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In the annals of 21st century alternative rock history there are few artists who cast a longer or more peculiar shadow than Finnish Love Metal pioneer Ville Valo. After all, his band HIM were easily among the most iconic and idiosyncratic groups of the millenium. Zealously revered, gleefully reviled but impossible to ignore, their music left an indelible mark on a worldwide legion of fans. The scarlet letters stood for His Infernal Majesty. Their founder stood for something delightedly out of step with the status quo.
"We only hoped to temporarily redirect hard rock's blood flow from the nether regions towards the heart", reminisces Ville Valo, the singer, songwriter and primus motor of HIM. Judging by the monolithic presence of the Heartagram in any account of music this side of the millennium it's apparent that he succeeded.
Inspired by everyone from Poe to Bukowski and tinged by a penchant for perfumed Sabbathian gloom, Valo's creative lovechild would produce eight era-defining studio releases and over ten million record sales, not forgetting a Grammy nomination, countless magazine covers, critical acclaim, and the veneration of a generation. Thus it came as no surprise that the news of a farewell tour in 2017 was greeted with shock and disbelief among devotees and endless speculation as to what or who was to take up the velvet mantle.
"As fun as the funeral rites for HIM were, it took me more than a few moons to lick my wounds in the shadow of the Heartagram and come up with an excuse to strum and hum again. Eventually I decided put a leash on my beloved black dog and we started howling together instead of barking at each other. That's how Loveletting was born".
Loveletting, the first single off VV's debut album 'Neon Noir' out in early 2023, suggests this new infernal mix of light and shade is nothing short of a landmark release from one of modern music's most distinctive and intriguing voices. It belongs to the same forlorn world of woe and whimsy once conceived and governed by Valo in HIM, but with the nuanced notes of a fine aged Cabernet.
"Artistically speaking the main difference between HIM and VV is the extra line in the Heartagram, but what an exquisite line it is! It's the Mamas and the Papas dressed up as Metallica on their way to a Halloween bash at the Studio 54, and now who wouldn't want to witness that?"
Throughout their career, VV has drawn massive crowds of fans, packing venues like Theatre of Living Arts, the Depot and Summit to capacity.
It was a great show--The Atlantic City House of Blues is an awesome venue for concerts! We did think that that three opening bands was a little too much--two would have been enough. But HIM put on an awesome performance, we really enjoyed it!!
Had a great time!! Sound was great and all the bands were full of energy. They looked like they were having a good time. The venue was really nice:)
4 bands, punk to modern rock!! great venue no bad seats only draw back was the air conditioning was sub zero!! Drive A opened; high energy young but definately will be around for awhile,Dommin out of LA...WOW tight band great lyrically seasoned performers vocals powerful emotional slamming! We are the Fallen followed really good but intsrumentals over-powered the lead singer, who has a great voice,but she struggeled to be heard. HIM what can I say did not dissapoint. Did their well-known songs as well as "Rebel Yell" for their encore. fun show from start to finish!!
great musicians create great music! HIM always delivers!
Great venue but small crowd -- gave it an intimate and relaxed feeling and all the bands really enjoyed themselves. Awesome experience and particularly impressed with Dommin and We Are the Fallen -- dynamite performances.
Dont get me wrong, I am a fan of a variety of musical genre's and I do not shy away from shows that offer more than one opening band, however, I also generally expect the headline act to play for more than 58 minutes. It was slightly disappointing that H.I.M 's set seemed brief, especially for a band that has been around as long as they have , and whose music has evolved during the years. I would have loved to have heard some of their early numbers, even their covers (i.e. Dont Fear the Reaper). Perhaps that is simply my appreciation of the band being cynical, but I recall seeing performances where the main act played for 2 hours, and I was eager to see more of Ville Valo. The one highlight was the second act, Dommin. I was enamored with their melancholy sounds and the haunting mixture of the lead vocals mixed with the keyboards. I sincerely hope they come back again soon, and hopefully one day, as the headlining act.
I just got back from seeing HIM and their opening bands at the House of Blues in Atlantic City. Of the opening bands: Drive A - Are obnoxious and don't fit into the "vibe" of the tour. They are wannabe punk rock that succeed more in swearing at the audience than actual musicianship. (But that's just my opinion; if you like that type of music, you might like them.) They did have a lot of energy, but would be better suited for touring with The Used or AFI. Dommin - Were fantastic. Their sound balance was great, their attitudes grateful and respectful, and they threw roses at the audience. Highly recommend their album if you like HIM. We Are the Fallen - They are EXTREMELY loud. They have two guitars and a bass and that completely overpowers their (very talented) singer. They are a good band but their sound balance is off and their set far too long, imo. HIM - While the crowd was relatively small, we were all singing along to them word for word. HIM's sound balance was impeccable, the guys were charming and professional, and they ended their set with a rockin' version of Rebel Yell Mr. Idol would be proud of. HIM have come a long way since they first started touring here in the States, and you won't be disappointed if you check them out now!
