My very first metal concert - A great-fucking-time with "Machine Head"

Written by Bruna Ugá.

    A week ago (Monday 11^th) took place a heavy metal concert by the north-American band Machine Head, in the city of Tilburg. The concert Hall “013 Poppodium” isn’t new to the band since they played there for the first time 10 years ago.

    However this experience was totally new for me. Not only was this my first metal concert in the Netherlands but also my first metal concert ever. And even after having a sore throat and pain in the neck for many days, I can affirm: it was completely awesome. 

Machine Head performing at the 013 Poppodium. Photo by Bruna Ugá. 

Warming up with the "Queen"

    Accompanied by my husband who introduced me to the band a few months ago, we got to the place rather early. There was a line waiting for the gates to open and as scheduled at 18:30 we got into the “013”. The event’s area is well organized and has an edgy style. There were lockers that could be reserved for coats, stores for buying merchandising and for food.

My husband Thiago and I.

    Arriving early paid off because we were close to the stage, just behind two rows of people. Little by little the great hall got busier as music from various metal/rock bands played in the background. The main audience was apparently men between 30 and 50 y/o, although I was happy to see a good number of women too. There were even a few kids with their parents and a group of people dressed in banana costumes. That’s some diversity for you.

    Right before the show started, “Bohemian Rhapsody” by Queen played and many of us sang along. It was a great introduction for the band which arrived with high energy. They were accompanied by the public chanting "Machine-fucking-Head! Machine-fucking-Head!". That's the name of their third album and was repeated numerous times throughout the night. 

The good kind of chaos

    The four members did an amazing job and got me thinking how they could handle such intensity for hours. Guitarist Wacław 'Vogg' Kiełtyka conveyed calmness amongst chaos. Bassist Jared MacEachern was both charming and cool – always tossing his beautiful head of hair for sure making many bald guys envious. Vocalist/Guitarrist Robb Flynn is a true showman, leading the group with a lot of potency and charisma. And I couldn’t really see Matt Alston behind the drums, but I could feel every powerful beat that he played.

Machine Head performing at the 013 Poppodium. Photo by Bruna Ugá.

    Their most famous hit “Is Anybody Out There?” was the only one I knew the lyrics by heart. That didn’t stop me from jumping and banging my head for every other track. Standing in place was an impossible task: both because of the energetic music and also the chaotic pits that formed in the middle of the hall. I could feel their movement like waves in the sea. And just like in the sea I had to watch out. Watch out not for sharks, of course, but for people “swimming” above the crowd. At some point I even got a foot to my head.

Photo by Bruna Ugá.

    Between these hectic scenarios there were screams and laughter. People singing at the top of their lungs, helping others when they were “swimming” and just having a good time. They were in groups of friends, romantically embracing their partners or even alone. I mean, not alone, because the only other time I felt so close together to other people was during carnival in Brazil.

Photo by Bruna Ugá.

A great-fucking-time

    The band finished the show with a couple of tributes to Eurythmics' “Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)” and Iron Maiden's “Hallowed Be Thy Name”. Three hours went by fast leaving excitement and some pain through my body. Then we quickly headed back home because it was past 23 p.m. and we still had to catch a train and a bus.

    There was rain pouring outside as we walked to the station. Even though I was wet, exhausted and cold, I could only think of how much I wanted to experience something like this again. That’s how I know I had a great-fucking-time with Machine-fucking-Head.

On the train back home. Photo by Bruna Ugá.