Too Heavy to Hug #624
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Too Heavy to Hug #624

Welcome to THTH, Forte’s premier source of all things heavy, hard, fast and metal.
There have been a couple of stories in the metal media about how hard it is for metal musicians to make a living from their music. I’m talking intentionally touring bands at that. Making no money and being on the dole whilst you’re proficient in metal music should surprise no one, especially the metal “journos”.
Tesseract vocalist Daniel Tompkins recently advised in an interview that he made more money being a police officer in some US state than he does singing. Ne Obliviscaris drummer, Dan Presland, recently quit his train driving job that paid, like, a massive $150k a year to be a drummer full time.
No one actually goes into music and says, “You know what, I reckon I could make a shit load of cash being a really kick-arse metal muso, you know?”. Money is the last thing on your mind when you’re a teenager playing your guitar along to your favourite bands, maybe drugs are on your mind literally and figuratively, or maybe you reckon you could score heaps of women by playing music, sure, but money never factors in. Look at early pics of The Metallica Corporation, they were dirt poor and now they’re the exception to the eternal life of poverty rule.
Having said that, bands are inventing useful ways to make a quick buck apart from the album, tour, album, tour, repeat cycle. Tool, who will only be doing one show this year on Halloween, announced a special VIP event a day before the show where you get to look at “rare artwork and mementos” a photo opportunity with the band and a live Q&A session with the band – which I’m sure will be kicked off with a quick mention to not ask the band about their new album or the Q&A event will be over that instant. This event? $500.00. That’s a whole lot of money per person to sit around a have a photo and ask a question.
In other news
At The Gates will play The Corner on Friday October 30.
Teramaze will release their fifth album Her Halo on Friday October 30.
Ryan “RVP” Van Poederooyan will be holding his Melbourne drumming masterclass workshop at Gasworks Theatre (Albert Park) on Friday November 6. RVP is the man with the sticks keeping be beat for the Devin Townsend Project.
Flying Colours will release a recording of their Z7 show in Switzerland, 2014 entitled Second Flight: Live At The Z7 on Friday November 13.
Downfall Of Gaia will play Melbourne’s Bendigo Hotel on Thursday November 19.
Nightwish will play only one show per capital city on their Endless Forms Most Beautiful Tour 2016 and the Melbourne show will be at The Forum Theatre on Monday January 11.
Soundwave 2016 will be held on Thursday January 26. Bands announced thus far are Bullet For My Valentine, Dead Letter Circus, Refused, Failure, Northlane, Bring Me The Horizon, Devil You Know, Hatebreed and Metal Allegiance.
Between The Buried And Me will play 170 Russell on Monday February 29.
Iron Maiden will be flying into Oz on their Ed Force One (piloted, of course by Bruce Dickinson). Melbourne’s show will be at Rod Laver on Saturday May 9.
If you have any news about local metal bands, shows or albums, let THTH know by emailing to [email protected] or get in touch via Twitter at @TooHeavyToHug
Written by Paul S Taylor