As Facebook and the real world become continually harder to separate in the minds of the masses, it's easy to lose sight of how far we seem to have tumbled as a species since the advent of 'social networking'. And no, I'm not adressing the fact that the average human now spends hours of every day in front of a computer screen when they could be getting involved in any number of other, more productive activities. That's a given fact in a digital age, which isn't going to change any time soon. I'm talking specifically about the obsession with updating people on what you're doing, while you're doing it. It seems that people cannot validate an experience that they've had/are having without immediately sharing it with the world through their online presence of choice.
At a Jay-Z concert I attended in Summer 2008, my friend and I were seated next to a bunch of teenagers from, also from Liverpool. Sure enough, as soon as the man himself walked out on stage, the guy to my immediate right whips out the cameraphone. Fair enough, I thought. He's probably never seen the rap icon in the flesh before, so he wanted a grainy pixellated souvenir. I can just about see the logic in that. The first song finishes, the crowd goes wild. He's still got the cameraphone in his hand. Obviously I noticed it, but it wasn't irritating me - it was his choice, and besides I was far too busy enjoying the show. However, this carried on for what was basically the whole show. The WHOLE. SHOW. Not only that - he was watching the playback on screen, and not even looking at the stage. So basically, he may as well not have been there. He missed the fucking thing entirely, for the benefit of recording the entire event for playback through a 3-inch screen of blurred colours and distorted noise. He probably never even watched it again.
As I'm sure you're aware, this isn't exactly an isolated incident. This obsession with digital archiving and the internet persona has now come to the point where people are updating their statuses from Glastonbury festival. Is nothing sacred?! Festivals are a rare chance to catch people at their most vibrant, colourful and warm. Living in a country like Britain, that's not a chance you should waste a second of, least of all with your head buried in an iPhone. How anyone could even remember what social networking is at such a carnival of hedonism and glorious idiocy is beyond me, but let's look at the possibilities. Either they're chemically addicted to Facebook, or they just really thought their friends needed to know that they're just about to watch Rolf Harris on the Pyramid Stage. 'That'll get me a few notifications', they ponder, as they squint in the sun to navigate around the touch-screen. 'Maybe people will think I'm interesting, and living my life to full'. Forgetting for a second how pathetic this train of thought is, let's face facts - the social approval aspect is a dead end, because everyone who reads it will just hate you for being there. Let's face it, you really don't deserve to be, given that you're spending half your time on fucking Facebook.
I understand why social networking is so astronomically popular. Firstly, there's the heightened state of self-importance. Every time someone comments on their picture, writes on their wall or sends them a picture of a cat in a tumble dryer, it sends the ego a message that the person in question is their friend, and someone they're on some kind of wavelength with. It's instant peer approval, packed up and ready to go. However, perhaps even more potent is the scientific aspect of the thought processes involved. Each time they get their little ego shot, a small dose of seratonin is released in the brain. The brain gets addicted to these constant doses of the feel-good chemical, and panics somewhat without them. Therefore, most users will log in every day, regardless of whether they're expecting information of any importance whatsoever, just to get their fix. It's a similar process to computer game addiction, particularly in MMORPGs such as the infamous World of Warcraft. This is a game that never ends, but there are almost infinite goals you can achieve, each being rewarded in one way or another. Therefore, the brain suspends rational thought, and simply seeks the reward, leading to hours, days and even weeks lost in a fantasy world. Having said that, it strikes me as ironic that a lot of people would likely mock or pity anyone who played such a game every day, yet are quite happy to spend hours tagging their friends in a series of identical photos taken the night before. While we're on that subject, is so necessary to take 250 pictures of your group of friends on a night out? I know that it's going to be comforting to have photographic evidence that you had fun at some point, so you can look back on it with fondness when you're old and boring, but maybe you should try and actually enjoy these moments you have, rather than posing for the camera every 30 seconds.
