We know that hard rock/ metal is on the upswing again, be it AC/DC dominating the charts and the outdoor arenas this summer, Canadian head bangers Anvil getting a second chance, or even our own The Answer, who are slowly on the way to becoming Ireland’s second biggest rock band.
We also know that metal is a predominantly white, male, adolescent musical form. AC/DC are proud to tell you that they stopped developing musically at the age of 17, which was – and still is – the average age of their most ardent fans. They don’t call this “cock rock” for nothing.
A packed-out metal gig is something to behold. When you put that amount of young testosterone in a room, sparks fly. The music, as visceral as it is, seems to connect with the audience in an almost primordial way. Down the front the going can get a bit rough – to put it mildly.
One metal band who’ve noticed just how exuberant their gigs get is the acclaimed Dir En Grey. A huge underground act in their native Japan, Dir En Grey also sell out tours in the US, thanks to a fervent internet fan base. They perhaps underestimate the potency of their live show when they refer to it as “intense” and “abrasive”.
Dir En Grey are the subject of controversy because they are going to stage “male-only” shows for reasons that have to do with their own rather weird take on health and safety issues.
The gigs, which will take place next month in Japan, have some rather stringent admission criteria. According to the band’s (translated) website, www.direngrey.co.jp: “Only males can attend two male-only live shows in Tokyo and Osaka. We will confirm your sex at main entrance; therefore you will need to bring a public certificate including health insurance card, pension book, passport, resident’s card. In some cases, we will conduct careful checking. If we cannot check your sex on the day, we may have to refuse your attendance.”
Apparently Dir En Grey have put these precautions in place because a number of their female fans were planning to do a reverse “drag up” to get into the shows.
On the band’s blog, guitarist Karou explains, sort of, the reason for the male-only shows. To paraphrase, he thinks that “guys” on their own in the venue can really “tear it up” and won’t be afraid of getting injured. He refers, metaphorically, to the show “getting violent” and not wanting any female fans to get hurt. In other words: stay at home girls, heavy rock’n’roll is a man thing.
Dir En Gray fans have been having their say on the gender- specific shows: some claim that the real reason for these male-only shows is because female fans are only there to drool over the lead singer. This is countered by female fans sarcastically asking if there are also going to be “female-only” shows and detailing how they’re more than able to hold their own at a Dir En Gray gig when things get a bit heated down the front.
What’s clear from the heated debate is things can get pretty physical in the mosh pit of a Dir En Gray show. (More sensible contributors do point out that a wild mosh pit poses as many problems for males as it does females.)
Why any self-respecting female music fan continues to follow these oafs should be the main question. If the band are truly intent on having a boys-only night so they can “rip it up musically” without any fragile females worrying about breaking their manicured nails, they should also allow for the fact that these same female fans (who have helped put them where they are today) can choose to stop buying their records and supporting them financially.
In metal, there's always been the thinnest of lines between reality and farce (which made This Is Spinal Tapthe film it is). Dir En Gray are seemingly intent on eradicating that line altogether. What a bunch of cocks.
