Their epic displays of on stage energy and awe-inspiring guitar solos could not sway these fans’ intentions. It was apparent that they came to see Bullet For My Valentine and Bullet For My Valentine only.
The curtain slid back at 8:30 p.m. to an empty, fog-laden stage. An eerie intro played in the distance luring the band members out one by one. When drummer Michael Thomas stirred up a satisfying volume of cheers, lead vocalist Matthew Tuck emerged. In an instant, the morbidly dull crowd awakened and roared.
A sea of fists thrust forward to the chugging low riffs of Bullet’s catalog of anthems. As I listened on, I found myself raising an eyebrow and banging my head a little too. It was a pleasant surprise that the overly melodic vocals on their recordings were preformed with more bite and growl live.
Unfortunately, by the time they got to “Hand of Blood” I yawned, and when they hit the halfway mark with “Tears Don’t Fall” I was ready to head home. Maybe it was the dead pause between songs or perhaps the lack of movement on stage that strained my enjoyment of BFMV’s set. I guess I expected a little more show from a group that is gearing up to embark on a tour with Iron Maiden this fall.
One song bled into the next, but the crowd did not seem to mind. Bullet fans packed the floor and sang just about every lyric to every song in unison. Many times this thunderous choir drowned out the vocals and Tuck unfazed by this taunted them to do it again and again.
Oddly enough, when Bullet took their exit these diehards fell back into silence. Apparently they had forgotten how to call their heroes back to the stage. Even though chants for a Bullet encore were lost in confusion the band returned. Bullet played a few more, starting with “No Control” and finishing off with “The End.” One last mid-song call for the fury of a circle pit, and BFMV ended their set where they began, an eerie outro and an empty stage.
BFMV possesses the speed, skill, and drive to win over a diverse audience. As of now, the best way to get the most enjoyment out of this band is in small doses. With a little more showmanship and some variety to mix it up, the future may have these guys holding the ear of even your oldest school metal head.
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