hit it high is “Lars Ulrich”. he was just a dude who took off to find the dream, and now he makes more money the fucking God!
yeah, but its interessting to see what american crowds are like and what european crowds are like. I talked with some band member (don’t remember who) about that and the said in america its almost like you go out on a show to beat the crap out of somebody and its not that much about the band etc.
on other notes I’m not shure if I should attend your european tour
My friends brother toured Japan twice. All paid expenses and playing a show everyone night in a different part. The awesome thing about it was even though there was a language barrier people still went ape crazy and still showed gestures of appreciation. Like when girls take deep sniffs of your armpits it means they want to have sex.He didnt learn that til after he left haha.
is there any reason why south americans love iron maiden?
Self explanatory
Because Iron Maiden are fucking awesome.
Because south americans apparently has excellent taste in music.
Eddie’s real name is Eduardo
If Elvis, Michael Jackson, and the two dead Beatles all came back to life and went on a tour of South America, they wouldn’t get nearly as big of a reception as Maiden gets when they tour down there.
Because Eddie looks like their mothers.
your mother is from south america ?
Because it’s Iron Maiden.
Everyone loves Iron Maiden. Holy Smoke!
The grass is always greener on the other side… when it’s astro-turf.
Imagine a country with no metal scene whatsoever and I’m talking NO friggin metal or any other extreme guitar music scene at all cause that’s where I live,a 100 people at a show would actually be a blessing in this hellhole so if any of you are either from the states or europe [or the moon for that matter] consider yourself lucky no matter what genre or metal your band is cause at least there will always be people who give a fuck
Imagine a comment with more punctuation.
What are you my english teacher?Since when did this become a grammar test instead of a comment section?
Well dude, just to point this out, your initial comment was very difficult to understand given its lack of correct punctuation, on the other hand, your second comment used correct punctuation and was very easy to understand. His comment apparently helped you realize the importance of punctuation.
FUCK ALL THIS ENGLISH TEACHER NERD BULLSHIT.
ALSO FUCK JESUS.
I live 700km away from any major landmass in the middle of the South Pacific…I catch an Emerson, Lake & Powell one-off every now and then, but for the most part bands tend to avoid the hassle of paying my archipelago a visit.
where do you live?
Originally from New Zealand, just couldn’t stand how crowded it was getting so me and the missus packed up our catamaran with the intention of reaching the Indian Ocean and hopefully settling somewhere on the coast of Indonesia. Unfortunately, we got swept up in one of the strongest monsoons I can ever recall, ended up blown halfway across the Pacific in the opposite direction. We were dangerously low on supplies when we ran aground on the tiny spit of land with nothing more than a few trees and some sand dunes. After scouring the place for awhile I declared it habitable, we unloaded and set up a small homestead on the eastern coast so we could watch the sunrise every morning. On that first morning I named our new home Sunrise Island, though we’ve heard it referred to by passing natives as M’Liki Luk Luk, which roughly translates to “Devil’s Haircut”.
It must be quite the wi-fi hotspot.
I just have a really long ethernet cable
+1
-1000
I HAD A LOOK AT YOUR BLOG.
You of all people should know you can’t always believe what you read, Professor Dawkins.
I’d like to take credit for inspiring this post with my ignorance on the subject.
Anytime Eyal!
i missed the oslo show due to work unfortunately:( how was that crowd?
oh, and i wanted to ask if the GRASS is greener here in europe?
oh, yeah, that’ld be quite interesting to know! maybe you tell me yourself next wednesday, Eyal! see ya there!
Indoor is great no matter where you are, brother
It seems to me that latin american audiences tend to identify more with the european spectrum of metal. Here in Costa Rica chessy power metal is really strong while metalcore is hated almost by everyone.
Iron Maiden was here two times during the last two years and it was fucking great!!! It completely validates the theoy that fans from metal starving areas are the most enthusiastic and that seems to be appreciated by musicians as well
Somehow this 4 million people country has attracted many metal acts over the last decade and it seems that the outrageous enthusiasm shown by fans might be the reason for that. This year we have had Maiden, Amon Amarth, Sodom, Malevolent Creation and there is one pending Belphegor gig somewhere on november.
