[Commlist] Call for participants - Heavy Metal on the Airwaves symposium

Extended Call for papers: Heavy metal on the airwaves symposium

Friday February 2nd 2024, Liverpool John Moores University, School of 
Humanities and Social Science

Historically, heavy rock and metal music seems to have had a somewhat 
uneasy relationship with rock radio. As Deena Weinstein (2000) notes, 
during the late 1970s when bands such as AC/DC and Kiss were enjoying 
substantial success in terms of concert ticket sales and album sales, 
heavier bands were largely exiled from major radio formats such as AOR 
and classic rock. Even during a period of vast commercial success in the 
1980s, exposure for metal artists on radio appears to have been mixed, 
with big selling artists such as Metallica largely achieving success in 
spite of a lack of airplay (Weinstein, 2000; Walser, 1993). Furthermore, 
although radio remains a powerful intermediary for popular music (see 
Barnard, 1989; Rothenbuhler and McCourt, 1992; Percival, 2011), it is 
interesting that its role is often neglected in favour of things like 
trading CDs with friends or finding songs online when fans discuss how 
they first discovered metal music (see Rowe, 2017; Hassan, 2021).

Nevertheless, the contribution of radio shows, stations, and DJs in 
promoting metal music should not be underplayed. Research has indicated 
that they can become crucial to the formation of scenes and communities 
(see for instance, Baulch, 2007; Hecker, 2012; Varas-Díaz, Mendoza, 
Rivera-Segarra, & González, 2016). In addition, popular histories of 
bands such as Iron Maiden have emphasized the role that influential DJs 
like Tommy Vance (who fronted long-running The Friday Rock Show for the 
BBC in the UK), played in providing widespread exposure to influential 
movements like the New Wave of British Heavy Metal (Daniels, 2014).   In 
a contemporary digital climate with a multitude of FM, digital, online, 
independent and community stations, alongside a growing number of 
podcasts, it is an opportune moment to re-assess heavy metal’s 
relationship with radio. This symposium seeks to bring together 
participants who are interested in examining the relationship between 
hard rock/metal and radio (in its various forms). It invites presenters 
and attendees from fields such as metal music studies, popular music 
studies, media and radio studies, communications and cultural studies, 
as well as practitioners from music, radio and broadcasting related 
industries.

Themes papers may explore include:

Historical reappraisals of hard rock/metal’s relationship with radio
Professional practice and DJ performances
The role of specialist online platforms such as Gimme Radio
Metal’s place in ‘classic rock’ formats (e.g. Planet Rock or Absolute 
Radio Classic Rock in the UK)
What roles do underground or community radio play in supporting metal 
scenes?
The political economy of rock radio formats
Radio audiences

Keynote speaker is Loz Guest, Director of Music at Planet Rock and DJ 
for Planet Rock and Kerrang! Radio

Please submit abstracts of no more than 250 words via email to 
(R.Griffin /at/ 2018.ljmu.ac.uk) by 5pm on December 11th 2023

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