I know I might be generalizing but to me it seens heavy music is fairly male dominated. Most heavy metal bands are composed of only men, and having a female member in one is so unusual it draws attention. Commonly, I see women in bands that have a more melodic style, such as Nightwish. There are bands like Exile, Sceptic, there was also Cadaveria who left her band and went solo and the singer from Cripper, but none of them are the in the lead guitar, rarely on bass. Also, the metal bands who were responsible for the foundation of what is metal music, all had only male members. Black Sabbath, ACDC, Metallica, Slayer, Anthrax, Exodus, Rainbow, Iron Maiden, Megadeth, Deep Purple, Venom, Kiss, everyone from late 70's and the 80's, the whole New Wave of British Heavy Metal, the trash bands from the US, had men everywhere.
There are women in the scene, but somehow their numbers seem very small. I see plenty of women playing piano, acoustic guitar and being amazing at it. I suppose heavy music is by nature aggressive, and perhaps women don't identify well with it for that reason. But even so, the bass and the eletric guitar instruments seen to be lacking in representatives among women, as none of the virtuosos I know from those instruments are women. Steve Vai, Joe Satriani, Eric Clapton, they are all guys.
I can't understand why this is so. The music scene seens to be fairly open regarding gender roles, at least to me, and nothing stops a girl from picking up a guitar and learning Vai's solos. Myself, I play the bass and the guitar, and I have always been the only female in the bands I have been in. even those who weren't playing heavy music, just common rock stuff.
The ever lovely Joan Jett?
Quote from: Laura91 on September 10, 2011, 08:29:44 PM
Then you have the band Cretin whose vocalist/guitarist is a transwoman.
That's awesome.
I don't know if you've heard of Kitty, they're an all-female Canadian band (from my hometown) and they do world tours, but I guess they're not as hugely known as I used to think when I was crazy about them. They were also kind of dramatic. Kicking out bassist after drummer after lead vocalist. The best bassist was Talena Atfield. She was gorgeous.
There's also Otep, they're pretty awesome. And, on a less heavy metal note, there's Drain S.T.H, the Distillers... I can't think of any others though ... I guess I'm only proving your point rather than helping x)
Well I wans't trying to prove a point really.
For me, rock music it's "subgenre" heavy metal in particular, are lacking women musicians. Period. From there, I was wondering why it is so. I'm a music addict and I'm aware of many awesome female musicians who compose rock music and I never meant to say they don't exist or that they aren't talented. They rule, but their numbers are few.
IMO the genre as a whole is still male dominated and in the past it was nearly male exclusive. The only metal band from the 80's that comes to my mind right of the bat that had a female in it is Warlock. I can't think of a single lead guitar virtuoso in the style of Vai or Satriani that is a woman. It also seens that commonly, when a woman is in a rock or metal band, she is the vocalist.
I don't know why this is so and since I love rock and I also love heavy metal, it bugs me.
Well, there was Amy Lee of Evanescence but she only lasted a little while due to contracting and stuff.
She was classically trained as a child and moved into more of an 'emo' style 'power balled' rock style.
Evanescence - Bring Me To Life (Video) (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3YxaaGgTQYM#)
There are lots of women in rock venues that you may never haev heard of...it just takes time for them to rise to prominence because of JUST how male-oriented the metal scene was for so many years, even when you broaden the scope to include the classic heavy metal groups.
Remember that it was not all that many years ago that women were being told that rock and roll music was not for them to play, which is why some of the groups get dismissed so quickly, even in this video age that has killed the true radio star. In years past, I would easily go see Joan Jett and I got to hang with Lita Ford for a while. Now it is mostly some local acts that tour at the regional level, occasionally going out to the national level. At some point, some of them gain national acclaim (ie. Patrice Pike) for their varied accomplishments with bands and are now recognized in their own right.
I know we have seen some other heavy acts at ACL and SXSW during the various events in Austin.
