The Headbanger’s Society at the University of Lethbridge was spawned in April 2009, and it was all because a metal band asked the right person to help find them a gig. About a year ago, Datura, a progressive metal band from Nelson, B.C, approached Calvin Shiu, who is now the president and one of the founders of the Society, in hopes of setting up a show in Lethbridge.

“I was more than happy to help out, but as I went out to look for venues, I started to realize how bad metalheads are being stereotyped as bar-wreckers, delinquents and troublemakers, and there were literally no outlets for metal shows. So ‘the hell with it’ I said, we are starting a metal club,” says Shiu.

Some sleuthing around the Internet reveals that the Headbanger’s Society at the U of L is not the only “heavy metal club” to have been created at a University. For example, the University of Alberta in Edmonton has the Heavy Metal on Campus Club. However, the Headbanger’s Society seems to be unique in the fact that one of its main goals is to put on metal shows.

Shiu claims having a club dedicated to metal and not putting on shows would be “just like having a sex club without orgies.”

On a more serious note, Shiu takes the explanation further saying, “The essence of the metal experience is to experience it live and we want to allow our members the opportunity to have as thorough an experience as possible.”

The current executives are the original founders of the Society. The man in charge is Shiu, who is also a guitarist for the death metal band Pathogen. The Vice President Andrew Tedder has a long history in metal and progressive music, and currently plays bass in the up-and-coming power-death-black-prog metal act Jesus and the Superfriends. The Communicator for the Headbanger’s Society, is Scott Whitney. Whitney is the host of Adrenaline Rush, a speed metal/punk radio show on the campus community radio station CKXU 88.3 FM, and does shout outs for the society’s concerts on and off air, and is in charge of security during concerts. Cameron Gorrie is the executive concert/club poster designer and a multimedia major. And if you are ever in Lethbridge and a big truck drives by blasting Korpiklaani or TYR, you’ve most likely encountered Michael Hudson, the Treasurer. This team works hard to get their local metal community their dose of live metal, but is careful about not overdoing it.

“We realize that while Lethbridge does have a dedicated metal crowd, two metal shows per month is a healthy number with regard to the numbers of local metal supporters in order to have a decent enough turnout that we, as the promoter, don’t lose money. Simply put, we can’t operate a seven days a week Chinese buffet; people simply would lose their interest and hype, hence the reason why we have to shut down many bands that have approached us,” Shui explains, before filling us in on the more detailed aspects of the Headbanger’s Society.

What did you have to do to bring the club to life?

We had a meeting at the University pub with our close friends and discussed our ambition and the work involved with the aid of a few jugs of Honey Brown. We agreed on the executive positions and went on to start the club through the Student Union, applied for a couple of grants, set up a table to recruit members and did a bottle drive. Within the first month of formation, we recruited over 100 members and hosted the first metal concert on campus since who knows when with Datura and local bands Psycomantium and Whore-Axe. It was so wicked that we were all stoked to put on metal shows regularly from then on.

Why do you have free membership for your club?

Our club’s purpose is not to make money, but to entertain ourselves with awesome live bands. Since we have been able to break even for all of our shows so far, we don’t find it necessary to add any more financial burden to students already having to survive on Kraft Dinner and Lucky Lager.

What percent of your members are students?

We have close to 300 members and about 70 per cent are students; others are mostly Satan worshipers from around Lethbridge. Our members also include bands, promoters and metal lovers from all over Canada.

How does someone get information about the club and obtain a membership?

We mainly communicate with members through our Facebook group and MySpace page. They are the most convenient ways, since all college students have “Facecrack” accounts. At the start of each semester, all the clubs set up booths with fancy displays to recruit new members. But we really are just there to sit across from the Pro Life Club and other religious groups’ booths to display our God Hates Us All and Cannibal Corpse: The Bleeding flags.

Where do you get funding for the club?

We make small amounts of money from the shows after paying out the sound guy, the promoting costs and the bands. We tried bottle driving; it was time consuming but rewarding. We apply for all club grants that are available to us through the Student Union and we have a top hat for donations at our concerts (epic fail so far).

Does the university provide you with club space?

We could apply for one, but there’s no need. Besides which, any other space claims would only serve to weaken our claim to the concert space.

How much support does the U of L provide for the club?

All the clubs at the University are entitled to use the University ballrooms for free. It has a capacity of over 400 people, with a separate bar right next door, so we have been hosting most of our shows there. The people in charge of the Student Union club operations have been extremely helpful in helping us out. And all the clubs are eligible to apply for a one-time start up grant of $200 and a matching grant for functions of $200 each semester. The campus paper also offers us discounts for ads and space for our metal propagandas.

Are you planning on running for an executive position again?

It would appear that we don’t have a choice. I think the members know how much work, time and dedication we put in, and no one has applied to run for any executive positions yet. Despite the hurdles we have to overcome with each concert, I’ve had a great time meeting all the new people during the process, the musicians, the new members and supporters, folks from Lethbridge.

Do you try and showcase local Lethbridge bands at every show?

Giving a chance for local talents to shine on the stage is a big part of our goal. We usually have an out of town headliner, and two or three local acts as openers.

Do you hold any events other than metal shows?

We have been putting our limited resources into organizing concerts. We originally had the vision of organizing road trips (kegger busses) to Calgary for metal shows, but I’ve found the liabilities involved are too great, and it’s tough to find a show that everyone would be stoked on. We do have plenty of gatherings in the form of house parties and hallway conversations about how much Nickelback rules.

Why should someone join the Headbanger’s Society?

Because we can pummel their ear pussies till they bleed and make their necks suffer for days after with the awesome bands that we bring to this dull, windy city that is so full of churches and generic bars. Please look for our group page on Facebook under The U of L Headbangers Society and support out cause!

The next metal offering from the University of Lethbridge Headbanger’s Society is Friday, February 26, featuring Edmonton headliners The Order of Chaos, along with fellow Pathogen, Enceladus and Embodied Deception.