methods

The study used a purposive sampling strategy (Patton, 2015) to recruit seven self-identified long-term extreme metal attendees aged 60–75, with at least 20 years of festival attendance. Recruitment took place through an online survey distributed via festival forums, social media groups and personal connections. Data came from semi-structured, life-history-informed interviews (Denzin & Lincoln, 2003): two were conducted face-to-face at a Norwegian extreme metal festival in August 2024, alongside festival observation, and five were conducted via Zoom between August and October 2024. Interviews lasted 30–45 minutes, were audio-recorded with informed consent and transcribed verbatim. Analysis followed recursive thematic analysis (Braun & Clarke, 2006; Saldaña, 2012), beginning with In Vivo coding, then focused coding organised around the domain, community and practice dimensions (Wenger, 1999), with inductive attention to age-based gatekeeping and intergenerational mentorship. Collaborative analysis sessions supported trustworthiness (Cornish et al., 2014).

Photo taken during interview at an outside cafe at the Beyond the Gates Festival 2024 in Bergen, Norway