Total Metal Festival To Skip 2015 Edition

Following the 2014 edition of the fest, it has been made official today that there will be no Total Metal Festival taking place this year. Luigi Pisanello, director of the organizing agency Vivo Management, explains why:

“It was since many months that we were almost sure about this decision. We delayed trying to find a less bitter way to announce it to our supporters but we realized that it wasn't possible to sweeten a bad news like this.

"After the last edition was easy for anyone to expect another magnificent festival; all those who joined the TMF2014 have experienced (without exaggeration) two of the most beautiful days of their own metalhead life! We had excellent and worldwide renowned bands, a stage and a sound-lights system that rivals any other big Italian festival, a highly-experienced staff that has served our users impeccably, games, free camping, a number of toilets even higher than necessary and all, but really everything, what fits with a class 'A' music festival!

"But being so meticulous cost us a really huge amount of money and, unfortunately, the response of the audience (though still plentiful and very warm) was less than our estimates. Then I personally found that other Italian festivals of the same kind, arranged with much less attention to details and, in some cases, even with a more skimpy artistic bill, obtained, with similar ticket costs, the same numbers in terms of public response, but with much less onerous investments from the organizers.

"So I and my partners said to ourselves that probably we're living a time that isn't appropriate for those who want to offer quality! Of course we blame no one for this situation, unless the period of severe economic difficulties affecting our country in recent years and that, consequently, impoverishes the pockets of young fans and their families.

"I know I run the risk of digressing, but actually I think that when there is little money it is correct to spend them first for food and essential stuff rather than for a 'luxury' like a nice concert. Someone also suggested to downsize our festival in order to reduce costs, ‘after all the people coming is always the same,’ they say; but this wouldn’t fit with the style of the Total Metal Festival. We always wanted to give to the Italian metalheads a growing up festival, so it would have no sense for us to take steps backward just to save money.

"Instead we prefer to stop it untill the economical situation will allow the lovers of this music to participate to a high level event like those we like to organize. The Italian metal scene doesn’t need another festival arranged where to buy a beer you have to do half an hour in a row or for one or more days you are forced to urinate in three or four smelly portable toilets; the TMF must distinguish itself from the mediocrity that characterize most of the similar organisations in Italy.

"That is our dream and with the last edition we feel we realized it, although for now, inevitably, it must be stopped. To anyone who asks us if TMF will come back in 2016 we cannot yet answer. We all look forward to it, but the only thing we can guarantee for now is that the will to make the most beautiful metal festival in Italy is still there in our hearts!”