The Power Of A Live Concept: Bringing theatre to a metal stage
The modern essence of a powerful metal performance is in the show, so it seems. In order to stick out, you have to bring more pyro, moving objects on stage, visuals, stage costumes or a combination of all of the above. But how about a Venom show in the 80ies? Absolutely more following and attendees, compared to your average mid-level festival act of 2023. What is right or wrong? Is it an individual approach? And how do they go about that?
Thursday 6. April 12:00 - Room 2
Mod: Frank Godla (Metal Injection, US)
With over 18 years of experience in the music industry, Frank Godla has paved the way of online media with his popular website Metal Injection. Wearing many hats including co-owner, host, and content director, he’s constantly innovating the way we connect with artists around the world from emerging talent to household names. He’s received many accolades with Metal Injection over the years including a win at the 2012 MTV O Music Awards in the “Beyond The Blog” category for his docu-series, On The Record. In 2013, LA Weekly named Metal Injection one of the ten best websites for heavy metal, praising its original video content, appearances of modern artists and humor articles. It has also been listed by Ditto Music as one of the twenty influential music sites that support independent and new artists.
As a touring artist himself, Godla is also the creator and organizer of the Slay AT Home festival, which began in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Highlighting the best in underground arts as well as cover collaborations between renown artists, the free livestream runs every month in support of a new charity for each edition and has collectively earned several million views and over $200,000 in donations to date.
Kate Pendry (NO)
Kate Pendry is an English actress resident in Oslo. She has worked in many artistic disciplines: theatre performance art, opera, and music - and has used extreme body art and virtual reality in her productions. She is known for using dark humor to address controversial themes. She has won numerous awards including the Ibsen Award for playwriting. Pendry has written and produced over sixty pieces for the theatre, many of which have been performed internationally. She has a reputation as a political and controversial artist because of the red thread of social commentary in the work, and her signature use of dark humor. She is the founder of Blood of an Englishman Records – a label dedicated to the synthesis of experimental music and narrative.
Thomas Respondek (Kingstar, DE)
Being around in the touring, live and entertainment business for about 18 years Thomas Respondek is working for about 10 years at Kingstar Music in german, international and worldwide Live-Entertainment.
In the early years, he worked as a freelancing tour manager, promoters representative for artists such as Caliban, Suicide Silence, A Day To Remember, Neaera besides being Head Of Marketing at Germany’s Online Lifestyle Store „Impericon“.
In 2013 he got hired by Kingstar and started working in the touring business, sponsoring, and festival entertainment.
He also became the tour manager of one of Germany’s biggest (Punk-)Rock acts „Broilers“.
Thomas Respondek and Kingstar have collected long-time experience working with artists such as Kadavar, Broilers, Heilung, Gorilla Biscuits, Broilers, Mantar, Hällas, Jinjer, Igorrr, Architects, Bullet For My Valentine, Fever 333, Ice Nine Kills and many more.
Kingstar is promoting Vainstream Rockfest, Impericon Fest, Elbriot Hamburg, is cooperating with Germany’s Rock Am Ring/Rock Im Park Promoter DreamHaus and is a strong local promoter working with niche but also mainstream artists such as Ghost, Macklemore & Ryan Lewis,I Prevail, Parkway Drive, Frog Leap, Pantera and many German rap/pop artists.