Age limits at metal shows - Yes or no?

Do you think that metal shows should be all ages, or do you think that minors should be banned from attending?

I remember when I started getting into more underground metal. I looked through the band's tour lists, and almost every band never played all ages shows. That made me a bit pissed off. "That's not fair," I was saying to others when I discovered this. . One guy I know said he didn't get to see a show because it was 19+, and he was ONE WEEK AWAY from being 19.

For the record, I am 21, almost 22 now. The drinking age where I live is 19, and I only recall being at one or two "adults only" events. I remember my cousin and I saw Slayer one or two weeks after I turned 19, and it's the best show I've ever attended. It was an all ages show, which was cool, because my cousin is a fan, and I would have felt bad if he wasn't able to get in because of his age.

I do understand that there is fear that there will be some violent, abusive drunks that could scare some of the youngest people in attendance. A lot of those over the age of majority find those underage annoying. But a lot of metal bands never play all ages shows ever, and that could be a real letdown to a 15 year old who worships the band and would give anything just to see them play.

What is your stance on this? Should shows be all ages, or adults only?

Where do you live?



All ages, for sure. The only event with age limit that I can remember
around here was Earthshaker festival 2005, and even this one had this
only for fun - it was written in festival rules, that if you are under
15, you had to have your parents written permission, of course nobody
was checking this. (I read this on the festival's website before the
festival, maybe all festivals have the same rule but I just don't know
)



Everything here is 18+ (alcohol, driving license... except for the
cigarettes, you can buy it if your are 15+... One friend was about 20
and one seller once asked him, if he's over 15 so he's allowed to buy
it! )

I live in Nova Scotia.

Also, one thing I remember for a few bands, is that there were some shows that were 18+ in places where the minimum drinking age was 21. This is just plain f**king stupid. An 18 year old can't drink, and neither can a 15 year old. Yet the 18 year old can get in while the 15 year old is forbidden entry into the concert. Either make it an all ages show or a 21+ show.

None really for me, but my girl has been bugging me to see Dio for about 1.5 - 2 years now and I've told her she's got to wait until she's 10. My reasoning for this is more that I think she can handle the volume and the hours. She's still too young. Let's hope the little guy's still alive and rocking then!!

Marilyn Manson, if you guys consider them metal, yes 18 or older for a live show

Metallica, Judas Priest I see no problem with kids being there. Responsibility is up to parents not these bands. Just for Manson, all bets are off for his live shows. Unless a band is doing the stuff they do, I see no problem

all ages. even for concerts like Cannibal Corpse. if you have money, & can make it to the show, you ought to be allowed to see it imho.

Depends if their very young or 16 +. If their too young they may get trampled by some of the nuts that tend to show up at extreme metal shows but traditional metal i don't see a reason why not.

nah em off with a true metal band like Slipknot

I missed a lot of concerts when I was under 21. A lot of bands play bars around my area and they won't let anybody under 21 in, which I think is ridiculous. I understand that they are worried about underage drinking, but why can't I go see the show and not drink, I could care less about drinking I want to see the band. underage people could wear a bracelet or something that tells the bartender that they are not allowed to be served alcohol. All concerts should be all ages then parents can decide if their kids can go or not.

I hate the fact that alcohol is served at concerts, because there are many times that some idiot spills beer all over me or smashes into me. I also hate that when people are seated way up front but spend their entire time in the back drinking, normally I wouldn't care, but then I try to move up because I payed $80 for crap seats and I want to see the band. Then every time I move up these people come back after spending like a half hour back drinking and want their seat back. Then when I move back the go back to the bar.

If the show is at a church or a rec center, then kids should totally go. If it's at a bar at 1 in the morning, no.

Metal shows should be all ages. Its up to the parents to let their kids go or not.

No! ive had to miss way too many shows. last year i missed gamma ray, metal church, and buckethead. agh! only like 4 more months though till i can go to um all

TH Joe wrote:

If the show is at a church or a rec center, then kids should totally go. If it's at a bar at 1 in the morning, no.

Some shows are adults only to abide by curfew laws.

na they should not have age limits. if peole are worried about underage drinking i have been to shows where it was all ages but they anticipated a load of kids to be there so there was no alcohol at the main bar

I dont know about USA coz I dont go to shows here, but in Bulgaria the legal age is 16, so I'm definitely for the age limits over there.

It is not so much coz I'm concerned someone can scare or treat harsh the fragile teen souls, but actually coz the underaged are the ones which will drink to stupor and then get violent or puke on your shoes. Ugh!

