Metalhead Reacts! Ren - Money Game

[@alantattersall3190]

Ren was asked what were his favourite filming locations and he replied 'the one's with lax security"!

[@helenjarvis7755]

The masks are based on old fashioned money bags Money blinds us? You will probably prefer MG2 lyric video more song structure and a clever video Part 3 is an International award winning masterpiece Maybe not a song to bop to tho

[@scottterres4119]

Reggae and SKA are definitely heavy influences in his music. There's a live version of I Shot the Sheriff/Road to Zion/HipHop (Ren in red suspenders) with The Big Push that incorporates both excellently.

[@Annie_MaycoxMUA]

when you do no2 make sure you watch the lyric video it's amazing

[@jasonremy1627]

This was filmed in a storage space under a pier in Brighton. The rushing sound in the background is the sound of the sea. They actually had to break in to film it. Most of Ren and Sam's early videos were filmed guerilla style.

[@jamestalkington6306]

Some of ren's art i feel has to be consumed as a performance piece insteas of just a song. This being one of them.

[@beverlywest7627]

Ren is part music and part theatre. He is very unique, and I find it very refreshing. He has made me love all over again. No one out there like him.

[@davidhabgood]

Love your comment about "civility and understanding", I think that is a great summary of what Ren wants to promote, nurture, encourage us to reflect and reconnect with this part of our essence.

[@SandraP3796]

Ren is an amazing story teller as well as everything else. The lyric video for number 2 is great and MG3 is a masterpiece. Nice reaction

[@tiamariamunro]

This one took me longer to gel with for some reason so I understand your initial response and appreciate that you are always both honest and open minded Pt2 (lyric video) is more of a 'song' Pt3 is a complete masterpiece 😊

[@-RalphSpencer-]

He always folds his coat before checking out. Self immolation is the most extreme form of protest. "The pursuit of our own wealth lights a flame" Enjoyed your reaction. Subbed

[@Anuta6675]

I didn't notice the coat-folding! 🤦‍♀

[@antiqueinsider]

I think the pauses are used like poetry, when he wants the listener to pay attention to what's just been said!

[@beccasalt8960]

I think the silence is meant to be disconcerting. He's talking about uncomfortable truths and being introspective about our own shortcomings. Definitely a performance more than a music video 🎭 I think the 'mask' is a money bag. When we're in the money game we can be blinded by our money bags

[@MissMeKate]

I think songs like this are almost musical theatre. You have to think of it like listening to the soundtrack from Hamilton or something rather than switching on the radio and finding a catchy pop song. 😊

[@iowahooch]

I think Ren wants you the listener to have all the questions that you have, and for the listener to think hard about all he said. This is more of a performance piece

[@francesdoll4039]

This eas his and Samuel's first one take. Took 183 takes.

[@TheDoctorFlay]

Money Game 1 is a general overview of our relationship with money as a species. Money Game 2 is a lesson in economics. Money Game 3 follows the life of a hypothetical person who values money above all else.

[@sammyd8860]

Many people have different opinions as to what the visuals represent. My take is as follows : Sackman represents the Money Game. Ren is playing the part of a torturer/executioner who intends to take revenge for all the damage the Money Game has done. Ultimately he intends to destroy it. When he draws the eyes on Sackman it is so it can witness its own destruction (as he is about to pour petrol on him). BUT Ren's character has made a mistake - by drawing eyes on the faceless victim, he has humanised it, making it much more difficult to destroy. Sackman's eyes remind the torturer/executioner that he has become as bad as the thing he intended to destroy (i.e. "we're all part of this old Money Game"). So he has no option but to destroy himself ... (I could of course be wrong)

[@sharoncarlisle9453]

This is my interpretation as well.

[@francesdoll4039]

My interpretation ad well. The self immolation at the end brought to mind the Buddhist monk during the Vietnam war who burned himself in protest.

[@brendabromley5528]

Awesome reaction!!I can't wait for P2 & 3🖤. Ren is a self taught talent in all the instruments he plays I have heard that as Ren has no formal music schooling or training he doesn't follow and song rules he does what he wants. I love it as it is what keeps his music original rather than just doing a basic song w/Intro/lyrics chorus/lyrics/outro etc....🎵🎵

[@im2yz4u17]

Money Game series is all about Greed. Ren does have a great deal of music about his life/illness/recovery, but there is much more that is not about his life. The issue is that the personal videos for Ren resonate considerably with fans and those are the one that get recommended. Try 'Losing It', 'What You Want', 'Love Music 1, 2 3 and 4'. 'Animal Flow' is freaking amazing and definitely not about Ren. 'Murderer' video and acoustic version are phenomenal. 'Bittersweet Symphony' is awesome and about English life. 'Illest of our Time' is fun as hell. 'Tale of Jenny and Screech (Full)' is an expose on generational violence, and is a masterpiece of storytelling. So much more.

