Yin and Yang
It's one thing when your friends with whom you believe you share a significant amount in common say they are enjoying your blog, it's quite another when your Heavy Metal loving friend says he's a fan of your writing style and then, just as you're letting that compliment sink in, lays down the gauntlet to blog on his favoured music genre!
Not one to turn down a challenge and with the added bonus of seeing how FaceBook ads will deal with what I'm sure they'll regard as a mid-life crisis delve into Death Metal, off I went to research Arch Enemy.
No wonder my writing struck a chord! This is everything I was saying last week, just slightly more concisely. Turning to the bio on their website I learn that they attribute their success, over the past twenty or so years, to being impervious to other's rules and expectations, preferring instead to stay true to themselves and the reasons why they started - their founder member stating "I'm pretty good at keeping the 15-year-old Micheal Amott alive in my heart!"
This is great stuff, especially given the evening out I had last Friday. Never was there greater evidence of the joy of re-engaging with your teenage self than at an 'Altered Images gig and 80's disco' (although there is something slightly disconcerting about a group of middle aged men giving it laldy on the dance floor, which becomes even more unsettling when you realise you're the same age as them!) For her part, Clare Grogan did fabulously. Clearly loving the opportunity to dress up in a shorts/tutu/playsuit ensemble and reconnect with her youth, she was energetic, fun, amusing, open and refreshingly made no apologies for the fact that she's now 57 and had brought another singer on stage with her to take care of the high notes. But I digress.
Back to the 49 year old me and my encounter with Arch Enemy.
PS My husband will want everyone to know that it's his guitar!
Not one to turn down a challenge and with the added bonus of seeing how FaceBook ads will deal with what I'm sure they'll regard as a mid-life crisis delve into Death Metal, off I went to research Arch Enemy.
Stereotype fools
Playing the game
Nothing Unique
They all look the same
We Will Rise - Christopher Amott / Michael Amott
We Will Rise - Christopher Amott / Michael Amott
No wonder my writing struck a chord! This is everything I was saying last week, just slightly more concisely. Turning to the bio on their website I learn that they attribute their success, over the past twenty or so years, to being impervious to other's rules and expectations, preferring instead to stay true to themselves and the reasons why they started - their founder member stating "I'm pretty good at keeping the 15-year-old Micheal Amott alive in my heart!"
This is great stuff, especially given the evening out I had last Friday. Never was there greater evidence of the joy of re-engaging with your teenage self than at an 'Altered Images gig and 80's disco' (although there is something slightly disconcerting about a group of middle aged men giving it laldy on the dance floor, which becomes even more unsettling when you realise you're the same age as them!) For her part, Clare Grogan did fabulously. Clearly loving the opportunity to dress up in a shorts/tutu/playsuit ensemble and reconnect with her youth, she was energetic, fun, amusing, open and refreshingly made no apologies for the fact that she's now 57 and had brought another singer on stage with her to take care of the high notes. But I digress.
Back to the 49 year old me and my encounter with Arch Enemy.
In this sea of mediocrity
I can be anything
Anything I want to be
I'm starting to feel like I've found some sort of kinship, especially when I learn that their lead singer's views on social media turning you into a product and advertising to you non-stop whether you like it or not, echo my own. Reading all this, I'm starting to think that I may need to broaden my musical horizons (after all I do have a couple of Iron Maiden tracks on my running playlist) so I find 'We Will Rise' on YouTube and hit play
Oh my! I was expecting the heavy guitar and drum presence but, at the risk of sounding like someone from a different generation, I have no idea how you even make your voice DO that! It's either something you have to practice or a talent you're born with that is not in my skill set (and yes I did try). I'm sorry, but I can't help but wonder what it's doing to her vocal chords and whether in 30 years time she will have to recruit a younger band member to growl on her behalf?
Musically this may not be for me, but how brilliant that I am simultaneously excited by it's existence and grateful that I never have to listen to it again! What a privilege to live in a time and place where we have been gifted the freedom of expression so that we can explore such differing ways to ultimately say the same thing.
I love that the choice exists, that my friend and I are hearing and responding to the same message albeit in a (very) different format. I hope that I am always fortunate enough to live in a world where those alternatives prevail, where we can diverge and develop our tastes and identities, appreciate our differences and yet find kindred spirits across the divides.
I hope too, that Simon will forgive me for managing to link Arch Enemy with Chesney Hawks!
*The One and Only - Nik KershawOh my! I was expecting the heavy guitar and drum presence but, at the risk of sounding like someone from a different generation, I have no idea how you even make your voice DO that! It's either something you have to practice or a talent you're born with that is not in my skill set (and yes I did try). I'm sorry, but I can't help but wonder what it's doing to her vocal chords and whether in 30 years time she will have to recruit a younger band member to growl on her behalf?
Musically this may not be for me, but how brilliant that I am simultaneously excited by it's existence and grateful that I never have to listen to it again! What a privilege to live in a time and place where we have been gifted the freedom of expression so that we can explore such differing ways to ultimately say the same thing.
I can't wear this uniform without some compromises
Because you'll find out that we come
In different shapes and sizes
No one can be myself like I can
For this job I'm the best man
And while this may be true
You are the one and only you*
I love that the choice exists, that my friend and I are hearing and responding to the same message albeit in a (very) different format. I hope that I am always fortunate enough to live in a world where those alternatives prevail, where we can diverge and develop our tastes and identities, appreciate our differences and yet find kindred spirits across the divides.
I hope too, that Simon will forgive me for managing to link Arch Enemy with Chesney Hawks!
PS My husband will want everyone to know that it's his guitar!
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