So Ann you think it is because of social pressure basically? As in, people think it is weird for women to play lead guitar and it should be a man thing? I see the same thing happening with surgeons, as folks say it is a male thing, and as result, in the hospital I work at there is not a single female surgeon.
You know, I have felt that in the minor bands I have been in, but since I never planned a pro career (yet! Await and see) I never faced or saw any issues.
Quote from: Bird on September 12, 2011, 05:22:43 PM
So Ann you think it is because of social pressure basically? As in, people think it is weird for women to play lead guitar and it should be a man thing? I see the same thing happening with surgeons, as folks say it is a male thing, and as result, in the hospital I work at there is not a single female surgeon.
You know, I have felt that in the minor bands I have been in, but since I never planned a pro career (yet! Await and see) I never faced or saw any issues.
I certainly agree with the contention that it has only been recently that the doors really began to open for some of the women. I have some friends that have been together for close to a decade, and I know Dana was in another band before that (she plays lead and does a mean Barracuda). And I know Patrice had formed Sister 7 (actually under a different name) in the late 80's or early 90's. But the kids I have been watching of late are barely in their mid-20's, which means they probably started playing 10-15 years ago.
It takes time for the kids to break through the ceiling and get to the main stage...there is definitely a shift, but it won't be (and has not been) overnight.
Another potential issue as it relates to women fronting the band is that oftentimes, they have a very lesbian-oriented following, and that is something that I feely may scare some parents away from encouraging the pursuit of their daughter's musical interests, whether guitar or drums (again, I know a lot of really talented female drummers, many of whom the masses have probably never heard of).
Your last observation is true too IMO. The two major female rock musicians here in Brazil are both lesbians and -very- openly so.
Again, rock music was never know for brewing people mommy and daddy wanted their kids to look up to right. :D. I hope I will be able to have a band one day, after I transition and am done with university. Nothing big, just some local tours and I will be incredibly happy.
Quote from: Bird on September 12, 2011, 06:54:07 PM
Your last observation is true too IMO. The two major female rock musicians here in Brazil are both lesbians and -very- openly so.
what can I say...I know my peeps :laugh:
And yeah, I had my fun with a few of the ones I have already named...
I don't have any philosophical answers to the question at hand, but my personal fav has always been Katie Jane Garside of Daisy Chainsaw and Queenadreena. ;) Extraordinarily underrated!
Queenadreena - Bed of Roses (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rhn-j44MvFY#)
That is so cool Zoe!
Let me share one of my favs too
<iframe width="420" height="345" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/CT33gTZNQik" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
I think I did something wrong there, well... the link works ::)
Most heavy metal bands are composed of only men
Not nearly as much as the fan base is. It's a long standing joke that the shortest line for a female bathroom anywhere in the world is at a Rush concert, and when we do Dream Theater next week I'm sure it will be the same - 80% men, 19% women humoring their BFs, 1% women who actually care about Dream Theater.
Quote from: Laura91 on September 10, 2011, 08:29:44 PM
There are more women in heavier bands than there use to be. A lot of them are in "smaller" bands (compared to most bands in the industry) but they are out there. There have been bands like Nuclear Death that had a female vocalist/bassist and there was 13 from NYC and 3 out of the 4 band members were women. Then you have the band Cretin whose vocalist/guitarist is a transwoman.
wow 13 i haven't thought about them in years
and marissa martinez of cretin just joined the old school grind core band repulsion (not to be confused with the original name for type o negative(rip pete)
she is listed in the current line up on wiki
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Repulsion_%28band%29 (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Repulsion_%28band%29)
yea im from NYC
as far as 13 i usta hang out with Danny (from exit 13 /brutal truth/nuclear assault/sod/anthrax)
and i think he played with 13 for some live gigs here and there
i thought of a few more
paradise lost (female vocals)
bolt thrower (bass player)
my dying bride (various members violin/keys/bass)
I'm not so sure but have you heard of Arch Enemy? A woman is the lead singer and her growls are amazing.
Did Arch Enemy start out in the 80s 90s?
