News

Black Veil Brides Backlash

• 15th Oct 2012

After the announcement of the Kerrang! and Rock Sound tours at the end of last week there was a wave of controversy from disappointed fans who felt let down by the line up announcements, and the usual avalanche of internet trolling and forum flame wars sprang into action.

Kerrang have chosen to feature four artists they regularly cover in the magazine: Black Veil Brides, Chiodos, Tonight Alive and Fearless Vampire Killers. Undoubtedly a melting pot of genres and fan-bases, the line up draws from the wide array of alternative sub-genres covered by the magazine in a deliberate effort to please as many people as possible. This has been seen by some as a cash in tour, the magazine selling out their ideals and their image, but in reality Kerrang are presenting a completely accurate representation of their reader demographic and the bands they cover and feature week in and week out. There have of course been the usual cries of “it’ll never sell”, which are sure to be silenced when the tour inevitably sells out due to the huge draw of headliners Black veil Brides with their rabid and vast network of UK fans.

James McMahon, editor of Kerrang! said: “It wasn’t hard to pick the bill for this Kerrang! Tour. We just listened to our readers, then approached the bands they spoke to us most excitedly about. Between Black Veil Brides and Fearless Vampire Killers, that’s 50% of our mailbag on any given week. Chiodos feature Craig Owens and if I had a pound for every time someone asked Kerrang! for a Craig Owens poster, I’d have more than enough money to buy some of those nice new Converse, while Tonight Alive aren’t far behind at all: they’re at least a shoe, maybe a shoe and a half. Anyway, this is the strongest tour we’ve ever had. It’s going to an absolute blast. Why is it not February already?”

Rock Sound meanwhile, have opted for the more measured and mature bill featuring old favourites Billy Talent, rising stars Awol Nation and hot new young bloods Don Broco – again all staple artists covered by the magazine and a healthy mix of established and new acts. Whilst not necessarily the most exciting bill to be announced this year, this is a solid tour aimed at serious music fans which should sell well and hold it’s own during the busy period for the UK music scene.

In a climate where tours and acts are clamouring for sponsorships and endorsements to make up for the deficit in CD sales revenue and stretch their tour budgets that little bit further, the exposure provided by these magazine tours is vital for the bands – not least for emerging artists struggling with the new model of smaller deals and tighter budgets. After all, to see new UK talent like Fearless Vampire Killers and Don Broco being represented by two of the biggest selling alternative music magazines in the UK is never a bad thing.

If you don’t like the line up, don’t buy a ticket, but we’ve got a feeling these bills will both be speaking for themselves with their sales figures come crunch time.