Opinionated Metalhead: Leeches of the Scene
Did I say Leeches… I meant friends and fans of the scene.
We all know the slackers and the moochers of the scene. The people who form friendships and establish fandom and then turn around to take advantage of those bonds made under false pretenses.
If you know someone that works at a venue, is a promoter, and/or a crew/ member for a band that does not mean they are your personal “in” without paying. A one off is fine but if you are hitting up people to be on the list for EVERY show that’s called leeching.
If you aren’t putting up flyers, helping to sell tickets or providing some other form of contribution you are not entitled to free entry. If you cant afford the 5 to 20 bucks to get into a show and turn 
around and are doing shots all night get the fuck outta here. That is a twat waffle move that I have seen so much and it is beyond me how people continue to tolerate that type of behavior.
If there is one leech there are usually a number of others in the leech line looking for their own meal out of someone else’s blood, sweat and hard work. To those being taken advantage of please stand up to these people and do not let them walk over 
you and take advantage. This is your livelihood and they need to know how this impacts you.
We all know that bands can get the shaft if they aren’t able to get enough pre-sales or draw a crowd. Having 20 people on the “list” and only another 20 coming in that paid is not as good as 40 paid attendees.
Venues will stop booking bands that lack the draw of a PAYING crowd. It’s simple business , putting someone on a list is almost like a charity donation you don’t get a tax write off for. There is no financial benefit for the band, promoter or venue.
On VERY rare occasions will I ask favors to get into a show without paying. There are a handful instances I can name off the top 
of my head. Yes, I could apply for press passes and get into some shows / events without the need to pay and write a review , but that detracts from the genuine experiences I have and depict in my show reviews.
I don’t want a lanyard that says “Press”. I don’t want to feel obligated to write some kiss ass fluff piece if it’s a shit show. But not everyone runs their own Blog, YouTube Channel, or FM/ Internet Radio Show. So where is the value ad for asking for a hand out? There is none.
Nothing in life is free, you need to learn that and get the fuck over your entitlement. You are essentially stealing opportunities from people when you continually leech off of them. #SupportLocalMusic #ButDontBeADick #SavageAnnieOut #OpinionatedMetalhead
