THERE ARE TOO MANY FUCKING TOURS OUT RIGHT NOW
Monday, November 16th, 2009 at 12:30pm by Vince Neilstein
There are too many fucking metal tours happening in the U.S. right now. Whether this is a result of the decline of record sales is impossible to measure given the absence of a control group, but it’d be hard to argue that’s not at least a factor; lacking revenue from royalties, bands are having to go out on the road in order to make any money. The result is a complete oversaturation of the tour marketplace, and the result of that is that bands are right back where they left off, their audience spread too thin amongst too many shows.
Case in point, we’re right in the middle of 10 straight days of metal shows here in NYC. Several of these days have two or even three shows from which to choose:
- Thur, Nov. 12: Periphery, The Binary Code, Empyreon -also- Machine Head, Mutiny Within
- Fri, Nov 13: Krallice, Liturgy, etc. -also- Hung, Ikillya, Devil to Pay -also- The Austerity Program etc
- Sat, Nov 14: Skeletonwitch / Black Anvil -also- Metallica, Lamb of God
- Sun, Nov 15: Shrinebuilder / Rwake, Liturgy -also- Metallica, Lamb of God
- Mon, Nov 16: Aphonia, The Binary Code, Brock Murdock -also- The Jesus Lizard
- Tue, Nov 17: Valient Thorr, Red Fang -also- The Jesus Lizard -als0- Dark Castle, Wetnurse, The Atlas Moth
- Wed, Nov 18: Javelina, Black Tusk, Batillus
- Thur, Nov 19: Cave In, Trap Them, Narrows
- Fri, Nov 20: Baroness, Earthless
Not even halfway through this mess and I’m fucking beat.
Given NYC sees a larger number of shows than most cities, but most of these shows are part of national tours and I can’t imagine other cities both large and small aren’t seeing the same effects. And really, how is anyone supposed to be interested in all of that? It’s my fucking job to go to shows — literally — and I can’t handle it all. I’d imagine that the average metal fan would choose just 1 or 2 when confronted with such a list of choice, even when money isn’t a factor (which it surely is most of the time).
This can’t be good for the bands on these tours… but I don’t see any other option. Bands gotta tour to make money, but too many bands on tour means the pie is split into that many more pieces. It’s a Catch 22. What’s a band to do?
What’s the situation like in your city? How often do you go to shows?
-VN
T’would be nice if more metal bands played in Baltimore rather than just sticking to the larger, usual cities.
+1
Just to name a few of the upcoming shows between now and January in the Philadelphia area……
Periphery/This or the Apocalypse/Mutiny Within – Nov. 13
Glassjaw – Nov. 15
Baroness/Earthless – Nov. 19
Cave In – Nov. 20
Melt Banana – Nov. 22
Underoath/Emery/August Burns Red – Dec. 1
Pelican – Dec. 1
Twisted Sister – Dec. 2
Winds of Plague/Stick To Your Guns/Oceano – Dec. 4
Rob Zombie – Dec. 4
IWABO/etc. – Dec. 9
Municipal Waste/Brutal Truth – Dec. 10
Biohazard – Dec. 12
GWAR/JFOC/Red Chord – Dec. 12
Vader/Decrepit Birth/Warbringer – Dec. 13
Rose Funeral – Dec. 15
Vanna – Dec. 16
Hatebreed/Cannibal Corpse/Unearth – Dec. 20
All That Remains – Dec. 21
Metal As Art Tour – Jan 7.
Nile/Immolation/etc. – Jan 17
Anvil – Jan. 17
Arch Enemy/Exodus/etc. – Jan 21
Epica/Threat Signal – Jan 27
BTBAM/Cynic/Devin Townsend – Jan 31
Fuck that man! I live in Marseille in the south of France and we rarely get some good metal down here. Even Gojira only plays here every 3 or 4 years. I usually go to 5 or 6 shows a year which is probably nothing by your standars. You might think that’s a good thing cause most shows are sold out are the crowds are always insane (I’m thinking of the first time I saw Motorhead and the last time I saw Machine Head…). Down here we are far from being burnt out on metal shows.
Most bands only play in Paris and going to see them means a 3 hour train ride and paying as much for the train ticket than for the show.Done it a couple times though….for MAIDEN!
Yep. I live in Paris and often compl
Sorry, fucked up my comment. I live in Paris and often complain about the fact that there are not enough metal shows here, and still it’s even harder when you’re not in the capital.
Same here in Germany, at least in Osnabrück, where I live. That Paris-thing’s true for me, too, for me it’s Dortmund etc. in one direction and Hamburg in the other.
I predict a flurry of WELL SHIT AT LEAST NYC *HAS* METAL SHOWS comments to follow.
If it helps, the upcoming Empyreon / Wizardry / Flaming Tusk show on Fri. Dec. 4th at Production Lounge in Greenpoint may well be free admission (the promoter is still hashing it out).
We’re starved for music on this side of Canada (Newfoundland). Me and my buddy just picked up the last tickets for the Protest show here on the 27th, and as bad as it sounds, this is going to be my first actual metal show. Fucked up, yeah?
