TT5 - Best Frontmen

The frontman fulfills such an important role; they have to sing, handle the eyes and attnetion of the crowd at all times, sometimes play an instrument, and most importantly keep the fans engaged during the entirety of a performance. There are plenty of examples of frontmen (and women) doing a few of these things well, but it's rare to find someone who does all of these things well. The hardest thing for most to do is grabbing the attention of the fans and keeping it until the end of the show. The difference of having a great frontman is the difference between selling out a headlining tour and being an opener on someone else's tour. Just like in football where having a good quarterback is key to success, having a great face of the band is crucial to taking a band to their highest potential.

5) James Hetfield
The Metallica front man has a "disadvantage" to the rest of the people on this list, he plays rhythm guitar. James is consistently high energy and a master at putting sing-a-longs and shout-backs into his songs to keep the crowd involved in every show.



4) Rob Halford
Riding a motorcycle on stage. Creating the "look" of heavy metal (black leather and studs). Singing better than most anyone else on the planet. Handling plenty of controversy over the years. Helping put heavy metal in the forefront of pop culture. These are just some of the many accomplishments of Rob Halford of Judas Priest. Oh and he's 63 and still sounds amazing.



3) David Lee Roth
Besides being an incredible talented singer, Diamond Dave is more known for is stage acrobatics and antics. He performed as if he had more energy than anyone else in the arena and was always moving and singing his heart out. There is never a dull moment at a concert that David Lee Roth is on stage. He was the leader of one of the biggest bands of the 80s (and all time) and putting David Lee Roth on this list is in no way a knock on any of his successors in Van Halen.



2) Ozzy Osbourne
As the first heavy metal singer, Ozzy didn't have any example to base his style on. He helped usher in a new genre that was heavier and deeper than any of the rock music at the time. He is controversial, entertaining, talented, and most of all trail-blazing. After his departure from Black Sabbath, he maintained his popularity by launching a highly successful solo career. Oh and yes he did bite the head off a bat while on stage. How's that for entertaining and controversial?



1) Bruce Dickinson
Bruce was brought into Iron Maiden in order to help propel them to new heights and that he did. He understood that in order to take Maiden from a club band to an arena band he as the frontman needed to be more than just a singer, he needed to entertain and keep your eyes on the stage at all time. In the times before huge video screens, he would exaggerate his movements and literally run all over the stage, making sure that even those in the last rows could see him. Don't forget, he did all this while belting out some of the best vocals in all of heavy metal.

TT5 - Super Bowl Halftime Wish List

With this being Super Bowl week, most of America and a decent chunk of the planet will be tuning in on Sunday to watch the biggest sporting event in the world. I, on the other hand, will not be. As a Packers fan, it'll be too much to watch the Super Bowl this year knowing how close we were and how much we deserved to be there. It's just like watching your ex-girlfriend win Miss America; you just can't bear to watch it. Anyway, the halftime show this year will be Katy Perry, who I'm sure will put on one heck of a performance as I am a fan of hers and think she's one of the bright sides of pop music today. One day, I wish that the halftime talent is someone on the heavier side. I think the heaviest band to play a halftime show so far was Aerosmith (who's guests included Britney Spears, 'N Sync, Mary J Blige, and Nelly). So in a perfect world, here would be a great place to start when picking an act with a little more edge.

5) Jay Z / Kanye West
I know you're thinking I'm crazy for classifying Hov and Ye as "heavy", but you should listen to Watch the Throne, Yeezus, and Magna Carta Holy Grail. All of those albums are very much hip hop to the core, but all of which are very heavy and I know that with these two performers on stage, the volume would be up, the light show would be intense, and the crowd would be on their feet.



4) Led Zeppelin
I did say that this list took place in a perfect world, didn't I? You and I both know that if LZ were to reunite and play again, the Super Bowl would be the least of their priorities. But hey, a guy can dream right? A 5 song medley of Kashmir, Whole Lotta Love, Black Dog, In My Time of Dying, and Communication Breakdown would be such a killer halftime show that the crowd would cheer for an encore and boo when the players come back on the field.



3) Iron Maiden
I don't need to explain the credentials of Mighty Maiden. This band would laugh at the fact that the Super Bowl crowd would only be about 80,000 people. These Brits play to crowds of that size every week it seems like. Bruce would never let the energy die down for the entirety of their 15 minute slot because he wouldn't stop running and waving his hands high above his head. The only downside is that 15 minutes of Iron Maiden is only enough time for about 3 or 4 songs but hot damn, they'd be tremendous.



2) Metallica
The reigning kings of metal! Metallica needs no introduction as their music is used in stadiums throughout the world to pump up players and fans alike. The only thing better than playing Enter Sandman at a sporting event is having Metallica play it for you. The biggest problem with Metallica playing the halftime show is that their fans all over the world would tirelessly debate about what songs to play and no matter what they choose, some of those fans will cry for the heavens because their favorite 'tallica song wasn't played.



1) AC/DC
Power chords were meant for AC/DC and AC/DC was meant for power chords. Power chords have mass appeal and instantly create a simple groove that everyone can dig. AC/DC's worst is better than most bands best and everyone loves their music and knows all the words to most of their songs. They're a shoo-in for this gig and anyone in their right mind wishes to Shook All Night Long by AC/DC.