Page 50 - Black Velvet Issue 91

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FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH / SHINEDOWN / SIXX:A.M. / AS LIONS – LITTLE ROCK VERIZON ARENA, 18.10.16

We’re in Little Rock for the first time ever and it’s to see a big rock played to perfection. Brent walks down through the crowd at the start of
show. Co-headlined by Five Finger Death Punch and Shinedown, it’s an ‘Enemies’ and ends up at the back of the arena behind the mixing desk
impressive four-band package. UK quintet As Lions kick things off with a on a smaller stage at the end of ‘Sound Of Madness’. With lots of added
short set that includes songs from their debut EP, ‘Aftermath’. ‘The Great fire effects, their set is explosive.
Escape’ illustrates that good things will come for the band as they rock And that leaves Five Finger Death Punch to try and top that. And they
out with dynamism on the arena stage. Frontman Austin Dickinson is no too give it their all. A little heavier than the previous bands, Five Finger
stranger to performing on stage, having been in bands for over ten years. Death Punch excite and incite the audience. They’re not quite as refined
He, Conor O’Keefe and Will Homer were in Rise To Remain before the as Shinedown, yet they know how to put on an intense rock show. There’s
band called it a day. As Lions are not as metallic as its predecessor, in- a dark sadness to some of the band’s songs, none moreso than ‘Remem-
stead possessing a more harmonious hard rock sound – and this we like. ber Everything’. Frontman Ivan Moody tells the crowd, “I get really emo-
With songs such as ‘This Is Gonna Hurt’, ‘We Will Not Go Quietly’ and tional in this next song” and “I don’t get along very well with my parents
‘Life Is Beautiful’, Sixx:A.M. ignite a range of emotions in rock fans. The anymore.” ‘Wash It All Away’ begins as a creepy crawl before Moody
fist-punching ‘Rise’ shows the band’s powerful sound inspiring their audi- growls. Jason Hook and Zoltan Bathory set their guitars to stun, while
ence into a strong force to be reckoned with. The strident ‘Everything Went Chris Kael on bass manages to pose and point at the cameras and audi-
To Hell’ sees everyone except James Michael and Amber Van Buskirk ence in between hefty bass playing. Jeremy Spencer is up high hidden
wear devil masks. The two come together for a theatrical angry face-off. behind his drumkit, but killing it, naturally. A highlight of the show is when
Dj Ashba makes his guitar do magical things in ‘Stars’ and ‘Prayers For Moody invites three young kids and their dads onto the stage for ‘Burn
The Damned’, while James is an enigmatic frontman, captivating with his MF’. “If you can pick up that mic stand I’ll give it to you,” he says to a kid.
presence and his vocals. Nikki Sixx helps bring it all together, like that final The elaborate mic stand is heavy so obviously he can’t. This is one of the
and very important piece of a jigsaw puzzle. And when the set is over, most fun songs despite it’s malicious intent. ‘Under And Over It’ sees
we’re just puzzled at the prospect of when we can next see them. It needs Moody wield a bat similar to that from the movie Suicide Squad. “How
to happen soon! many of you have seen Suicide Squad?” Moody asks. “Every night I give
When Shinedown take to the stage, you have to stop what you’re away one bat”. Tonight it goes to a kid in the audience who has been bat-
doing and just watch. Dressed in a waistcoat and shirt, like his fellow tling cancer for five years. The band end with ‘The Bleeding’ and lighters
bandmates, vocalist Brent Smith is commanding and dominating. He gives and cell phones lighting up the arena. The guys in Five Finger Death
off a tough, very focused but sincere exterior. Before ‘Diamond Eyes’ he Punch do bleed for their art, and you go home with a renewed appreciation
tells the audience to look to their left and right to meet their fellow rock for what they do. All four bands on the bill help prove that rock is far from
fans. He shakes hands with the security guards and photographers in the dead. A great evening of entertainment with messages that matter.
photopit before getting back to work. You can tell it’s work for the band, YYYYY
something they’re all very serious about, while at the same time it creates SBV
so much fun for the crowd. Every song mesmerizes. From ‘Second
Chance’ to ‘Simple Man’ to ‘Cut The Cord’, they’re impressive rock gems, Above: Ivan Moody (Five Finger Death Punch). Top Right: Brent Smith & Zach Myers (Shine-
down). Bottom Right: Nikki Sixx & Dj Ashba (Sixx:A.M.) Photos By Shari Black Velvet
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