US touring halted?

[adaher]

Have the big power bands mostly stopped trying to tour the US? I notice that we didn't get Edguy, Dragonforce, Sonata Arctica, Primal Fear, Hammerfall, or Stratovarius. All those bands toured the US before but are skipping us on their current or most recent tours.

It hasn't stopped completely, we've still got Kamelot/Nightwish, but has something changed? Did the US tours prove to be unviable for most of these bands?

And if that's the case, is this good for PP, means more exclusives?

 

[Harvester]

It was indeed a rough go for all of those bands last time out here in the States. While I would not say Dragonforce is not viable, their numbers also dropped dramatically. I don't see Rhapsody rushing back over here anytime soon as well based on their last tour. In general, power metal is on a steep decline in the U.S. I would not put Kamelot & Nightwish in that category because they both have a much broader appeal with their fanbase.

Will it help the festival? If the trend continues, I would obviously say yes in the long run. However, I think that is going to take a few more years because the general fan does not really suffer from withdrawal yet because the U.S. has been on tour overload the past 5 years (and thus...reflected in the festival status). Plus, the minute I book one of them.....they look to book a tour around me.

 

[mattbrood]

It was indeed a rough go for all of those bands last time out here in the States. While I would not say Dragonforce is not viable, their numbers also dropped dramatically. I don't see Rhapsody rushing back over here anytime soon as well based on their last tour. In general, power metal is on a steep decline in the U.S. I would not put Kamelot & Nightwish in that category because they both have a much broader appeal with their fanbase.

Will it help the festival? If the trend continues, I would obviously say yes in the long run. However, I think that is going to take a few more years because the general fan does not really suffer from withdrawal yet because the U.S. has been on tour overload the past 5 years (and thus...reflected in the festival status). Plus, the minute I book one of them.....they look to book a tour around me.

THIS. The last time Primal Fear was here touring on 16.6 the turnout on a Saturday night was less than 100 people, and that's with Pamela Moore as a guest vocalist.

 

[AMBR]

It was indeed a rough go for all of those bands last time out here in the States. While I would not say Dragonforce is not viable, their numbers also dropped dramatically. I don't see Rhapsody rushing back over here anytime soon as well based on their last tour. In general, power metal is on a steep decline in the U.S. I would not put Kamelot & Nightwish in that category because they both have a much broader appeal with their fanbase.

Too true. The crowds were getting thin for all those shows and others last go round. It was so awesome there for awhile when it seemed everyone was giving the US a go. Unfortunately, it didn't seem to pan out for most of them. Well, if the lack of touring helps PP, that's a good thing, but I sure did enjoy going to a show nearly every weekend in the Fall.

 

[compurocker]

Ralf Scheepers said to the Milwaukee crowd of about 40 people that they'd be coming back. Liar, liar, pants on fire!

 

[imaskinbeater]

Between the lame turnout at most metal shows and the difficulty to obtain visas as well as many bands getting screwed out of payment. It's really not too difficult to understand why European bands don't want to tour here. A recent conversation I had with a VERY popular band leader just made my jaw hit the floor when he told me that they were still waiting for tens of thousands of dollars from last years tour........SAD

Thank god we have ProgPower USA!!

 

[J-Man]

Between the lame turnout at most metal shows and the difficulty to obtain visas as well as many bands getting screwed out of payment. It's really not too difficult to understand why European bands don't want to tour here. A recent conversation I had with a VERY popular band leader just made my jaw hit the floor when he told me that they were still waiting for tens of thousands of dollars from last years tour........SAD

Thank god we have ProgPower USA!!

I have heard the same thing from other bands also, the bad turnout they can live with to an extent, its the lame ass venues holding up payment, or not saying that the turnout wasn't enough to cover their expenses. We have a little different aspect here in El Paso, example: We have great turnouts, due to the fact we have been skipped on most tours, so we get the turnout and have some awesome venues, example, We wanted this very high profile band to make a stop in El Paso at the House of Rock(cap. 600) so we worked a deal with them 100% of door, they got 100% of Merch, Well there were 578 people there at $15 a head, so you do the math. Great show, great band and the tour manager was beyond happy. 100% of monies made it to the band, not a cent taken frrom door or merch, and the bar made a killing well over $25k.

