Why Are Most Metal Heads Poor?
- nightsblood
- Posts: 2427
- Joined: Sun Mar 18, 2007 6:11 pm
Why Are Most Metal Heads Poor?
This observation came up in another thread and it's something i've heard before and always wondered about. Why is it that most 'true' metal heads (the ones into the underground scene for indefinite periods of time) seem to be lower-middle to lower class in terms of wealth?
There's two basic ways to be rich- inheritence or work.
For those that are rich by inheritence, does metal just not appeal to the white collar/upper class set? If not, why?
For those who become rich through work (get a high-paying job), are those into metal somehow incapable of getting these jobs? Do these jobs somehow clash with being 'underground'?
Just throwing this out there for discussion. I'm not implying that all serious metal fans are dead broke, and there are of course some fans with money to burn. However, the trend does seem to be that most true metal fans are on a tight budget.
Thoughts?
There's two basic ways to be rich- inheritence or work.
For those that are rich by inheritence, does metal just not appeal to the white collar/upper class set? If not, why?
For those who become rich through work (get a high-paying job), are those into metal somehow incapable of getting these jobs? Do these jobs somehow clash with being 'underground'?
Just throwing this out there for discussion. I'm not implying that all serious metal fans are dead broke, and there are of course some fans with money to burn. However, the trend does seem to be that most true metal fans are on a tight budget.
Thoughts?
"I'm sorry Sam, we had real chemistry. But like a monkey on the sun, our love was too hot to live"
-Becky
-Becky
-
- Posts: 327
- Joined: Sun Jan 13, 2008 8:49 am
- Location: Evil Nation USA
-
- Posts: 327
- Joined: Sun Jan 13, 2008 8:49 am
- Location: Evil Nation USA
Even when you have a job, paying for bills and taxes drains enough of your income to make you avoid, especially since a few years, with these insane real estate prices and the fact that here in Europe banks and shops used the Euro as a pretext to heighten their prices a lot.
I think the outcast solution is the main one, especially in Europe. The 40+ guys I've met are mostly basic employees, basic workers or even homeless people. And I got several accounts of Metal being the music of the poor white people, the same ones that listen to afro-american music these days.
On the contrary, the young generation of metalheads seem to come from white middle-class families, and often from the upper middle-class. Even those who haven't high-salary jobs.
I think the outcast solution is the main one, especially in Europe. The 40+ guys I've met are mostly basic employees, basic workers or even homeless people. And I got several accounts of Metal being the music of the poor white people, the same ones that listen to afro-american music these days.
On the contrary, the young generation of metalheads seem to come from white middle-class families, and often from the upper middle-class. Even those who haven't high-salary jobs.
Gott ist tot.
- Ernest Thesiger
- Posts: 6480
- Joined: Mon May 14, 2007 12:25 am
- Location: M/cr, GBR
- Contact:
I don't know if we can use the word poor. For me poor means that you have difficulties feeding yourself at the end of the month, or have to loan money to pay your rent.
If you look at the 'What do you do for a living' thread, it seems to me that most of the working corroseummembers have quite normal jobs with a more than decent salary.
Personally, i don't know any poor metalheads, and none of my metalfriends are outcasts, and have never been outcasts.
I think Professor Black has a point with his ratio theory.
If you look at the 'What do you do for a living' thread, it seems to me that most of the working corroseummembers have quite normal jobs with a more than decent salary.
Personally, i don't know any poor metalheads, and none of my metalfriends are outcasts, and have never been outcasts.
I think Professor Black has a point with his ratio theory.
- convent guilt
- Posts: 111
- Joined: Mon Aug 07, 2006 8:31 am
- Contact:
I'm far from poor or an outcast, I earn good money and have a high standard of living.
However, I don't have kids or a mortgage on a house. Metalheads with these added 'responsibilities' tend to be appear poorer because they have less expendable income.
Also, I was always intrigued by bands/metalists from poorer countries (in South America, Eastern Europe etc), especially those around in the '80s. To be able to afford guitars, amps, recording costs etc, I figure the majority of those maniacs were middle class - definitely not peasants living in filth.
However, I don't have kids or a mortgage on a house. Metalheads with these added 'responsibilities' tend to be appear poorer because they have less expendable income.
Also, I was always intrigued by bands/metalists from poorer countries (in South America, Eastern Europe etc), especially those around in the '80s. To be able to afford guitars, amps, recording costs etc, I figure the majority of those maniacs were middle class - definitely not peasants living in filth.
- Nightlock
- Posts: 1309
- Joined: Mon Mar 19, 2007 5:10 am
- Location: Through the mist of not so distant future years.
I'm generally poor/in financial trouble because of my own doing, I know this and need to fix it but find it hard. I'm currently working a pretty crappy low paying job but it's good enough for my current situation and I don't plan on staying there in the long run.
"On your knees
Into the night that you'll never remember"
Into the night that you'll never remember"
-
- Posts: 180
- Joined: Wed Aug 02, 2006 3:30 am
-
- Posts: 858
- Joined: Fri Mar 23, 2007 4:05 pm
- Location: GREECE
-
- Posts: 207
- Joined: Wed Feb 20, 2008 9:57 pm
- Nightlock
- Posts: 1309
- Joined: Mon Mar 19, 2007 5:10 am
- Location: Through the mist of not so distant future years.
Money comes and goes, I don't care that much about it, though it's not bad by any means. I don't think people that use their money to buy records are "materialistic posers" well they may be in some cases. Why do you think doing this makes them that way? Should they be spending their money on a car or house investment?decibelrebel wrote:Metalheads are usually cash-strapped because they're materialistic posers who live beyond their means.
"On your knees
Into the night that you'll never remember"
Into the night that you'll never remember"