The Future of Australian Heavy Metal

Australia has always produced some of the most talented heavy metal musicians and bands the world has ever seen. Whether it be the glory days of bands such as Mortal Sin, Sadistik Exekution, Alchemist, Destroyer 666 and the like; to current bands tearing it up such as Psycroptic, The Amenta and Chaos Divine, Australia should be a power house on the world heavy metal stage. Sadly, most bands still struggle to reach any level of financial viability. Why then, with so much potential, does this continue to happen when there are more fans of heavy metal than ever before?

 With a fractured community, a reliance on labels to do the work for the bands, local promoters settling for less than quality shows and obvious geographic / population hurdles to overcome it is quite amazing that bands have been able to achieve any level of success within this country. We are at a point in time where heavy metal has truly reached a crossroad. One way see's our bands / community continue to struggle, while the other see's Australia becoming a heavy weight in the world metal community.

 In consultation with a number of our partners and associates, we have put together some suggestions for growth within the metal community.

 INFORMATION FOR BANDS:

 In the past heavy metal bands had a tendency to think on much too small a scale. While this attitude is generally changing, there is a definite need to make more of a concerted effort to improve.

 Be original. Find or create something that sets you apart from the other bands in your sub genre. Gimmicks may or may not be the answer for your band, but there needs to be something that will set you apart and make the punters remember the name of your band , buy your CD’s or Merchandise and attend your future gigs.

Don't be afraid to spend money. If you are serious about making any sort of success then you need to invest in yourself. Do not cut costs when it comes to recording and production!! While this can be a very expensive exercise, it is extremely important that those listening do not turn the CD off due to the bad quality of your recording as this will also be an indication or a reflection of the band itself.  Unless there is truly a talented artist amongst you, designing your own CD can generally be a mistake. Remember that first impressions are always important. Go to someone who understands what your band is about and does graphic design as a profession; however, if you do not know any graphic designers, go to a professional - they are not as expensive as you would think. It is also important to ensure that websites, MySpace accounts and photos are done professionally.

 Marketing and advertising is the key. Regardless of how good your music is, your band and music will not sell itself without some effort. Whether you like it or not, if you want to succeed in this industry you will need to see what you do as a brand and as a product comparable to anything else. Brands do not become essential items solely based on the quality of the product. Marketing and salesmanship are an essential part of this. You can not afford not to advertise, market or promote, not matter what your budget is. Labels are looking for bands that are willing to put in as much effort, if not more to sell the product. Each member of the band reflect and sell your product, so if there is someone in the band causing problems on forums, MySpace or even worse, in person, they need to be pulled in line immediately as they are direct representatives of your brand. 

Treat every show as if there is an A&R person watching you. No matter how small the venue, no matter how many people are in the crowd, each of these are potential customers and you should be doing everything you can to get them to like your product. If you impress one person at a gig then most likely they will tell their friends about how good you are and they will then all come along to your next show. When you are starting off as a band it is important to gain as much exposure as possible, so play as much in as many areas as you can. It is also important to note that insulting a crowd never does any good UNLESS this is your gimmick like Sadistik Exekution for example.

Be very critical of your own work. Approach labels, management companies, distribution companies and Touring companies when you are at the top of your game. Don’t hesitate to ask for opinions and constructive criticism from independent parties. First impressions last and it is hard to change them from a negative to a positive. If you can find your originality, have good recordings and material, as well as professional media kits, you will surely be noticed.

 INFORMATION FOR PROMOTERS:

 Most promoters do this for the love of the music rather than for the money, however, it is still important to think about this as a business. Make your posters and flyers stand out. Once again look at getting them designed well. Make sure the bands on your bill are promoting the show as much as you are. Understand your demographic and know where to advertise. Think about your customers when putting a gig together - what do they want to see? What will make the gig enjoyable for them? Is the venue easy to get to and from and will there be good sound for the bands? Approach alcohol companies and try to get sponsorship for the event (this may just be a cut in the price for that type of alcohol for the one night or may be them sending out reps to hand out freebies). Make sure that you have music to play in between sets, so the sound guy doesn't change the mood of the event by plugging-in his iPod and play dance music.

 INFORMATION FOR THE GENERAL PUBLIC:

Support Australian bands. Obviously not every metal band in Australia is great, but there is a wealth of talent here that should be supported. Rather than only buying tickets to international tours, find out about the local acts and attend shows in your area. Generally, most local shows cost between $10 - $25 and this cheaper option promises you the chance to see a lot of established or up and coming bands, as well as a good night out. You would pay the same amount if not more to go to the movies and that would usually only last up to two hours while the average gig lasts at least four.

If you feel that a local show is too expensive, keep in mind that the promoters, venues and bands all need to cover costs to put the show on for you. Also, rather than only putting songs from international bands on your MySpace profile change it up and put some Australian bands on there. And while we all enjoy getting stuff for free don't always expect freebies from your mate’s band, support them by going out and buying their CD or paying for entry to their gig.

INFORMATION ON WHAT THE ASSOCIATION FOR AUSTRALIAN HEAVY METAL IS DOING FOR THE FUTURE OF AUSTRALIAN HEAVY METAL:

2009 Australian Metal Awards

As you are all well aware, the first project that we have rolled out is the 2009 Australian Metal Awards which is currently in full swing.  Winners will be announced at the 2009 Australian Metal Awards show on the 7th of November at the Forum, The Entertainment Quarter, Moore Park, NSW. This is an important step in highlighting the talent that we have here in Australia to both the local and international markets and industry.

ARIA Chart

Behind the scenes we have also been working with ARIA to implement a Heavy Metal / Hardcore chart for Australia. The initial proposal has passed through the ARIA Board and we are now working with the ARIA Chart Committee to implement this chart. This will be a big step in lifting the profile and recognition of this genre in Australia and will lead to a lot of new possibilities for heavy metal. While many people say that heavy metal should not be mainstream there are equally, if not more, people (bands in particular) that do want the assistance of the Australian Recording Industry Association and are after a chance to get noticed and actually receive financial viability for their work. We are also assisting in putting a panel of metal industry representatives together who would be responsible for ensuring that only bands within this genre would be eligible for this chart.

Why is a simple chart important for the future of heavy metal?

Retailers who do not stock metal do so because they can not see a demand for it (not charting). However, with this addition to the ARIA chart listings we will see that more retailers either

 A) Create a Metal / Hardcore section; or

B) Increase the size of the metal / hardcore section

 This will mean that there is a greater chance for distribution companies to sell through retail outlets other than the standard that we already go through, which in turn means that local bands who have a distro deal will get a chance to have their CDs stocked in more outlets and the opportunity to sell more CDs to a larger audience.

A metal chart will give an indication to labels that there is a big market for metal / hardcore in this country and therefore may lead to more bands being picked up.

Australian heavy metal directory

 Another project that is being worked on is a database of all heavy metal related industry companies and contacts for bands who are wanting to know how to progress. This will include Touring Companies, Labels, Managers. Promoters, Designers, Recording Engineers / Producers, Booking Agents, Publicists etc. This is being created for all Australian metal bands across the country and will hopefully be available on our website in the not too distant future.

SUMMARY:

There is a real chance that Australia can be a major force in heavy metal and while there are a number of steps that need to be taken to ensure that this occurs, it is certainly within our grasp. We at The Association for Australian Heavy Metal will continue working to ensure that all bands in this country have the opportunity to make it to the world stage, but to be truly effective we need to support our own and work hard to ensure that this can happen. Australians have always been proud of their country and this passion and patriotism should not be lost when it comes to heavy metal.