Hell Bent For Metal's second Knotfest special, and their third overall, is a different format to the previous ones. While they were massively expanded, in-depth versions of the regular Camp Classic feature from the main show, this is essentially the inverse of the main show – the mirror image, if you will.
The Hate Crew Gaybar is for discussions of classic albums not new ones, the Camp Classics are actual camp classics, and then there's a bunch of stuff which just wouldn't fit in the main show at all, but is directly relevant.
In the first in a running series on our queer heroes, Matt talks about his admiration for Panic! At The Disco mastermind Brendon Urie. And while Matt's love of Brendon's music is part of this, it's much wider than that, encompassing both creating an atmosphere at shows where queer folk feel welcome, Brendon's attitude to sexuality and the way he's expressed his own, and his openness in discussing mental health.
The first pop Camp Classic is "Atomic" by Blondie, which seems obvious (because it's "Atomic" by Blondie, of course it's a camp classic), but it turns out has some rather more deep and meaningful reasons why it fits our definition than that.
It recalls a cult British gay TV show that had a massive impact on one of the hosts, and has increased in importance as the distance to that show has grown. Which is also an excuse to recall a… "memorable" scene involving two then relatively unknown actors who've since gone on to be massive stars.
And naturally, because it's HBFM, along with the thought-provoking, heartfelt reasons, there's some much more juvenile ones too.
The Hate Crew Gaybar jukebox has long been boasted as already featuring all the classic albums, so these specials will be used as a chance to prove it, by discussing exactly what these records are and why. The first classic album revealed to be in there already is 'Death Cult Armageddon', the 2003 symphonic black metal classic by Dimmu Borgir. It's a chance to celebrate the bombast, the pomp, the glorious campness, and the vicious blasting fury of an album so catchy it ended up having two songs feature in a trailer for a Hollywood blockbuster.
(And yes of course that's Tom's nomination. So expect some exceptionally dodgy black metal vocals to snicker at.)
