God Dethroned snubbed in Detroit
At the Detroit, Michigan stop of the "International Extreme Metal Festival" tour, METAL BLADE recording artists God Dethroned were snubbed by a venue decision to charge the influential European band to pay additional costs for playing after a curfew of 11:00 pm ET, which was stipulated by the venue, Harpo's Concert Theatre, "North America's Largest Concert Venue."
According to an official representative of the group, Harpo's Concert Theatre policy stipulated that the band must incur additional costs for security and other concert-related expenses if the concert was to continue beyond a predetermined 'curfew" ot 11:00 pm ET.
Most frustrating of all, the venue's local promoter virtually forced God Dethroned to perform after the "curfew" by placing several local pay-to-play bands on the bill, who drew virtually no audience whatsoever and who took up a considerable amount of time in comparison to the well known acts on the bill.
According to sources close to the band, God Dethroned determined that it would be in their best interests to skip the performance as opposed to incurring the additional expense.
Century Media recording artists MANNTIS ended as the "headlining" band, although the group likely could have shortened their rather uneventful set to allow the European headliners to take the stage before the "curfew" began. It is, however, unlikely that the television show phenomenon, now signed to one of the more prominent independent metal labels, actually knew of the cash-grabbing "curfew."
Fans were outraged, with dozens of patrons commenting to The Gauntlet thet they were unhappy with the band being forced into a decision between performing and having a profitable showing. One fan commented, "It's bullshit! I came here to see God Dethroned."
Dozens of attendees were interviewed by The Gauntlet. Each expressed an unhappiness that the concert had ended under such circumstances. Members of Moribund Recording Artists SUMMON (who recently wrapped up a European tour with God Dethroned), as well as The Gauntlet staff members were physically forced to leave the building by overzealous Harpo's Concert Theatre personel.
The International Extreme Metal Festival is tearing across the US, with bands such as headliners God Dethroned, Nightrage, Leaves' Eyes and Epoch Of Unlight devastating audiences on a nightly basis.