 

[Met-Al]

I've been thinking about this situation ever since I saw Hammerfall in Chicago in 2010. Starting with that show, a lot of the turnouts at the shows I attended have been pathetic. However, I keep hearing stories about the random shows whereby bands take a chance on a not-so-major-metropolitan city and it pays off extremely well for them. The Knitting Factory in Boise is apparently a hot spot for this stuff. Who would have known?

Perhaps touring bands need to do more research on these lesser-known cities. For example, instead of hitting Chicago, maybe Hammerfall should try setting up a show in Peoria. There's a city that NEVER gets metal shows, and I know plenty of people there who would be beyond stoked to see more of these bands there. In addition, Peoria's in a more central location for Illinois, meaning that fans from southern Illinois would be much more inclined to drive out to the show. Of course, there would have to be a decent number of hardcore fans from the big city (like myself) willing to do the same thing from the opposite side of the state.

It might also be a good time for bands to fire up some street teams again. Not only should they be encouraging fans to post tour information wherever they can online, but they should also be encouraging them to post information in music stores. I know that CD stores are almost non-existent, but instrument stores are still in abundance. Ask any metalhead if they play an instrument, and I'll bet 75% of them will say, "yes." I'm amazed at how many people in my area (in the age of the internet, no less) don't know about upcoming shows featuring bands they enjoy.

I'm convinced that these bands still have an audience in this country. They just have to work a little harder to see that audience in attendance at their shows.


Stay metal. Never rust.
Albert

 

[nailz]

THIS. The last time Primal Fear was here touring on 16.6 the turnout on a Saturday night was less than 100 people, and that's with Pamela Moore as a guest vocalist.

No one in Phoenix had any idea who she was or why she was on stage.

 

[nomisofsiman]

THIS. The last time Primal Fear was here touring on 16.6 the turnout on a Saturday night was less than 100 people, and that's with Pamela Moore as a guest vocalist.

You know, it's always amazed me how Primal Fear really doesn't get much love in the States outside of when they're at Progpower. With them having a heavier sound than most power metal, I would have assumed they'd be more popular through the years in comparison to bands like Sonata Arctica and Edguy. As for those latter bands I just mentioned, I think it also has to do with content. A lot of people are getting sick of SA and Edguy due to change in styles, though the last time Sonata was here it seemed they got a pretty decent crowd out of the HOB in Chicago.

 

[Element_man]

Yeah I wondered that about Primal Fear myself. In fact, their drummer Randy Black is Canadian, he was raised in Edmonton and nearly every metalhead in the city knows who he is and the band he plays for, he's a local legend here.

I know that Blind Guardian and Iced Earth had extremely good shows in my area when they did their first cross-canada tours a couple years back, Iced Earth put about 1,000 people in a room in Calgary on their first go around, on their second they sold out in both Edmonton and Calgary with Symphony X, thought the venues were slightly smaller. Blind Guardian sold out a 700-person club in Edmonton and they booked an even bigger room for Calgary because ticket sales were going so well, I heard turnout was close to 900. Hell, Sonata Arctica comes through Canada very regularly in the past 5 years and always sells out (or close) in Edmonton.

Edguy did between 250-300 people here, Hammerfall not quite as much (a little surprised there) and Stratovarius was 150-200, but that didn't surprise me. Dragonforce was just here last month, but they played a smaller venue than last time. Kamlot and Rhapsody have never come through interior Canada, I don't think they've even done Vancouver, but maybe I'm mistaken.

That's all the examples I can give for power metal. Sounds like our turnouts tend to be better than many of the US examples I see here, but bands didn't start touring through here until about 5 years ago, I think Sonata Arctica was the first to come through I believe. We rarely get any of the great traditional metal, Saxon has never bothered. Manilla Road will play their first Canadian gig in Calgary in September.

