Wizard rock | |
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Stylistic origins |
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Cultural origins | Early 2000s, United States |
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Wizard rock (or Wrock) is an evolving type of novelty rock music and filk music themed around the Harry Potter franchise. The music was largely prevalent in the United States in the early 2000s. [1] [2] Wizard rock initially started in Massachusetts with Harry and the Potters, though it has grown internationally. [3] [4]
Leading bands in this genre include Harry and the Potters and Draco and the Malfoys. [5] Although most listeners of the genre are fans of Harry Potter, some bands have attracted listeners outside of the books' fanbase. [6] Wizard rock songs are often written from the point of view of a particular character in the books, usually the character who features in the band's name. In contrast to mainstream bands that have some songs incorporating literary references among a wider repertoire of music (notably Led Zeppelin to The Lord of the Rings ), [7] wizard rock bands take their inspiration entirely from the Harry Potter universe. [8] When performing live, wizard rock bands often cosplay, or dress as, characters from the novels. [8] Some bands perform at fan conventions. [9]
The earliest Harry Potter-themed song is conventionally traced to 2000 when the Los Angeles-based pop-punk band Switchblade Kittens released an "Ode to Harry" from the perspective of Ginny Weasley. [11] [12] Harry and the Potters originated the Harry Potter-themed band, which became the genesis of a fandom-centered genre of music called wizard rock. [11] [13] As Harry and the Potters increased in popularity, other wizard rock bands emerged. Brian Ross and Bradley Mehlenbacher originally conceived Draco and the Malfoys as a parody of Harry and the Potters performing at a local house party. In April 2005, Matt Maggiacomo invited Harry and the Potters to play at an all-Harry Potter show at his Rhode Island home. That night, Maggiacomo made his debut as The Whomping Willows, and his friends, Mehlenbacher and his brother, Brian Ross, played for the first time as Draco and the Malfoys. [14] [3] [15]
There were also festivals focused on the genre such as Wrockstock, which was first held in 2007 in the United States [10] [16] and ended in 2013 after six editions.
In 2015, Mexican band Velvet Darkness released the song "Death Eaters" as part of their debut EP Delusion. It was later re-recorded in 2018 as a bonus track for their debut LP Nothing but Glory, and a music video for the song was released in 2019 with a live recording of it. [17] "Death Eaters" has led the band to play at several Harry Potter-themed events, playing both their songs and heavy metal covers of the movies' soundtracks.
As of 2021, there remains a small but active wizard rock scene. Notable events include the Wrock from Home and O.W.L. Fest online music festivals; [18] the annual Wizard Rock Sampler compilation series; [19] and websites such as Wizrocklopedia and the Facebook group "Wizard Rock Revival" see much activity, with dozens of active musical acts and thousands of fans. Bandcamp currently features many wizard rock releases from past and current bands. [20]
Draco Lucius Malfoy is a fictional character and a major antagonist in J. K. Rowling's Harry Potter series. He is a student in Harry Potter's year belonging in the Slytherin house. He is frequently accompanied by his two cronies, Vincent Crabbe and Gregory Goyle, who act as henchmen. Draco is characterised as a cowardly bully who tricks and hurts people to get what he wants; he is also a cunning user of magic. He was played by Tom Felton in the Harry Potter film series.
Lord Voldemort is a fictional character and the main antagonist in the Harry Potter series of novels by J. K. Rowling. He first appears in Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (1997) and returns either in person or in flashbacks in each novel in the series except the third, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, in which he is only mentioned.
The Harry Potter universe contains numerous settings for the events in the novels, films and other media. These locations are divided into four categories: Residences, Education, Commerce, and Government.
Harry James Potter is a fictional character in the Harry Potter series of novels by J. K. Rowling. The plot of the seven-book series chronicles seven years in the life of the orphan Harry, who, on his eleventh birthday, learns he is a wizard. He attends Hogwarts, a school of magic, where he receives guidance from the headmaster Albus Dumbledore and becomes friends with Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger. Harry learns that during his infancy, the Dark wizard Lord Voldemort murdered his parents but was unable to kill him as well. The plot of the series revolves around Harry's struggle to adapt to the wizarding world and defeat Voldemort.
The following is a list of magical objects that appear in the Harry Potter novels and film adaptations.
