They say if you don’t like the weather in New England, you need only wait a minute.
But what if you’re a New Englander who’s not a fan of heavy music? Well, perhaps you should move. In the past decade-plus, the region has established itself as the proverbial epicenter for the modern metal movement—spawning such now-international acts as Shadows Fall, Killswitch Engage and All That Remains, to name a choice few. Before they were cutting major label discs, however, all of the aforementioned acts were cutting their teeth at the annual New England Metal and Hardcore Festival along the way.
And according to MassConcerts/local promoter Scott Lee, the swath these respective bands cut through the dense field of competition has not gone unnoticed by the current crop of Festival participants.
“Oh, there’s no doubt all of the bands that have played in years past add to the excitement and credibility of what we’re doing,” Lee explains. “If you look at the Warped Tour alone, two bands playing there this summer—Whitechapel and Suicide Silence—broke out at the Metal Hardcore Fest.”
For this, the 12th annual assault on the eardrums (slated for April 23-24 at Worcester’s Palladium), Lee and his legions of accomplices have amassed an ambitious, sprawling performance schedule that will pit the likes of Britain’s Architect UK and Malefice with Baystate’s own Acaro, Howl and four dozen more on two stages for what will amount to nearly 35 hours of the best heavy music the planet has to offer.
“You know, we tinker with the formula every year to keep it interesting,” Lee concludes. “But really, at the end of the day, there is a common thread that makes the whole thing work. We book great bands that have great, loyal fans. If there’s any secret to the success of this all, I’d say that’s it.” Tickets for the 2010 New England Metal and Hardcore Festival are available at all F.Y.E. stores or online at tickets.com. Or charge by phone at (800) 477-6849.
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Dropping the decibels considerably, information on the 8th annual Strange Creek Festival is also starting to trickle in. This year’s incarnation will occur at Greenfield’s Camp KeeWannee May 28-30 and jam faves the Alchemystics, Primate Fiasco, The Kings and the Reverend Tor Band are among the early sign-ons to perform this year. And another yet-to-be-determined act—specifically, the victor of the Strange Creek Battle of the Bands finals at The Elevens April 28—will also earn a coveted “cabin set” at this year’s festival.
“So far, Jatoba, a string band trio from Vermont and The Big Sway, from all over Massachusetts, have won the first two rounds,” reports Derek Kipp of the Wormtown Trading Company (wormtown.com) that runs both the festival and the battle. “And although there is a considerable prize up for grabs, all of the bands seem like they’re being competitive yet having fun, too, which is cool, because it’s all about fun for us. These battles are all free and we don’t attempt to make money on them.”
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Last up, bands looking to gain exposure for their original efforts can find a valuable new ally in 100.9 FM’s Steve Cantara. The gruff-voiced morning man recently rolled out a new Sunday program he calls “Fresh Tracks,” wherein local, unsigned bands can upload their music at wrnx.com, after which Cantara selects—and spins—his faves each week starting at 11 a.m.
“(The process) is old school in that you don’t have to ‘fit the suit’ or have a slick video to get airplay,” the host explains. “You just have to make really good music.”
What a concept—if only the industry would follow suit.
Send correspondence to Nightcrawler, P.O. Box 427, Somers, CT 06071; fax to (860) 698-9373 or e-mail garycarra@aol.com.