Great post, Great topic
I went to Scandinavia in 2000 with this attitude. I got off the train in Gothenburg, and expected to hear Dark Tranquillity being piped out of the bushes like the music you hear at Disneyland. Most people I met listened to electronica.
The metal fans I did meet in Sweden didn’t even like Swedish bands. in 2000 they didn’t really know who Opeth was, they said that In Flames was “for their sisters”, and told me I should be listening to Marduk.
This post reminds me of a documentary I watched last night. Global Metal. It touched on how audiences behave differently at metal shows around the world. After seeing it, I can understand why you would say Japan is perfect.
the guy who did this documentary is a fucking Canadian! Yeah!
and talking of Canada, I live in Quebec, and the only metal “scene” in Quebec is techdeath, and it’s called a scene because it’s the only fucking good metal you’ll ever hear. I think the biggest metal band to ever come out of Quebec was Voivod… All we have is french gangsta rap and sentimental pop punk like Simple Plan…
Australia should have been in that Global metal doco. Overlooked again!! You guys would be suprised how big ( and growing ) the Australian metal scene is
Well, most metal fans are at least familiar with the likes of Portal, Destroyer 666, and Sadistik Exekution. But yeah, there’s a whole bunch of up-and-coming talent in the Australian scene.
I know Ne Obliviscaris are pretty well-known now, and Be’lakor have their share of attention. And then there’s guys like Empyrean and Aeternitas.
That is the first time I’ve heard Portal mentioned on this site by anyone other than myself, they kick ass
portal, fuck yeah.. also abominator, mortal sin, TRUTH CORRODED, DAMAGED shitloads of great aussie metal
You have Rush………Not out of Quebec of course…but Canada…and that right there, is great!!!!!!!!
Annihilator as well Jeff’s canadian
and Into Eternity…
Metalcore never really did as well in Europe simply because it’s a derivative version of what the Swedes were doing a decade earlier.
No offence, but the reason you dont pull numbers in Eurpoe, is cos Daath fucking sucks, and they have great, REAL, metal over there. I like your blogs, but your starting come off like Dallas, like some God of Metal / Rock when you play in a C – Grade American metal band.
Just play in Australia Good Weather, Weed and TITTIES! :)
What are titties? Is that some Australian thing?
Boobs ya dickhead! hahah
Don’t worry, Deez. I saw what you did there.
Sometimes I wish my computer had a sarcasm button, that could somehow make text appear sarcastic. Or an anger button that could make it angry without using caps or exclamation marks. Someone needs to get on that.
I’ll get right on that for you, bro. In fact, I’ll work on that which would be a brilliant gem of programming while I’m waiting anxiously for Rich Halford to address my dating questions and contemplating how come only Australians have “titties” … and wondering what Australians consider to be “titties,” anyway, and how come mine don’t appear to qualify.
*pause for reflection*
Actually, maybe I won’t volunteer for that duty assignment after all. By the time I get around to any of that, the human race as a whole will have evolved to communicate solely with telepathy, in which case Eyal won’t be banging out any more blogs and you’ll no longer have any need for your shiny new toy. Sorry.
gays
i can’t speak for the rest of europe, but in england there is fuck all of a metal scene… i mean, for the country that gave birth to iron maiden, black sabbath, etc, it’s pretty sad. i only heard of mastodon a month ago, and that was through this site… i know metal is an underground genre, but fucking hell, i’d like to come across it occasionally without spending hours digging on the net. i actually can’t name an english metal band of the last ten years. so yes, the grass looks much fucking greener on the other side….
anyways, drunken rant over…. from what i’ve seen, japanese fans are fanatical to fucking stupid levels… i can’t remember where i heard this, but apparently a japanese band released loads of versions of this album, one for each of the 40 summit members of said band, and loads of people bought all of them. nuts.
as a side note, i’ve checked out DAATH’s music as a result of this blog, you’ve definitely made a mark with me. hope to see you around here soon….