This was my first HIM concert and first time ever at the House of Blues. Awesome show! They sounded exactly as I hear them on itunes, cd, and anywhere I go! Opening band was also fantastic. Great, friendly crowd (meaning that I didn't run into mean, hysterical fans) and venue was fun. Hope HIM comes back as soon as possible Peace:)
We made the trip to see HIM from Greer South Carolina a 4 hour drive to the House of Blues and 4 hours back to Greer South Carolina. Let me tell ya, it was worth every minute and mile from the opening band Drive A to HIM finishing up the show. My husband and I were able to get right in the middle of the stage area and were able to take in the entire show without missing anything. We did have to step aside a few times during the slam dancing taking place right in the middle of the stage area.
Drive A was pretty terrible and I found myself wondering if I could possibly get back to the front later if I ducked out for their performance. But I suffered through it, including the singer's attempts to jump into the crowd and mosh with everybody. Yes, I'm serious. They were easily forgotten though, once Dommin came on. Having never heard of them, I was very impressed and will definitely be following them from now on. We are the Fallen was also very good. Ben Moody's steampunk guitar was pretty much the best instrument ever. HIM was awesome. They put on a very good show and in between each song Ville would carry on about whatever silly little things popped into his head. His voice was perfect, not sloppy like a lot of artists in concert. Mige was alternately hilariously goofy and killer talented, and Linde spent the whole show being amazing, though he was unintentionally hilarious every time he'd do a guitar solo, as his face looked like he was in pain. They had a very amateur feel, in that they actually interacted with each other and with the audience, but the performance they gave was entirely professional. Definitely a see again.
Opening Acts: For the most part, the opening acts were entertaining. Drive A's drummer thoroughly impressed me, though the band as a unit has a potential not-yet met. Dommin proved to be intriguing and the best of the three--pretty strong vocals, nice use of the keyboard, and a pretty good bass. We Are the Fallen's strength seemed to rely on the guitarist, who was decent enough to bob your head through, and the vocals were alright. Overall, good opening acts, and didn't bore. Show: HIM was amazing! Although from my position (or the House of Blues itself) I couldn't hear Ville above the audience at times, the band and audience connected and the whole show was full of energy and a great show. Ville (the vocalist) put away both the cigarette and the booze (sober for a long while now) and gave outstanding vocals while Mige (the bassist) and Linde (the guitarist) put out great solos, though that's not to say that Burton (the keyboardist) and Gas (the drummer) just stood idly by. The whole band did great and it was a show worth seeing and, for me, worth the 8 hour drive. To Keep in Mind: In between songs, Ville talked to either the band or the audience, which to some may be a plus, and to others a lost song. To me, it was great to have Ville try and connect with the audience along with entertain the band somewhat in the last few days of their US tour. And although I wouldn't have made it to sneak behind to try and see the band, I wouldn't be surprised if they dashed out of there to try and get to the next gig. So if you plan on trying it, don't get your hopes up since their gigs are back to back now. Overall: Worth it, and then some!!! =D An almost surreal experience!
Not only did HIM sound absolutely amazing, but they had this brilliant band/crowd interaction that you couldn't help but laugh every time Ville said something. They played more of a mix of their songs this time instead of limiting everything to what they had just released back in February.
For a first HIM concert I wasn't disapointed. They put on a great show. The acustics in The House of Blues are amazing. I love how the speakers surround the audiance blasting music at all angles. Ville's banter with the band as their preforming took the show to another level, letting the rock enthusiest connect with the band as people instead of just super stars. Linde's guitar solos were out of this world but his constant expression of being in pain took away from his wicked fast fingers. HIM was humble throughout the show rolling with the punches thrown by an adrenaline crazed audiance. Though The House of Blues may not have been the most packed show during their tour, the energy was outstanding!
Great performances from all the bands. Venue was clean and seemed well-organized.
HIM is a wonderful live band, severely underappreciated in this country, and I hope to see more of them without having to travel out of the country!!!
Him was great, and Dommin was even better. great sound and super light show
My wife and I really looked forward to finally catching HIM at the HOB yesterday....been waiting for them to come near Charleston, SC for a while. They sounded good overall and VV was generally entertaining however, their song selection for the show SUCKED. No Sweet666. No Razorblade Kiss, among other great classics. In fact, it seemed as if VV was avoiding all the songs that required him to use his 'low' dark singing voice, one of the reasons people love HIM. This show (HIM) was disappointing overall. Closing out with an 'encore' of Rebel Yell was kind of lame, even though the version is good. Why couldn't they play some Sabbath for the (cover) encore or something better? We are the Fallen ROCKED Dommin ROCKED even harder we missed Drive A I would definitely go see another show at the HOB though
Absolutely one the best shows of the first quarter. They played "Rebel Yell" as an encore. What else do you need?.
It was the best HIM show I have been to. I can't wait until they come back to Atlanta.
O M G!!!! I have to say it was 1 of the best shows I've been to in along time.HIM is 1 of my all time fav.bands.This was the 1st time I've seen then in concert and it was AMAZING!!!! What made it more amazing is that ,Well my brother past away in 2000.He was such a fan of HIM.To go to there show,I felt my brother as I was there.HIM can really DO A THROW DROWN!!!! I'm still stoked.Everybody looked like they were enjoying there night as well.I hope for many more of theese great times in the near future!! Thanxs to Ticketmater and Center Stage Theate for bringing HIM to the ATL Ga.