Manitoba Metalfest goes down Friday and Saturday night at the Zoo. The 11th annual headbanger’s ball features a who’s who of Winnipeg metal, plus out-of-town bands like Regina’s Into Eternity and New York death metal pioneers Suffocation.
“Locally, I try to look at who’s working hard right now,” says Cory Thomas, Metalfest producer/Ninjacat Productions promoter. “This year there’s a lot of new Winnipeg bands on the bill. Alphakill is new, Hoarfrost has been around for a couple years, Abhorupt, these are bands that already have a huge buzz going and have done something for me, like played a show for free, so I try to give back by giving them a spot at the festival.”
Bigger than your average club gig, for Winnipeg bands a Metalfest slot means more exposure in this city and beyond.
“These bands don’t ever get mentioned on websites like Blabbermouth, but they do for Metalfest,” Thomas says. “They call Blabbermouth ‘the CNN of heavy metal’, so when you make it on there, your name instantly goes around the world. When Putrescence (Thomas’s band) would get on it, we’d get 400 to 500 hits on our website, whereas we’d usually get 20 a day. Plus it’s something for your resume. Saying you played the Manitoba Metalfest with Suffocation really helps.”
Thomas says the metal promotion game can be super stressful, what with contracts, airfare, riders, gear rentals and ticket sales, but it’s still totally worth it.
“It’s kind of lame, but I love seeing the looks on people’s faces at the shows,” Thomas says. “When I talk to people after the shows they’re like ‘Thanks so much, that was so awesome.’ I thrive on that, how happy people get. It’s love of the music and love of the scene. I’m so proud to be part of this scene.”
The Friday night of Manitoba Metalfest features Into Eternity, Legion of Liquor, Seventh Sin, Abhorupt, and Annex Theory while Saturday’s show features Suffocation, Untimely Demise, Dissolution, Hoarfrost and Alphakill. Advance tickets are $25 at Into the Music, Music Trader, War on Music and www.ticketworkshop.com. Showtime is 9 p.m. both nights.
Due to an error, the incorrect column for the Feb. 23 edition of Backstage Pass was published online and in print. This is the correct column. Metro regrets the error.
