Taken from a Facebook post from June 2nd, heavy metal band Incited remind us just how lucky we are to be able to go to shows:
Last night we played a show in Pocatello, Idaho. Most people are probably wondering, "where is that?" Honestly, prior to the show, we were also. It's not a major market, the closest known "scene" is Salt Lake City which is 2 and a half hours away, and from what I understand, no moderately well known touring band has been there in years. The experience we had there as a result has truly been unparalleled.
Prior to our arrival, we were invited to a pre-show BBQ at which we were greeted, fed, and more than welcomed by the promoter, members of opening bands, and other individuals from their community. During the show, the room was packed, almost every kid in the room had a huge smile on their face, and those who like to move around moshed from the first ring out of the opening band all the way to the last word from our tour package. After the show, almost every person made an attempt to thank us, get to know us, and express their gratitude for us taking the time to travel to their city. I've never been more humbled to see the affect three moderately known touring bands could have on a local community of show goers by simply showing up when apparently nobody else does.
Ultimately, this all made me realize how spoiled some of us are. Being from Florida, we rarely miss any size tours and even most of our local shows are thoroughly frequented from city to city. The same applies for a lot of places in the US and I'm not saying that's a bad thing. Someone at some point, years and years ago, started these local scenes with nothing and built them to what they are today, just like the promoter in Pocatello mentioned he was trying to do now. However, the one thing that struck me was the difference in attitude between the kids in Pocatello versus most of the markets we play. They were having fun. They didn't care about being cool. They weren't "trending." They were there for the music, they wanted to be our friends, and they made more than an effort to welcome us to their community and express their appreciation of our travels. It was pure. It was genuine. It was the sense of community that attracted me to hardcore nearly two decades ago.
Now I'm not saying that I expect anyone to throw us a BBQ or go out of their way to get to know us. Nobody owes us shit and we have always paved our own way and earned the friendships and respect we have. I'm also not saying we don't feel welcomed anywhere else we go. That's simply not the case. However, there was a distinct difference in energy from that show, than most we ever play. I don't believe it had anything to do with us or the other touring bands. I believe it has everything to do with their love for the same release we all seek at shows, and the fact that they are deprived of the same access most of us are afforded.
But the question I ask is this. Why should it be any different? Why should a show in a major market be any less energetic than the same show in nowhere, Idaho? It's because there are too many people taking shit for granted in more frequented locations. People who haven't done shit to build their scene so they don't truly know what it's like to appreciate its growth and preservation, and they sit in the corner appearing to judge everyone, or they're just there to take and give nothing back. There's no apparent entry fee into hardcore (other than each show price) but the reality is, somebody before you put in some serious work to create what you're benefiting from. Somebody already paid a price with their time, money, and energy and sacrifices so you get to experience something that has literally saved lives time and time again.
Bottom line is this. Appreciate every show you get. Every band that travels to your town. Every promoter who's probably taking a financial loss but doesn't care because they simply do it for the love of the music. Have fun at the shows. Respect the venues. Respect each other. Realize that everything comes with a price and if your scene is one that's thriving, at some point somebody like the people in Pocatello made serious efforts to get it there. Fuck the trends, fuck the fashion, and fuck taking anything for granted. Appreciate what you have and do your part to preserve it. And if you didn't build it, you have no business breaking it down. You never know when one fight or lost venue can cripple an entire scene. I've seen it before. Put in work and bring something productive to the table. That's the true unspoken fee to being in this community, one of the purest things I've known my entire life in a society full of shit. Ask yourself if you're honestly doing your part.....
I'll leave you with the words the promoter impressed upon me before we left Idaho the other night.
"We're trying to build something here."
Get with it.
Respect.
There's so much truth behind this and completely grasps what we have been saying for months. GO TO LOCAL SHOWS.