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Metal Monday: Indian!

Published on May 10, 20101 Comment

Heavy metal is immensily popular in large parts of the world outisde Europe and North America; surprisingly so for a genre of music often seen as only belonging to white suburban scum. Yet bands like Maiden regularly sell out giantic stadiums all over South America, as well as all over India, as Rajan Datar discovered for BBC Radio Four:

With the collapse of The Iron Curtain in the 1980s, a new frontier was open for Western Music acts to exploit. For years, fans in Eastern Europe had been starved of live performances by Western bands and singers due to the difficulties involved in trying to perform in countries cut off by ideology and politics. So where is the new frontier now? Perhaps bands should look east? With the rise of India and China as economic powerhouses, complete with growing middle classes, are these now the new territories for bands and artists to target as they seek new audiences and revenue streams?

Presenter Rajan Datar follows legendary British band Iron Maiden as they head to Bangalore for a sold out festival appearance. With exclusive access Rajan hangs out backstage with singer Bruce Dickinson, who not only fronts the band, but is also the pilot of the specially-converted plane which they use to travel the world whilst on tour. He speaks to the promoters who are trying to make India the new destination of choice for Western music artists and hears from fans who have travelled for days from all parts of the sub continent to be at the concert. He also discovers, with surprising results, which musical genres sell in India and which don’t.

The actual programme is much less obsessed with filthy lucre than the description makes it sound; the best part is when it’s once again confirmed that Bruce Dickinson is a sweetie, as he calls out to the Indian fan the programme had been following. Worth checking out.

Meanwhile, over in Germany, it’s Power Metal that used to be king, with Helloween its masters. Naff as only a German band trying to make serious music can be, but I still have a not too secret linking for them. This is “I Want Out”:

I already linked to another “classic” song of theirs back in October 2007, but here are two more. First, “Dr. Stein” in a so new it’s still wet 2010 version:

Then, “Keeper of the Seven Keys”, the obligatory pseudo-fantasy story each metal band had to do in the eighties. Includes lyrics for optimal enjoyment:

Alors on Dance

Published on May 6, 20102 Comments

Staying on a somewhat Belgian theme here this week. Stromae is a Belgian-Rwandian rapper/artist and this is his breakthrough single. Heard it for the first time last night (shows how much attention I pay to new music) and felt the need to share.

Chutzpah

Published on May 4, 2010

The definition of chutzpah: looking like this man and calling somebody else a hollow-eyed onanist. Bonus: Nick Cohen being tired and emotional at the Orwell Prize award ceremony last year — an oldie but goodie.

Metal Monday: the pride of Zeeland

Published on May 3, 2010

The nineth Metal Monday sees us reach the “G” and what better band to showcase that Zeeland’s pride, Gorefest? It was actually my younger brother who discovered them first. He was then a much more intense metalhead than I was, but since then has migrated through playing LARP and D’nD into a Dutch Neil the hippie, without changing much both in his convictions and look… Whereas I mostly dabbled in bands like Iron Maiden and Anthrax, he went for the full death/black metal experience and hence found out about Gorefest early, just before their first cd came out in 1991. That cd, Mindloss for me is still one of the classic death metal albums, one that every metalhead should have in their collection; their later work is less essential.

Confessions of a Serial Killer:

Reality – When You Die:

Decomposed:

Tangled in Gore (from the demo)

Mad bastards

Published on April 30, 2010

As Nick Mamatas introduced this video, this is what the right wingers are scared of the end of Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell will mean to the US Army:

It’s great to see the yanks take up the traditional role of the poms so well. British squaddies have always prided themselves on how mad they are but this was a nice attempt at usurping that role. But it’s still not as mad as this:

UPDATE:a late entry courtesy of the Royal Navy:

Afghani civilians wanted to put in an entry in the hilarious music video sweepstakes as well, but the set was bombed by the US Airforce.