A new installment in No Echo’s Comedy x Hardcore series. Stepped up the metal with Peter Angelo. A true force for extreme music and comedy. I was referred to Pete by Gene Meyer in our conversation that appeared on No Echo. I do follow Pete and I am a metalhead. I love all the bands he suggests in his promo videos and he even does a bit on Sanguisugabogg!
I asked Metal Pete some questions about the frontiers of metal music and comedy.
Thank you for taking the time to speak with No Echo. I know you are cool because your t-shirt catalog is top-notch. Who are your influences in comedy?
Thanks for reaching out always happy to talk comedy and metal. I always try to sport only the best in metal. Comedy I really fell in love with through Lewis Black, I was a massive fan but as much as I loved guys like him and carlin I didn’t see myself in them.
When I discovered Brian Posehn it was a big deal to me because for one obviously a metalhead but I really appreciated how he wasn’t afraid to let people know. He wore that like a badge of honor and he liked legit heavy shit, you’ll find plenty of old dudes especially in comedy who are shaking their first about liking real metal but then listen to corny shit.
Kyle Kinane is also one of my absolute favorites, someone I look up to because he seems to be carving a path completely his own and he also has that love of punk and metal, even playing GWAR’s lawyer for a two minutes to late night sketch.
What have you been listening to lately?
As far as what I’m listening to right now Gatecreeper have been in such heavy rotation for me honestly for the last few years, they are so good. The recent Malevolence album really blew me away and I've been loving Big Ass Truck. I'll try to not just ramble a list of bands cause I want to so bad whenever asked this kind of question.
I love Slayer always no matter what is going on in my life and I have tattoos for Cancer Bats, Municipal Waste, and Lemmy so they are always staples in my rotation. I love making posts for new stuff I'm discovering or new albums dropping so the list is always growing and I hope it helps other people discover new bands.
Are metalheads a tough crowd to get to laugh or are they pretty receptive?
I think overall metalheads are pretty receptive, sure we all like to be more brutal and what not but the majority of us are here to have a good time and I think understand the inherent ridiculousness of the genre.
I have had plenty of metalheads as well as bands reach out to me saying they enjoy my stuff. Though id say some sub genres are a bit harder to crack than others, like I bet a crowd of nothing but black metal fans are not gonna be giggling as much as a thrash crowd.
Do you have plans on shooting a special or do you have one out anywhere?
No şet plans to film just yet, I have a good amount of clips I post usually just small sections of jokes. My big goal is to tour and really craft a longer set so that I can hopefully shoot one possibly in the next year or two.
I’m not really in a rush to do it, I know a lot of comics think oh I have to have a special out but like I feel like it should feel special not just another set you filmed.
You do more than comedy. What are some of your other endeavors that you have?
I dabble a bit in pro wrestling, a few matches here and there including a recent no ring match in Austin held by Circle 6 promotion. If you like wild shows highly recommend checking them out. I'm also an avid sumo wrestling fan, watch the tournaments every other month and even train a bit in Austin.
I'll be having my first tournament at the end of August. I was doing strongman competitions for a bit, even though I still love lifting I don’t have plans to compete anytime soon. I've always been a pretty active and athletic guy I just like doing more out there activities.
Navigating gay life in blue collar settings, you seem to be a lighthouse in this kind of situation. Do you feel like an advocate for similar individuals?
I never intended to be when I started this or when I came out but the response I've received from people who feel like they see some level of representation in me has really been something that feels really special. I never try to diminish other forms of queer representation. I think its all good.
I just want to show another side to it. Like if there's a young queer person whose getting into heavy metal it might feel intimidating that they might not belong, I want it to be seen that hey I’m there so it is ok, you can feel safe and feel like you belong. Same with blue collar work, it's so driven by this ultra masculine mentally I want to shine a light that even if you’re queer you can handle this kind of work and not let it create some kind of internalized homophobia.
What was the worst night you had on stage? What was your best night like?
I would say my worst night on stage I didn’t know was my worst night until a few days later. I went to open for a friend who was headlining a show in upstate New York, like near the border of Canada. I genuinely thought I had a good set, nothing like mind blowing but it was a longer set than I had been getting to do so I was happy.
Next day, my friend called me saying the person running the show called the booker furious, that they never want me up in that area to perform ever again, I should be banned, that all I did was vulgar gay jokes the whole time, which I didn’t but some people like to focus on just the stuff they don’t like. As far as best goes a few come to mind but one that really sticks out is opening for Brad Williams on two sold out shows.
His crowd didn’t know me at all I went up first and its a fairly conservative crowd yet I was able to win them over and when people were waiting in line to meet him they would come up to me ask me for pictures and I was really blown away by the response.
On top of that, Brad was amazing to work with, not only just an incredible comedian he really enjoyed my set and told me how unique it was, and for someone whose been around as long as he has in comedy that meant a lot.
Who are some comedians in the extreme music world that we should look out for?
I know my buddy Gene Meyer is someone you guys have talked to and he mentioned some mutual friends such as Neil Rubenstein, Luke Severeid, Ian Fidance, Ryan Shaner, all killer comics. Some other guys I really think people should check out all very funny, my good bud Mike Gray out of Maine, we hung out for a week in Austin together just slamming bud lights and talking metal, Brandon Battick out of Massachusetts who has great metal podcast called Disturbing the Priest.
Danya Trommer is a good friend of mine who I bonded with over a love of Fuming Mouth. BK Sharad who I met when a mutual friend booked us on a show together cause we had the same power trip shirt. Nick Delorenzo out of Richmond just shot his special and he used to be a metal vocalist and we constantly text each other about new albums or bands we are listening to.
Are there any projects in the future you would like to mention?
I'm currently working on a web series that I’m going to be releasing the first episode soon called Masc2Masc where I interview fellow queer people who had to navigate non queer friendly spaces be it in metal, wrestling, sports, fitness, or blue collar work and succeeded without losing who they were.
***
Follow Peter Angelo on Instagram, and hit his Linktree to find his social media and upcoming appearances, and look out for another installment of our Comedy x Hardcore series.
Tagged: comedy, comedy x hardcore, peter angelo
