Episode #151
Pit Etiquette, Gatekeeping, and 'Hard Rock Nightmare'
This week on The Heavy Metal Hangover, Rex and Duff open the show with a look back at the 1988 schlock-fest Hard Rock Nightmare—complete with garage bands, cabin-in-the-woods slasher tropes, and peak '80s hair. Then, we transition to the real life pit: Crowd Etiquette at Metal Shows. We’re asking if the old school rules apply or if the younger generation of metalheads has a new etiquette to follow in the pit. But one thing remains... "You guys in the front here, keep an eye on each other, alright? If you see someone going down, help 'em out, alright? That's what you're here to do, help each other out." (thanks Tom Araya). Finally, we tackle one of the most controversial topics in heavy music today: Does Gatekeeping Actually Have a Place? We explore the fine line between elitism and cultural preservation. What happens when a subculture gets co-opted or sanitized by outside trends, and does it actually hurt the members of the subculture of scene?
