For some reason, Bonfire Night often seems to be a good night for a gig. Over the past few years, we've quite often swapped the fireworks and bonfire toffee of November 5th for a great big slab of live music instead. This year, it was the turn of Volbeat, who brought the opening night of the UK leg of their Greatest of All Tours Worldwide Tour to the East Midlands, following a successful scamper across Europe. Whilst Volbeat aren't a new live band for us per se, this would be the first time that we'd seen them at an indoor venue, having previously seen them at festivals.
First things first though, is the matter of support acts. Manchester quartet WITCH FEVER kick proceedings off, to an admittedly modest crowd. After some initial sound issues where the bass is inaudible, everything is corrected by the second song and they're able to fully express the spectrum of their sound. The all-female band have just released their sophomore album, Fevereaten, which makes up the majority of the setlist. Vocalist Amy Walpole prowls the stage, unleashing feral, vitriolic, and deeply personal lyrics, whilst her compatriots conjure up riffs from the Sabbathian end of the fretboard. The combination of doomy low-end and heartfelt, punky spite is wrapped up in the bleeding heart of grunge. It's all carried off with great technical prowess and, for a band who are up-and-coming, their confidence and stage presence ensure that they will soon be getting used to stages of this size and bigger. By the end of the set, you can tell they've won a few new followers.
By contrast, post-grunge pioneers BUSH have made stages like this their home for well over 30 years. Frontman, and sole consistent member, Gavin Rossdale commands the stage, with face and voice seemingly unravaged by time, as they come hurtling out of the blocks with a selection of their choicest cuts. Opener Everything Zen gets diehards bouncing and there's barely any let up. There's even time for a spiky, edgy cover of The Beatles' Come Together, before a gorgeous, stripped back version of Swallowed, that sees Rossdale alone on stage, bathed in white light and backed by an ethereal choir. Despite his 60 years, he is much sprightlier than his age would suggest. Throughout, he's a ball of restless energy, pogoing on the spot, whirling around the stage and flailing his arms and even, during a rapturous, closing Flowers on a Grave, spending time amongst an endearing audience in what becomes the longest period of crowd interaction that he manages. Before long, everything clatters to a halt and it's over, before you even realise that they haven't played Glycerine or Machinehead. As Gav himself points out during a rare moment of introspection to the crowd, it's hard to know what to play. With a back catalogue as stacked with hits as Bush, you can afford to be picky, and it's a strange quirk of fate that they aren't as big in the UK as they arguably deserve to be.
VOLBEAT's unique blend of classic rock, heavy metal and rockabilly has steered them through 9 albums over 24 years, with their latest full-length God of Angels Trust, dropping a few months before the start of this tour. In the course of rising to this position, they've accumulated an ardent following, alongside a long list of certified bangers. Tonight's show will showcase the new album alongside classics from across their portfolio. There's an air of anticipation as the atmosphere builds to showtime. Whilst not entirely sold out, the arena is packed, with all eyes focused on the stage, where a large curtain obscures proceedings, emblazoned with an image of the band in silhouette. And then we're off. The Devil's Bleeding Crown swaggers out of the gate and kicks the doors in, as the curtain falls, and the hypnotic riff cavorts to expectant ears. It's almost complete pandemonium from the outset. It has to be said that Volbeat's hybrid of Satanic country and old school rock and roll can not only instigate rampant chaos, but also conjures up massive singalongs. Michael Poulsen is the consummate frontman, rugged and charming, and not afraid to get the crowd involved early on, inciting them into the chorus of Ring of Fire before leading directly into blatant Johnny Cash rip-off Sad Man's Tongue. Other such interactions compel moments of tenderness, such as For Evigt, which Michael dedicates to his wife and children, which is earnestly sung along by everyone in attendance, particularly impressive when you think that some of the lyrics are in the band's native Danish. Elsewhere, the frantic chug of Shotgun Blues and the ska-inflected Still Counting showcase the various influences the band have built upon. In a touching moment, the latter is performed with children from the crowd summoned to the stage, some of whom are certainly more enthused about the experience than others.
The new tracks are a continuation of the theme, fitting nicely in amongst the more established songs. By a Monster's Hand builds to an ominous chorus, Demonic Depression comes equipped with a bucket load of groove and the deliberately long-windedly named, extreme metal baiting In the Barn of the Goat Giving Birth to Satan's Spawn in a Dying World of Doom is a straight up demonic, redneck lullaby. Make no doubt about it, Volbeat are very good at what they do. Whilst there's very little deviation from their tried and tested formula, there doesn't need to be. When there's this much swagger, rhythm and sheer joy, there seems no reason to fix what ain't broke. In the hands of less talented individuals, or with much worse songs, the concept could seem trite or ridiculous. Volbeat are neither. Even aside from Michael's charisma, the rest of the band are doing a very good job indeed. Touring guitarist Flemming Lund is a more than adequate replacement for the departed Rob Caggiano. Bucket hatted bass player Kaspar Larsen wouldn't look out of place at an Oasis gig, whilst namesake, but unrelated, drummer Jon Larsen gets to display his former death metal credentials throughout. Not only do Volbeat bring the noise, but they also bring the party. Anthems like Black Rose and Seal the Deal punctuate the back half of the set, before things come to a close on a thoroughly raucous A Warrior's Call, by which time the crowd have reached levels of catharsis that you'd be hard pressed to replicate. Whilst the niche nature of their style might not be to everyone's taste, the thousands in the arena have long been converted. Sing Hallelujah, the devil in disguise!
Volbeat Setlist
The Devil's Bleeding Crown
Lola Montez
Sad Man's Tongue
Demonic Depression
Fallen
Shotgun Blues
In the Barn of the Goat Giving Birth to Satan's Spawn in a Dying World of Doom
By a Monster's Hand
Heaven nor Hell
The Devil Rages On
Die to Live
Time Will Heal
Black Rose
Seal the Deal
For Evigt
Still Counting
A Warrior's Call/Pool of Booze, Booze, Booza