BUT the very first thing I'd BAN if I have the power would be smoking in the night clubs! It is total hell to get in some small crowded basement club with poor aircondition and to find everyone smoking cigs. There's nothing that lets me off the handle faster than a goofer punching a cig hole in my clothes or sticking his bloody cig in my hair and then saying "oops, sorry"

spiritoradio wrote:

I also hate that when people are seated way up front but spend their entire time in the back drinking, normally I wouldn't care, but then I try to move up because I payed $80 for crap seats and I want to see the band. Then every time I move up these people come back after spending like a half hour back drinking and want their seat back. Then when I move back the go back to the bar.

Aaahahah, I hear you man!
That reminds me for my first concert in USA. It was in 1999, I had just arrived to USA and my sister took me to see DEF LEPPARD at some State Fair in Nebraska. The show was in some basketball hall so I thought there would be people seating on the seats and an empty space on the field infront of the stage for the headbanging crowd... WROOOONG!

We got there and promptly found that the organizers had put neat rows of chairs on the entire field. There was just like 2-3 feet empty space infront of the stage so we were "okay, we are there" so we rush there after the support act was done (some horrible band called soulmotor) and wait for the DEF LEPPARD to appear when one of a sudden I felt someone pulling the back on my shirt. I turn around and there is some security dude telling me to go sit on my chair coz the audience behind me cannot see... so I take a look behind and will never forget the horrble sight: endles rows of sitting people with HUGE popcorn buckets in their laps, chewing mechanically with empty expressions on their faces... man, it was the scarriest sight I've ever seen... I silently vowed to myself never to go to a concert in USA again and held my promise so far, with the exception of Thrash of The Titans 2001 which was too good line-up to miss.

A lot of bands I'm into play smaller bar/club venues when they come through Chicago, that I can't get into. It gets pretty annoying. I once missed a STRYPER show when I was 17 because it was 18+


Oh well, I've seen a lot of great bands despite the age limit thing. Big tours like Gigantour help where a bunch of smaller bands can get into bigger venues that don't have age limits.

i go to local shows here where some of the older dudes tell me they have sons my age. . . .

I think if a band has a warning label on their CD.....that should carry
over to their concerts. C'mon, common sense here, more accountability,
less excuses. Rap, Metal, whatever.

mc666 wrote:

all ages. even for concerts like Cannibal Corpse. if you
have money, & can make it to the show, you ought to be allowed to
see it imho.

Lambs to the slaughter....classy.

F*** AGE LIMIT. Their was never age limit when i was young, why their should be one now???? FREEDOM!!!!!!!!!!

Incase anybody hasn't picked up a paper or watched the news...it’s open
season on our kids right now from teachers, schools, other
kids/students, sick parents, not to mention the music and entertainment
industries at the forefront! Everyone is entitled to an opinion, but
that doesn’t mean its right. And if your not a parent, that opinion is
exactly that and less, on topic.

“It’s the parents responsibility” is the most obvious but also
disgustingly spineless excuse ever used. Hey, you parents, its your
responsibility to guard your kids from our satanic, pornographic,
dysfunctional, explicit material that we purposely write, perform and
act out and then spend countless billions researching, brainstorming
and strategizing on marketing to families, every human being with
money, schools, EVERYWHERE you and your kids look. But oh, its not us,
we don’t really believe all that or do all that, its just to sell
stuff, we’re innocent. And oh, if you’re a good parent (like me and my
wife) and also happen to not allow any access to our materials in the
house, we will ridicule you, call you extreme, intolerant,
censorship-Nazis and over protective and do everything within our power
(budgets) to undermine and bypass your authority and rules…..but it’s
your responsibility to make sure we don’t.

Sound ridiculous, exaggerated, impossible??? Okay, now we’re thinking on the same level.

“F### the age-limit, translates too, F### your kids” IMHO.

i tell you something
here is no age limit, but on H&H show in June, was father with his 14yrs old son. dunno where they stood, son lost his deafness ... imagine ... this was in TV news around all TV stations here in my coutry ... judges, doctors ... all of them explained the situation with ears ...
so father give the promotion agenture or dunno who on judge !
they don't have a chance to be right or win, cos there were no audio-noise meter

scottmitchell74 wrote:

None really for me, but my girl has been bugging me to see Dio for about 1.5 - 2 years now and I've told her she's got to wait until she's 10. My reasoning for this is more that I think she can handle the volume and the hours. She's still too young. Let's hope the little guy's still alive and rocking then!!

Tell her not to worry, Dio will be alive in a few years. A lot of people don't know this but he made a deal with the Egyptian mummy Rokhan-Oh Tep for eternal life and he's really about 212 years old as we speak.