Here’s something that I often see a lot of people dropping the ball on – respecting your scene elders. They’re the people you see at shows in 2019 who have literally been going to shows since the 70s. It’s still relatively easy to meet people who saw The Ramones back in the day. There are a ton of living people out there who saw all your favorite hardcore bands, back in their heyday. Hell, an even greater number have probably seen the full range of predecessors to today’s modern metal bands. Yet, so often I see people ignore them or try to mine them for personal gain. Here’s the thing though – paying attention to scene elders, giving them their due respect and coordinating with them over the long term is not only going to teach you about our community and lead to rewarding friendships, it will also help grow your own projects. In this article, I want to shine a spotlight on the importance of scene elders and share some insights they’ve taught me over the years.
To clarify, when I say a scene elder, I don’t just mean an old guy who goes to shows. I mean someone who has been involved in the DIY culture and lifestyle for years and years. My friend Scotty Heath of Tankcrimes Records says a punk generation is four years long. Someone isn’t really a scene elder until they’ve lived five or more punk generations. If you do some math, it becomes clear that the reason there aren’t a lot of scene elders out there is that people have kids. This major life event almost always makes people dip out of the scene for at least a few years. Sometimes they come back — and that’s awesome — but other times, they’re out for good. The other important thing to consider when qualifying a scene elder is that they need to have been active and connected with people. There are a lot of folks who have just been getting drunk in metal bars for 25 years. That doesn’t make them scene elders. Scene elders are the guys who were in bands, booking shows, and doing all of that fun stuff. They didn’t just talk the talk — they walked the walk too.
The reason it’s important to make friends with your scene elders is because they’re the people who helped shape the hardnosed DIY ethos. They’re the people who have been plugged into the scene for decades and as such, don’t just know who everyone is, but why everyone is the way they are. They have the deepest understanding of what their community is and what it stands for. Scene elders act as the backbone to their communities, and if you don’t engage with them and give them the respect they deserve, it’s kind of silly. The reason is simple: if they were the ones who built the scene, they’re also the ones who know what it takes to grow it. Scene elders are the guys who have been through it all and have the experience that you need to tap into in order to get to the next level. If they’re true to their community, then they’re going to be all about teaching the next generation of bands.
Now, I’m not saying to opportunistically try to talk to everyone over the age of fifty at the next metal show you go to. That’s dumb. These people are the veterans of this whole thing, not idiots. You need to embrace their knowledge and simply hope to be seen as cool enough to be taught. The best way to do this is to just be present, buy drinks, ask questions and let people share their experiences. A lot of the older heads in the scene like to tell their war stories, and share how they have been able to navigate this life. As with any old head in any form of the arts, you’re going to be blown away at how small the world is. Embracing these connections across the globe is really cool, and helps to foster legitimacy. These are the relationships that are going to teach you how to act and grow in the scene in a meaningful way. I know I needed them when I was coming up – and I still do.
If you’re coming up in the scene and looking to get connected with the right people, then it makes sense that you would want to connect with those who started it all. The more you learn about your community, the more effectively you can participate in it. Again, all this will come naturally if you’re coming from a place of humility and curiosity. Don’t go in trying to educate people — people don’t like that. Instead, just try and show that you share the same passion. It’s this passion that has us all growing old in rooms full of kids with unruly haircuts. So many people don’t understand this and think that they can just sweet talk old heads for connections. This is more a question of really understanding how you engage with your community, and then using that as the springboard. If you can’t see the value of engaging with your elders, then you’re not gonna get anywhere in this scene.
Long story short — be cool, bring value, and don’t be a drunk dick. It took me a long time to learn how to do all of these things at the same time but guess what… it was worth it. The more you show that you’re a motivated member of the scene, then the more likely it’ll be that people are going to want to work with you. If you can’t show that you have the passion, then you’ll just be viewed as a hanger-on. Remember that actions speak louder than words, and therefore the more you can put into action to help grow the scene, the more you’ll connect with scene elders. The more you connect with scene elders, the more likely the world will engage with you.
MATT BACON
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Matt Bacon is a consultant, A&R man, and journalist specializing in the world of heavy metal. Having worked with everyone from Glam Rock icon Phil Collen of Def Leppard, to post Black Metal titans Alcest, by way of legendary thrashers Exhorder as well as labels including Prophecy Productions and Ripple Music, he has dedicated his life to helping young bands develop. Having started his own blog at the age of 14 he views his career in artist development as ‘a hobby that got out of hand’. In 2015 he formed Dropout Media in order to better support the artists he loves. We sit here now, years later with countless tours booked, records released and deals signed, and loving every minute of it.
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