Look Harder you fucking spaz. The uk metal scene is thriving at moment imo. There are tonnes of great metal bands over here Evile, Trigger the Bloodshed, Bring the Horizon, Dragonforce, Malefice, Sylosis and Annotations of an Autopsy to name a few.
None of those bands will ever have the impact of Black Sabbath or Iron Maiden. Just sayin…
Sylosis and Evile are the only two bands that deserve to represent the uk metal scene,dragonforce is a guitar hero band and don’t even get me started on the whole BMTH fad
THE BEST ENGLISH METAL BAND AT THE MOMENT IS CAPRICORNS.
I’VE NEVER HEARD OF MOST OF THOSE OTHERS BUT I’M SURE THEY’RE ALL PRETTY GAY.
You ripped it in Gothenburg! Such a shame though that the venue was so fucking small and that the show wasn’t promoted the right way resulting in not too many people showing up!
Swedish metal scene is almost dead as majority of the bands suck ass ever since deathcore started to get big. They play a note, let it ring out and during that time the singer screams his loungs out sounding like a dying moose! Sounding as brutal as possible is for pussies! What we had in sweden died along with every second band trying to sound like in flames or at the gates, during the past years.
There is nothing ‘Europeans’ hate more than being referred to as such. I’m Dutch, but have attended international schools for my whole life, and there’s always an ignorant dick who’ll say something along the lines of “yeah, I love Europe” or some shit like that. Usually, it’ll be an American who makes that mistake. You cannot compare Spain with Sweden, for example, and yes, they’re in the same continent. This error is one of many reasons why Americans are considered ignorant buffoons abroad. While I, personally, am not judgmental, it will always irritate me when people refer to Europe as a country. Eyal has taken a step in the right direction here. Please learn.
+1
I always forget, does Europe have a King or a President?
No, but we eat other continent’s presidents and kings at lunch.
It is actually ruled by a “matriarcado” of gorgeous brunettes who are replaced, every 4 years through democratic elections, by even hotter brunettes, Its political system is divided in four branches, legislative, executive, legal and seductive.
Europe’s main headquarters are in Ibiza, a small island of the Mediterranean belonging to Spain,
But dude, you are making the same mistake….. ” Americans ” are not only the citizens of the U.S….. America is a Continent not a country , you see…
So people from Mexico to Argentina are also ” Americans “…….
Just an observation.
With all due respect, and perhaps to play the devil’s advocate, following the formation of the European Union, which at this stage includes 27 different countries and at least several others in current negotiations to become part of it, isn’t it slightly unfair to judge Americans as ‘ignorant buffoons’ for considering someone who lives in a European country a “European”? Furthermore, whether you’re Dutch, Swedish, Slovakian, or German (etc.), you still reside on the European continent, so wouldn’t that, in at least a superficial sense, make you a European? The Asian continent is made up of 47 countries, most of which are wholly different from one another, but, in general, people from that very large region of the world are known as “Asians”, it’s simply a way to classify people according to their geographical location.
I completely understand your position; regardless of there no longer being border control stations for countries within the EU, and despite countries in said union all using the same currency, each state is still soverign and thus maintains an a unique identity characterized by language, customs, traditions, and history. I am fully aware that as a person from the Netherlands, you should first and foremost be considered Dutch, but you are simultaneously a person from a country that is part of the European Union, located on the European continent.
. +1
…And just to qualify my statement a bit further, I want to emphasize I am not denying the assertion that a great deal of my fellow Americans are ignorant fuckheads, because they are. I just think in this particular instance, you should provide a little leeway.
Also, keep in mind, Europe has a much richer and more colorful history than American does; whereas two thousand year old churches and medieval castles are commonplace throughout much of Europe, the oldest buildings or monuments you’ll find in America are only a few hundred years old (and limited to only a couple of cities that were part of the original 13 colonies; namely, Boston, Philadelphia, New York, and, in a slightly lesser sense, Washington D.C.). So, when someone who has never left American soil goes to Europe and experiences that great sense of cultural history, even if it’s in thirteen different countries, they will more likely than not recall the experience as having been “in Europe” as opposed to “in the Netherlands, Spain, Norway”, etc. Perhaps it shouldn’t necessarily be that way, but can you blame the person for it?
