The above video was filmed on September 28, 1991 at Tushino Airport in northwest Moscow. “Enter Sandman” was the first song of Metallica’s set, as part of a larger Monsters of Rock concert featuring Pantera, AC/DC, and other heavy metal bands.
Take another look at the video. Mute if you want. Look at the people. Count them. Best estimates are 500,000 to 1.6 million people attended. With former President Mikhail Gorbachev allegedly inviting Metallica to perform, there was free admission and so it is hard to accurately know how many were there. Lots. of. people.
Metallica have built their tribe over time. Their best-selling albums, most-played songs, and widely-attended concerts were the beginning. They moved on to fan clubs and autograph signings — and eventually the web, with 1.2 million fans on MySpace and 4.2 million more on Facebook, let alone 11,000 fans of an unofficial Twitter club, @fansofmetallica.
Market to your fans and they will love you. Share pictures and videos, if even to say hi, and they will come out en masse.
About Ari Herzog
I’m clear – and accepting of – your conclusion:
“Market to your fans and they will love you. Share pictures and videos, if even to say hi, and they will come out en masse.”
The argument I’m not entirely clear on:
“Their best-selling albums, most-played songs, and widely-attended concerts were the beginning. They moved on to fan clubs and autograph signings — and eventually the web”
I mean, for most people starting out, “best-selling albums, most-played songs, and widely-attended concerts” aren’t the beginning: they’re the end. The question your reasoning brings up is whether the reverse – starting by marketing to one’s audience – is a formula for success when one hasn’t been successful to the degree one likes as of yet. It does look like when people have a product others like, and have established their brand, they can have that much more success by catering to an audience that was already fast-becoming worldwide.
For the record, I do think marketing to one’s audience is important. I just need to hear a bit more about the topic.
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Touche.
I didn’t write the entire timeline, but started at a certain point.
It would have been interesting to see how many would have attended had it not been free admission. The Russian economy is suffering heavily at the minute, and it’s doubtful so many would have been able to afford the standard ticket price.
It’s also interesting you picked Metallica, who probably lost a lot of their tribe (as well as non-fans) when they went after Napster. Something that’s still heavily associated with when you mention the name Metallica to many music fans.
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You bring up a really good point about the date of the video that I hadn’t keyed in on as much as I should have. That video dates from 1991.
If this post has anything to do with building a fan base over the web, that video is a curious choice for a leading-in. And given that we’re talking about Russia as the USSR – this is a few months before it is dissolved – these are highly exceptional circumstances.
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Never crossed my mind.
Who knew Gorbachev was a Metallica fan?
Actually, I agree with Danny about them losing their tribe. Whenever I hear the mention of Metallica, all I can think about is Lars whining about piracy, which is fine for others, but hypocritical coming from him.
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South Park parodied them nicely, but there was that cartoon floating around the Internet where one member of Metallica opined “fire good! Napster bad,” and friends could not stop talking about that for the longest time.
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Bill Clinton was a movie action fan; loved the filming of “Patriot Games” and “Air Force One.”
A couple of other takeaways here as. Mass marketing helps – especially if it comes at a lower cost (e.g. Facebook advertising). Then it’s about the geogpraphics. India, China, Brazil you name it. You get millions to listen to you there.
(Though, in this particular example and during that time Gorbachev’s openness or Glasnost finally resulted in the destruction of CCCP)
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