Anyway, I get it. It's your own personal ego machine, an excellent time-killer and can often fulfil its original purpose of catching up with friends; but it's taking over our lives to a ridiculous extent. Now obviously, it's not for me or anyone else to tell others how to live, or how to spend their leisure time. I just find it horribly depressing to witness so many people throwing away what little enjoyable time we have on this earth by feeling so compelled to make the moment digital. Think about it logically - you gain nothing, save for the fix of someone 'liking' it perhaps, and you lose most of what that moment has to offer. The real memorable experiences you have are fleeting, and should be cherished. One moment of pure euphoria is worth more than a lifetime of notifications.
This is life, so live it. Don't concern yourself with how it's going to look later on, or what your online community will make of it. You can tweet your memories and reflections when you're at a low ebb, or as criminally bored as I am right now. To those of you who didn't think I was aware of the irony and hypocrisy inherent in this blog - do as I say, not as I do.
Alex
Thursday, 8 July 2010
Thursday, 1 July 2010
Heavy Metal: The Good, the Bad and the Downright Stupid
I have always been an avid music fan, before I even really understood what music was. Apparently I used to need to listen to Bob Marley as a baby in order to get to sleep soundly, and throughout my childhood I was exposed to some great music by both of my parents, which I loved every minute of, and for which I am eternally grateful. There is however one particular genre of music that, for better or worse, has had more of an impact on my life than most. That genre, of course, is metal.
On a quiet Friday night in suburbia back in 2000, I witnessed Iron Maiden performing 'The Wickerman' on BBC's Top of the Pops. As an unsuspecting child of 13 years, I remember being enthralled by the drama, theatrics and sheer energy of the music and performance, and was left with something of an open jaw. I have since watched that same performance back, and realised it was clearly lip-synced, but that doesn't even matter. From that fateful day, the seed had planted.
Throughout the tumultuous years of adolescence, the seed gradually manifested itself. Though my first love was punk rock, I slowly but surely graduated into a full-on metal fanatic by age 15, which is the age me and some friends formed Obsolete, our first metal band. We had a blast. The only thing more powerful than listening to the bone-crushing energy of metal was performing it yourself, and nothing beat the thrill of blasting out a wall of distorted noise in countless dingy venues we weren't even old enough to be in.
Metal spoke to me on a deep level. The lyrics, the attitude, the overall vibe. It centered me. While I was heavily into this musical world, I still pursued my love of all music, whether it was Rancid, Weezer, Jeff Buckley or Tom Waits, but metal was an integral part of my life. As visceral as the genre is, there is naturally going to come a day when the music just doesn't have quite the same effect. Once you've heard a thousand half-time breakdowns and wailing guitar solos, the base elements of the genre can often lose some of the bone-crushing impact they had on your once young and impressionable mind.
However, this is not to say that metal is exclusively a young man's game. Far from it. It's just that as you get older (I'm only 23, for the record), you generally become more centred, and it takes a little more to get into that frame of mind. Of course, it doesn't help when you outgrow a lot of the more musically straightforward stuff you used to listen to. As with any genre though, the more you dig, the more gems you will eventually find. In recent years, the more progressive metal acts such as Mastodon, Gojira, Isis, Pelican and Opeth have been pushing the constraints of the genre to its very limits, and in my opinion these acts often showcase music at its most electrifying and dynamically brilliant.