I think Metal is very violent and most woman are not intrigued with that kind of violent expression. It takes a very special woman who likes to bang her head. When you have a bunch of large angry young men your standard woman might find that threatening, on the stage or in the pit.
Quote from: Gretchen on February 22, 2012, 10:49:30 AM
Did Arch Enemy start out in the 80s 90s?
I think Metal is very violent and most woman are not intrigued with that kind of violent expression. It takes a very special woman who likes to bang her head. When you have a bunch of large angry young men your standard woman might find that threatening, on the stage or in the pit.
Arch Enemy formed in 1996.
well known in the underground metal scene
Yeah, all three of the people there know them.
/well-known and underground are not exactly complementary ideas
//nothing commercial is underground
I find it easier to listen to the above ground Metal bands, I don't have to break out a shovel.
Half of the people in metal bands would be in Starland Vocal Band revival acts if they thought it would pay better and/or get them laid more and/or didn't require knowledge of 4th chord and/or anything outside of 4/4 time signatures.
I think the violence aspect as something to do with it, considering the metal styles with less violent overtones have more women in their fan base. Also, I noticed, I am listening much less to this type of music after I began HRT.
Sorry, there is nothing 'underground' that is up for sale at the same time.
You are confusing 'underground' with another 'u' word: unpopular. Your example gets 7.5+ MILLION hits on Google. How is 7.5 million an 'underground'? So really neither world is correct. It's just using 'underground' as some sort of hip patina to cover the commercialism.
They put 3 LP/CDs in the top 100, that's hardly unknown. And I can't find the Grateful Dead or Frank Zappa at Target either - but that does not make them 'underground' it just means they don't sell the required number of units every week. Find me bands that The Last Record Store doesn't stock.
And I do sit around with these people. And you know what they talk about? The Metal Lifestyle? no. The Metal Underground? no. Money, record sales and tickets sold - just like any other band. In the end they are not much different from Tony Bennett, different music - same business.
hm... production-wide, it's clearly more of a male-dominated genre, but as far as the fans go i've always seen a near 50/50 divide. i spent about five years hanging out in the metal scene and there were so many girls, varying from goths, emos, punks to moshers.
i don't know enough about band politics to really comment on why people want to be rock stars. i only know that nearly every musician i've known has been in love with the genre and their art, passionate about creating music and spreading it to the world. those who are focused on the popularity side haven't gotten very far.
Quote from: tekla on September 14, 2011, 02:17:20 AM
Most heavy metal bands are composed of only men
Not nearly as much as the fan base is. It's a long standing joke that the shortest line for a female bathroom anywhere in the world is at a Rush concert, and when we do Dream Theater next week I'm sure it will be the same - 80% men, 19% women humoring their BFs, 1% women who actually care about Dream Theater.
When I need a hit of live Rush, I go to YouTube to watch some of their live stuff. The first time I did, I was surprised not only to see women there but women mouthing the words to the songs and not missing a word, even with their lesser known songs. Now if we're talking serious head banger stuff, yeah, no waiting line in the women's bathroom.
To answer the OP, I think the head banger and really hard rock requires a certain amount of testosterone to handle the beating your body takes at a concert. There were times I'd walk into the concert and feel the sound reverberating through by body. I had my first ultrasound at a rock concert.
@Laura
It did change my musical taste a bit (HRT). I'm not sure why, and I don't want to imply it would be because of hormonal changes per se, but it could be consequences of those changes. I am simply relating less to themes of violence and destruction, Slayer just doesn't rings a bell like it used to. It could be due to growing older, moving on, or it could be because HRT helped me solve issues I had which in turn lead me to relate to those themes.
