WORDS BY DAVID TAYLOR AND PHOTOS BY ROBERT A CHADWICK | Go Venue Magazine
As we dive into October, the weather gets colder, and the day gets longer, thus making the ambiance darker. It was a colder, dark, gothic night on Friday, October 6, when co-headliners Black Veil Brides and Ville Valo rolled into town to play Steelhouse Omaha. Everyone wore their best black attire to the concert. It was my fourth Steelhouse concert in seventeen days that I was covering, but who’s counting?
Dark Divine, a five-piece metal band from Orlando, FL, were the openers of the show. They reminded me of Ice Nine Kills and like older Black Veil Brides with their presentation, wearing skull-makeup and dressed-up gothic-like. They were a lot of fun to watch, these young guys just having a blast on stage. They also fit the bill with their Edgar Allan Poe-inspired lyrics. The crowd was also really into it, which was an added plus. Go check out their latest release, Deadly Fun.
Ville Valo (or VV for short) was the first of the co-headline. In case you did not know, Ville Valo was the lead vocalist of the Finnish gothic band, HIM, from 1995-2017. This man had such a Vegas-style crooner vibe to him, in the best way. Didn’t move too much on stage. He just stood and crooned all night, love, and you have to respect that. He played a good mix of his recently released solo album, as well as HIM tunes, which delighted the audience very much. I really don’t know any HIM fans, but was surprised by the enthusiasm of the crowd, even though HIM has only played Omaha a couple of times during the mid-2000s. He mentioned that he knew that Fred Astaire and Marlon Brando were from here and that he had great admiration for the city. His backing band was really impressive, as well, with some really good guitar playing. Check out his recently released solo album, Neon Noir.
Finally, the crowd was ready for Black Veil Brides. Last year, I got to see them live for the first time, but I was yearning for more, so when I heard they were playing during Steelhouse’s first year of opening, I jumped to the occasion. They were coming off having to cancel their previous scheduled performance, but I never got any aftermath from that cancellation. I felt like I was watching an arena concert. I am impressed by Andy Biersack’s vocals, with that baritone voice. The guitar duo of Jinxx and Jake Pitts are always amazing, very reminiscent of Synyster Gates and Zack Vengeance of Avenged Sevenfold. They played had a good balance of older songs and newer songs. They look like they still have fun onstage. It’s amazing to see a wide array of ages in their diehard fan base, from little kids to older adults. Their music makes such an impact on those who listen to it. I always enjoy bands evolving and creating something fresh and with Black Veil Brides, they went from the peak Vans Warped Tour emo era to a mature sound, still maintaining who they are. Hopefully, in the next year or so, they will have a new album of material.
Black Veil Brides
Ville Valo
Dark Divine
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