I wouldn’t be TOO bummed out. Lamb of God played out in New Brunswick and Nova Scotia in October, and Slayer/Megadeth is still coming out that way. I know NS and NB aren’t Newfoundland, but a few years ago even those provinces weren’t getting even the big shows from bands of MD’s and Slayer’s stature. So maybe that’s a good sign that shit is expanding more east-ward?
The bands in my city suck (Windsor) Theres a few good ones from time to time to come down.
But barely, Cancer bat’s came out once and it was a huuuuge show. That’s really about it.
I hope you arent talking about Windsor ON, because if you are im sure you have noticed that detroit is a stones throw away.
easy, only go to the baroness show, as the rest will just be like any other metal show – bleh. safe yourself trouble and time and just go to the good one
For Buffalo, what this means is that we still don’t have as many shows as NYC used to have but we actually have a couple every six months or so.
there aren’t exactly this amount of tours/bands coming to Denmark, and when they do get here, the only play in Copenhagen for the most part, so it’s pretty hard to attend the shows if you live in the rest of the country… I’m going to see Lamb Of God next year and getting to the venue is actually gonna cost me more than the ticket for the show!
We just had a similar situation in Austin: http://www.crustcake.com/2009/11/crustcake-picks-austin-shows-116-1116.html
It was awesome, but I’m definitely fucking beat. If I didn’t get into shows for free, I’d definitely have to cut some of them (I also didn’t go to half of them on that list, but I went to most of the good ones).
I think it’s a good problem.
that doesn’t seem like oversaturation to me considering the size of NYC and the relative obscurity of most of the bands you listed. if a medium-sized metropolitan area can have a couple good shows at one particular club in a span of a week, I don’t see why a larger city can’t have a bunch more in the same time span.
I think his point was “look at all these shows in NYC, what happens when they roll through a small city? How do they handle it?”
yeah but the thing is, NYC is usually a guaranteed stop on metal tours. but when you get to say the D.C. metropolitan area, the tours will be split amongst Baltimore, D.C., Northern Virginia (Springfield), and Southern Virginia (Richmond, Norfolk). Not all metal tours will hit all those places, and most people from Southern VA aren’t gonna drive up to Baltimore for a small show (and vice versa).
“NYC” covers all 5 boroughs, parts of NJ, Long Island, etc.
I’ve been seeing a lot of good shows come through Denver in the last year and have had to make a couple tough choices during those two show nights (though that is pretty rare here unless you consider local gigs). I’ve only been here for a few years but apparently it wasn’t always like this. We still miss out on some great tours. Almost wish I was back in Cleveland since every tour comes through there or at least close enough to drive to.
Case in point, the current BTBAM tour with Animals As Leaders!!!! My wife and I can’t stop listening to the Animals disc so we’re pretty bummed they aren’t on the package that’s coming here to Denver in Jan. We looked at the cities they would be playing nearby. They’re in Texas, Nebraska, and Kansas…. a minimum of 7 hours drive time! Denver is in the middle of fucking nowhere whereas in Cleveland you are pretty much right in the middle of everything. In 7 hours you can get to NYC or Chicago and all points in-between if needed.
Over saturation is just something we’ll have to get used to. More and more people want to play in a band and tour around. It’s not like their are real jobs to be had now anyway.
Never even heard of most of these bands? The Jesus Lizard?
I am not trying to be judgmental, but are you really saying you’ve never heard of the Jesus Lizard?
I’m just checking. I want to make sure I’ve got what you’re saying.
= Justin
Yeah, dude. I can’t believe you haven’t heard of The Jesus Lizard. I’m not trying to be judgmental, either. By the way, I had never heard of Blabbermouth before I came to this site. Mostly because I don’t cruise the internet looking for metal sites, mostly. Mostly they come at night, mostly.
you’re bitching about too many good metal shows coming around? gimme a fucking break. what are you gonna post next, a post about getting too many blowjobs?
damn right! Besides US bands are to fuckin lazy to come to europe
He’s not. He’s saying “are all of these tours at the same time hurting each other.” This site isn’t exactly college level reading.
i just saw Jesus Lizard in Boston on saturday and it was one of the best shows i’ve ever seen. David Yow is a force.
Situation sucks in my city. Portland ME hasent been getting much for metal or hardcore shows at all. The few shows that have came to town have gotten almost no press beyond a myspace page, most the clubs havent even posted updated info or anything so it’s not easy to find out if there is anything even coming up. Seems like a different member of Wu Tang is playing every weekend here though, yippie…
There’s also a Free Goes Cube & A Storm of Light show this Wednesday at the Ace of Clubs
DAMN! I would kill to see Goes Cube, especially for free. Mostly I’d like to see Goes Cube, mostly.
im there
in the dc/metro/baltimore area, you can find something to see almost every night.
Yeah if you want to see Hatebreed and shit like that. Most of the good tours (like the American Carnage tour) skip over Baltimore.
No metal shows commin here to DOminican Republic, we dont have no sponsors for metal music, sad but true
You know it’s sad but TRUUUUUUEEEE!!! DUNDUNDUN dunnanananana!
