Fantastic
by Raha on 4/17/23The Depot - Salt Lake CityRating: 5 out of 5Absolutely incredible. One of the best shows I’ve been to. Ville is amazing live.

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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.
Absolutely incredible. One of the best shows I’ve been to. Ville is amazing live.
I went to The House of Blues show on Sunday the 9th and VV was absolutely phenomenal. I waited 20 years to see him live. The crowd though was two thumbs down. A complete buzzkill. I was excited to be surrounded by other Ville Valo fans and was extremely disappointed. I hope he tours again soon! Maybe next time I’ll get the complete experience 🖤
It has been 16 years since I last seen Ville Valo perform and it gets better every time I see him. From the lyrical mastered writing, the inhuman vocal abilities, the composition of the music, to the set design. There is nothing you cannot love about his performances. The most humble and kind artist of my lifetime and he will forever be my number one musician. No one else can compare. His love for music and his fans is shown in his work.
The venue was so intimate and clean, merch lines were fast and the staff was great. The openers were amazing we had never heard of them but are now are fans! VV was great as expected but the actual in person experience of seeing him and his band mates perform was epic. 10/10 recommend all of it venue openers and main act very happy 😊
The Summit is a great venue! The line outside the Summit was MASSIVE for Ville Valo. While we got in line at 3:30p, we were nervous about the amount of people that were showing up. We had seen a previous concert (Dope/FearFactory/Static-X) on 4/11 and the fast-lane was not honored. Both lines were let in at the same time. Total waste of money to pay for fast-pass. THANKFULLY, the fast-pass lane was let in first for this concert and we were ecstatic. We know that the decisional operations are venue specific, so the appreciation was there from those who paid extra to get in early. It was a fantastic show, Ville Valo was AMAZING, and we're looking forward to our next show at the Summit!
Probably one of the best shows I’ve been to. VV remains one of the most phenomenal performers ever.
Attending VV was the BEST experience i have ever had. 💓 i loved every minute of it and enjoyed it so much i had tears of joy. The little girl inside me that used to listen to HIM all the time and get made fun of finally had her moment with other people around that we all loved this. PLEASE COME BACK AGAIN 🩶✨️
I had an amazing night at this venue, The Summit in Denver! I loved the opening show almost more than I loved the main show! The 3 girls from Iceland were bomb and VV was just amazing!
I saw Ville Valo with HIM about 16 years ago. While it was a good show, Ville wasn't happy in life. This time, you could tell he's happy and loving performing his music. He was pitch perfect, and the bands sound was amazing. Loved the small intimate venue as well.
I’ve seen HIM twice once in 2011 and once on the Bang and Whimper tour. I felt underwhelmed both times. VV was at his best for his solo tour. It was everything I wanted out of all previous concert experiences. His vocals were stellar and he looked happy to be on stage. Will be going to future tours!
VV was great. Played a mixture of HIM and VV songs. Music sounded so good!
Everything about this concert was great. From the venue/staff to the performance. Staff was organized & gave clear instruction during the entire entry process. Rules & restrictions were prominently posted. Security was exceptionally quick. The venue itself was clean & well kept. Was concerned with the "standing room only" but the way the venue is designed, the only bad spot is behind someone tall. VV is the definition of charisma. It was nothing but perfection from the momemt he took stage. An absolute blessing to music. Never imagined I would be able to witness a live performance & it was everything I could have dreamed of. The entire experience was perfection.
Varsity Theater is beautiful and professional. Everything went perfect. I loved that I was able to upgrade to a balcony seat since they still had some available. Everyone was so nice. This is my favorite artist and Varsity is so small/intimate that you really get to enjoy the show.
Got to hear old songs I love and the crowd was great!!
I never got to see HIM play live and I love Ville's solo work so was very excited for this show!! I can't believe how amazing Ville's vocals are live, his range and control is insane. The band did an amazing job as well! Kaelan mikla was incredible and I am so glad they opened. Overall an amazing night !!!
Ville was great, but St Andrew’s Hall was so unorganized. I had fast passes yet was told to get in the regular line for security check and then I would be able to use my fast pass. No.. they made me wait in a long line that never ended up forming a fast pass line. When asked they said oh no that would of been long ago to use those. I wasted $40 on something that was not useful.
Now VV was amazing! Always is. But i paid gor a ticket upgrade which i got and actually put us farther away from the stage, total disappointment. Im not a drinker but did want to splurge on a few cocktails. So the bar tender asked my drinknof choice. I said fruity with malibu rum. He said "i know exactly what u want" . Well he mixed something that mustve had captain in it as there was NO FRUITY OR MALIBU. I made the mistake of choking that down and when asked again i said IT HAS TO BE FRUITY. He said no problem. 2nd time was worse, no fruit or malibu. So i just sipped on my hubs beer the rest of the night. So again, concert 10 stars but venue, im looking to book a trip to see VV again and go from Chicago to Nashville. Hoping for a complete experience
Most amazing thing ive ever seen. So goddamn nostalgic and heartwarming. I LOVED EVERY MINUTE OF IT! Would love to experience it again!
I've loved HIM since I was 13 years old, I'm in my 30s now. When they broke up I was crushed thinking I would never get to hear the songs live again after the farewell tour. When Ville Valo(VV) played the new songs on stage for the concert it was such an emotional experience for me. It felt like a dream.
As usual Ville did an amazing job. One of the best nights, I had missed him and HIM, thankfully I was able to attend. Kaelan Mikla was a lovely new band for me and now a fave. I felt the microphone for both artists was a bit low but I still enjoyed my time. HOB is always a great host.