Moreover, as Eyal pointed out, America is essentially the size of an entire continent; you can fit a great deal of Europe into Texas alone. In Europe, the distances are much smaller and travel is a lot more efficient (the train system is unbelievable, I only wish we had something remotely resembling it here in the U.S.), so a lot of cultural traditions of different countries bleed into one another. Sure, it’s nearly impossible to compare Spain with Sweden, but is it so difficult to compare Sweden with Norway or Finland? What about the Netherlands and Belgium or Germany? Or, Spain and Portugal? My parents are from former Czechoslovakia and I have been all over Eastern Europe, I know for a fact that there are many similarities between the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Romania, Hungary, and Poland. The German language is not limited just Germany; many people in Switzerland speak it, as well as it being the official language of Austria.
Point is, for someone who comes from a country where everyone speaks one language and whose sense of history is still very new on the large scale of time, it is very easy to experience “Europe” as a sort of singular place when referring to it lingustically.
+1
I don’t know if it’s just those I’ve met, but I’ve found that Dutch seem to especially condescending, judgmental, and pedantic, towards America/Americans. He comes off like some stuffy professor shaking his finger at his “ignorant buffoon” students. I wonder if it’s some cultural thing.
I mean, here, Davidian is basically presuming that most Americans are referring to to “Europe” or “Europeans” as if it connotes a homogenized group of people culturally, and not merely a geographic region. Quite a presumption. I believe that people often think like this to that they can feel superior to another people.
I think some of this also comes from an unreasonable expectation that someone living 4-7000 miles distant is expected to know as much about the cultural minutiae of various European countries as someone living in Europe is. Granted, Europeans typically know more about America than vice-versa. But is this not to be expected because of wide dissemination of American movies, TV shows, music, products, businesses, etc throughout Europe? (How many times have I heard Euros complain about this too?) Americans speak English. English is presently the lingua-franca, therefore many Europeans also speak English as well as their native tongue. If an American learns a language spoken in Europe, he can only immerse himself deeply into the culture that one European country. I believe this and other factors add up to give Americans a bit of a disadvantage as far as learning about the various cultures and sub-cultures of Europe, while it gives Europeans an advantage as far as learning about America. Should it make them feel superior and promote an urge to lecture to the unwashed American masses? I guess whatever floats their boats. :P
Anyway, just my $.02 (yes I’m an American).
It’s cool to see an American with actual understanding. You’re right in there being similarities in some of the countries within Europe, however, many would be offended at the suggestion of similarities between, for example, Noway and Sweden. While, culturally, many habits may seem ‘the same’, they speak different languages, and have intense rivalry.
In Holland, Germany is considered ‘the enemy’, whereas Belgium is mocked. Comparing them would most likely result in heated argument. Yeah, don’t try it.
I understand why, linguistically, it’s easy to refer to Europe as a singular term. It’s just something that annoys me very much; even more so when there’s no effort made to try to correct this mistake. I recently had someone ask me where I was from (an American). I said I was from Holland, and he replied with “is that in California?”. That’s the second time, in around a year, that that has happened. It disgusts me. I’m not saying that all Americans are idiots, I’m saying that much has to be done in order to change this perception.
Actually, there are quite a few towns called “Holland” in the USA, including three in Wisconsin. But none in California that I know of. :) Maybe they’re thinking “Hollister”. LOL But seriously, there are ignorant people everywhere, and one tends to remember them more than the ones who are not.
