It’s not just the noise/music that I love, it’s the atmosphere. My young friend David, who is an even bigger metal head than I am, stated it perfectly. It’s our version of going to “church”. It’s a gathering of like-minded individuals who are all there for the same reason, the music.
Everyone is there to just have a good time and get away from all of the shit that we all have to put up with on a daily basis.
We not only want to see and hear it, we want to feel it too. I need to go to one of these “rituals” to get a live music fix as many times a year that I can. My wife gets to go to her church every week, sometimes more than once. I get to go to a show maybe 4-5 times a year if I’m lucky. It depends on who’s touring and stopping in Seattle.
I’ve been able to go to 2 shows so far this year after not going to a single one for 2 years because of the fucking pandemic. I’m hoping for more shows in the fall, I’ll have to wait and keep checking the calendar for anything new.
I’ve always been of the mind to try anything once. Have you ever seen someone fall asleep in the middle of a metal concert? That would be me. I have a kind of opposite reaction to turmoil when it occurs around me. I become very calm. (Unless I am the one causing the turmoil of course.) From the time I was a young kid, I found roller coasters relaxing. I just remember thinking, I am hooked in for the ride, nothing I can do, don’t fight it. Ride!’ I think a metal concert would have the same effect on me. Here I am in the midst of all this going on… Just ride it out. (Like river rafting - one of my favorite all time things to do and I certainly have not done enough of it in my life. But loads of surfing. If one does not know how to relax while getting pummelled by a wave, one probably should not be in the water.) I would certainly be in over my head at a metal concert, but I know how to relax and just let it happen. LOL It’s going to happen whether I relax or not. LOL
Sounds like an odd condition I have. Whenever I hear gunfire and explosions, it relaxes me. During all those years on patrol, somewhere along the way I conditioned myself to become calm whenever I heard gunfire near me (and it happened OFTEN). And during my deployments, there were often mortar attacks that regularly placed a few rounds within our compound. Seemed like everybody else would be running around in a panic, but for some reason it never bothered me. Hell, there were a couple of times I remember the rounds coming in during the wee hours of the morning while most of us slept. Naturally, the explosions woke me, but I just rolled over and went back to sleep once I realized what it was. To this very day I actually enjoy listening to the verious pops, bangs, and booms that accompany the 4th of July and the New Year’s nights. It has a calming effect on me for some reason.
You know what they say… “If you hear the gunshot, your still alive!” Not a dang thing to worry about. It’s those gunshots that you don’t hear that cause the problems.
Liar Liar pants (if you are wearing any) on fire…
That’s one of the reasons I love this music, it never fails to put a smile on my face, and it has a calming effect on me.
Oddly enough, even though I rarely (if ever) listen to metal music, I can actually understand how it could relax you like that. Many years ago (during my early rookie days) a buddy of mine worked as the lead bouncer at an alternative club downtown. As it happens, I had to pass near the club on my way home from work. Therefore, on the nights the club was open, he liked me to stop by in uniform and hang out there for an hour or two before going home. The music there was hardcore “alternative” house-mix style, and in the dance floor area it was L-O-U-D. Plus, there were a couple of large video screens playing odd videos, and the strobes, lasers, and multi-colored rack lights were going crazy in sync with the music beat. I would often find a dark spot near one of the giant floor speakers, lean back against the wall, watch the dancing crowd, and just let the whole thing “wash over” me. It was an amazing way to relax and wind down, especially after a hectic night on the streets.