Listen to this, metal fans. Apparently, there’s something new happening at your favorite metal shows. GIRLS. The MTV Guy Code blog recently ran an article posing the question “why are there so many cute girls at metal and hardcore shows?” The blog’s research took place at Dying Fetus and Pig Destroyer shows in Manhattan recently, with the author noticing that most death metal shows have historically been “vaginally challenged.” The author spoke to four women, one of which is a friend of ours in the industry, as well as Pig Destroyer’s John Jarvis and a bouncer at St. Vitus, which is where the show took place. The show then gives tips on how to pick up women at metal shows. Those include “dress slightly better than everyone else,” “get there early,” and “bring extra pairs of earplugs.” The most important one of those is “know your shit,” which will hopefully discourage random bros from attending metal shows.
Listen, we can’t totally rag on the article. First of all, it least differentiates metal and hardcore from each other. And the “research” was conducted at actual metal shows. And yes, there are certainly more girls at metal shows than there were 20 years ago when fights between skinheads and metalheads resulted in weekly fistfights and stabbings. And most metal fans are perfectly inclusive, so it’s not like we’re trying to keep potential new fans away. But the Pig Destroyer show was co-sponsored by Red Bull and Brooklyn Vegan, making it more of a press/music industry event than a typical metal show, which skews the data. Yet the tone of the article seems like it’s suggesting bros that might not be metal fans go to shows just to pick up “metal chicks.” Most of the girls we know that go to metal shows can spot a poser from a mile away, and will quickly catch on as to whether a dude is there for the music or just to ogle a hot girl in a metal shirt. I’m sure you could ask plenty of said hot girls at metal shows that are happy to be recognized as not just hot girls, but music fans first that aren’t just there to hold their dudes’ jackets while they mosh. Basically, what we got out of this article is that Saint Vitus is going to smell like Axe Body Spray for a few weeks.
[UPDATE] Both the author of the article and Saint Vitus Bar have responded to the article.