It is complex!
music hasn't been the same since L7 split up :(
Girls, there are lots of female fronted metal bands! Just few in the US. Evanescence is the only American band that comes to mind. Europe is full of them in the goth metal and symphonic metal genres. Bands like Nightwish, Within Temptation, Tarja Turunen and Epica sell out soccer stadiums from Moscow to Normandy and the songs are all in English. Many of thes women have classically trained voices and can make a.song soar into the stratosphere. This is a new song by an Italian guitarist and an American. Vocalist. They are unsigned nut availlable on SoundCloud.
http://soundcloud.com/vklynne/vita-nova (http://soundcloud.com/vklynne/vita-nova)
Those are styles derived from melodic metal, and yes, there are plenty of women in such bands. However, trash metal, death metal and all the heavier bands are formed mostly by guys. It is fairly dominated by males.
I had pretty much stopped listening to rock until 4 years ago. Classical and opera were my mainstays until quite accidentally I discovered Tarja. Not a lot of lyric sopranos out there doing rock n roll. They're more in the tradition of the music of my youth, Led Zepplin, The Who, Deep Purple, etc. I love the multilayered texture, complexity and dark themes of the lyrics. Symphonic is really goth metal, they changed the name to broaden the audience. But hey, it's got me playing air guitar on commuting trains! ;D
I was just thinking, what if Janis Joplin was alive today and in her twenties would she be a Metal head? I think so, and with a voice like hers Death Metal. She surely would not be doing anything like Nightwish or Within Temptation. Take a little piece of my heart and smash it with a spiked boot if it makes you feel good.
Wow. What would Janice be doing? She was unique and a star. It's hard to.imagine her her sharing the stage with a hot guitarist. I think her roots in the blues and country (she was after all a Texas gal) woul have pushed her in a singer/songwriter direction. Like Rosanne Cash, she dosn't fit nicely into any genre.
Maybe so, but here's a possibility. A cross between Shooter Jennings and MotorHead.
I'm pretty limited when it comes to metal. I know female fronted symphonic/goth metal really well but beyond that... I have no idea what that combination would sound like. Ask me about French impressionist composers with Tarja, now that sounds nteresting. Nightwish did a rousing.performance of Sibelius's Finlandia with metal flourishes and pyrotechnics. A national anthem hasn't sounded so good sine Jimi Hendrix's Star Spangled Banner on the Rainbow Bridge LP.
Oh gosh who knows, if she gets to stay alive so does Jimi, maybe they would have recorded together. Or she could have other bands back her up. Blues requires both vocals and instruments - half of the near eternal goodness that is those early Janis records is Big Brother & the Holding Co. So she'd need a hot guitar player, or a hot harp player, or a whole bunch of hot players. Her bands kept getting better - Full Tilt Boogie Band was tight. Or she could have picked up hot young bands to back her up. Imagine Janis with a young Pearl Jam, a young Nirvana, or a young Black Crows (that would rock) - or backed up by old Jerry, or old Neil, or Stevie Ray Vaughan.
Of course she could have just retired (lots did), or wound up on the county fair circuit, or a low level Vegas show - show biz is a very bitchy mistress.
Maybe she'd have a club in Branson, MO :-)
It's taken me a day or so to think about this but we're in a club in Branson MO. Where Miles Davis occasionally frequents while chasing the dragon. Janis and Jimi have been resurrected, if Jesus can do it then why can't they type of deal. Norah Jones has distorted her piano and lit it on fire with lighter fluid while playing the National Anthem or the Star Spangled Banner what ever it might be, I can't really remember. While Nora's tripping out on the flames Janis is dancing on top of the flaming piano while sucking on a bottle of Jack and Jimi is smashing the third leg off the piano with his guitar because he really does know that the 6 really is a 9. This is why you don't see to many woman in heavy music, it just makes good old fashion plain sense.
Hey, I'd pay to see that show. You know though, Janis' biggest hit was Bobbie McGee which is really a rocked up C & W song. Iget goose bumps every time here that Hammond organ!
If you want to raise the dead, have you heard Within Temptation's latest disc? The Unforgiving was my favorite 2011 release and it's all about raising the dead.
