Testing their Metal

By Matt Weafer
Messenger-Inquirer

Posters of Metallica, Pantera and Lamb of God vibrate on the wall of Dying Breath’s practice room as the band jams, preparing for a metal show tonight and Saturday night at Chubby’s Bar.

Vocalist Noah Richeson growls lyrics into the microphone, cupped with both hands, as veins bulge on his temples and a ceiling fan whirs dangerously close to his scalp.

The guitarists and bassist rock back and forth, bobbing their heads, eyes closed, pummeling heavy down strokes on guitars tuned-down a whole step.

With relaxed precision, the drummer works his massive kit like a machine, as the double bass thumps like a helicopter and the music resonates through the house.

The band practices, not just to prepare for the show but to indulge in the passion of adrenaline-fueled heavy metal.

This weekend isn’t just any show, though; it’s a test to determine if Chubby’s will host metal shows once a month. If the four bands slated to perform attract a large crowd, Gary Bray, owner of Chubby’s, said the bar at 2210 W. Second St. will start hosting metal shows every four to six weeks, providing one of the only regular, over-21 venues for heavy metal bands.

The four bands performing on both nights are Dying Breath, LTC, 10 Fathoms Deep and new band Vengeance by Death.

Dying Breath shares a common story with other Owensboro metal bands: a struggle to find local venues that allow original music and welcome the metal scene.

Since the Wildcat Saloon, 1108 W. Ninth St., closed, metal bands have been forced to look elsewhere for venues, mainly out of town.

“It’s harder now to find a show in town than it used to be,” guitarist Brandon Oost said. “It’s almost impossible.”

With the exception of the occasional battle of the bands at Frankie’s Sports Bar and Grill, metal bands rarely secure timeslots at Owensboro bars on the weekends.

Two of the biggest struggles for a metal band performing at a bar are convincing the owners that fans will show up and that they won’t demolish the place when they, and then getting exposure, Richeson said.

“This town really wants cover bands,” Bray said. “When they’re dancing, they want to hear what they’re hearing over the radio. And the majority of this town would accept a DJ over a live band.”

“People who listen to metal don’t go to bars because they don’t want to hear cover bands,” Richeson said. So spreading the word that a metal band will perform is imperative to attract the crowd.

The social networking Web site MySpace.com has become small town bands’ best friend.
Bands set up free Web sites, post music and promote upcoming shows.

Dying Breath has made more than 7,000 friends on MySpace, several of which are from out of the area and international.

But MySpace only hits a percentage of local fans, Richeson said.

“Advertisement is a big big thing,” Dave Crabtree, guitarist for LTC said. “When we played at the Wildcat, they had radio spots about the show and advertisement in the paper. We would have a much bigger crowd as opposed to just posting something on MySpace.”

But bands have no say in whether a bar advertises. So, the burden falls on the band members.

Dying Breath drummer Joe Murphy said, “At most shows we’re paying to play.”

The bands pay out-of-pocket to print fliers or buy advertisements, bassist Chris Armstrong said.

And most bands are willing to pay for that hour or forty-five minutes or even half-hour to rock out on their art that, though often misunderstood as angry noise, is the foundation on which a brotherhood has formed.

“These little guys self promote more than any other local band in the area,” Bray said. “And I guess they have to because of that style of music. It is like a brotherhood. It’s the underground. They all know each other. They all take care of each other. They’re tighter than most families I know.”

“All the bands, for the most part help each other out,” Richeson said. When one band finds a venue, it calls other bands and invites them to play, too, which is why most metal shows have at least four bands performing, he said.

“They are so close knit that if two of those bands are playing Illinois one night, boom they’ll all fire over there,” Bray said.

That camaraderie carries over to the fans as well.

“The crowds are really good,” Bray said, “I believe they out dance the dancing crowd. They’ll hit the floor and they don’t come off. There’s moshing and everything.”

And as long as the crowds show up this weekend, Chubby’s will continue to cater to the metal genre once a month.

“I’m just glad they came to me and I hope it’s a good venture for all of us,” Bray said.

The show starts around 9 p.m. tonight and Saturday night with a $5 cover charge.

Reprinted with permission from the Messenger-Inquirer