However, there are some critics who just point blank refuse to take metal seriously, and all but recoil at the very mention of the word. This is presumably because the first image that pops into their head upon broaching the subject is probably some combination of spandex jumpsuits, 10-inch spike bracelets and lyrics about dragons, swords and pillaging. On a certain level, it's understandable why metal isn't taken as seriously as most other genres in existence. The sheer ridiculousness of all this stereotypical imagery is hard for even the most hardened metaller to deny. Thankfully there are those who play up to the inherent absurdity of the genre, and have a damn good time in the process, such as mock-rock heroes Zimmer's Hole, and fellow Canadian Devin Townsend, the latter creating 2007's 'Ziltoid the Omniscient' - a concept album about an evil alien overlord waging war on planet Earth in search of the ultimate cup of coffee. However, there are those to whom irony is simply an alien concept, and these people must be stopped for the good of mankind. Take this bunch of characters, for example:
This, my friends, is Manowar. The self-proclaimed 'Kings of Metal' who make Spinal Tap look like Pink Floyd. Aside from proudly sporting the stupidest outfits in the history of the modern world, they also have in their arsenal some of the worst lyrics ever written. Okay, base point - they're hilarious. Just look at them. The problem is, a worrying amount of people don't seem to get the joke, Manowar themselves included. Believe it or not, an average Manowar crowd consists of thousands of people - particularly in Europe. How exactly this has come to be, I'm still not sure. However, on a purely statistical level, this means that there must be a sizeable percentage of their audience who see them as something more than a hugely overblown joke, and hold them in the same regard with which a more sane, rational human being might view the works of Picasso. This is partly what stops metal getting the recognition it deserves - metal fans are often viewed as uncultured cretins without a trace of humour. Not so. Metal on the whole is an extremely valid form of music, but it often needs to be taken with a pinch of salt, or in some cases a good few heaps.
Thankfully, the denim and leather contingent of the genre is largely a thing of the past, save for a few throwback acts. A musical style's imagery should not dictate how it's viewed artistically, but we live in a shallow world with a short attention span, and it's just unfair - but somewhat inevitable - that the general opinion of the genre has not evolved as the music itself has.
However, all this is immaterial when compared to the genre's real problem - metalheads. Firstly, please note that this word does not hold the same meaning as 'metal fan'. There are plenty of agreeable rational people who have a healthy outlook on life, and just happen to enjoy the odd crushing riff or two. No, I'm talking about metalheads. These curious creatures have done far more to discredit metal as a valid art form than a thousand Judas Priest concerts ever could. Being in a metal band for many years, I came across countless metal fans, most of whom were among the nicest people I have ever met, and are still my friends today. However, the fact still remains that at least 90% of the metalheads have been arrogant, elitist and often infuriatingly closed-minded, due to a stubborn and misguided understanding of what there beloved genre is all about. These are people for whom it seems boneheaded arrogance, thuggery and a general caveman mentality are all personal goals who aspire to. Basically, they are these people.
These idiots can be spotted (and avoided) a mile off, thanks to their standard-issue uniform - black band t-shirt, combat pants/shorts and work boots. Hey, if they're really original, maybe a pair of Converse. Maybe they'll even throw in a wallet chain or two. Of course, conformity of this level exists in nearly every musical niche, but the fact that a lot of this crowd consider themselves staunch anti-conformists makes the whole charade even more laughable.
Perhaps most questionable of all is the professed notion that the metal scene is some kind of fraternity - a close-knit community where the initiated look out for each other, all for one and one for all. Let me get this straight - there's no brotherhood here. There is no sense of kinship within the metal scene, merely a sense of where they are placed on the hierarchy. It's a sad fact that this obsession with status and elitism often seems more of a concern to those involved than the music itself.
There are even those who claim to listen to nothing but metal. I'm not even going to entertain the idea that this is a valid argument. Generally, the justification for this statement is something along the lines of 'Metal has the best musicians by far". Even if this were proved to be objectively true, it still would hold no relevance. Sub-par musicianship does not necessarily equate to sub-par music. Look at 70's punk or grunge, for example. It's not the case that they only like one genre. I refuse to believe that's even possible - it's like saying that you only have one mood, ever. You wouldn't act this way with any other form of art. Imagine someone you knew coming out with "I only ever watch rom-coms" or "I only look at impressionist paintings". They're just scared to be seen liking anything else, for fear of persecution from their high temple of elitism. God forbid, one of these other geniuses may think less of them. Hell, most of these people probably aren't even into music at all; more the politics of domination and submission. This mentality might be understandable at age 13, but these are fully grown men we're talking about. There are people I know of who are now in their mid-twenties and still are adhering to this laughable ethos.
