Heavy metal scarce in Baghdad

[rawstory]

Performing ‘protest’ music easier under Saddam Hussein

In Iraq, where the national pastime is poetry, heavy metal is in short supply, writes Wall Street Journal reporter Yochi Dreazen in Tuesday’s paper. Officials are loath to allow such music that, well, rages against the machine. Selections from the article, which is only available to paid subscribers, is reprinted here for personal use.

BAGHDAD, Iraq – When Acrassicauda ripped into a furious version of Metallica’s “For Whom the Bell Tolls” at a recent concert, dozens of fans rushed the stage, jerked their heads to the music and slam-danced.

Midway through the set, a portly club official took the stage and ordered the crowd to sit down. The band ignored him and kept playing, and around 50 of the roughly 200 fans remained standing. The official ended the concert and angrily escorted the band off the stage. Faisal Talal, the band’s singer and rhythm guitarist, shouted a string of profanities, drawing cheers from the crowd.

It was a classic moment of rock ‘n’ roll rebellion, but such gestures come at a high price in Iraq. The venues that Acrassicauda – which may be Iraq’s only heavy-metal band – played before the war are now government compounds or off-limits because of street crime. The staid Iraqi Hunting Club, which hosted the aborted concert, says the band won’t be allowed back. The group hasn’t found a new venue.

http://www.bluelemur.com/index.php?p=203

[BlueEyedSon]

1. Let Freedom Reign!

[soothsayer]

2. unfortunately, there's an awful lot of another heavy metal (DU) there.

Depleted Uranium, which the US uses even tho everyone else has BANNED it.

[proud patriot]

3. That Blows

Heavy Metal helped rip down the Iron curtain
it could help in Iraq too ...I think it blows
that they are not allowing metal ...It's a
great venting release , and would go along way
to help release tension there IMO.

[leesa]

5. Unless you are an American playing heavy metal while

blowing away innocent people.

[natrat]

4. yea that blows

and i was booking my airline into bagdaddy cuz i heard it was an ozzfest stop-bummer