I’ve know Curran Reynolds, for a number of years now, through playing gigs with both Demilitia and Family and he is, hands down, one of the most enthusiastic and supportive metal promoters/musicians around. He runs one of the best, and consistently enjoyable, metal showcases in NYC. Precious Metal gives aspiring metal bands and musicians a perfect setting to crank their music to ear splitting levels and prove their mettle to the NYC music community. This series runs every Monday evening at Lit Lounge, located at 93 2nd Avenue in NYC, and only costs 6 bucks. I was recently fortunate enough to conduct a quick email Q&A with Curran about Precious Metal and the NYC metal scene. Check it out…
(OB) What was the original intent / idea behind starting the Precious Metal Series?
(CR) In the spring of 2006, a bartender from Lit named Aviva Yael was staying at my apartment. She was starting up a Monday metal party at Lit at that time – a fun, Def Leppard, Guns N’ Roses, kind of thing, to bring people in during her bartending shift. One Monday she needed someone to fill in for a DJ who’d canceled. It was one of those random turn of events that wound up changing the course of history in a good way! I volunteered to come down and DJ her party that night and it went from there. I drank a whole lot of Jack and Cokes and played all my favorite brutal jams, as loud as possible. She saw that I had a lot of enthusiasm for it and that I could potentially turn the party into something bigger and more legit than what she originally had in mind. Within a month or two she turned the whole thing over to me. I began booking bands. I had booked bands at different venues in NYC before that time but the prospect of having one consistent weekly home base from which to do stuff was really exciting. The owners of Lit gave me free reign to do what I wanted. I had bands, guest DJs, record release parties, whatever cool stuff I could pull together. I was already a publicist, drummer, and occasional booker of shows and tours, and Precious Metal was this space in which I could connect all these dots. Now it’s the summer of 2011 and Precious Metal has been running every Monday for over 5 years straight.
(OB) Why did you decide to run this event on Monday nights?
(CR) It just so happened that the party was already set in place for Monday nights when I took over. Monday can be a tough night for 9-5 people but it has had its advantages too. There’s less competition on Mondays and this is a major factor in NYC where there’s so many things vying for a person’s attention at any given moment. And it’s great for touring bands because there’s not many good Monday options for them anywhere. Monday is universally known as a bad night to be on tour but here I can offer them a good show that’s part of a consistent series with a strong history. Their chances of having a good show with me are greater than if they were to book some random show elsewhere. Thus I’ve been able to bring in some really killer bands over the years, bands who might opt to play larger venues under different circumstances. It’s also worth mentioning that the name, Precious Metal, was already in place when I took over. Aviva came up with that name. Like I said, her original vision was to create a fun, hair metal vibe, and “Precious Metal” fit that. I thought it was funny to keep that lighthearted name even though I was transforming the event into something more underground and extreme. I like the concept that the event defines the name, not vice versa.
(OB) Sometimes I hear complaints about how it’s really difficult to make it out to Monday shows. What would you say to people who complain about going to shows during the work week?
(CR) I think the vibe at Precious Metal is something very special and intimate. It’s a chance to see amazing bands on a tiny stage. There’s no weekend warriors with disposable, destructive mindsets. The crowd consists mainly of dedicated people who have a real passion for this music, plus the occasional curious passerby. This is a vibe that cannot exist on a weekend night, at least not in the heart of downtown Manhattan.
(OB) You seem to be fully entrenched in music / metal in many ways. For those of us who don’t know could you just give a quick rundown of the other ways that you are involved in the music scene.
(CR) I’m the drummer in two bands: Today Is The Day and Wetnurse. I’m a freelance publicist, currently representing all the bands on Kemado Records and Black Market Activities, among others. Prior to going freelance in 2005, I was the publicist at Earache Records for 5 years.
(OB) Have any of your experiences outside of being a show promoter shaped the way you try and run things at your own events?
(CR) Yeah, touring in my own bands has shaped it, for sure. I’ve toured the US six times with Wetnurse and three times with Today Is The Day, and I just returned from my first tour of Europe. When you’re out there playing in strange towns far from home, there’s two main factors that are controllable by the promoter, that can make it a great show or a terrible show. First, are you made to feel welcome by the promoter? Second, did the promoter book good, relevant bands to play with you? I’ve experienced both extremes. When things are off, it’s the worst. When things are on, it can make for memories you’ll cherish forever. So as a promoter, I try to make sure the bands feel welcome and that the lineups are solid. I want every band to leave happy and spread the good word about Precious Metal.
(OB) After 5 years of running Precious Metal do you feel like you have accomplished what you originally had set out to do with this event? Is there more that you are seeking to do through this series?
(CR) I initially thought it would last for one summer. Beyond that first summer, I’ve been perpetually surprised and pleased to watch this thing unfold, beyond my own expectations. The five-year anniversary was a major milestone and now that we’ve hit that, I honestly do not know what is next for this event.
(OB) Having spent many years in the NYC metal scene, and also having traveled and toured what is your current diagnosis of the state of NYC metal? How do you think it stacks up to other cities and places you’ve been to?
(CR) NYC is thriving. I love this city. There’s a constant influx of new people and new energy here. We are in the heart of the art world and the fashion industry. We are standing directly on top of decades and decades of extraordinary historical events. All this stuff affects the metal scene, as it affects everything that goes on here. I just returned from a tour of 20 European countries and NYC is still the place I want to be. To get more specific about the state of things right now, I believe the scene is more vast and diverse than it was, say, 13 years ago when I moved here. New bands, new fans, new venues. All good.
(OB) If you could change anything about the scene in NYC what would it be?
(CR) It seems to be trucking along just fine but as a general rule, the more diversity, the better. I’m sure we’d all love to see more women at the shows. Come on, girls.
(OB) Finally, how do people/bands get in touch with you to get on a Precious Metal show and what do you have coming up in the immediate future?
(CR) There’s a Myspace page with an updated calendar of upcoming shows - http://www.myspace.com/preciousmetalnyc – but the best way to contact me is via email -curran.reynolds@gmail.com. I can also be found at Lit every Monday – in the flesh! There’s a whole summer of good shows coming up. One band I’m particularly excited to see is Godstopper, a band from Toronto I have playing on July 18. Epic, creepy music that reminds me a bit of the early Today Is The Day music. Check out their video here: http://vimeo.com/23058597
Make sure to check out Precious Metal, at Lit Lounge every Monday. Shows start @ 9pm and are only $6. All shows are 21+ events. Thanks Curran.
