Normally I give this out closer to Thanksgiving, but I knew it wouldn't before then so I'll give this one out now. Every year for the last few years I pick someone or some even in the hard rock/metal award that has proved themselvesto be a real turkey during the year. A couple years ago I picked the Rocklahoma festival as the big turkey of the year because it was a celebration of hasbeens trying to cash in on a last payday and a bunch of old fans trying to relive their youth. The M3 festival is essentially the same thing only slightly worse. Why is it slightly worse? Because Rocklahoma was/is held in Oklahoma (hence the oh so clever name). I don't live in Oklahoma. The M3 festival on the other hand is held in Maryland. I live in Maryland. So I hear even more of the hype and promotion of this celebration of over the hill, never all that good in their prime rock bands. Actually I like a few of these bands back in the day, but that was a long time ago. You want to listen to these bands in their prime then play the CD. You want to have festival that celebrates hard rock then do a mix of younger and older bands. You wish it was still 1989 and you have more money then sense then go to the M3 festival next year.
***Don't worry because the much happier top five things I am thankful in metal is coming soon.
I have gone the last 3 years, and will go again in 2012. Not every band has been worth seeing, but many of them have been.. M3 has been able to change the line up and have different headliners each year. I'd rather go to 2 days of M3 in Maryland than sit in the hot Oklahoma sun in July.
ReplyDeleteAt M3, I have been able to see Twisted Sister, Y&T, Mr. Big, and many more bands for the very first time. That and I enjoy spending an extra day or 2 in Baltimore while I am there.
Sorry you don't like it, but M3 is no turkey. It has been a great time, and a well attended event every year.
I can't wait for the next one!
Rob-I am sure the weather is better. My biggest gripe is that it's only a celebration of the old. It's like admitting hard rock/hair metal only existed in the past and being okay with that. There are a lot of younger bands playing this style. Why not have a festival that's a mix of older and younger bands? Show that the style is still alive rather than just in the past. I think it's totally geared towards the over 35 crowd because they know they are the ones that like this 80's music and they charge more because they know an older audience can afford it. I am sure a lot of these bands love that because many of them couldn't fill a small club on their own, but you get a bunch of them together and make a festival of it.
ReplyDeleteI guess the promoters are glad to have it in Maryland because it's the place in the world where KIX can come on stage and get treated like major rock stars. There are bands that have played that I would have liked to have seen, but it's far more lame than good acts. The festival is a joke and unfotunately it will keep popping up as long as fans of overplayed power ballads keep paying to go it.