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Skating to rock/metal music
- Thread starter blessedwithacurse
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Having taken peeps at the programs in this thread, I must say I'm happy that relatively few people try to skate to rock music... Very few skaters are able to handle strong and fast rhythms - they tend to skate to the melody, not to the beat, and I find that very irritating to watch. Hence, I guess, why rock/metal ballads get used most often - I would be curious to see someone trying something from And Justice For All instead of the endless Nothing Else Matters versions 
Another thing I find also irritating is the use of body movement and arms which tend to conform to what is commonly used in figure skating, aking to "beautiful" when the music would suggest something quite the opposite. Also, feeble arms and upper bodies *shiver of horror* which do not match the power of the music.
This maybe counts in this context also: Deniss Vasiljevs skating to Stevie Ray Vaughn's version of Voodoo Child. Wisely mid-tempo to slow sections used, but I think Lambiel could have tried to insert more of the abandon and string upper body/arm movements that you get in the step sequence into the rest of the choreo as well. But a very good effort! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LxVGtRFYxt8
Kevin Aymoz changed his SP from Hallelujah to Imagine Dragons' Radioactive (which was also used by Konstantin Menshov earlier) and that turned into an ok routine (Aymoz has, like Vasiljevs, strong upper body and arms): http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x5eyvsd
Black Betty made me a Javier Fernández fan - first time in a very long while someone used a fast rock song that had not really been heard before in this context. The music cut was excellent maintaining the energetic and interesting parts of the song (try listening to the whole of it...). Plus they had the presence of mind not to use the the first verse with its rather awkward content and made it about the second one, making it a bit more fun and light. Javi is arguably the best rhythmic male skater there is at the moment, I would say. The only bit which does not fully match the music and the beat very well is when he gathers speed for the 3A. And some of his arm movements could have been less pretty... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5FjZDgP1mCA
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Another thing I find also irritating is the use of body movement and arms which tend to conform to what is commonly used in figure skating, aking to "beautiful" when the music would suggest something quite the opposite. Also, feeble arms and upper bodies *shiver of horror* which do not match the power of the music.
This maybe counts in this context also: Deniss Vasiljevs skating to Stevie Ray Vaughn's version of Voodoo Child. Wisely mid-tempo to slow sections used, but I think Lambiel could have tried to insert more of the abandon and string upper body/arm movements that you get in the step sequence into the rest of the choreo as well. But a very good effort! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LxVGtRFYxt8
Kevin Aymoz changed his SP from Hallelujah to Imagine Dragons' Radioactive (which was also used by Konstantin Menshov earlier) and that turned into an ok routine (Aymoz has, like Vasiljevs, strong upper body and arms): http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x5eyvsd
Black Betty made me a Javier Fernández fan - first time in a very long while someone used a fast rock song that had not really been heard before in this context. The music cut was excellent maintaining the energetic and interesting parts of the song (try listening to the whole of it...). Plus they had the presence of mind not to use the the first verse with its rather awkward content and made it about the second one, making it a bit more fun and light. Javi is arguably the best rhythmic male skater there is at the moment, I would say. The only bit which does not fully match the music and the beat very well is when he gathers speed for the 3A. And some of his arm movements could have been less pretty... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5FjZDgP1mCA
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If exhibition programs count, I really liked when Elvis skated to "That's What I Like About You" in the COI tour. Ditto for Brasseur & Eisler skating to Bryan Adams' "There Will Never Be Another Tonight." Not heavy metal (a genre I'm just not into, but definitely rock).
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The beginning music for the Boys-Eddy siblings is in fact ZZ Top, "La Grange." Also wanted to thank you for posting the Back in Black Kevin Reynolds. I didn't realize anyone had ever skated to it, it's my fave ACDC song, from my younger years when I was developing my musical tastes, and is the first thing I think of when I hear the term "hard rock." It gives me a new appreciation for Kevin to see him skate so well timing to a hard driven, chest thumping rhythm, not an easy thing to do.
Which is the reason that this type of music isn't used a whole lot in figure skating, I assume? Doing fast, thumping rhythms can be a hard thing to express is skating where long gliding edges work a bit better most of the time. I can remember more from the golden age of pro skating, post-1994, when it thrilled me to see Jozef Sabovčík skate to one of the lesser known Whitesnake classics, Slow and Easy.
