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Why is "Metal" constantly being bashed by "real" musicians?
- Thread starter RNV
- Start date
Meaning "Why do we care that you care"???
I actually don't *care* - but I find it interesting and revealing. The amount of concern expressed regarding the opinions of others inexorably leads me to a conclusion that the question is post by those who aren't very secure in their choices. As I have said before, what other genre of music spends so much time worrying about how it's perceived?
Take Blues for example. As bassists, we know that the average blues tune is DEAD SIMPLE and as such, is fairly easy and dull to play. I, for one, find playing it boring in the extreme unless I'm working with GREAT musicians who pump out a great show... Okay - where are the blues guys agonizing over the how folks see them? I can't say that I've seen a single thread on this topic here on TB - but the "why doesn't metal get respect" issue comes up at least once every three weeks. Why is that? To me, that's the interesting - and revealing - question.
I'll tell you why the blues players don't do that: b/c the "real" musicians don't spend a second of their time telling the blues players the music they love sucks. They're too busy ridiculing the longhairs.
The answer is dead easy: it's a music that appeals to many young people. It is seen a "rebellious" and that makes just about any 13 year old jump in. The chances of being insecure when you’re 13 are quite higher as when you’re 60.
Then when they turn about 16-18 (or even before), all those that listened to that music only because it was rebellious leave it. Some stick to it and wonder why there are few a few people listening to the same music.
This is where this kind of threads comes from.
I mean, 90% (generalization) of blues players are above 50 years old, by that time you should have been able to deal with your insecurities
PS: what does CW stand for?
I disagree entirely. As one of the "longhairs", perhaps with a thicker skin than some, I've noticed blues and country getting a fair bit of stick too, in fact, most of the stick I see metal players get seems to be very tongue-in-cheek "best bass for metal" jokes, which are harmless, or in threads like this.
I hate hearing every one saying that metal is the work of the Devil and stuff like that!!! I just pisses me off. The only thing that pisses me off more is that almost every one who talks crap about metal have never heard it before.
Oh now I've heard everything.
Sorry, metalheads, I tried. I guess you're on your own.
I don't see much ridicule at all on TB. I have seen a fair amount of good-natured ribbing and a ton of hyper-sensitivity. In fact, I don't think I've once seen a "Metal sucks" thread - but lord how many "why don't you love my metal music" threads have we seen?
And where are the Punkers in this discussion? Let me answer that question: Agonizing about what folks think is SO not punk that they don't chime in - because (to their credit) they don't care what I think.
You never hear the, "country bass is all root-fifth" stereotype then? I hear it just as often as I hear, "metal is just for people who can't play real music". I don't think metalheads need defending. I think a few need some thicker skin and to stop looking for contempt where none exists.
I've seen posts like this one get responded to with all sorts of references to "feel" and "groove" without any real, quantifiable data to show exactly what it is they're trying to discuss. Intangibles often are used as a (poor) defense against perceived ease of execution.
TB is an odd collection of bassists who play widely varying types of music, and it seems that all of them want their fave genre to receive the same respect in terms of what it takes to achieve competence. People are allowed to enjoy pretty much anything they want to, as long as they don't try to pretend that it's all equally simple or difficult. That's when someone calls BS.
It's not just metal that gets mistreatment, tho it may get more than other genres. I've been called a jazz snob by one of the most respected (and I'm sure the respect has been earned) players on this site because I think Mike Porcaro's a better player than Gene Simmons and has the discography to prove it. Somewhere during the (continuing, I hope) evolution of our instrument, it became taboo to want to increase one's technical proficiency and to (even occasionally) play music that demands it. It became taboo to make music that other players may understand and appreciate more than non-players do. If you've ever seen someone ask why bassists need a tweeter/more than four strings/more than seven frets/a bridge pickup/rounds, you've seen the same crap- just not directed at the demo with the largest, youngest and probably least experienced group of bassists registered here.
I hear it, and I'd go on to submit that it pales in comparison to the flack that metal gets if I thought debating that would get us anywhere.
The contempt exists, get serious. I have contempt for it, that's for sure. But I don't pop in here everytime a 17 year old kid creates a metal thread to ridicule him for doing so.
Well see, and please don't flame me for this, the metal culture is all about acceptance. Acceptance of the music, acceptance by peers, etc. Is this metal, is that metal, what type of metal is this? etc.
You question above is what I would EXPECT from the metal community.
That is all.
C&W women smoke the women of any other genre!
Usually there about 5 girls at our shows & they're the girlfriends and sisters of the us guys in my band. There's an interview w/ the the singer for the Goo Goo Dolls and he cites this as the biggest reason they stopped playing punk rock... No girls anywhere.
I totally get what you're saying about the tough guy scene kids. Punk rock has them too. I also think you're blanketing everyone who likes, plays, and listens to metal as a long haired jean jacket spiked wristband wearing tough guy & that's not at all the case.
For most of us the 'scene' means nothing and it's about playing and listening to the music and I'd rather listen to and play metal over jazz every day of the week.
A culture is what the members of that culture make of it. I've seen my fair share of people like that in the metal scene, it could be argued that craving acceptance is just part of the human condition. I've also seen plenty of people in the metal scene who dig the music and are secure enough in themselves to not need constant validation. In fact, I'd count the latter group as the majority...the squeaky wheel gets oiled though, and people don't pay much heed to the ones keeping quiet and just enjoying some music.
Ok then fair enough. The ones needing validation post threads and ask what the best "something" for metal is for. Which is what I thought we were addressing.
Carry on.
Posts I've responded to, and my replies have all been addressing the culture/scene in general. I think its more useful than addressing individuals who, in my eyes, are the exception rather than the rule. Its all good.
It's always the people 50s or older that complain about this stuff, but it's only the ones that never got into metal first. I think that their jeolus that they never had this stuff when they were young.
I am not 50. But I teethed my musical gums on metal. Heavy stuff. Growling, dropped tunings, etc before it was "cool" to do so.
I never dressed the part though or felt I needed to be accepted by a group. That stuff used to make me laugh.
But I don't like people in general so that could have been a good reason
