Shame on you, NYC

[mëtålspëd]

German metal stalwarts Grave Digger played their only US show last night in NYC (I believe this is only the second time in 15+ years). The show was bounced around from venue to venue, and settled back at BB Kings. There were just over 100 people in attendance. How is this even possible in one of the biggest metal markets in this country? It was an absolutely pitiful showing. Unfortunately I think the label gave them this promo show, to see how well they could draw (for a potential US tour).... and it failed miserably.

 

[Heavenly Call]

How was the promotion for the show in the area? Was it just them, or was anyone with them?

 

[...AndTimeBegan]

German metal stalwarts Grave Digger played their only US show last night in NYC (I believe this is only the second time in 15+ years). The show was bounced around from venue to venue, and settled back at BB Kings. There were just over 100 people in attendance. How is this even possible in one of the biggest metal markets in this country? It was an absolutely pitiful showing. Unfortunately I think the label gave them this promo show, to see how well they could draw (for a potential US tour).... and it failed miserably.

Thanks for the laugh. I assume this was a sarcastic post picking at the fact that Grave Digger isn't a big band anymore?

 

[mëtålspëd]

How was the promotion for the show in the area? Was it just them, or was anyone with them?

No idea... I drove 200 miles south to see this show. We overheard a couple who flew in from Chicago for the show.

 

[mëtålspëd]

Thanks for the laugh. I assume this was a sarcastic post picking at the fact that Grave Digger isn't a big band anymore?

This was in fact not a sarcastic post in any manner.

 

[General Zod]

Speaking as some who hits a lot of shows at BB Kings, I passed. Then again, I would have passed if they were playing across the street from my house, the show was free, and I had absolutely nothing to do.

As for the actual attendance number, I can't say I'm surprised. The music is generic, the lyrics are weak, the musicianship is average at best, and the vocals just may be the worst in Power Metal. I can't say I've ever met anyone who claimed to like this band. The fact that they're huge in Germany, is only further evidence that the Germans are an odd bunch.

metalsped... I think you simply have a different take on this band than most. We all have those bands that hit our sweet spot, that many others just don't get.

Zod

 

[DoomsdayZach]

Grave Digger is an amazing band. While i can understand someone not really digging them (i had a hard time warming up to them myself) it is just plain ignorant to claim that they are not a big name in the scene. there are a lot of bands that don't draw in america like they should, but a lot of those same bands (grave digger for example) will play prime slots on mainstages of many festivals in europe. They're a huge band. To say otherwise is just downright stupid.

 

[Jasonic]

There are a lot of options to see live metal these days. Moreso than ever....

A band like GRAVE DIGGER, though legendary, should do a smaller scale US tour with at least one or more solid support acts.

If the label set this up to test their draw in the US, then they set the band up for a failure, and shame on them!!!

So many bands come over with NO solid support.
This happened with Strato and Therion's first US tour.

Just because a band is popular in Europe does not mean they can come over with NO support and expect to sell out as a headliner.

You have to build up the fanbase..
(IE - HammerFall opening for Death, Edguy opening for HammerFall, Epica opening for Kamelot, etc, etc)

 

[mëtålspëd]

Speaking as some who hits a lot of shows at BB Kings, I passed. Then again, I would have passed if they were playing across the street from my house, the show was free, and I had absolutely nothing to do.

As for the actual attendance number, I can't say I'm surprised. The music is generic, the lyrics are weak, the musicianship is average at best, and the vocals just may be the worst in Power Metal. I can't say I've ever met anyone who claimed to like this band. The fact that they're huge in Germany, is only further evidence that the Germans are an odd bunch.

metalsped... I think you simply have a different take on this band than most. We all have those bands that hit our sweet spot, that many others just don't get.

Zod

Its NYC though.... a hobo who can do a jig while panhandling can draw a crowd of 100 on a NYC corner.

 

[BlackRoseMetalHeart]

German metal stalwarts Grave Digger played their only US show last night in NYC (I believe this is only the second time in 15+ years). The show was bounced around from venue to venue, and settled back at BB Kings. There were just over 100 people in attendance. How is this even possible in one of the biggest metal markets in this country? It was an absolutely pitiful showing. Unfortunately I think the label gave them this promo show, to see how well they could draw (for a potential US tour).... and it failed miserably.

Nick and I were there last night. (Drove 4 hours from Baltimore ... Nick is still sleeping it off.) We too were talking about the surprisingly poor turnout.

I saw lots of folks there I didn't expect to see, for instance, Deb and Bill from BurningMetal.com, Johnny D (Doro's drummer) and Jack Frost. IMO, if that really was Jack Frost I saw, then I blame his ego for taking up too much space in the venue, so they probably had to limit ticket sales since he's ego probably takes up enough room for about 300 people.

In all seriousness, the turnout was pretty small. I blame part of that on a Tickbastard screw-up/screw-over move. When I bought mine and Nick's tickets the other day, I went to the BB Kings web site where regular tickets were listed as $27 and change, and VIP tickets were listed as something like $55. When I clicked the "Buy Tickets" link to go to Ticketbastard, the price of VIP tickets automatically jumped to $100. WTF! :zombie: :Shedevil: This really pissed me off. How the hell can they do crap like that? However, this still should not have deterred true Grave Digger fans from purchasing the regular priced tickets.