The Harry Potter fandom is the community of fans of the Harry Potter books and films who participate in entertainment activities that revolve around the series, such as reading and writing fan fiction, creating and soliciting fan art, engaging in role-playing games, socialising on Harry Potter-based forums, and more. The fandom interacts online as well as offline through activities such as fan conventions, participating in cosplay, tours of iconic landmarks relevant to the books and production of the films, and parties held for the midnight release of each book and film.
Harry Potter is a series of seven fantasy novels written by British author J. K. Rowling. The novels chronicle the lives of a young wizard, Harry Potter, and his friends, Hermione Granger and Ron Weasley, all of whom are students at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. The main story arc concerns Harry's conflict with Lord Voldemort, a dark wizard who intends to become immortal, overthrow the wizard governing body known as the Ministry of Magic, and subjugate all wizards and Muggles.
Harry Potter is a series of fantasy novels by J. K. Rowling.
Harry and the Potters are an American rock band known for spawning the genre of wizard rock. Founded in Norwood, Massachusetts, in 2002, the group is primarily composed of brothers Joe and Paul DeGeorge, both of whom perform under the persona of the title character from the Harry Potter book series. Harry and the Potters are known for their elaborate live performances, and have developed a cult following within the Harry Potter fandom.
Harry and the Potters is the eponymous debut studio album by indie rock band Harry and the Potters, released in June 2003. The album was inspired by the first four novels in the Harry Potter book series.
Draco and the Malfoys are a wizard rock band founded in Woonsocket, Rhode Island in 2004. The group is composed of half-brothers Brian Ross and Bradley Mehlenbacher, who both perform under the persona of Draco Malfoy from the Harry Potter book series.
Harry and the Potters and the Power of Love, or Power of Love, is the third studio album by indie rock band Harry and the Potters, released on July 4, 2006. The album was primarily inspired by the sixth novel in the Harry Potter book series.
There are many published theories about the politics of the Harry Potter novels by J. K. Rowling, which range from them containing criticism of racism to anti-government sentiment. The books have been argued to contain both liberal and conservative themes and viewpoints. According to Inside Higher Ed, doctoral theses have been devoted to the Harry Potter books. There are also several university courses centred on analysis of the Potter series, including an upper division political science course.
Harry and the Potters are an American wizard rock band formed in Norwood, Massachusetts in 2002 by brothers Joe and Paul DeGeorge. They have released three studio albums, three singles, three extended plays, four other albums, five miscellaneous releases and two side projects. All material has been released by the independent record label Eskimo Laboratories which the duo founded.
Harry, A History: The True Story of a Boy Wizard, His Fans, and Life Inside the Harry Potter Phenomenon is a non-fiction book authored by Melissa Anelli, the webmistress of the popular Harry Potter fansite, The Leaky Cauldron. The book, which includes a foreword by J.K. Rowling, was published on November 4, 2008. It chronicles the rise of the Harry Potter series and its impact on popular culture, detailing the publication history, the development of the online fan community, and the broader cultural phenomenon surrounding the series. Anelli, having been deeply involved in the Harry Potter fandom, provides an insider's perspective on the events and experiences that shaped the community during the height of the series' popularity.
Geek rock is a musical subgenre derived from pop rock and alternative rock within the nerd music group. It is characterized by the standard instruments of rock music often combined with electronic and unusual instruments, references to geek culture and specialized yet mundane interests, whimsy, and offbeat humor in general.
Harry Potter and the Cursed Child is a play written by Jack Thorne from an original story by Thorne, J. K. Rowling and John Tiffany. The plot occurs nineteen years after the events of Rowling's novel Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. It follows Albus Severus Potter, the son of Harry Potter, who is now Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement at the Ministry of Magic. When Albus arrives at Hogwarts, he gets sorted into Slytherin, and fails to live up to his father's legacy, making him resentful of his father. Rowling has referred to the play as "the eighth Harry Potter story".
Lumos is the fourth studio album by indie rock band Harry and the Potters, released on June 21, 2019. The album is composed of songs inspired by the seventh novel in the Harry Potter book series.
Bellatrix Lestrange (née Black) is a fictional character in the Harry Potter book series written by J. K. Rowling. She evolved from an unnamed peripheral character in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire into a major antagonist in subsequent novels. In the final installment of the story, Rowling established her as Lord Voldemort's "last, best lieutenant". Bellatrix was the first female Death Eater introduced in the books. Bellatrix had a fanatic obsession with the Dark Lord although she was clearly fearful of his magical abilities and absolute power over his forces. She is almost as sadistic and homicidal as Lord Voldemort, with a psychotic personality.