 

[nomisofsiman]

I know that Blind Guardian and Iced Earth had extremely good shows in my area when they did their first cross-canada tours a couple years back, Iced Earth put about 1,000 people in a room in Calgary on their first go around, on their second they sold out in both Edmonton and Calgary with Symphony X, thought the venues were slightly smaller. Blind Guardian sold out a 700-person club in Edmonton and they booked an even bigger room for Calgary because ticket sales were going so well, I heard turnout was close to 900. Hell, Sonata Arctica comes through Canada very regularly in the past 5 years and always sells out (or close) in Edmonton.

Totally forgot about Blind Guardian. I would have to say about Blind Guardian, they probably do about the best in terms of the European power metal bands. I don't quite get how they've managed it though as I think one of their strengths simply is that they don't tour often here but when they do, it's a big deal and people go to see them. I don't think any other power metal band can do that.

Kamelot, Iced Earth and Symphony X I really don't consider because they're pretty much US bands. Kamelot's singer sure is foreign but still, it's mostly an American band. Nightwish is a different genre to me as Glenn said they have wider appeal and musically sound different for obvious reasons.

 

[PureXul]

Totally forgot about Blind Guardian. I would have to say about Blind Guardian, they probably do about the best in terms of the European power metal bands. I don't quite get how they've managed it though as I think one of their strengths simply is that they don't tour often here but when they do, it's a big deal and people go to see them. I don't think any other power metal band can do that.

Yep...between being one of the absolute top bands in the genre and only doing a single NA tour for each album, which is roughly once every four years, they're generally assuring themselves a packed house. Perhaps they could tour more frequently to slightly less crowded venues and end up with more overall profit (or perhaps not), but it's safe to say they've found a formula that works for them.

 

[Cheiron]

There's been 0 new great Power Metal bands in the last 5 years.

Even on this board, you rarely see much enthusiasm for a new power metal release, compared to what there was 3 years ago.

Some U.S. power metal bands are doing okay, especially the more traditional ones, but even they aren't on big tours in the U.S.

 

[adaher]

I think there have been good power metal bands coming up in the last five years, but none of them have established the following that the bands that toiled through the late 90s and early 00s did.

 

[Braxil]

There's been 0 new great Power Metal bands in the last 5 years.

Even on this board, you rarely see much enthusiasm for a new power metal release, compared to what there was 3 years ago.

Some U.S. power metal bands are doing okay, especially the more traditional ones, but even they aren't on big tours in the U.S.

Yeah, I agree. I think the unexpected popularity some of the acts enjoyed when it seemed power metal was about to "catch on" in the US around 2006 or so really led to over-saturation of the market and overly-ambitious tours that bombed once the casual listeners who viewed the genre as a fad got bored of it, and the remaining fans (more or less the ones who were there before that era) just aren't enough to make the tours viable.

The quality of releases in the genre as a whole really seems to have dropped off a cliff the last couple years too which obviously doesn't help.

 

[PureXul]

There's been 0 new great Power Metal bands in the last 5 years.

Sabaton, while not 'new' in the last 5 years, first hit the US less than 5 years ago and seem to be on their way to being a stable draw as a headliner. I don't know how their whole tour did this past May, but they packed the Key Club in LA.

I realize that it's debatable whether Sabaton are a 'great' power metal band, but in the context of drawing power, I'm not sure there's another relatively new band that could compare with them.

 

[J-Dubya 777]

Ralf Scheepers said to the Milwaukee crowd of about 40 people that they'd be coming back. Liar, liar, pants on fire!

I was there! GREAT show, SHITTY turnout. It's sad when PF doesn't draw as many people as a singer/songwriter house concert does.

I've seen some GREAT bands playing shitty venues to tiny crowds in the last few years. Unfortunately, it causes them not to be able to come back.

 

[zedowns]

Honest question, what was the last GREAT power metal album? Kamelot's had some okay stuff, but I can't think of any recent releases that have been great.

 

[RagePSV]

Honest question, what was the last GREAT power metal album? Kamelot's had some okay stuff, but I can't think of any recent releases that have been great.

I'd say Nighfall in Middle Earth.... and that's been a while now.