However, I've always thought though that metal music might actually be more closely related to to classical music that traditionally has been the staple of figure skating programs. Many metal musicians are classically trained, and can perform very complex, technically challenging music (some have even named themselves stage names after classical composers or named their children after them- Sebastian Bach of Skid Row, an absolutely amazing singer, and Eddie Van Halen named his son Wolfgang). Many of their singers trained in opera, or could easily transition to opera if they so chose, particularly Queensryche's Geoff Tate, Dream Theater's James LaBrie, and the lead singers of Judas Priest and Iron Maiden, to name a few. I think sometimes more modern or European-influenced metal music can be considered not just metal, but also progressive music. In this thread Pink Floyd has been mentioned a few times, but I don't consider them to be metal but progressive music, in the same vein as Kansas (Carry on My Wayward Son being mentioned earlier in this thread, that band being considered progressive, but the older I get the more convinced I am that a big chunk of the hard rock or metal from the seventies can just be considered progressive rock). A mark of what is considered progressive music is involving different types musical instruments and music styles into what is considered to be a totally disparate genre of music, with a greater level composition, complexity and difficult to perform music than average ready-for-the-radio pop song. I am sometimes surprised that some of the European skaters who have that influence don't skate to more Within Temptation, Nightwish, Lacuna Coil, or American progressive metal/rock like Queensryche, Evanescence or Dream theater or the Canadian band Saga, they have some really beautiful synth and piano music and have quite the library of songs to choose from. Progressive music takes on a certain style only because of the direction the band goes, if there is a thundering rhythm, operatic vocals and electric guitars it's considered progressive metal, but many of these bands I've mentioned have many orchestral sections or choir backing in many of their songs, or slower songs that could be skated to easily. Or a skater could take part of one of their songs to have a program start off with a bang and then blend in softer slower or even classical piece to give them a breather and so the program wouldn't be all one note, one level. (Even my aforementioned Whitesnake has a beautiful orchestral portion to my fave of their's "Still of the Night.") I think how often we see complaints on figure skating boards that the same music is used over and over, but if people just got a little creative when creating their programs, we'd have a lot more variety and interesting programs to watch. There really is no excuse anymore now that vocals are allowed in all divisions of competition.
Wow, I always take more time to post than I think I'm going to... that got long-winded. So now I don't have time to go and look to find who posted the link to Kamelot so I could thank them, think I just found a new favorite. I might as well go all out and talk about me and my hubs fave progressive rock band of recent years Porcupine Tree, we've been obsessed with their song "Even Less" for a few years, but I'm not gonna post a link because since this is my first post, I tried to post a link a couple years ago during the Olympic season, but it didn't get posted because first-time posts with a link get reviewed right away. I'm shy so then I didn't try to post again, but obviously I'm very long-winded, so since I lose my shyness after first posting on message boards, I think the members get tired of me because of my long post, so just warning you all
--- long time member, first time poster.Anyways I wasn't thinking of Porcupine Tree song for skating to so much as I just really like them , they very Pink Floyd-esque.
The beginning music for the Boys-Eddy siblings is in fact ZZ Top, "La Grange." Also wanted to thank you for posting the Back in Black Kevin Reynolds. I didn't realize anyone had ever skated to it, it's my fave ACDC song, from my younger years when I was developing my musical tastes, and is the first thing I think of when I hear the term "hard rock." It gives me a new appreciation for Kevin to see him skate so well timing to a hard driven, chest thumping rhythm, not an easy thing to do.
Which is the reason that this type of music isn't used a whole lot in figure skating, I assume? Doing fast, thumping rhythms can be a hard thing to express is skating where long gliding edges work a bit better most of the time.
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Wow, I always take more time to post than I think I'm going to... that got long-winded. So now I don't have time to go and look to find who posted the link to Kamelot so I could thank them, think I just found a new favorite. I might as well go all out and talk about me and my hubs fave progressive rock band of recent years Porcupine Tree, we've been obsessed with their song "Even Less" for a few years, but I'm not gonna post a link because since this is my first post, I tried to post a link a couple years ago during the Olympic season, but it didn't get posted because first-time posts with a link get reviewed right away. I'm shy so then I didn't try to post again, but obviously I'm very long-winded, so since I lose my shyness after first posting on message boards, I think the members get tired of me because of my long post, so just warning you all
Anyways I wasn't thinking of Porcupine Tree song for skating to so much as I just really like them , they very Pink Floyd-esque.
Glad you enjoyed Kevin's ACDC. Really wish he'd been able to do it justice when he had it as a competitive program, and I'd really like to see him try something like that again. As you may know, Vancouver and Seattle have a hard rock, punk, and grunge tradition that runs deep, and Kevin surely knows it well. Would like to see him take on some Queensryche or even the Payola$ ["Stranger to Danger"].
And I think we are on the same wavelength in terms of our definition of rock...A great deal of the 'soft rock' or top 40 pieces mentioned don't really make me think rock.