Anyway, I thought Dutch people didn’t like it when people say they’re from Holland, because Holland is just a region of The Netherlands. I’ve had NLers bitch to me about that . Unless you’re referring to your region, and not your country. :P Of course, you should also explain why holland.com is the tourism site for The Netherlands. :)
One of my friends was in a punk band for a while, and they played fairly small shows in the states. Then they went to Japan and it was insane. Sold out clubs, and they were treated like rock stars. They didn’t have roadies, but people there helped them with their gear, etc. He said it was amazing.
The metal shows here in the states are fine with me. Everybody going crazy and rockin’ out. But I would really love to go to a major 3 day festival (download or wacken, preferably) over in Europe. All the bids I’ve seen of these festivals are just insane, there’s like 70,000 people at each one!!! That’s one thing that sucks about the states no kickass major metal festivals (and fuck ozzfest)
It’s not of the same magnitude, but the New England Hardcore and Metal Festival is truly amazing year in and year out. I went to both NEHMF and Wacken in 2009; in terms of lineup, NE was astoundingly better, but the experience of Wacken was the best I’ve ever had.
If you can, make it out to Wacken, you won’t regret it. I’ve already bought mine for next year (20,000+ sold thus far, so you may want to jump on it before they sell out); it’ll run you about $200 USD at their official ticket site: metaltix.com
Thanks for the info, dude. Germany is a little too far from ny, but you know maybe (just maybe) I’ll be there somehow. New England on the other hand is a couple of hours away, so that’s a greater possibility of happening. As I’ve never been to a festival, maybe I’ll stop by in New England first.
I’m just down 95 from you, live in Philly. Germany is closer than you think!!
As for New England, you need to make it up there! Unfortunately, the concert promoters/organizers slack off a bit, or so it seems, and bands do not usually begin to be announced until February (the show is mid-April). Last year there was a huge hippy fest (I think maybe The Dead were playing?) and all of the hotels were booked really early. The cheapest hotel is Quality Inn & Suites on 50 Oriol Drive in Worcester, MA. A bus line runs directly to the main part of town, where the venue is located, or you can take a cheap cab (which is what we normally do). If you plan on going, check the website often after the new year to see what weekend it is so hotels don’t sell out; metalandhardcorefestival.com
thanks alot dude. I appreciate it
DON’T LISTEN TO HIM, HE DOESN’T REALLY KNOW WHAT HE’S TALKING ABOUT.
mayhem fest was cool it wasnt 70,000 ppl but it was still amazing
Europe has a lot of huge and famous festivals. I’d love to go to something like Wacken, just because it’s sort of a “metal mecca”.
I digress a bit here, but really, for the most part, I’d rather see a band in a club than in a big arena or stadium. It’s more intimate, the sound is usually better.
Another thing, festivals are cool and all, but I remember fests like Ozzfest and SOTU where you had to get up at like 6 or 7 AM to show up in time for the show which started at like 8 or 9AM! And the show typically lasted all the way until about midnight. Now I love music and seeing bands live, but damn, that’ll wear anyone out. Your ears can only take so much high volume, and your body can only take so much moshing, and standing for hours on end. :P What was always funny to me is when one of the big headlining acts would come on at say 9:30PM, after having likely rolled out a bed an hour or two earlier, and start chastising the crowd which has probably been standing watching bands since 8AM for not being “energetic enough” or whatever. :P
I think it’s not a fair comparison because everyone in America envies Europe solely for the huge festivals they get during the summer. In those weekend festivals you can see 100 bands and not have to go to another show all year long if you don’t want but that completely defeats the purpose to me. I want to see those 100 bands playing long sets and headlining shows not 20 minutes and then rushed off stage. Most lazy American metal fans go to Warped Tours, Ozzfests, Mayhem Festivals, or their local radio festival as their only shows of the year so they can see a multitude of bands that year without effort and that’s what they like about Europe. Sure if I were rich I’d go to all of those European festivals but I’d still return to America to see all of the other shows. It’s obvious how much more constant touring is done in the states the other ten months of the year even by foreign bands. So I don’t envy Europe at all for that except that they get Rammstein and I do wish there was any given location in the states that could draw that large of a crowd if they were to put together a show like that here.
x2 here. Like I said above, I prefer the club shows!