I went to see the Kyng/Black Label Society show Friday night. Yes, it’s another of THOSE blogs. But, this isn’t the typical “Zakk is so badass” entry. It’s more about mentality of crowd based on location. Kyng was fantastic, Wovenwar needs to be locked in a crate with Motionless In White and other bands of that ilk and BLS was good (though not as good as when I saw them in 2011). I’m more intrigued by the differences in how the crowd interacted based on locale change.
Most of my concert attendance is at Atlanta’s famed Masquerade. This much vaunted club has been around since…well, as long as I can remember. I first went there in 1991 and it was old back then. It’s hosted artists as diverse as Motorhead, The Ramones, Megadeth, Rise Against, Dr. Dog, Ziggy Marley, TI, D.R.I., Bad Brains, Bad Religion, In This Moment and the list goes on. It’s actually three clubs in one: Hell, the basement club, holds about 200 tortured souls and leans towards alternative and metal, though they used to have a fun disco party on Saturday nights; Purgatory, more of a corner pub feel with middle of the road bands and a horrible lay out; and, Heaven, a large concert venue that hosts mostly national acts. For me, the real difference that sets The Masquerade apart is the attitude of it’s regulars. I see many of the same faces, over and over, as I attend the shows at there. There’s a definite respect between regulars. There’s the occasional fight, but they are few and far between. Pits can get rough, but there’s concern for your fellow moshers.
Friday’s concert did not take place at The Masquerade, instead it was held at The Center Stage (slightly larger venue with fixed seating and a large center pit/standing area). It also holds three separate concert/viewing areas: Vinyl (leaning towards alternative and acoustic music), The Loft (more of the same) and The Center Stage (everything from Metal to Rap). The difference seems to be in the lack of a regular base. The Masquerade holds metal shows several times a week; The Center Stage a few times a month. The difference could be felt while waiting in line.
Waiting in line at the Masquerade is generally pretty fun. Conversations with complete strangers to discuss the latest bands lead to laughs and before you know it, the doors are open and you’re in line for t-shirts, drinks or you’re securing your spot for the night.
Waiting in line at the Center Stage was boring. Attendees seemed to be closed off into cliques and it had a high school feel to it. I attempted to start several conversations, only to be fully ignored. Strike one.
The lay out of the two clubs is night and day. I’ll use Heaven as the reference point for argument’s sake. Heaven is basically a giant room with a stage at one end and two bars at the other end. Seats are limited to maybe 20 chairs. Be prepared to stand all night. View of the stage depends on your physical height, the height of those in front of you and your proximity to the stage.
The Center Stage is well laid out with multiple bars and food/drink kiosks laid out through the ante area surrounding the arena. The Arena is laid out similar to a theater, with rising/descending seats leading to a large standing area in the center, all facing the stage. View is based on location and who is in front of you. Points to Center Stage on this. This has little to do with the attitude of attendees, but it does lead to the general discussion.
The crowd was the biggest difference. When Kyng has played The Masquerade in the past, there has been an enthusiastic audience, a pit and a lot of fun. The crowd at Friday’s show were stiff and boring. Eddie tried vainly to rouse the audience with every cheap pop he could, but he couldn’t have lit up that crowd with a gallon of gasoline and a match. This was a BLS crowd, not a metal crowd (there’s a difference).
This crowd failed to ignite for WovenWar, as well. Ok, so did, preferring to sit in one of the plush alcoves surrounding the ante-arena area. It was during this time I bought yet another Kyng shirt, got to hang with Eddie Veliz for a bit and ended up getting hit on no fewer than four times. Drunk chicks apparently dig That Nerdy Metal Guy. Score another point for the Center Stage.
BLS finally hit the stage around 1015pm and the crowd was hot and overly inebriated. Sweaty, heavily muscled idiots pushed/attempted to push their way through the crowd, causing several fights. I counted ten arrested individuals being carried from the show as I was leaving (I left half way through the general show closer of “Stillborn”). I haven’t seen a concert this violent since I saw Lynrd Skynrd at the Georgia Jam in 1991.
I was shocked at the change in attitude associated with the change in venue. I saw BLS at the Masquerade in 2011. The crowd was enthusiastic, but polite. Drinking beer and headbanging were performed, but there no fights, no arrests and no hassles. I remember one guy trying to start a pit at the 2011 show and he was gently led aside by a gigantic, lumberjack looking BLS patch holder. The 2014 crowd had too many idiots in the crowd who had too much alcohol.
My next planned metal show is Mastodon and Gojira at The Tabernacle, possibly my favorite venue in Atlanta for shows. I’m hoping to have a better experience. (I’ll write an actual concert review later today)
That Nerdy Metal Guy Blog 