[@Laurenconblaine]

Never would've found out about this artist if it wasn't you reacting to it

[@jamestalkington6306]

I think the mask represents the faceless masses as the rich and powerful see the people. And toward the end, the man in power, ren's part, is about to burn it all down but when he puts eyes on the mask, and sees him as a person, he realizes what hes done and burns himself instead. Just my take

[@TheDoctorFlay]

Ren grew up listening to rock, folk and reggae so it seeps into his vibe. He is a huge fan of Sting and The Police, so reggae-tinted rock is kinda ingrained

[@ezrasace]

Thank you for your reaction. Ren doesn't put in superfluous visuals in his videos. Everything has a meaning behind it. First and foremost, Ren is a storyteller. He uses words, music, stillness and visuals to move forward his vision. A lot can be said in stillness. I think the sack over the head means we are faceless and easily replaceable in the Money Game. Whether we are the ones manipulating others or the ones manipulated, we are all replaceable and faceless in the end. Ren is the one who comes to understand the Money Game and is, therefore, with out the sack over the head. I think putting the eyes on the bagged man is to allow the man to finally see the truth.

[@Anuta6675]

Interesting, I really like the silences. They remind us, that this is a live performance, theatre. The album versions are a lot smoother with more instrumentation.

[@louise11854]

hello dear!! ren is the only artist i know that is worth acquiring the taste for. ren is kinda like 'rap opera' i think. i look forward to parts 2 & 3!!!! i enjoy your candor, dude!!! kathleen 🙃

[@LoutTsu]

@louise11854 "Only artist worth acquiring the taste for" - brilliantly said!

[@Anuta6675]

"Murderer" is probably already on your list of recommendations. Since you are doing longer videos anyway, you might consider to react to the video and the live acoustic version in one session. They are practically different songs. "The Tale of Jenny & Screech" is a story telling epic with beautiful guitar work.

[@Bruski4youski]

Pretty sure (at least from memory) the Spotify version /lyric video version of pt1 could be absorbed more as a “song”, the gaps/silences are more prominent in this version to add to the storytelling aspect and to go with the visuals.

[@Irmelinis]

Great reaction :) I really enjoyed hearing your thoughts!

[@hailzmoon4659]

Really looking forward to you seeing part 2 & 3

[@TheDoctorFlay]

Listen to Pink Floyd the Wall, then understand the scope of the theatre being portrayed. All those gaps and silent parts are integral to the overall presentation, but the studio versions don't have this and feel somewhat lacking. As noted by others, you should watch the lyric video version of 2, because it is a longer full version.

[@Annie_MaycoxMUA]

he draws eye's to open the persons eyes to what they are doing to the world and the whole money game, when he goes to destroy the person he sees himself (looks in the mirror) and sees that he's also in the whole money game and a hypocrite so he sets himself alight instead x

[@jasonremy1627]

Ren is very much influenced by reggae.

[@disgustipated_462]

Good reaction man, always loved your reactions from Jinjer. These are recorded live hence the background noise. As a metal fan as well, Ren is the only artist besides Jinjer that I have gravitated to on KZbin. I think you had a good take on the video though, but I think it is all up to interpretation to a degree.

[@aixmhros]

it's always the metalheads .

[@seagull01-cp8pb]

Nice reaction this is not an easy one.💕👍🦇

[@cathywethington5913]

I like your take on what the figure with the bag over his head represents as much as any I've heard. I think, like most great art, meaning can be fluid. It's not a simple equation where this represents just one thing. I consider Money Game 1+3 to be mini movies. Money Game 2 is more of a song. Love them all, but experience them differently

[@1982chiXu]

Ren's lyrics are typically quite direct, but he's said that a lot of imagery and other things he has featured in his work he loves to leave being somewhat vague because he loves to hear different peoples views and opinions on them, what their takes are etc. Going to be interesting to see where your views on all of this lie at the end of part 3.

[@nancymunroe3672]

It's not a mask, its supposed to be the old time money bags!

[@Lift_Eachother_Up]

❤ nice haircut!

[@dave.james007]

Part 2 do the official lyric video

[@toniyoung5131]

"he'll never make a verse, chorus, verse song". Uninvited?

[@yonahgrossman7319]

Great reaction to an interesting song. When you do PT. 2 do the OFFICIAL LYRIC VIDEO and not the LIVE version, which is only 1/3 of the entire song with no music.

[@majbrat]

Hope you will do more. You have not seen most of his best work yet. Its filmed live so background noise.

[@sharoncarlisle9453]

You may enjoy the studio version better. It doesn't have all the pauses that the live video does, so it feels less fragmented. Of course it doesn't come with the visuals, so it doesn't hit the same way.

[@adam.4487]

This is "more" than just a song, it is not particularly melodic, it's a commentary on society and politics, a performance with a message.

[@helenjarvis7755]

The bags are old fashioned money bags Maybe money games make you blind to your life sorta thing MG2 Lyrics video is more song structure and a clever video MG3 is a masterpiece

[@jacks9624]

Why would you need someone else to tell you what it represents? This is not "a song", it is a piece of art, open to interpretation. It is not just about music, visual part is equally important. But if you prefer the more traditional music structure, Ren also has such numbers, but MG trilogy is def NOT like that. Well... MG 2 might resemble such structure, audibly. Just make sure to take the Official lyrics video (live version does not have the whole thing)

[@sammyd8860]

You really seemed as if you wanted to have more structure to it, like you were judging it as a song/piece of music. Perhaps if you looked at it more as a piece of dramatic art, a vessel through which he can convey his story, rather than as a song/piece of music, that might make it easier for you to get your head around it. Ren has said that the visuals are of equal importance to the music. This took well over 100 takes to get it right

[@realBlakeX]

Yes, I'm definitely getting the impression that it must be viewed as a full piece of artistic work. Good to know for the future! Thank you for watching!

[@rbruceBruce]

Great job, bro. Don't do the live version of part 2. Do lyric video is much better.