1. Unique Variety of Fans- It is nearly impossible to pin point metalheads out in public because the music appeals to a broad audience. This is in part because of the massive amounts of sub-genres which ensures that everyone can find a flavor that appeals to them most. For example, I have always been a huge fan of the up-tempo fast paced sound of thrash metal. This includes bands like Anthrax, Megadeth, Slayer, and Metallica. On the flip side, I have never been a fan of black metal which is defined by slower paced songs, heavy bass and distortion, shrieking vocals, and Satanic themes. Every concert I have ever been to includes an even mixture of middle-aged adults, college students, skinheads, bikers, teenagers, stoners, and even a few rednecks. While long hair and sleeve tattoos are common, there really is not a one size fits all for the typical patron. Rock fans also tend be near the bottom of the social totem pole. I think it is safe to assume that most prom queens do not jam out to bands like Disturbed or Rammstein. Slipknot has dubbed their fans as "maggots" because the band feels like their audience feeds off the deep, dark, rotting underbelly society. Having a huge melting pot of people from almost every background imaginable creates a one of a kind atmosphere that alludes the shows of the competing genres.
2. Mosh Pits- It is possible for pits to form at electronic dance music or hip hop shows but the overwhelming majority occur at rock concerts. If you are an adrenaline junkie then moshing is right up your alley. You leave the safety of the crowd to venture into a battle zone of strangers. The feeling is comparable to bungee jumping of a bridge or entering a death match fight with a rattlesnake. Fight or flight kicks in and you chose to fight. It also presents an appropriate time to unleash all your hatred towards society and life. As I mentioned in the previous paragraph, a lot of metalheads were not blessed with easy lives. Most people seek relief from their personal issues in the form of a bubble bath, a cup of coffee, or a mountain of rocky road ice cream. People in the pits take their pent up aggression and objectify it into a physical form, being that of the mosh pit. Basically, they take their emotion hatred and turn it into project it onto the other people in the pit so they can take it all out on them. Even if moshing is not your thing, it is always fun to watch.
3. Cover Songs- Cover bands are fine and dandy but they do not hold a candlestick to the original artists. Cover bands do not sell out huge stadiums and for good reason. With that being said, I still find it refreshing to hear one or two covers in an otherwise original set. Nirvana is one of my favorite bands but I will never be able to see them live due to the tragic suicide of Kurt Cobain. Imagine my excitement though when I went to see Breaking Benjamin and they busted out "Heart Shaped Box." Not as good as the original but still amazing. Very few bands and artists have enough material to fill an entire hour and half set without any filler. I say cut some of the filler out and play a cover or two that the fans with go crazy over, especially if the original artist is deceased or retired. Sometimes country, pop, or hip hop artists do covers but they never seem to have the same pizazz. My theory behind this is that since it is not a full band performing, it seems more like karaoke night at a bar.
4. Crowd Surfing- Crowd surfing is fun and if you have not tried it then you are missing out; it is as simple as that. I have been dropped a couple of times and it did not even hurt that bad; nothing serious enough to keep me from going right back up five seconds later. For some, it is a deal breaker to have dozens of strangers' hand all over their bodies which I understand. I do not like it either but I still say it is worth trying.
5. Song Variety- The best rock bands do not just play the same song over and over again with slight alterations. Pop, hip hop, country, and EDM all face the constant criticism of nothing new. While the problem is present in rock, it is not nearly as severe. I think it is because most rock artists write almost all of their own content while most songs that make the Billboard top 100 are usually written by ghost-writers and the beats composed by producers on a computer.
6. Headbanging and Fist Pumping- Tapping your foot and bobbing your head to a beat at a Justin Bieber concert is fine if you are twelve years old but the hardest of metalheads will give themselves whiplash on a consistent basis. Headbanging is not limited to just the neck and above area; it incorporates the entire upper body. There will be nothing as memorable as the sight of 10,000 fists in the air pumping in unison.