I am a little ashamed to admit it but I have not heard the latest Within Temptation disc, I have slacked off for the last couple of years. Well not really slacked off just dumping all my cash into more pressing ventures, which I think most here are in the same boat. I miss hearing new stuff and I hate listening to music on my computer. And the the gods of hell fire surely know that I like raising the dead, but not in a sick way or anything :)
Miles, the very picture of a sophisticated urbanite, also hated playing for white people, I doubt that he'd set foot in Branson.
I budget $25 a month for music which doesn't sound like much but most record downloads on Amazon are $10 or less, 99¢ for singles. The used bins often yield some gems, too. I listen to music on my Android mostly these days. Funny when one considers I was a sales manager in a hi-fi store back in the day. :)
I got out of popular music for a long time because rap/hip-hop does nothing for me. All the rock radio stations here play classic rock, which I liked when it was new in the 60s & 70s but I like to stay current. Having a teenage daughter helped. She turned me on to Feist, Goldfarb and other stuff.
I'm having a second adolescence. I started transitioning 6 years ago so I figure that makes me an 18 yo girl at this point. I still need to do SRS but hopefully I'll have insurance that covers it soon.
I've been disabled the last 2 years but I'm ready to go back to work if I can find a job. I'm having an orchiectomy next month; not for transition but for prostate problems. Getting old really sucks.
Quote from: Gretchen on February 26, 2012, 11:25:18 PM
I am a little ashamed to admit it but I have not heard the latest Within Temptation disc, I have slacked off for the last couple of years. Well not really slacked off just dumping all my cash into more pressing ventures, which I think most here are in the same boat. I miss hearing new stuff and I hate listening to music on my computer. And the the gods of hell fire surely know that I like raising the dead, but not in a sick way or anything :)
well if money is an issue, I could "let you borrow mine" ;) yo-ho
Quote from: Claire de Lune on February 25, 2012, 01:41:17 PM
Girls, there are lots of female fronted metal bands! Just few in the US. Evanescence is the only American band that comes to mind. Europe is full of them in the goth metal and symphonic metal genres. Bands like Nightwish, Within Temptation, Tarja Turunen and Epica sell out soccer stadiums from Moscow to Normandy and the songs are all in English. Many of thes women have classically trained voices and can make a.song soar into the stratosphere. This is a new song by an Italian guitarist and an American. Vocalist. They are unsigned nut availlable on SoundCloud.
http://soundcloud.com/vklynne/vita-nova (http://soundcloud.com/vklynne/vita-nova)
what no Leaves' Eyes? ::);) :P :D
darn i wish i could sing like those girls!
learning alot here, keep it going yall! :thumbs up:
Hell ya! I like Leaves' Eyes. Every year since 2002 there has been the Female Voices in Metal Fest in Belgium. Past festivals have included bands liked EPICA, NIGHTWISH, AFTER FOREVER, TARJA, LEAVES' EYES and many others. So far for October 2012 it has Arch Enemy and Delain in the line upUnfortunately European female fronted metal bands are practically unknown in the US. Lacuna Coil played last weekend in San Jose as the first of 2 opening acts for Megadeath in Gigantour. For 50 bucks I could see 20 or 30 minutes of LC and endure another 2 hours of male Headbangers. >:( Lacuna Coil would be the headliner in any country besides the USA. My goal is to move to Amsterdam 8)
Quote from: tekla on February 27, 2012, 12:19:13 AM
Miles, the very picture of a sophisticated urbanite, also hated playing for white people, I doubt that he'd set foot in Branson.
Did I say Miles? I meant Kurt, it's so easy to confuse the two with that whole dragon thing going on and nowadays they really look the same. I think a little makeup would do wonders for both of them, especially in the eye area.
Quote from: Claire de Lune on February 27, 2012, 12:37:34 AM
I budget $25 a month for music which doesn't sound like much but most record downloads on Amazon are $10 or less, 99¢ for singles. The used bins often yield some gems, too. I listen to music on my Android mostly these days. Funny when one considers I was a sales manager in a hi-fi store back in the day. :)
I got out of popular music for a long time because rap/hip-hop does nothing for me. All the rock radio stations here play classic rock, which I liked when it was new in the 60s & 70s but I like to stay current. Having a teenage daughter helped. She turned me on to Feist, Goldfarb and other stuff.