Hope the Boys-Eddy siblings carry on with using rock for at least one of their programs. Pairs is a challenge for siblings who can't go for the romantic theme so it seems smart to go for something very different. And their springy entry into the 3Tw3 actually works with an edgy rock beat, which I don't find it does when they try more lyrical things. Will be interesting to see how it plays on the junior grand prix circuit.
By the way congratulations of your first post OkSasha Lu....
The mods encourage us to post long and post often....so don't regret a long post. Please don't wait another 7 years for post #2!
Friendly hint...most of us find the long posts easier to track if they are broken up with a fair bit of white space. Depending on the device, big block of text can be a challenge to read through...
I just keep making new paragraphs....even if they are one sentence long...
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I think James/Cipres Free Skate this year to the sound of silence by Disturbed is great music wise (even if it is a cover of Simon and Garfunkel).
Glad you enjoyed Kevin's ACDC. Really wish he'd been able to do it justice when he had it as a competitive program, and I'd really like to see him try something like that again. As you may know, Vancouver and Seattle have a hard rock, punk, and grunge tradition that runs deep, and Kevin surely knows it well. Would like to see him take on some Queensryche or even the Payola$ ["Stranger to Danger"].
And I think we are on the same wavelength in terms of our definition of rock...A great deal of the 'soft rock' or top 40 pieces mentioned don't really make me think rock.
Hope the Boys-Eddy siblings carry on with using rock for at least one of their programs. Pairs is a challenge for siblings who can't go for the romantic theme so it seems smart to go for something very different. And their springy entry into the 3Tw3 actually works with an edgy rock beat, which I don't find it does when they try more lyrical things. Will be interesting to see how it plays on the junior grand prix circuit.
By the way congratulations of your first post OkSasha Lu....
The mods encourage us to post long and post often....so don't regret a long post. Please don't wait another 17 years for post #2!
Friendly hint...most of us find the long posts easier to track if they are broken up with a fair bit of white space. Depending on the device, big block of text can be a challenge to read through...
Thank you for the advice... I try not to do the "block" thing, but I just seem to get verbal diarrhea sometimes and keep the same/related ideas together, you know what I mean?
The advice is appreciated though, most of the time I'm on a computer with a fairly big monitor, I'm not fond of phones or even my Kindle Fire, so I forget about reading webpages that way, though I do read this forum on there sometimes.
Really enjoying this thread and finding some different bands, forum members have great taste!
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Yes, Elladj Balde is also using the song. The use of the song originated with last years US Stars on Ice tour and then the Canadian one after it, where it was a program for the 3 male singles skaters(Bradley, Abbott, Rippon in US, and then Buttle, Chan and Stojko in the Canadian version).
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I might as well go all out and talk about me and my hubs fave progressive rock band of recent years Porcupine Tree, we've been obsessed with their song "Even Less" for a few years, but I'm not gonna post a link because since this is my first post, I tried to post a link a couple years ago during the Olympic season, but it didn't get posted because first-time posts with a link get reviewed right away. I'm shy so then I didn't try to post again, but obviously I'm very long-winded, so since I lose my shyness after first posting on message boards, I think the members get tired of me because of my long post, so just warning you all
Anyways I wasn't thinking of Porcupine Tree song for skating to so much as I just really like them , they very Pink Floyd-esque.
Wow, you and your husband rock!!!
I can't believe there's another Porcupine Tree fan on the forum! 
They're my undisputed all time favourite band! (Username is giving it away, if you're familiar with them. ) Well, I'm actually a certified Steven Wilson nerd to be more precise. The man is just so versatile and a downright musical genius. Would never miss a concert when he's playing in my area (and have also been travelling for his gigs). "Even less" is a great track! There are so many gems, but the PT song I keep coming back to the most is "Buying new Soul" from Recordings: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J9TsuT_AnIw
What's your favourite album? I'm still deeply in love with "Fear of a blank planet", "Deadwing", "Lightbulb Sun" and "Up the Downstair" - all brilliant in their vastly different eclectic ways!
I think there might be some skateable music in Steven's backcatalogue, though it would be impossible to condense the proggy stuff down to 4-4:30 minutes and most of the heavier songs are probably just a tad bit too edgy. But some of PT's lighter rock tracks could work quite well. Maybe an edited version of "Trains"?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0UHwkfhwjsk
Oh, and please don't be shy to post more frequently from now on! There are people, who enjoy reading in depth opinions. (I certainly do)
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Wow, you and your husband rock!!!
