From Metal To Horror Rap, Pop's Most Shocking Stage Artists

Ever since the rise of rock and roll, some of the best underground music has also been some of the most shocking when performed live. In fact, many of the most distinctive underground music performers became true pop stars on the strength of their shocking live performances.

From Alice Cooper to Insane Clown Posse, the overall world of pop has been full of some jaw-dropping stage shows. Here are some of the most outrageous performers who have come out of underground music worlds.

Alice Cooper: Cooper was one of the original shock-rockers, whose wild ways would go on to influence underground music followers as diverse as metal bands and horror rap acts like Insane Clown Posse. Cooper's been hanged onstage, danced with monsters, and been tormented by freaky, sexy nurses. And he's still up to it in his 60s!

Marilyn Manson: Though he started in underground music scenes, Manson gained total fame -- and infamy -- based on his shows. Live Manson concerts involve simulated nudity, profanity galore, and even subverted fascist imagery. Although it provokes knee-jerk reactions, critical thinking reveals deeper meaning behind the shock.

Rammstein: This German underground music favorite doesn't try to apply too much intellectualism to its live show, but it still aims to shock. Their performance fascinations are particularly sexual, full of simulated sodomy and other taboo perversions.

When they're not freaking out the squares with that, they're lighting their instruments on fire, soaking themselves in fake blood, or crowd-surfing in inflatable rafts.

Esham: This Detroit rapper is one of the founders of horror rap, though he doesn't get much credit for this outside of the area's underground music circles. Esham would later be cited as a major influence by later acts like Insane Clown Posse. His own brand of horror rap often blended rock beats with rhymes.

At the same time, he also performed his horror rap with a rock and roll type stage show. For much of his early career in underground music, he flirted openly with Satanic imagery, like so many horror rap artists would do after him. At the time, though, the mere existence of horror rap was shocking, as was Esham's favored unabashedly psychedelic onstage atmosphere and lyrical content.

Insane Clown Posse: Following in Esham's footsteps, Insane Clown Posse took up horror rap ideas with glee. Following with their favored album theme of the "Dark Carnival" mythology, Insane Clown Posse shows have featured murderous clowns, freak shows, and, usually, oceans of Faygo soda. It gets sprayed, shot from waterguns, poured from buckets, or just drop-kicked, bottle and all.

Take a Break From Trading

We all know that a lack of discipline and being unable to control your emotions are the downfall of many a trader. One of the most regular stories I hear is how traders on a great winning streak, then go on and give back all of their profits in a series of losing trades.

Why is this? Well, after a decent winning streak, traders will be on an emotional high, feeling invincible. So what do they do? They go ahead and take more trades, trades that they would not normally take with a clear head. Trades that have not setup correctly for their normal trading rules, trades that are perhaps more risky, trades where they risk more than they should. Sound familiar?

The very nature of trading means that it will stimulate your emotions, both positive and negative, frequently swinging between extreme highs and extreme lows. Understanding how your emotions and subconscious mind work are critical aspects of trading and it is important to at least recognise when your emotions are running high.

The professional trader understands their emotions and understands how not keeping a check on their emotional state can impact trading. The professional trader knows that sometimes it is best to sit the market out.

The amateur trader however, often gets sucked in and lets their emotions rule their trading. The amatuer trader feels they need to always be 'in the market', leading to revenge trading when they are losing, or perhaps refusing to take a loss and widening a stop-loss. When they are winning overtrading and increasing risk and position sizes are a common trait. Of course this usually ends in tears. Sound familiar?

Emotions, if unchecked can lead to some regrettable trading decisions. Ultimately you need to remain disciplined and stick to your trading rules, but of course that is easier siad than done and requires practice and effort.

If you have just had a poor losing streak or a decent winning streak, it is often best to take a break, stay out of the markets and wait until you have your mindset and emotional balance back in check. If you just had a series of losses, do not rush in to try and 'win' it back. Assess what happened, review your trades and see if you made some errors.

If you just made some great profits, so do not rush to give it all back. Your trading plan should tell you what to do if you have a series of losers or if your account is drawndown by a certain percentage. Your trading plan should also tell you what to do after a series of winners. Reviewing your winners is jsut as important as reviewing your losers.

This week I had a great week. Sure there are some setups I am watching and I coudl take some more trades, but it is Friday so I intend to make sure I finish the week off on a good note and that means not giving my profits back. Sometimes not trading is the best trade of the day. I will spend some time reviewing my winners and assessing how I am tracking before I take my next trade.