…i just laughed my ass off.
i live in massachusettes , we get a hefty amount of shows , what sucks is worcester is soo fuckign far out of the way, but its like a second home to me im there so much , the one tour that came NO WHERE near mass was meshuggah , they were in NY in like febuary. A road trip was contemplated but ya no luck. money is a huge issue to esp when shows fall withing days of eacother. shits weak wat can u do.
Things in Norfolk/Virginia Beach area varies between feast and famine. Right now it’s famine with the only metal show this week is Megadeth in Richmond. In two weeks we get the “Monsters of Death” tour. We recently lost a venue which specialized in Metal shows so it will be interesting how the future of Metal in the Hampton Roads area shapes up. From the tour announcements I have read it doesn’t bode well for us with a number of these tours with no dates in Virginia/DC/Maryland.
The problem here in Gainesville is that we get the shit dates for the shows. So, yeah, Valient Thorr and Early Man came through a few weeks ago, but that ain’t worth shit if they come on a Tuesday night. Especially if that Tuesday night is the week of midterms. Mostly they come on Tuesday night, mostly.
my balls are touring your moms face….heyyyyy ohhhh!
11 shows came through CT this year. i did not go to any because i cant drive and im broke. next year the Slayer/Megadeth/Testament show 2/9!!!
Just saw Metallica and LoG last night @ The Garden. Got floor tix for only $150. HOLY FUCKIN SHIT! Metalli-bashers are so missing out on this. Metallica is just so fuckin good live.
If money is the problem, I’d suggest to anybody to miss a MONTH of metal shows just to see Metallica!
(P.S. bring on the senseless hate)
In LA theres only about 4 or 5 over the next 3 weeks with 2 being Dethklok/ Mastodon, but one is 9 bands and the tickets are only 25 bucks. Good deal but I think any of the bands will make any money
I live out in bumblefuck nowhere in Utah, NO ONE COMES HERE. I get the Faceless, Dying Fetus, and Vital Remains tomorrow, but we very seldom get good tours to roll through here. Its a drag
you forgot HORSE the band/Arsonists Get All The Girls
I go to a show every month, give or take. Shows I’ve been to this year were LoG, Testament, NIN, Judas Priest, Devildriver, Misfits, and GWAR. Coming up is Baroness this Saturday and possibly Municipal Waste on the 8th. I might skip the waste show just to save money for American Carnage, though.
Cave In, Narrows, and Trap Them is the only good show worth attending.
Vehemence/Reciprocal/Abysmal Dawn Nov 19.
Mastodon/Converge/ High On Fire Nov. 20
Gwar/Red Chord Nov. 23
Black Dahlia Murder and Baroness both playing same night Dec. 3
Marduk/Nachtmystium Dec. 4
The Faceless/Dying Fetus/ Vital Remains Dec. 15
living in LA doesn’t suck =p
Except that you’re in LA
I don’t know why bands go to LA and skip Vegas, I don’t mind the drive but I’d rather take a 15 minute drive then a 3 hour one.
Because Vegas is primarily a tourist town and there’s no guarantee of shows being successful out there. My friend moved out there for school and I’ve visited him several times over the last year, both times my trip coincided with show(s) at the Palms Casino, which is an alright venue but not great for metal. L.A., on the other hand, is one of the biggest cities in the U.S. population wise and thus metal can succeed out there.
Can you guys please update on upcoming shows more frequently?!?! it would be a great service to our “scene”
Hey Vince/Axl – Come out to the Union Pool on the 27th. I’m doing a gig for Gwynbleidd, Across Tundras, and Sea of Bones!
An overabundance of shows … yea, thats a problem. Us new yorkies are spoiled and miss 894358% of the shows that pass by. IF we even find out about them. at which point the show has passed or is sold out.
Cave In / Trap Them this Thurday? nicce. im gonna try to make that <<<see what i mean? i just found out about that.
Oh It pays to live in Los Angeles!
As for shows. Who cares how many tours there are! The more the merrier!
Why do you speak of these NYC shows when half of them are done. I missed all of them…FUUUUUUUUCCCCKKKKKKKKKKKK
Your choice for tonight better fucking be Jesus Lizard.
yeah theres a lot,
Winds of Plague, Stick to Your Guns, Oceano, Sleeping Giant, Circle of Contempt Nov 20
The Black Dahlia Murder, Revocation Dec 3
All That Remains, The Devil Wears Prada Dec 11
Dying Fetus,The Faceless Dec 12
Between the Buried and Me, Cynic, Scale The Summit, The Devin Townsend Project Jan 17
Revocation, Hypno5e, The Binary Code Jan 22
Nile, Abigail Williams, Immolation Jan 31
Wait, you’re complaining about having too many concerts in your city ? Well, move to any given shithole and you’ll be able to stay at home every noght if that’s what you want…
JESUS FUCKING CHRIST THAT”S NOT WHAT HE’S FUCKING SAYING!!!!!!
boo-fucking-hoo, i havent seen a real metal band play anywhere near me since goatwhore in june…don’t feel too sorry for yourselves having to choose between shrinebuilder and metallica
Maybe it’s time to move out of that forest in Wyoming?