Authenticity has at all times been a cornerstone of the heavy steel style. However the rise of VIP live performance packages, providing the whole lot from backstage excursions to paid picture alternatives, has sparked a polarizing debate. Thomas “Angelripper” Such, bassist and vocalist for German thrash legends Sodom, has made his stance clear: these practices usually are not simply unwelcome — they’re antithetical to the very spirit of steel.
In a latest interview with RapidMetalFire, Angelripper shared his perspective, reflecting on his expertise on the Klash Of The Ruhrpott pageant.
“I hate it. I do not need it. We had it once we performed with Kreator on the ‘Klash Of The Ruhrpott’ pageant at Amphitheater Gelsenkirchen in Gelsenkirchen, Germany in July 2024, with Destruction and Tankard. They did it. In the event that they’re gonna do a signing session, followers should pay for it,” Angelripper recounted.
He additional defined why he opposes charging followers for these interactions: “For my part, it is not my means. Once I do a signing session, I do it at no cost. I do not need cash from it. Or I keep in a resort, no matter. However I by no means got here up with the thought of taking cash for a signing session or taking cash for a stage stroll. Are you aware what’s a stage stroll? Individuals pay cash to get on the stage. I might say, ‘Okay, here is a drum equipment. Here is the guitar amp. Here is a backline.'”
“I hate it. This has nothing to do with steel. Some bands promote backstage tickets, so followers get the prospect to say whats up to the musician or get a plaque or no matter, and pay 500 euros, no matter. With Kiss, they’re gonna do it. And in case you get one picture with Kiss, you pay $2,000, they usually to go the following fan. This has nothing to do with heavy steel. This isn’t what I’ve realized within the steel scene.”
Angelripper‘s stance is rooted in his perception that followers deserve extra for his or her loyalty and assist. He emphasised his private dedication to making sure that followers usually are not charged for easy gestures like autographs and photographs.
“And we’re gonna keep until the final one will get what she or he needs. Typically we simply have half an hour, an hour to signal stuff and take footage… Typically there are lots of of individuals coming for signing periods, for autographs, make an image, and we are saying, ‘Okay, make an image, go,’ as a result of we wanna get everybody get this autograph ultimately, however I by no means take cash for it. That is silly.”
The truth is, Angelripper takes pleasure in Sodom‘s refusal to monetize fan interactions, making it a defining precept of the band’s ethos. “Sodom is the one steel band who would by no means generate income with signing periods or picture periods.”
Angelripper‘s opinion gives a stark distinction to a rising pattern within the music trade, particularly amongst bigger acts, for him, it is all in regards to the heavy steel’s roots: a neighborhood constructed on mutual respect and a shared ardour for music, not exploitation.
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