Don't get me wrong - around the age of 17, I wore nothing but Pantera shirts, and by and large was an arrogant prick. However, that was because at the time I was an arrogant prick, and not because it was dictated by my favourite genre of music that I should be. Like the majority of teenagers, I just had a lot of 'issues' I didn't have a clue how to resolve, which often had a knock-on effect on my behaviour. I'm not for a second denying that my attraction to the genre was spurred on by this mindset, but the former did not dictate the latter, and it shouldn't. In emotional terms, metal is generally an expression of anger or frustration, and is a form of catharsis for both the performers and their audience. Both of the above are valid emotions, but within that lies the danger of being seen to glorify negative thought, and in turn, a negative attitude towards the world. For the most part, this is far from what's intended. A good example of this is Pantera's 'Rise', taken from their classic album 'Vulgar Display of Power' (1992).
This album is considered by many to be one of the best and most groundbreaking metal albums of the 90s, if not all time. As for this track in particular - yes, the drums are thunderously fast, the guitars drenched in distortion, and the vocals screamed at the top of Phil Anselmo's hardened lungs. However, the lyrics are anything but negative, and preach loud and clear about the value of taking positive action.
It is hardly surprising that 97% of the genre's fanbase consists of white males between the ages of 15-35. Metal's overall message concerns the journey into manhood - It's about energy, passion, learning important life lessons and above all, self-respect and awareness. Yet it can be misinterpreted by the few as a celebration of pointless aggression and general idiocy. All this is just sad when reminded that metal acts have produced some of the most visceral, staggering and life-changing records in musical history. Despite all my criticisms of the scene, I still love the music, and would encourage anyone to explore it further. While it may seem more trouble than it's worth, if you dig through all the debris, it can be seriously rewarding. Metal at its best is an artistic force to be reckoned with, and an inspiring and challenging experience for any music fan.
Those of you with Spotify can check out my metal conversion playlist here. Enjoy!
Alex
On a quiet Friday night in suburbia back in 2000, I witnessed Iron Maiden performing 'The Wickerman' on BBC's Top of the Pops. As an unsuspecting child of 13 years, I remember being enthralled by the drama, theatrics and sheer energy of the music and performance, and was left with something of an open jaw. I have since watched that same performance back, and realised it was clearly lip-synced, but that doesn't even matter. From that fateful day, the seed had planted.
Throughout the tumultuous years of adolescence, the seed gradually manifested itself. Though my first love was punk rock, I slowly but surely graduated into a full-on metal fanatic by age 15, which is the age me and some friends formed Obsolete, our first metal band. We had a blast. The only thing more powerful than listening to the bone-crushing energy of metal was performing it yourself, and nothing beat the thrill of blasting out a wall of distorted noise in countless dingy venues we weren't even old enough to be in.
Metal spoke to me on a deep level. The lyrics, the attitude, the overall vibe. It centered me. While I was heavily into this musical world, I still pursued my love of all music, whether it was Rancid, Weezer, Jeff Buckley or Tom Waits, but metal was an integral part of my life. As visceral as the genre is, there is naturally going to come a day when the music just doesn't have quite the same effect. Once you've heard a thousand half-time breakdowns and wailing guitar solos, the base elements of the genre can often lose some of the bone-crushing impact they had on your once young and impressionable mind.
However, this is not to say that metal is exclusively a young man's game. Far from it. It's just that as you get older (I'm only 23, for the record), you generally become more centred, and it takes a little more to get into that frame of mind. Of course, it doesn't help when you outgrow a lot of the more musically straightforward stuff you used to listen to. As with any genre though, the more you dig, the more gems you will eventually find. In recent years, the more progressive metal acts such as Mastodon, Gojira, Isis, Pelican and Opeth have been pushing the constraints of the genre to its very limits, and in my opinion these acts often showcase music at its most electrifying and dynamically brilliant.
