Why Would A Band Tell Their Fans To Kill Themselves?

The historical past of steel music is riddled with situations the place it has been misunderstood and demonized, significantly throughout its early life. This typically culminated in ethical panics and being blamed for violent acts.

Probably the most notable situations was after the Columbine faculty taking pictures in 1999, when Marilyn Manson confronted intense scrutiny because of the shooters allegedly being followers of his music. Nonetheless, even earlier, within the early Nineties, Judas Priest discovered themselves in an identical predicament.

In 1990, Judas Priest was sued following a tragic incident involving two younger males, Raymond Belknap and James Vance, who made a suicide pact. Belknap died, and Vance survived however with extreme accidents. The lawsuit alleged {that a} subliminal message within the band’s 1978 track “Higher By You, Higher Than Me” compelled them to take such drastic actions. This track was initially by Spooky Tooth in 1969.

Frontman Rob Halford recounted the trial in an interview with Record Collector (transcribed by Guitar.com), highlighting it as a interval of great bother for the band. Halford expressed deep sympathy for the victims, acknowledging the tragedy of their state of affairs. He questioned the logic behind the allegations, stating the absurdity of a band embedding dangerous subliminal messages of their music.

“I’d hate for anyone to undergo the lawsuit we went via,” Halford said, “as a result of on the coronary heart of that matter have been these two stunning lads that misplaced their lives, you recognize, they usually cherished steel they usually cherished Priest. But it surely’s nonetheless an attention-grabbing story to speak about as a result of it’s about having dysfunction in your loved ones and your children being so sad. And you recognize, you possibly can have a good time with steel, however on the similar time, you possibly can have one too many drinks and perhaps no matter else, and it creates this horrible place. I nonetheless really feel that what occurred to these boys was a horrible, horrible tragedy.”

“Why would a band inform their followers to kill themselves? We’d be higher off hiding messages like, ‘Purchase extra Priest data’ or ‘Purchase extra T-shirts’, wouldn’t we?” Halford mirrored. “However that’s the madness of it. You suppose, how on God’s earth can one thing so ridiculous get a lot traction that these lads have to return all the way in which over from England and sit in a courtroom in Nevada and defend themselves – and never solely ourselves, however our music and the label and our followers.”

The band ultimately gained the case, with the choose ruling that any alleged subliminal messages weren’t liable for the suicides. Nonetheless, the lawsuit price Judas Priest roughly $250,000 in authorized charges.

Halford additionally contemplated the potential implications for the music trade if the ruling had gone towards them, suggesting that it might have led to widespread disclaimers about subliminal messages in music broadcasts. He famous that whereas the case was excessive, such fears and allegations towards steel music usually are not completely shocking even at present.

“If the choose had discovered fully on the aspect of the prosecution, all hell would have damaged free. Each time a radio station performed a file, they’d should say, ‘We disclaim any doable subliminal messages in at present’s present.’ But when this occurred once more tomorrow, I wouldn’t be in the least stunned.”

This incident, amongst others, underscores the broader theme of steel music typically being scapegoated for broader societal points and tragedies, reflecting a deep-seated misunderstanding and concern of the style by some segments of society.