HIM rocked out
by HIMFAN827 on 4/8/10House of Blues Cleveland - ClevelandRating: 5 out of 5All the opening bands were awesome and HIM was amazing...great show. I'd definitely go back and see them again.

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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.
All the opening bands were awesome and HIM was amazing...great show. I'd definitely go back and see them again.
The opening acts were awesome! However I was very disappointed with the lead singer of HIM, Ville Valo.
HIM in concert was the best experience ever! We love their music, old and new, and when we heard they were coming to Michigan...We were right on that! They had a perfect location or setting for them, I couldn't have asked for a better time!! The music was great...the atmosphere was great... it truly was unforgettable!!
The sound, the singing, the priceless moments, were amazing, I thought the energy of the crowd could have been better, but it was not in any reflection of the band in any way they were great in my opinion. It was definately a full house and this is the best show I've been to in a long time, I would definately do it all over again and then some. I love this band and support it through and through, Long story short: They were incredible.
All bands were really great, but I liked how they all signed autographs and stuff after their sets... Nice to meet Dommin and We are the Fallen, and HIM was just mindblowing... Definately going back to the Pageant, and seeing HIM again!
This concert was well worth the 6 hr drive. First time that I've seen Ville talk / joke with fans during set and it was nice to see the interaction. My son had gotten me into their music. Base could of been lower abit for that small of a venue, so we could actually hear the words of the songs but other than that it was a great concert.
We actually went to see "We Are the Fallen." No one in my party was familiar with the other bands performing. The first act, Drive A, appeared to have steped into a time warp. They were essentially an 80's Punk Rock band would had somehow survived to today, except dressed in goth garp with nice haircuts. Their explicative rich songs were loud and repetitive with little musicallity. The performances were good, even if I'm am not a fan of that genre of music. The second band was Dommin. Dommin, which again we had never heard of before, were excellent. Good crowd interaction, good singing and playing. They were of a similar goth rock genre. Definitely the best act of the night and very friendly when we met them afterwards. We Are the Fallen wsas third onto the stage. I wish I could say something nice about them. We had come to dsee them and had high hopes, but were dissappointed. I wish I could say that Carly sang well, but I can't. We couldn't hear her. The band was turned up so loud that the only way you could tell she was singing was that her lips were moving. Even when the band was silent, the sound was so distorted that she could barely be understood. As for the band itself, nothing but a wall of noise. Very loud and almost musicless. Nothing but crunching chords and loud drum beats with no melody. Presumably, Carly was supposed to provide that, but she could not be heard over Ben and his cronies. Even the meet and greet was disappointing. They clearly had little interest in the fans, barely acknowledging them as they mechanically signed posters and moved the line along as fast as they could. We didn't stay for HIM, so I have no comment on them. So Dommin, great, go see them if you have the chance, Drive A, okay if you're into that kind of thing. We Are the Fallen, don't waste your money on the tour and hope the studio music, which has been really good so far, is better than the live performance.
Opening bands were better than HIM IMO. Ville was high as a kite; mumbled so bad you couldn't understand him and was so fidgety. He also would ramble on between songs for 10-15 minutes at a time about the most random stuff. The opening acts were good except for Drive A. I enjoyed Dommin, and my favorite of the night was We Are the Fallen. Honestly I was disappointed by HIM.
Everything was great!!!!! Was front and center. Interaction with the crowd was wonderful.
I have seen HIM 4 times now and the shows just get better and better. This was also my niece's first concert and who better to see than HIM. She had a blast and she will attend her second concert which will be PointFest @ The Verizon Wireless Amphitheater. I hope these guys don't stay away so long this time. Hope to see them again very soon!
HIM was amazing live!!! they played a very great show and Drive A, We Are The Fallen,and Dommin were all amazing as well i had a very great time and was glad to see HIM in STL again!
HIM amazing ...period great show loved it wish i could redo this day over and over again
I'm sad to say I was not impressed with this show. Musically it was great, but when the lead singer checks out and has no connection with the crowd it ruins the whole vibe. I was truly disappointed.
I had an AWESOME time at the HIM concert. I was pleasantly surprised with all of the opening acts except for Drive A. They were just trying too hard. But Dommin was specTACULAR, and We Are The Fallen was brilliant as well. If you like Evanescence or Within Temptation, you would love We Are The Fallen, especially considering that some of the members used to be in Evanescence. Finally, the main act, HIM, was great. The only thing I wish was that he moved around the stage more and got into it more. He just looked bored. The overall sound for the concert could have been better; it was really hard to hear/understand the singers in every band. Other than that, it was SUCH a good show. :)
him was a good show. i took my kids they loved it.i would say go if u have the chances to see them
When I got to the Orbit Room for HIM's April 6, 2010 concert, it was quite obvious that everyone was there for one reason and one reason only; HIM. Each opening band (Drive A, Dommin, and We Are The Fallen) seemed to only heighten the anticipation of the comming Finnish Love Metal group. All in all HIM put on an amazing show with a great setless including all their standards and some new pieces from Screamworks. The only issues with the show was crowd control; it could have been managed more effectively.
Out of all the concerts I've been to, three stand out far and away as the best, this was one of them, all of the bands were freaking fantastic, and one of the bands that wasn't the headliner was awesome and I was not expecting that, Dommin was great, loved them. Him of course was my favorite part, what true Him fan would not be utterly thrilled to see them, I felt like such a fanboy when Ville actually took the stage and I almost went weak, lol. The venue could have been anywhere really, and the staff of Orbit room was definitely not my favorite lets just say that, but the bands were more than able to make up for it and all in all it blew my freaking socks off.
HIM, Dommin, We are the Fallen, Drive A...that would be how I rate the show. I don't know how all of the groups came together, but the show was amazing. All bands gave it their all and the crowd received a encore for their patronage. Amazing talent in an intimate venue. I would definitely like to see these groups back at the Orbit Room in the future.
Although Club Zoo is a total dump, HIM shined like the stars that they are despite the poor conditions. The opening bands were not great...Drive A was very foul,and We Are The Fallen was so loud that you could not hear the singer. Dommin did a good job and offered a meet and great after their set. However...the crowd was there for HIM and made it very obvious as they patiently waited in the dark and extremely hot venue that is Club Zoo. Surprisingly to me, it was not a big crowd. Club Zoo is an under 21 club in the strip district in Pittsburgh, and it may have influenced the turnout. HIM fans are NOT teenagers, but a multitude of ages. When HIM hit the stage, you forgot where you were. Ville Valo is a wonderful performer, he woos and talks to the crowd as if you were in his living room. He takes you by the hand in person just as his lyrics take your heart. I have never seen such a wonderful performance by a lead singer. He has that big, beautiful smile on his face, and joked with the band and the crowd, telling us you had to book air conditioning in advance and someone must've forgot. HIM played for an hour and a half, including 2 encore songs. They covered quite a few of the new Screamworks songs, and did one hell of a great job. Professional, personal, graceful, and exciting, they transformed Club Zoo into a world that only HIM can do. I have been a big fan of HIM for many years, and also am the streetteam leader for Western PA via heartagram. While I was disappointed in Club Zoo, and sent back to my car with my posters and camera, I still was overwhelmingly impressed with HIM's performance and will always, always, adore the massive talent of Ville Valo and HIM. Thank you!
HIM was once again exceptional. This was the 5th time that I have seen them live in the past 8 years. I have to give it up to the band, they really pulled together a great performance, but unfortunately, they should fire their sound guy because the vocals were unrecognizable.