"Even less" is a great track! There are so many gems, but the PT song I keep coming back to the most is "Buying new Soul" from Recordings: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J9TsuT_AnIw
What's your favourite album? I'm still deeply in love with "Fear of a blank planet", "Deadwing", "Lightbulb Sun" and "Up the Downstair" - all brilliant in their vastly different eclectic ways!
I think there might be some skateable music in Steven's backcatalogue, though it would be impossible to condense the proggy stuff down to 4-4:30 minutes and most of the heavier songs are probably just a tad bit too edgy. But some of PT's lighter rock tracks could work quite well. Maybe an edited version of "Trains"?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0UHwkfhwjsk
Oh, and please don't be shy to post more frequently from now on! There are people, who enjoy reading in depth opinions. (I certainly do)
Oh wow, I thought I'd be telling people here about an awesome but not necessarily well-known band, but you're teaching me!
Due to many years of really bad luck with our health (first me and now currently the hubs) we haven't really been able to buy alot of music, so surprisingly we don't have alot of their albums, but thankfully anyone now can hunt stuff down on YouTube and listen there, although the quality isn't as great for playing on our stereo.
I'd have to say I'm predictable and like the Stupid Dream album the most just because that has Even Less, which to me is a absolute masterpiece up there with Pink Floyd level, and it really opened my eyes to how great this band is. I looked your username up, that is from one of the albums we don't have, but I vaguely remember hearing it back in the day, looking their stuff up when we first discovered them. Excellent song.
So in keeping with trying not to hijack the thread,
: , "Trains" I could see being done by a more artistically introspective skater with great skills, like a Jeremy Abbot or possibly Patrick Chan? I do think their music would be hard to package into a certain time-span program, although the depth of the lyrics could provide for an unusual program thematically.You've inspired me to listen to the PT albums I have just to figure out if any songs might be usable by skaters. That will be enjoyable job
When thinking about music made by hard rock/metal bands that could be skated to, I find I tend to think the ballads would work better. Alter Bridge's "Watch Over You" is more of a power ballad, with a stunningly beautiful vocal performance with an amazing crescendo, that I think would work great for exhibition performance by ice dance or pairs team, maybe?
Queensryche's hauntingly beautiful "Silent Lucidity" is really a lullaby/ballad, I'm actually thinking maybe someone has skated to it in the past, I'd be surprised actually if no one has, will have to look that one up...
Joe Satriani's "Flying in a Blue Dream" I always thought would be an awesome skating program, it has this amazing flow and gently persistent rhythm to it, it always makes me feel so zen, like I'm visualizing an out-of-body experience, very spiritual. I could see a Canadian skater or coach packaging that into a program, since they seem to like their one-long-guitar-solo songs up there. And of course costumed in a deep, striking blue color
Within Temptation's "Whole World is Watching" just screams skating exhibition program for an Olympic year, when literally the whole world is watching, I imagine an ice dance team that is suited to more theatrical, otp expression, maybe Chock and Bates?
Lastly, Saga's "(Goodbye) Once Upon a Time" would be a really great prog piano piece for maybe a team who knows they're in their last competition season. Would have to be cut down a bit for time though. I better cut this short, I could go on forever...
ETA: Forgot to mention Lacuna Coil's "Aeon" mixed with "Comalies," just because when Christina Scabbia sings in Italian it just sounds so sensual and this band is best when it's her singing, with less male vocals, would be great for a dance/pair couple... I said earlier I could go on forever and I wasn't lying
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I don't know what this song qualifies as, however..............I would love to see Alexa and Chris skate to "Woman In Chains" By Tears For Fears and Oleta Adams.
Woman In Chains. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QzkK3ZtI9SU
Woman In Chains. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QzkK3ZtI9SU
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I've skated to "Silent Lucidity" in the past. :agree2:Oh wow, I thought I'd be telling people here about an awesome but not necessarily well-known band, but you're teaching me!
Due to many years of really bad luck with our health (first me and now currently the hubs) we haven't really been able to buy alot of music, so surprisingly we don't have alot of their albums, but thankfully anyone now can hunt stuff down on YouTube and listen there, although the quality isn't as great for playing on our stereo.
I'd have to say I'm predictable and like the Stupid Dream album the most just because that has Even Less, which to me is a absolute masterpiece up there with Pink Floyd level, and it really opened my eyes to how great this band is. I looked your username up, that is from one of the albums we don't have, but I vaguely remember hearing it back in the day, looking their stuff up when we first discovered them. Excellent song.
So in keeping with trying not to hijack the thread,
You've inspired me to listen to the PT albums I have just to figure out if any songs might be usable by skaters. That will be enjoyable job
When thinking about music made by hard rock/metal bands that could be skated to, I find I tend to think the ballads would work better. Alter Bridge's "Watch Over You" is more of a power ballad, with a stunningly beautiful vocal performance with an amazing crescendo, that I think would work great for exhibition performance by ice dance or pairs team, maybe?