However, there are some critics who just point blank refuse to take metal seriously, and all but recoil at the very mention of the word. This is presumably because the first image that pops into their head upon broaching the subject is probably some combination of spandex jumpsuits, 10-inch spike bracelets and lyrics about dragons, swords and pillaging. On a certain level, it's understandable why metal isn't taken as seriously as most other genres in existence. The sheer ridiculousness of all this stereotypical imagery is hard for even the most hardened metaller to deny. Thankfully there are those who play up to the inherent absurdity of the genre, and have a damn good time in the process, such as mock-rock heroes Zimmer's Hole, and fellow Canadian Devin Townsend, the latter creating 2007's 'Ziltoid the Omniscient' - a concept album about an evil alien overlord waging war on planet Earth in search of the ultimate cup of coffee. However, there are those to whom irony is simply an alien concept, and these people must be stopped for the good of mankind. Take this bunch of characters, for example:
This, my friends, is Manowar. The self-proclaimed 'Kings of Metal' who make Spinal Tap look like Pink Floyd. Aside from proudly sporting the stupidest outfits in the history of the modern world, they also have in their arsenal some of the worst lyrics ever written. Okay, base point - they're hilarious. Just look at them. The problem is, a worrying amount of people don't seem to get the joke, Manowar themselves included. Believe it or not, an average Manowar crowd consists of thousands of people - particularly in Europe. How exactly this has come to be, I'm still not sure. However, on a purely statistical level, this means that there must be a sizeable percentage of their audience who see them as something more than a hugely overblown joke, and hold them in the same regard with which a more sane, rational human being might view the works of Picasso. This is partly what stops metal getting the recognition it deserves - metal fans are often viewed as uncultured cretins without a trace of humour. Not so. Metal on the whole is an extremely valid form of music, but it often needs to be taken with a pinch of salt, or in some cases a good few heaps.
Thankfully, the denim and leather contingent of the genre is largely a thing of the past, save for a few throwback acts. A musical style's imagery should not dictate how it's viewed artistically, but we live in a shallow world with a short attention span, and it's just unfair - but somewhat inevitable - that the general opinion of the genre has not evolved as the music itself has.
However, all this is immaterial when compared to the genre's real problem - metalheads. Firstly, please note that this word does not hold the same meaning as 'metal fan'. There are plenty of agreeable rational people who have a healthy outlook on life, and just happen to enjoy the odd crushing riff or two. No, I'm talking about metalheads. These curious creatures have done far more to discredit metal as a valid art form than a thousand Judas Priest concerts ever could. Being in a metal band for many years, I came across countless metal fans, most of whom were among the nicest people I have ever met, and are still my friends today. However, the fact still remains that at least 90% of the metalheads have been arrogant, elitist and often infuriatingly closed-minded, due to a stubborn and misguided understanding of what there beloved genre is all about. These are people for whom it seems boneheaded arrogance, thuggery and a general caveman mentality are all personal goals who aspire to. Basically, they are these people.
These idiots can be spotted (and avoided) a mile off, thanks to their standard-issue uniform - black band t-shirt, combat pants/shorts and work boots. Hey, if they're really original, maybe a pair of Converse. Maybe they'll even throw in a wallet chain or two. Of course, conformity of this level exists in nearly every musical niche, but the fact that a lot of this crowd consider themselves staunch anti-conformists makes the whole charade even more laughable.
Perhaps most questionable of all is the professed notion that the metal scene is some kind of fraternity - a close-knit community where the initiated look out for each other, all for one and one for all. Let me get this straight - there's no brotherhood here. There is no sense of kinship within the metal scene, merely a sense of where they are placed on the hierarchy. It's a sad fact that this obsession with status and elitism often seems more of a concern to those involved than the music itself.
