What opportunities are there for metal in your areas/home towns?
Are there many unsigned or local metal bands? How about metal clubs?

The UK as a whole seems to be doing okay. Although we're lacking behind many other countries in Europe I'm noticing a lot more bands playing at least one show in London these days.
The nearest major city to me is Cardiff which gets very few bands playing gigs. Most bands never reach Wales at all and the closest place is usually Bristol (about 1.5 - 2 hours away). We have a few metal bars though which always seem to do pretty well, and there is a small circle of Welsh metal bands that are getting a good name for themselves.

How is it with everyone else?