Queensryche's hauntingly beautiful "Silent Lucidity" is really a lullaby/ballad, I'm actually thinking maybe someone has skated to it in the past, I'd be surprised actually if no one has, will have to look that one up...
Joe Satriani's "Flying in a Blue Dream" I always thought would be an awesome skating program, it has this amazing flow and gently persistent rhythm to it, it always makes me feel so zen, like I'm visualizing an out-of-body experience, very spiritual. I could see a Canadian skater or coach packaging that into a program, since they seem to like their one-long-guitar-solo songs up there. And of course costumed in a deep, striking blue color
Within Temptation's "Whole World is Watching" just screams skating exhibition program for an Olympic year, when literally the whole world is watching, I imagine an ice dance team that is suited to more theatrical, otp expression, maybe Chock and Bates?
Lastly, Saga's "(Goodbye) Once Upon a Time" would be a really great prog piano piece for maybe a team who knows they're in their last competition season. Would have to be cut down a bit for time though. I better cut this short, I could go on forever...
ETA: Forgot to mention Lacuna Coil's "Aeon" mixed with "Comalies," just because when Christina Scabbia sings in Italian it just sounds so sensual and this band is best when it's her singing, with less male vocals, would be great for a dance/pair couple... I said earlier I could go on forever and I wasn't lying
I've always wanted Davis and White or Virtue/Moir to skate to this. Another dance team that could pull it off is Sorensen/Fournier-Beaudry.
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I've skated to "Silent Lucidity" in the past. :agree2:
I've always wanted Davis and White or Virtue/Moir to skate to this. Another dance team that could pull it off is Sorensen/Fournier-Beaudry.
Ic3Rabbit.......I can't tell you happy it makes me that you even recognize this song. Most people don't remember that far back. Being a Military Brat, I fell in love with the song "Get Here" which was sung by Oleta Adams.
Do any of you think that "Get Here" would work for a brother and sister team like the Shibs or Parsons and Parsons. I know it must be so difficult for a Brother and Sister team to find music and I actually sang this song while my Sister Caroline danced to it in a tribute to my late father. Get here, By Oleta Adams:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XWIGu6-r67Y
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While we're at it. I have always wanted to see a pairs team skate to this song by Firehouse "Hold the Dream"
This would have been perfect for Hough/Ladret back in the day.
More recently when Castelli/Shnapir were together it would have rocked.
Now I can envision either Kayne/O'Shea or Denney/Frazier.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c0kieUkGbvE
This would have been perfect for Hough/Ladret back in the day.
More recently when Castelli/Shnapir were together it would have rocked.
Now I can envision either Kayne/O'Shea or Denney/Frazier.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c0kieUkGbvE
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That is one of my songs! I actually used to sing it in vocal lessons and I've skated to it.
IDK about brother sister team skating to that, because I've always associated it as a romantic song. If you want to talk to me about songs like this PM me, these aren't really considered the genre of the topic at hand.
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Rock and metal are my absolute comfort zone!!!!!! I would be delighted to see and hear more Zeppelin routines so hats off to Carolina for her brave and avant garde choice of Bonzo's Montreux, which is one that wouldn't have been top of my suspect list for a skating routine.
If I had to pick a classic rock tune that would be ideal for a skating routine, I think Dream On by Aerosmith would be incredible. It's epic and sweeping and with plenty of highs for a skater to punctuate with a jump or flourish. I'd also love if someone skated to any of the rock covers done on Spanish guitar by Rodrigo y Gabriela - they're incredible.
I'd also love to see a skater leave a comfort zone and go to rock for inspiration. For example, I'd love to see my Elena tear herself away from predictable and dog-awful ballads or warhorses and go for something nobody would expect. Somebody with little to lose and seeking a new direction could do well to choose the rock route.
If I had to pick a classic rock tune that would be ideal for a skating routine, I think Dream On by Aerosmith would be incredible. It's epic and sweeping and with plenty of highs for a skater to punctuate with a jump or flourish. I'd also love if someone skated to any of the rock covers done on Spanish guitar by Rodrigo y Gabriela - they're incredible.
I'd also love to see a skater leave a comfort zone and go to rock for inspiration. For example, I'd love to see my Elena tear herself away from predictable and dog-awful ballads or warhorses and go for something nobody would expect. Somebody with little to lose and seeking a new direction could do well to choose the rock route.
Picturing twizzles to the sound of the last "dream on" screams... glorious.
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Paging Mr. and Ms. Shibutani...