There are even those who claim to listen to nothing but metal. I'm not even going to entertain the idea that this is a valid argument. Generally, the justification for this statement is something along the lines of 'Metal has the best musicians by far". Even if this were proved to be objectively true, it still would hold no relevance. Sub-par musicianship does not necessarily equate to sub-par music. Look at 70's punk or grunge, for example. It's not the case that they only like one genre. I refuse to believe that's even possible - it's like saying that you only have one mood, ever. You wouldn't act this way with any other form of art. Imagine someone you knew coming out with "I only ever watch rom-coms" or "I only look at impressionist paintings". They're just scared to be seen liking anything else, for fear of persecution from their high temple of elitism. God forbid, one of these other geniuses may think less of them. Hell, most of these people probably aren't even into music at all; more the politics of domination and submission. This mentality might be understandable at age 13, but these are fully grown men we're talking about. There are people I know of who are now in their mid-twenties and still are adhering to this laughable ethos.
Don't get me wrong - around the age of 17, I wore nothing but Pantera shirts, and by and large was an arrogant prick. However, that was because at the time I was an arrogant prick, and not because it was dictated by my favourite genre of music that I should be. Like the majority of teenagers, I just had a lot of 'issues' I didn't have a clue how to resolve, which often had a knock-on effect on my behaviour. I'm not for a second denying that my attraction to the genre was spurred on by this mindset, but the former did not dictate the latter, and it shouldn't. In emotional terms, metal is generally an expression of anger or frustration, and is a form of catharsis for both the performers and their audience. Both of the above are valid emotions, but within that lies the danger of being seen to glorify negative thought, and in turn, a negative attitude towards the world. For the most part, this is far from what's intended. A good example of this is Pantera's 'Rise', taken from their classic album 'Vulgar Display of Power' (1992).
This album is considered by many to be one of the best and most groundbreaking metal albums of the 90s, if not all time. As for this track in particular - yes, the drums are thunderously fast, the guitars drenched in distortion, and the vocals screamed at the top of Phil Anselmo's hardened lungs. However, the lyrics are anything but negative, and preach loud and clear about the value of taking positive action.
It is hardly surprising that 97% of the genre's fanbase consists of white males between the ages of 15-35. Metal's overall message concerns the journey into manhood - It's about energy, passion, learning important life lessons and above all, self-respect and awareness. Yet it can be misinterpreted by the few as a celebration of pointless aggression and general idiocy. All this is just sad when reminded that metal acts have produced some of the most visceral, staggering and life-changing records in musical history. Despite all my criticisms of the scene, I still love the music, and would encourage anyone to explore it further. While it may seem more trouble than it's worth, if you dig through all the debris, it can be seriously rewarding. Metal at its best is an artistic force to be reckoned with, and an inspiring and challenging experience for any music fan.
Those of you with Spotify can check out my metal conversion playlist here. Enjoy!
Alex
My first blog... cue the fanfare.
Greetings, whoever you are.
At 23 years old, I don't quite know why I've decided that now is the time to join the murky world of online self-expression, but here it is, my first 'proper' blog. I think the main reason for its creation is that my brain just won't ever shut the fuck up, and I'm just trying to open as many outlets as possible to calm the storm. I've always been dubious of blogging as a whole, mostly because of the stigma I've attached to it in my own head. However, I'm going to try as hard as I can not fall into the 'Woe is me'/'Life is only pain' stereotypes that I've always associated with this medium. Who knows, maybe one day I'll post something interesting or thought-provoking. Until then, communication would be a welcome thing - especially any pointers on how this site actually works, in terms of interacting with other bloggers etc. Although I'm relatively computer literate, I'm far too lazy to work it out for myself.
Peace.
Alex
At 23 years old, I don't quite know why I've decided that now is the time to join the murky world of online self-expression, but here it is, my first 'proper' blog. I think the main reason for its creation is that my brain just won't ever shut the fuck up, and I'm just trying to open as many outlets as possible to calm the storm. I've always been dubious of blogging as a whole, mostly because of the stigma I've attached to it in my own head. However, I'm going to try as hard as I can not fall into the 'Woe is me'/'Life is only pain' stereotypes that I've always associated with this medium. Who knows, maybe one day I'll post something interesting or thought-provoking. Until then, communication would be a welcome thing - especially any pointers on how this site actually works, in terms of interacting with other bloggers etc. Although I'm relatively computer literate, I'm far too lazy to work it out for myself.
Peace.
Alex
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