Regardless of the turnout however, the show was amazing! Grave Digger played like it was an arena show and gave an awesome performance. It was certainly a once in a lifetime chance, since the only other show they've ever played in the US was BWBK a few years ago. The rest of you are going to be crying the blues in a few years when they can't come back because of lack of label support and lack of fan support in the US. I realize that everyone could not travel for this show, but if you consider yourself even the slightest bit a Grave Digger fan and live anywhere in the Northeast, I have to say shame on you for missing an amazing opportunity.

Since the ticket specifically said "Only US Performance," I'm not going to worry about "spoiling" this for anyone.
Here's the set-list:

Intro: Into the Brave

1. Liberty or Death
2. Son of Evil
3. Valhala
4. Scotland United
5. The Grave Dancer
6. Lionheart
7. Grave in The No Man's Land
8. Excalibur
9. The Dark of the Sun
10. The House
11. Rheingold
12. Highland Trees
13. The Roundtable
14. Morgane Lefey
15. Silent Revolution
16. Knights of the Cross
17. Rebellion

Encore:
1. The Last Supper
2. The Grave Digger
3. Heavy Metal Breakdown

They played for about 2 hours. It's a show I will never forget!

 

[General Zod]

Grave Digger is an amazing band. While i can understand someone not really digging them (i had a hard time warming up to them myself) it is just plain ignorant to claim that they are not a big name in the scene. there are a lot of bands that don't draw in america like they should, but a lot of those same bands (grave digger for example) will play prime slots on mainstages of many festivals in europe. They're a huge band. To say otherwise is just downright stupid.

Who claimed they're not big in Europe?

Its NYC though.... a hobo who can do a jig while panhandling can draw a crowd of 100 on a NYC corner.

LOL. Agreed. But that doesn't say much about Grave Digger.

zod

 

[nailz]

if you consider yourself even the slightest bit a Grave Digger fan and live anywhere in the Northeast, I have to say shame on you for missing an amazing opportunity.

Since the ticket specifically said "Only US Performance," I'm not going to worry about "spoiling" this for anyone.
Here's the set-list:

Intro: Into the Brave

8. Excalibur
They played for about 2 hours. It's a show I will never forget!

LOL! Now I know you're lying! Everyone knows Excalibur was done by Blind Guardian and Iced Earth!

 

[Dolamite S. Biffle]

Sounds like it was a great night. I wish I could have made it, but Powerfest and PP are taking my money this year.

 

[RagePSV]

Hmmm... I'm a fairly large Grave Digger Fan and if I had the means then I would have made the trip for this show. I think the lesson to be learned here is this... If you are only going to do 1 US show, it better be in Atlanta, and it better co-inside with ProgPower!

 

[Magius]

Too bad about the turn out. I agree I'd have thought they'd get more in NYC.

Who claimed they're not big in Europe?

zod

ATB:

Thanks for the laugh. I assume this was a sarcastic post picking at the fact that Grave Digger isn't a big band anymore?

 

[DoomsdayZach]

Who claimed they're not big in Europe?

Sorry man, my post was being composed as you posted yours so i didn't even see what you had to say before posting. It was a reference to andtimebegins's post, not yours. My bad for not quoting

edit: and JESUS CHRIST it just happened again *facepalm*

 

[rms]

Sorry man, my post was being composed as you posted yours so i didn't even see what you had to say before posting. It was a reference to andtimebegins's post, not yours. My bad for not quoting

Putting 5 dollars up that this thread now derails with AndTimeBegan's defense that a big band is only a band that sells out in NYC with more than 200+ people

 

[General Zod]

Sorry man, my post was being composed as you posted yours so i didn't even see what you had to say before posting. It was a reference to andtimebegins's post, not yours. My bad for not quoting

edit: and JESUS CHRIST it just happened again *facepalm*

LOL. No worries.

I didn't actually see their set at Wacken this year, but I was in attendance. They definitely had a large crowd for their set.

Zod

 

[DoomsdayZach]

LOL. No worries.

I didn't actually see their set at Wacken this year, but I was in attendance. They definitely had a large crowd for their set.

Zod

Yeah, i have been to wacken once or twice when they were playing and i missed them because i wasn't a fan at the time, and now i'm just kicking myself. Ah well, i've missed tons of great bands at wacken because i didn't get into them until after the fact. Such is the problem with huge fests.

 

[...AndTimeBegan]

Grave Digger is an amazing band. While i can understand someone not really digging them (i had a hard time warming up to them myself) it is just plain ignorant to claim that they are not a big name in the scene. there are a lot of bands that don't draw in america like they should, but a lot of those same bands (grave digger for example) will play prime slots on mainstages of many festivals in europe. They're a huge band. To say otherwise is just downright stupid.

Big difference between Europe (obviously they will get a prime slot in a situation like Wacken which is their home country) and America. When was the last time Grave Digger even played the US? They'd probably wind up opening for bands like Firewind and Sonata Arctica in the US at this point. Whether or not you think they are good has no effect on their fanbase, or lack of one.

I'm not saying by any stretch of the imagination that they are a bad band but to expect that they should draw more than 100 people when they rarely play the US and have virtually no appeal here to begin with is a bit naïve.

It's kinda like how Lamb Of God and As I Lay Dying don't have much of a draw just yet in Europe (well that's gonna change very soon since they are actively touring over there now... but in 2005-2006 LoG was billed really low on Unholy Alliance Europe for example). The difference though is that these bands are going to work to change that whereas bands like Grave Digger will not.