I'm having a second adolescence. I started transitioning 6 years ago so I figure that makes me an 18 yo girl at this point. I still need to do SRS but hopefully I'll have insurance that covers it soon.
I've been disabled the last 2 years but I'm ready to go back to work if I can find a job. I'm having an orchiectomy next month; not for transition but for prostate problems. Getting old really sucks.
Sorry to read about your prostate issue but I think you'll be happy when those T producers are gone, and hopefully no cancer.
Quote from: veritatemfurto on February 27, 2012, 02:36:01 AM
well if money is an issue, I could "let you borrow mine" ;) yo-ho
what no Leaves' Eyes? ::);) :P :D
darn i wish i could sing like those girls!
learning alot here, keep it going yall! :thumbs up:
Of course I want to borrow yours, just PM me and I'll get you my mailing address.
Quote from: Gretchen on February 27, 2012, 10:35:20 AM
Of course I want to borrow yours, just PM me and I'll get you my mailing address.
check your mail box...
"Drink up, Me hearties, yo ho!"
Within Temptation - The Unforgiving - A Shot in The Dark (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mLz61g0JLxQ#)
Cool, thank you.
Thanks, Veritatumfurto! I haven't been able to pick a favorite but a Shot in the Dark is a definite contender. In addition to the cd I bought the comic books and and the phoenix Unforgiving t shirt. I'm the world's oldest Goth chick! Black jeans, band t shirts and boot are regular casual wear. I was too busy being a yuppie in the 80s so I'm making up for lost time 8)
Thank you, Gretchen. I'm not too worried about prostate cancer. The enlarged prostate is no more than a year old and most likely medication induced. I'm a survivor, I beat liver cancer and survived liver transplant, what's a little prostate cancer?
Sínead
m.youtube.com/index?client=mv-google&desktop_uri=%2F&gl=US&rdm=4ppwh3jb9#/watch?v=NUuInD9HLaE (http://m.youtube.com/index?client=mv-google&desktop_uri=%2F&gl=US&rdm=4ppwh3jb9#/watch?v=NUuInD9HLaE)
your welcome!
trying to download the DVD movie they made that goes with the album, but there are no darned seeders for it! Couldn't find the comic online...
I'm so happy I have new music, thank you V.
The films are all on youtube. If you go to WTs website, http://www.within-temptation.com (http://www.within-temptation.com), there are links for all of them as well as all 4 music videos. They also have different mixes for some songs like a disco mix of Sineád. There's a cool a Facebook site called Eve's Apple that promotes female fronted metal groups. If you care to friend me, my name is Joanna Wagner (Claire is my middle name). B-)
Sharon den Adel and Keith Mina Caputo... guess we can say this is an all-female vocals song now :)
Within Temptation - What Have You Done (feat. Keith Caputo) (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gEgXDhiayz4#)
one of my FAVs
any updates on Mina?
Hey girls, if you want some cool tunes for free, check out Gothic Metal. - Metahit Sampler on Amazon MP3. So far I've bought 1 disc of a band I'd never heard of before, an Italian outfit called Even Vast. Qnother Italian group, En Declin caught my ear too :-)
here's a kick a$$ up-n-coming act from Toronto:
Crooked Valentine - Break Out - Live Music Video (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xLbSxEn2Gto#)
KILLER WICKED VOCALS AND RIFFS!
http://soundcloud.com/crooked-valentine (http://soundcloud.com/crooked-valentine)
Well, and what about Nightwish (Tarja), Doro, etc? In Russia we have some all-female bands, such as Volnaia Staia( heavy), blackthorn(gothic)
Why are there fewer women in heavy music...sexism, sexism, sexism. Why do people ask such silly questions? :P
But anyways, if you look in the depths of death and black metal you see some pretty good female musicians.
