Volbeat, OVO Hydro, 15th December 2022
It was a night for metalheads at the vast Glasgow venue, as the Hydro played host to three top rock bands. First up were ‘Grindcore’ pioneers Napalm Death. Hailing from the West Midlands in England, the band showcased their death metal music for the ever-expanding audience in the arena. Opening with Silence is Deafening, their set carried on with tracks such as Scum, Amoral, Suffer the Children and closed their set with a cover of The Dead Kennedys classic Nazi Punks Fuck Off. Their short set started the evening off nicely and made way for second support Skindred.
Welsh reggae metal specialists Skindred were formed in Newport in 1998. Their ‘style’ seems to cover all sorts of musical genres, including punk rock, hardcore, reggae, ska, hip hop and dubstep. Their live shows are nothing if not entertaining, and their front man Benji Webbe is eccentric to say the least. They could be belting out a great rock tune one minute then silence, and the old Benny Hill theme Yakkety Sax is played and the drummer then darts from behind the kit and tears around the extended walkway. Madness, but good fun. Taking the stage to the Imperial March theme from Star Wars, their 40 minute set opened with Stand for Something and included Jump Around, Kill the Power, singer Webbe getting the crowd to sing Wonderwall before slagging off the Irish crowd saying the Scots are better! Lol dangerous territory, brave man! They finished with Warning and left stage to the aptly titled Nobody Does It Better from Bond movie The Spy Who Loved Me.
Now for the main event. Volbeat were formed in Copenhagen, Denmark in 2001, the remains of lead singer Michael Poulsen’s first band. They released their first album in 2005 and have gone from strength to strength since. December 2021 saw the release of album number eight ‘Servant of the Mind’ and several tracks from that record would make up this evening’s set.
Opening with The Devil’s Bleeding Crown, they carried on with big numbers from their extensive back catalogue, Pelvis on Fire, Temple of Ekur and a rousing rendition of Sad Man’s Tongue, mixed with the old Dusty Springfield hit I Only Want To Be With You. The band are on fire tonight, their mix of heavy rock and rockabilly makes for a great listen, catchy tunes with great guitars. Tonight’s setup is possibly their biggest production to date, a massive stage with elaborate lighting and video screens, a long, extended walkway throughout the middle of the arena with spots for fellow guitarist Rob Caggiano and bass player Kaspar Boye Larsen to join frontman Poulsen in taking the show to the crowd. It makes a huge occasion so much more personal and gives the audience a better chance to see the band up close.
The music continued. Black Rose, Seal the Deal and The Devil Rages On closed the first act. On returning the band set about a four-song encore. Let It Burn, Die to Live, Pool of Booze, Booze, Booza and ending on Still Counting from their 2010 release Beyond Hell / Above Heaven, and the evening was over.
This was a gig to savour, 2 great warm ups then Volbeat at the top of their game. A great stage setup, terrific lighting and fantastic music. A setlist covering all bases, although on a personal level the addition of The Mirror and The Ripper would have topped the night off, but we cant have everything! Volbeat are a great band and you always get a terrific show from them. Fans of heavy rock will love them, and those who prefer more soft rock will find something to like too. There’s guitar solos, there’s riffs, there’s thrash but there are melodies too, coupled with Poulsen’s vocals makes for a great output. Catch them live if you can, you wont be disappointed.
Review and Photographs by Stephen Wilson
