Since returning to concert stages last year, guitarist K.K. Downing and his band K.K.’s Priest have rocked fans everywhere from ballrooms to festival stages. It’s been a welcome rebirth for the co-founding member of Judas Priest, and it’s also given him a chance to view the modern metal zeitgeist from perspectives on both sides of the Atlantic. K.K.’s Priest recently wrapped up a North American headlining tour with special guests and fellow icons Accept, and the guitarist says he enjoyed the shows and interactions with fans who had been awaiting his return to the stage.
Videos by American Songwriter
When Downing spoke with American Songwriter and was asked about the differences he noticed between European and American metal fandom, his thoughts were directed towards the state of the music industry itself, and also the world.
“There’s probably a bit of a change,” Downing says. “There’s a sense of people moving on. I think that there’s so much going on in the world that people are worried about. It is a bit of a concern of mine, that [for] a lot of people, that the music that they know and love tends to suffer a little bit. That it gets a little bit neglected by the individuals because they’re so concerned and involved and just trying to protect themselves for their future and maybe their family’s future. I don’t know whether I might be right about some of that, whereas back in the past—let’s say in the ‘80s, the magical ‘80s—there was more of a feel good factor about everything. Everything was a bit more fun, and everything was great because music was everything to everybody.”
Dwindling Entertainment Budgets
Music arguably feels more disposable in the streaming era. The economy is also a lot less stable for the average American than it was 40 years ago, and the cost of concert tickets has increased exponentially. The price of seeing classic rock bands in stadiums or arenas often precludes fans from seeing other groups in smaller venues. People’s entertainment budgets are only so large.
“Now I’m not sure whether, for a lot of people, it gets put a bit too often on the back burner,” Downing ponders, “especially when it comes to affording [things], whether to fill the car up or buy the kids some new shoes or go to a metal concert. It gets pushed to the back of the cue, and I think potentially if people are going to do a spend and go to a show, then they aspire more to go into an event, like an arena show with a major band coming through. I think you get this a lot in Europe as well. If you get Rammstein playing a football stadium, people will save up to take the family there and spend gazillions of dollars or pounds for the family to go there—buy a T-shirt and have some drinks and some food. That’s their special treat for the year or the month or the season.”
In Europe, there is also a much larger hard rock and metal festival circuit than there is in America. There are festivals in the States, but they are spread out more and less concentrated in numbers than overseas.
Festivals First in Europe
“In Europe, people do save up and spend money on festivals to go and see 60 or 80 bands over a weekend,” Downing reports. “Fortunately, we get to play to those people which is great. In Europe, we have literally hundreds of festivals now. There’s so many it’s amazing, but I don’t see that in the States. I’m thinking if a big band comes around—AC/DC, Metallica, or whoever it might be—people would maybe save up for that one special occasion, as opposed to frequenting local theaters and clubs to see a lot of other bands.”
That being said, Downing and Accept guitarist/co-founder Wolf Hoffmann were pleased with their recent tour and fan reactions here. “The tour was great,” Downing says. “The fans that turned out were exuberant. I do think if we came back again, we would see a definite growth. But I think the economy has to grow first.”
Downing’s comments do underscore the fact that many American fans are being forced to make stricter financial choices. “I don’t think we’ll ever see [again] what it was in the ‘80s,” Downing notes, “but maybe we can get close to it. Let’s hope.”
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Photo by Steve Jennings/Getty Images
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