NEWS4U JUNE 2022 | ENTERTAINMENT
THE ROCK & METAL PROFS W I T H M AT T A L S C H BAC H & D R . CO U RT L E W I S
Associate professors at Owensboro Community College and Pellissippi State Community College, respectively, Alschbach and Lewis host the popular podcast The Rock & Metal Profs: The History & Philosophy of Rock & Metal. Now they're bringing their keen insights to the pages of News 4U with a monthly deep dive into some of the best bands of the rock/metal genre and thoughts on music in general.
IS THERE SUCH A THING AS “BAD PUBLICITY”? The rock/metal genre is over the top
Alamo. Mötley Crüe was
- everything is cranked up to 11, even
routinely photographed
the hair and make-up. Famously, KISS
with scantily clad girls
concerts feature pyrotechnics, lasers, and
and booze bottles as they
a fire-breathing, blood-spitting demon
played up their bad-
flying through the air. Then there's shock
boy image. Vince Neil
rocker Alice Cooper who made headlines
was even charged with
in the early 70’s for throwing a chicken
vehicular manslaughter
into the crowd, which was then mutilated
after a drunken car crash.
by the audience. The news media and
Not convinced? Watch
“concerned citizens” made it sound as
the rockumentary The
though he performed a Satanic mass on
Dirt (2019), which spends
the unfortunate poultry. Bands learned
most of its running time
early on the power of public relations (PR)
focused on sex, drugs, and excess, with
in promoting their albums and mythology,
little emphasis on the band's music. Even
so much so that some bands were better
John Lennon understood the value of a
known for what they did off-stage than
good PR stunt to increase album sales.
their music.
1968’s Two Virgins featured Lennon and
PICTURED LEFT TO RIGHT: MATT ALSCHBACH AND DR. COURT LEWIS
Yoko Ono fully nude on the front and Consider the outlandish antics of Ozzy
back covers - a vision we could have all
Osbourne, who in the 80’s lived up to his
lived without, but it certainly got people
name as the "Madman of Rock & Roll"
talking about the album. The year prior,
by biting the head off a bat on stage,
The Who drummer Keith Moon blew up
and then duplicated the act with a dove
his drum set on national TV, but used too
during a meeting with CBS Records execs.
much explosive, leaving guitarist Pete
He was also arrested and banned from
Townsend deaf in one ear.
San Antonio, TX, after urinating on the
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• www.evansvillemediagroup.com
Do these shocking (and sometimes inadvertent) attempts to gain attention have the desired effect? Or do they distract fans from what should be most important, the music? Will people remember the music of KISS, Alice Cooper, Ozzy Osbourne, Mötley Crüe and The Who, or will they be known simply for their antics? Only time will tell, but like it or not, antics seem to be a fundamental part of rock and metal. The Rock & Metal Profs podcast is available on iTunes, Google and Spotify.
