did Beethoven invent or inspire the head bang?

I'm sure he inspired the piano bang. I recall an anecdote of a piano tuner's who came to Beethoven's home to repair the piano. Apparently, so many strings were snapped that the interior of the piano looked like "a bush."

It's surprising to note that Beethoven was the first major pianist to *bend* the tempo - I hesitate to call it rubato. In fact, there are a few accounts of Beethoven slowing down at the end of crescendi to amplify a dramatic effect, something that simply wasn't done at the time. And of course, he used copious amounts of pedal and loved lots of dynamic contrast. It's also true that Beethoven was the first to dramatically lift his hands high off the keys - and BANG! Mozart and the others of his time believed in grace and elegance, which usually involved keeping the fingers close to the keys and making it "flow like oil" (a favorite phrase of Mozart's - you see it pop up lots of times in his letters).

So Beethoven was to music then what death metal is to music today, I would believe. Except much more tasteful, of course. :P

If your basic referencing is to present day "pop"/"rock"/whatever kind of music, I haven't a clue.

But if to the technique which I think is used in some form of wrestling/"no holds barred contest"/etc., I think it originated in the Far East in some kind of Martial Arts.

Example: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I_6-3-meTFI - Hah!

Alberich

Since Beethoven was da Man....Yep, he was da guy who was inspried to write differently then the other guys of his time - and the Romantic (modern) was born.....

Without Beethoven there would be no Snoop Dog!

Yes. The 5th especially.