Iraqi Heavy Metal Band Unable To Land Gigs In Society Ripped Apart By War

The Wall Street Journal has published an article spotlighting what may be Iraq's only heavy metal band, ACRASSICAUDA (read previous story),as they learn the difficulties of reviving culture and entertainment in a society ripped apart by war. A short excerpt from the article, which appears in the WSJ's August 17 edition, follows:

"When ACRASSICAUDA ripped into a furious version of METALLICA's 'For Whom the Bell Tolls' at a recent concert, dozens of fans rushed the stage, jerked their heads to the music and slam-danced.

"Midway through the set, a portly club official took the stage and ordered the crowd to sit down. The band ignored him and kept playing, and around 50 of the roughly 200 fans remained standing. The official ended the concert and angrily escorted the band off the stage. Faisal Talal, the band's singer and rhythm guitarist, shouted a string of profanities, drawing cheers from the crowd.

"It was a classic moment of rock 'n' roll rebellion, but such gestures come at a high price in Iraq. The venues that ACRASSICAUDA — which may be Iraq's only heavy-metal band — played before the war are now government compounds or off-limits because of street crime. The staid Iraqi Hunting Club, which hosted the aborted concert, says the band won't be allowed back. The group hasn't found a new venue.

"'It's never been harder for us to play our music, but there's also never been so much of a need for it,' says Mr. Talal, 21 years old. 'There's a lot to be angry about these days, and we want to give people a way to get that out.'"

The entire article is available online to The Wall Street Journal subscribers at this location.