Before Volbeat, the Finnish rock band HIM kept the crowd's pulse warm. A loyal group had pushed their way to the front of the crowd and was crooning along with vocalist Ville Vallo, who bantered with the crowd. He even recognized a person in the crowd for wearing a T-shirt of his father's sex shop, where Vallo used to work.
HIM's set was full of better-known hits, including "Your Sweet 666," "Killing Loneliness" and "Join Me in Death." A few tracks off their latest album were included for good measure.
Near the end of "Join Me," HIM's music came to an abrupt stop and, without missing a beat, the crowd chanted in unison, "This life ain't worth living."
Vallo smiled, and the fans cheered, creating a kind of paradox only possible with music.
Personal Bias: I went for HIM and left with a big appreciation for Volbeat. Those guys can bring it live.
Overheard In the Crowd: Another gem from Poulsen: "I see a lot of babes out there... Are y'all twins, or am I drunk?"
Random Notebook Dump: Seriously, people, if you must take a video of the performance, at least turn off your flash.
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