UK Metal Merger: The Backbone of Live Music Needs You!

The one thing that’s bound us to each other throughout the constant ebb of waves that life washes over us, is music. Not any music though; not the music that you walk to work to, or play at the park whilst you picnic with your friends, or blast on the beach whilst you play frisbee with your family; nor the music that you crank up to drown out the malicious voices, or the music you cry yourself to sleep to after a painful breakup. The music that’s played from a single string, a drum, or voice and broadcast out through a magnitude of amplification as a crowd of thousands hear the same notes, the same tones, and sing the same lyrics simultaneously, yet each individual feels a million different emotions in that precious, precise moment. 

The live music industry is the perhaps the closest to our hearts and in today’s day and age of the downfall of the album and the rise of streaming services, is the beating heart of the music industry and it’s revenue source, not to mention those whose whole livelihoods revolve around this well-oiled machine. As the community continues to help one another in these dire times where solidarity is key to survival, UK Metal Merger brings together members of celebrated names from the likes of CRADLE OF FILTH, MY DYING BRIDE, WINTERFYLLETH, XENTRIX, DIVINE CHAOS, KILL II THIS and more, in order to raise awareness of the cruciality of the backbone of the industry. Threaded together by music producer Mark Mynett, the 18 musicians have separately written, recorded, and performed their parts remotely which has resulted in the 12-minute epic track In Solitude.

In Solitude exhibits the sluggishly slow weight of doom metal, the dragging effort reminiscent of this past year’s struggle, before the urgency of the situation is apparent through the introduction of speed metal. Death metal growls over the top of soft melodies present both sides of the coin – those that have felt anger and resentment towards a pandemic they’ve had no control over and it’s consequences, and those who have felt helpless, heartbroken and powerless.  More obviously, the lines ‘saved by a plague of angels’ evokes images of NHS staff working tirelessly to save the UK from ruin, the real heroes of this past year and the devastation left in it’s wake. The track is seemingly split into two halves, with part two transitioning onto a more alternative metal avenue. 

In Solitude’s aim is to raise awareness through the sharing of the track, the video, and the message, in the hopes of attracting donations from those who can to the UK Metal Merger Stagehand Crew Relief Fund. Having raised £7.7k so far, donations will help to maintain the essential venue and touring staff that hold a niche skillset, and will allow for a smoother transition back into live shows when the time comes. The touring industry offers a host of careers in every department imaginable for thousands of people working tirelessly night and day to bridge the gap between fans and musicians, and bring to fruition the concerts and performances that breathe so much life into us for a mere couple of hours. They’re there hours before a show, and hours afterwards, doing the behind the scenes work that we oftentimes take for granted. The pandemic’s impact is unquestionable, none more so than on the livelihoods of the roadies, the sound engineers, the drivers, the venue staff, among others. 

One man who’s life has been turned upside down is Rik Benbow. As a seasoned stage manager for some of the world’s most successful touring acts, without Rik and his crews tireless work ethic and dedication, some of IRON MAIDEN‘s, JUDAS PRIEST‘s, and SABATON‘s biggest and most ambitious stage sets could not have been possible. Now isn’t that a scary thought? After 40 years in the music business, Rik was situated in Russia working on a SABATON tour when the news of COVID-19’s stranglehold was announced and had to return home in March 2020. “Heathrow was deserted, as too were the roads and trains. We all thought when we stopped that it would be a couple of weeks, a month at the most, and we would be back out doing what what we love to do!” 

The idea that there would be such severe and devastating consequences due to the Coronavirus pandemic was certainly lost on a lot of people, with most sharing the hopeful opinion that it was nothing to be alarmed about. “I really don’t think any of us expected the industry to close down completely for over a year,” admits Rik, “and for the government to just abandon us, to class us as unviable. How can an industry that generates billions of pounds in international revenue be unviable? But that’s what we were told we were! And as an industry where the vast majority of the people working in it are self-employed, we have been abandoned, we have not had furlough or any wages, I personally have not received any government grants or received any financial help. Myself and my family were forced to sell our home to keep our heads above water and put food on the table. My wife did not work with bringing up four kids whilst I was spending eight-nine months a year away from home on tour for this!” 

It’s stories like these which are shared by thousands more who’ve been affected by the pandemic, that UK Metal Merger aim to help. Through fund raising and helping out in whatever way possible, touring crews have been saved from the brink of helplessness by the community it’s given it’s life to. “Without them a larger number of us would’ve gone under, lost homes, not been able to put food on the table and feed our families, and a larger number of crew would’ve been lost to mental illness with a higher suicide rate than what we have had.”

Unfortunately the battle is nowhere near over, as Rik explains. “There is still a very long way to go before we can be expecting to be getting the music industry back up and running.” More help is never a bad thing, but there is only so much the general public and a dash of hopefulness can do for an entire industry. “With a little government help it would be faster! We need assurances and insurances put in place from the government to underwrite any cancelation costs to promoters and festival organisers, so if their events get cancelled due to spikes in COVID rates, they will not lose their savings and homes. We need testing and documentation in place to prove people attending concerts, conferences , theatre, sporting events and any other gatherings are COVID free. These industries are not going to ever get back successfully with social distancing or reduced capacities, so we need to know that anybody attending a large event is COVID free. The way tickets are sold and the way people enter venues all need to be looked at and made failsafe.” 

As the live entertainment industry was the first to be impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, it will also be the last to get back up on it’s feet and resume any shred of normality without cold and empty social-distancing and restrictive, humid masks. If you can, please donate here.

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