One of the best bass players in death metal, imo, is Jo Bench from Bolt Thrower. She's been with them since the beginning (80's) and is a monster on bass. And unlike all those "gothic symphonic melodic ladeeda" bands, she doesn't cake herself with makeup and try to be a diva.
Bolt Thrower- World Eater (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8xqOf-KjdVY#)
There is also Rachel Heyzer who used to do vocs for Sinister, Infinited Hate and a few other death metal bands, who has really impressive grows. She unfortunately hasn't done much in the last few years, though.
Infinited Hate - Demoniacal Sepulture (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mxPzbxewjuU#)
My favourite is probably Masha Arhipova from Arkona (Russian folk metal band). Her growls are ->-bleeped-<-ing amazing and she is totally bad ass on stage.
Arkona- Odna (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xRo-LPKAko8#)
and more Arkona :D : ARKONA - Goi, Rode, Goi! (Official) (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A7fuuDc2hH0#)
Darkened Nocturn Slaughtercult's vocalist is also female: Darkened Nocturn Slaughtercult - Nocturnal March (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PeA2HvytUx8#)
Quote from: Laura91 on August 09, 2012, 12:23:10 PM
I never was a huge Bolt Thrower fan. They just never made me have a strong reaction one way or another.
:o *mind blown* I can't even fathom living without Bolt Thrower! :laugh:
My dying bride has had some female members. Speaking of them, does anyone else feel very female while listening to them?
The Commander-In-Chief is pretty cool, and she's Norwegian like me.
"Dropout" official music video The Commander-In-Chief (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eY99K4EX1yA#)
What a cool thing, to be trans and a METAL head. All day I have to supply my clients with the easy listening of Enya, Sade and anything that is New Age. It is so nice to wake up on a Saturday morning getting ready for a pride fest and hearing some new Metal, Bolt Thrower and My Dying Bride, I am so ready to rip my own juggler vein out of my throat.
Quote from: Bird on September 10, 2011, 04:16:05 PM
I know I might be generalizing but to me it seens heavy music is fairly male dominated. Most heavy metal bands are composed of only men, and having a female member in one is so unusual it draws attention.
I think it is because typically in a male who is happy with his gender and due to testosterone - many more men (than women) tend to thrive on aggression, chest beating, primal drum pounding, war cries, asserting their alpha male masculinity thing or at least trying to convince others of it...
Whereas many more women (than men) don't need those sorts of things.
To a lot of guys being in a rock or metal band is more about the attention of being in a band than being a musician.
This band has a girl in it.
TURISAS - Battle Metal 2008 (OFFICIAL VIDEO) (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ift85e38H3M#)
Every good METAL band should have an accordion in it.
Quote from: Laura91 on September 08, 2012, 01:23:18 PM
Well, I've never felt like a male and I always found all of the things that you mentioned in the metal scene to be ridiculous. I just liked the sound of the music.
I had a hunch what I said would be taken out of context so allow me to put it into context for you.
This thread asks why there are fewer women musicians in heavy metal bands and my reply was in answer to that question.
There is a difference between performing and listening. This thread is about performing.
The question was never, "Why do fewer women like to listen to heavy metal music." That was not the question and so my answer should not be applied to that question.
However I will say there is a difference between feeling like a gender and being a gender. I also feel like a woman and yet I don't have ovaries and cannot donate eggs. Transition has allowed me many aspects of womanhood, not all but many. Had I not transitioned I would not have the biology/endocrinology of a female and thus I would experience things differently. Before transition I was angry and absolutely loved drinking and listening to Insane Clown Posse but now I like gentler music and being sober is cool too, I no longer need things to be comfortable, I've got me.
Also when I first began transition this was my war cry ...
http://youtu.be/wcvgDDgma5o (http://youtu.be/wcvgDDgma5o)
Here is another opinion
Wendy O. Williams Interview on Night Flight - Women in Heavy Metal (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PLQM84ucMPU&feature=fvwrel#)
Laura Jane Grace, one of our own in the punk-scene
Against Me! 'Spanish Moss' (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c6IeIEfH_7I#)
A far more pertinent question might well turn out to be 'Why are there fewer heavy metal bands in general'? Face it, it's a dying genre, one that - like jazz - will always have a small and narrow consituant audience (also known as a 'niche market') but will have little to no real effect on the course of the musical mainstream that it once was the vanguard of.
