Goat wrote:
Apparently, Ministry have cancelled their entire European tour based solely on losing a single festival slot, throwing a certain independent UK festival* into chaos, and although I do have a lot of love for Al and co this is the shittiest of behaviour and should definitely be called out. If it was, ooh I dunno Megadeth, every metal site on the web would be blasting them, but thanks to masterpieces like "Antifa" everyone loves them, I guess?
Ughhhhhh. I'm often very glad not to be an insider in the metal world (relatively speaking), but things like this makes me think that people should be more willing to call out name bands instead of endlessly praising them for fear of losing access. Ten years ago I'd have written an editorial about this, the metallic versions of Alex Jones and CNNs, but who needs the hassle. If you're reading this you're enough of an insider to be able to name multiple examples of both. But I'm sure there have been plenty of times *insert B list tier metal band* have deserved calling out that they've got away with, and if it was I dunno, Guns n Roses, some magazine would have called them out for something other than extremely vague right-leaning sympathies.
Even if we're ignoring the whole left/right thing, which as I've said before shouldn't come into metal at all but regardless is fuel for plenty of fires otherwise, can we all agree that pulling out of tours for bullshit reasons is a Bullshit Thing for a band to do, especially if you're a Name Band like Ministry are? Getting to the point where the Rolling Stones have retired more times...
*Damnation, not that there are hundreds of them!
Good points on a subject I've been thinking about too! Your Ministry example of bands getting away with bullshit brings a couple examples to mind.
Many The Black Dahlia Murder fans are still blaming Parkway Drive for Trevor Strnad's death because he committed suicide when they would have been on tour with PWD in the USA. PWD's cancellation press release claimed 'needing time to reflect' and 'mental health' while still assuring people they'd tour Europe a few months later, and release their new (shitty) album. It was a blatant cop out due to low ticket sales, and their pathetic non-reason for cancelling angered people at the time but infuriated people later when Strnad killed himself. Did any metal publication say anything negative about PWD? Never.
Dance Gavin Dance in the past year has had their bassist die, only to announce 4 days later they would proceed with summer tour plans and new album release just as scheduled. Then their vocalist gets sexual assault accusations and they get booted off a tour with Coheed And Cambria. Then their replacement vocalist apparently needs rest so they cancel their European tour. Their new album still debuts #8 in the USA (because people have bad taste) and not a negative word is to be found in heavy music publications about several curious decisions they made in the past year.
