16 Things You Can Do Now That All Your Metal Gigs Have Been Cancelled

By Emmy Mack

It’s no secret that tens of thousands of metalheads across the nation have had their 2020 calendars nuked into a gigless abyss by the scourge of COVID-19.

The good news is, we’re starting to see a whole bunch of events being planned and rescheduled for next year, from UNIFY Gathering’s all-Aussie 2021 instalment to Parkway Drive‘s arena tour.

What the hell are we supposed to do until then though? Well, we’ve racked our brains and come up with a few helpful suggestions, which you can check out below.

1. Make A Playlist Of All The Bands On The Download 2020 Lineup. Listen Whilst Weeping Inconsolably About What Might Have Been

2. Start Planning Your Next European Music Festival Adventure, Even If You’ll Probably Be A Pensioner By The Time International Travel Is Allowed Again

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3. Find Someone Who’s Already Old To Tell You Metal Isn’t What It Used To Be Anyway

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4. Put On A Gig In Your Own Backyard For Between 5 and 20 Guests, In Accordance With Your State’s Respective COVID-19 Restrictions

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Music Feeds understands the above encounter was consensual.

5. Scream. Never Stop Screaming

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This is your life now.

6. Take Advantage Of The Fact That Beaches Have Re-Opened By Going For A Refreshing Dip!

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7. …But Don’t Forget To Slip, Slop, Slap!

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UV rays don’t take a holiday just because we’re in a pandemic, people!

8. You Could Always Get Get Cracking On Those Home Renovations?

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The Aus Government has just announced a grants package for that, after all!

9. Or Have A Backyard BBQ?

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NO, BLACK METAL KIDS, NOT THAT KIND OF BBQ! 

10. Better Yet, Go Support Some Local Punk, Rock or Metal Bands By Buying Merch (If You Can Afford It)

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11. Pig Out With Your Friends Over Zoom?

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12. Just Make Sure You Brush Your Teeth Afterwards

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Oral hygiene is important, you guys.

13. Take A Trip To The Salon For A Quick Trim?

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14. Tune In To Download UK’s Virtual Festival This Weekend!

Oh yeah! ICYMI: since the (much larger) UK instalment of Download Festival has also been smashed by the COVID-19 wrecking ball this year, it’s going digital as “Download TV”! Iron Maiden, KISS and System Of A Down have been announced as ‘headliners’ of the annual rock & metal extravaganza’s first online outing, which will feature hours of exclusive footage, unseen performances and interactive content streamed via social media, kicking off kick off this Friday, 12th June and running through til Sunday, 14th June. Head here for all the deets!

15. Reminisce About All The Good Times

Check out this gallery of 11 Unforgettable Soundwave Festival Moments

16. Cry All Over Again

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11 Unforgettable Soundwave Festival Moments

  • Gwar - Soundwave 2014

    Gwar - Soundwave 2014
    Interstellar gods of metal GWAR well and truly made their mark on Australian audiences at Soundwave 2014 when front-thing Oderus Urungus used his mighty sword to decapitate an effigy of our widely-loathed PM Tony Abbott and soak the cheering crowd in his blood. Not even Napisan Plus could remove those pink stains which, for many, would soon become a sweaty memento from one of the last performances Urungus would ever give. His human alter ego, Dave Brockie, died tragically just weeks later from a heroin overdose.

  • Mike Patton - Soundwave 2010

    Mike Patton - Soundwave 2010
    Nothing like a bit of mid-set nudity to make Faith No More’s headlining slot at Brisbane Soundwave in 2010 even more, uh, Epic. Frontman Mike Patton proved he was Just A Man by unleashing Mike Jr. from his trousered hideaway and literally rocking out with his cock out.

  • Bloodhound - Soundwave 2009

    Bloodhound - Soundwave 2009
    An honourable mention must go to the Bloodhound Gang, who took the stage in 2009 to effectively reduce the throng of adult metalheads into sexually frustrated 13-year-olds. They did it like they did on the Discovery Channel, with healthy dose of Foxtrot Uniform Charlie Kilo. Nostalgia was everywhere. As were bewbs.

  • Alexisonfire - Soundwave 2010

    Alexisonfire - Soundwave 2010
    As anyone who was on the scene for Sydney Soundwave 2010 can attest, that was the hottest fucking day in the history of the earth. The festival, then-held out near Eastern Creek Raceway, was one giant dustbowl, and those who withstood the 40+ temperatures were coughing up dirt for the next three days. Alexisonfire must have pre-empted this outcome and decided: fuck it. Frontman George Pettit jumped into the crowd mid-set and gave himself a dirt-bath in the middle of the pit. Who needs sunblock when you’re covered in a 2-inch thick layer of dust anyway? Epic.

  • All Time Low - Soundwave 2015

    All Time Low - Soundwave 2015
    When the sky opened up and unleashed a rainstorm of hell upon Sydney Soundwave earlier this year, right in the middle of All Time Low’s set, the Baltimore pop punk’s gear got wrecked, and the band were unable to play on. However, instead of letting the storm beat them, frontman Alex Gaskarth ploughed onward, leading fans in an a cappella singalong of his band’s track Weightlessas well as some of Queen’s We Will Rock You. Many people became All Time Low fans that day.

  • Dallas Green – Soundwave 2008

    Dallas Green – Soundwave 2008
    Dallas Green performed a musical screaming eagle in ’08 when he appeared as the frontman of both Alexisonfire and City + Colour. Crushing skulls and melting hearts. All in a day’s work.

  • Fucked Up - Soundwave 2011

    Fucked Up - Soundwave 2011
    The spirit of punk was alive and well at SW11 when Fucked Up gave an expectedly insane performance, complete with hair-ripping, sweaty hugging, and beast frontman Damien force-feeding the mic to members of the crowd. This set will probably go down in Aussie festival history.

  • Killer Be Killed – Soundwave 2015

    Killer Be Killed – Soundwave 2015
    After a hurricane of hype leading up to their global live debut at Soundwave 2015, metal supergroup Killer Be Killed – featuring Max Cavalera, Greg Puciato, Troy Sanders and Ben Koller – did not disappoint, delivering an absolutely pulverising set.

  • Blink-182 – Soundwave 2013

    Blink-182 – Soundwave 2013
    A Travis Barker-less Blink-182 shot their love all over the crowd during their headlining set at Soundwave 2013. With Bad Religion drummer Brooks Wackerman filling in on the skins, the pop punk trio capped off their first show in Australia since 2004 by wheeling out a massive confetti canon and opening fire on a sweat-drenched mosh pit, absolutely smothering fans in the coloured stuff. Many shower drains got clogged, that fateful night.

  • Slash – Soundwave 2012

    Slash – Soundwave 2012
    Alter Bridge pulled a rabbit out of their hat during their Sydney set in 2012, and by hat we mean top hat and by rabbit we mean guitar legend Slash, who was wearing the hat. The ex-Guns N’ Roses icon wasn’t even known to be in the country at the time, but he majestically appeared to claim an unused Marshall stack and Gibson Les Paul and join his singer Myles Kennedy for a few choice AB jams. You really never can tell just when #wunterslaush is going to turn up somewhere.

  • Jane’s Addiction – Soundwave 2010

    Jane’s Addiction – Soundwave 2010
    Soundwave 2010 was bittersweet for Jane’s Addiction fans, marking the band’s last ever tour. As ladies danced onstage and punters tried to mask their lonely tears, Eric Avery’s words rang home: “That’s it. With equal parts regret and relief, the Jane’s Addiction experiment is at an end.”
Emmy Mack
Emmy Mack

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