Here are three rather interesting facts.
* - Starting in 2001 and continuing for many years after that, turntables outsold guitars in music stores. (and that's a solid 10 years past when turntables stopped being used for home music).
* - This year, for the first time in their history (going back to 1991), Soundscan noted that old music (defined as releases more than two years old) was outselling new music across all rock genres.
* - This year EDM was far outselling rock considering all releases old and new.
Metal bands that used to sell out 2000 seat houses are lucky to get booked in 1000 seat houses, bands that used to play 500 seat clubs are lucky to find a 200 seat club that will book them, and the few big metal tours that are doing well seem to be well beyond dinosaur status, sucking on oxygen between songs instead of joints and gulping down tea and water and not swilling beer. And, at that, such tours are doing well only as part of a package with 4 or 5 bands sharing a stage that 5 years ago any of them would have sold out all on their own.
Anymore it's just nostalgia.
Maybe in the States but not in Europe e.g Ramstein, Grave Digger, Kreator
Maybe in the States but not in Europe e.g Ramstein, Grave Digger, Kreator
EDM festivals in Europe far outnumber (and outsell) rock fests. And I'm sure that on any given night there are far more people in EDM venues than head banging, even in Germany.
Quote from: tekla on September 13, 2012, 03:32:38 PM
Maybe in the States but not in Europe e.g Ramstein, Grave Digger, Kreator
EDM festivals in Europe far outnumber (and outsell) rock fests. And I'm sure that on any given night there are far more people in EDM venues than head banging, even in Germany.
I beg to disagree my dear Tekla, in the USA EDM barely had a million in attendance in 2012, http://ptrnge.com/edm-festivals-2012/ (http://ptrnge.com/edm-festivals-2012/)
while rock attendance in the USA in 2012 was 27 million!!! http://www.statista.com/statistics/193024/attendance-at-rock-music-concerts-in-the-us-since-2003/ (http://www.statista.com/statistics/193024/attendance-at-rock-music-concerts-in-the-us-since-2003/)
Apples and oranges, you are comparing 7 festivals in the US to all the concerts which are several orders of magnitude above 7. When you look at overall venue attendance you'll find that more people are out every night doing some sort of EDM event than listening to bands. And, what's most telling for the future, you'll find the EDM crowd is basically under 35, while the rock crowd is mostly 30+.
Just check this out, if you have some TV ad for like Medicare Supplement Insurance or Viagra (both aimed at old people) they will feature rock, if the product is aimed at people under 30 it's going to be EDM or hip-hop as the soundtrack.
And in the US, County acts outsell everyone else.
Quote from: tekla on September 13, 2012, 04:26:18 PM
Apples and oranges, you are comparing 7 festivals in the US to all the concerts which are several orders of magnitude above 7. When you look at overall venue attendance you'll find that more people are out every night doing some sort of EDM event than listening to bands. And, what's most telling for the future, you'll find the EDM crowd is basically under 35, while the rock crowd is mostly 30+.
Just check this out, if you have some TV ad for like Medicare Supplement Insurance or Viagra (both aimed at old people) they will feature rock, if the product is aimed at people under 30 it's going to be EDM or hip-hop as the soundtrack.
And in the US, County acts outsell everyone else.
The dismissal of Rock has been greatly exaggerated. E. A. Presley 1958
In some ways it's importance is the thing that was overestimated, like I said, country outsells it.
Check out Exist Trace on Youtube. A female only band. There stuff is quite heavy imo.
Quote from: tekla on September 13, 2012, 07:40:42 PM
In some ways it's importance is the thing that was overestimated, like I said, country outsells it.
Country! what is that?