Welcome on HIM - His Infernal Magazine, the on-line magazine of HIM - The Crimson Gate Official Italian Street Team! All materials and products are property of HIM - the Crimson Gate Italian Street Team and is forbidden to copy all the contents of this magazine.
HIM LIVE
FREE HIM GIG IN COLOGNE 04.06.2008
When I heard about the free HIM gig in Cologne my mind started racing. It had been 3 moths since I last saw the boys and would probably have to wait till hell done to see them again. So could I get time off? Could I borrow my mum’s car? Can I find someone to go along? If yes to all those things, is it realistic to get in?
Well I wouldn’t be writing this, if the answer was no, now would I?
After one very long day, got up at 4 AM, at the venue around 6am, I got in and even better, I got front row!!! Thanks to the great security that really made sure we stayed in front.
When we got in the hall, I noticed the stage was far from ready. No guitars, no mic for Ville, no towels, no drinks, there were set list but that was about it. The backdrop was gorgeous! All little heartagrams with a few in a lighter colour so they made a big heartagram.
After over an hour of waiting, watching techs tuning guitars, fiddling with mic’s, putting out towels and drinks (Mige had water and coke, Gas I think water, Linde water and coke, Burton 2 beers and water and Ville off course red bull and water.) the music finally stopped and lights went out.
The boys took the stage and Ville said Hellow like always, they opened with passions killing floor and they rocked from the start! Ville didn’t complain about the sound much (sometimes he would signal the tech to lower something), looked great, and sounded even better.
Ville seemed in a really good mood, joking around with the boys, talking in between songs.
About how he was out of shape, and really should have done more than surf eBay for bookends, and playing his guitar… But that it still could be worse like his right hand, pointing at Mige, who laughed and acted like he was wanking to brush Ville of.
Right here in my arms was just heaven; the crowd sang along with poison girl beautiful, Ville was so smiling then. In the beginning he thanked the crowd a few times for being so enthusiastic, telling how he wasn’t used to performing anymore, so he was pretty nervous. Maybe that was the reason why he messed up the intro of I think it was buried alive by love. He laughed it of and said, ok I just fucked up, but well we haven’t played it in a while and we did rehearse a lot! And then laughed… Ow that laugh ;-)
During sleepwalking he walked of stage and was almost late back on stage. Burton had fun with his keys and sound effects, at one stage messing with it so it seemed the whole venue was shaking!
Then came Funeral of hearts, and I got sad, cause well this is usual one of the last songs. But well it’s just gorgeous to hear and see live, with the lighting and all. So I was one happy girl when that finished and ready to go home.
I did think to myself, what was Ville talking about rehearsing and playing old stuff… It was just a set list as the gigs I saw this year but a bit shorter, I wished they played razorblade kiss.
But then, the last song started, Ville talking but I don’t really remember what cause well let’s face it, I was jumping with joy!
REBEL YELL! I just bought the join me single just so I could have rebel yell, and now they were playing it!!! It was sooooooo good, and now I was defiantly happy I went through everything to get to this gig. Because I would have been one sad puppy if I heard they played rebel yell and I didn’t go.
They said their goodbyes quickly and left the stage. Linde threw one guitar pick, Gas didn’t throw his drumsticks, didn’t even come to the front stage to say goodbye… The end was a bit strange, like the boys though they would come back for an encore, but then didn’t…
But all in all one great gig! And that for Free! Hope you enjoyed this review.Set list:
Passions killing floor
Right here in my arms
Wings of a butterfly
Buried alive by love
Wicked game
Kiss of dawn
Join me
Sleepwalking past hope
Poison girl
Killing loneliness
Soul on fire
Bleed well
It’s all tears
Funeral of hearts
Rebel yell
Medusa
HULTSFRED FESTIVAL, LIVE STREAMING: 13.06.2008
If it was for me I would always be ready; suitcase, jeans, two T-shirts, gym shoes and waterproof jacket and off like a shot!...trains, airplanes, any transport in order to follow and to see them live; everyone know the reason , everyone suffering for the same illness who caught us, some before some after, since the time we have listened to them for the first time. But not always it’ s possible to follow them : there are work duties, our family, everyday life that tries to shackle our dreams; and then the computer and internet become the rescue and make us realize , every now and then , some little miracle. And Hultsfred Festival , for me as for all those who can’t to be present physically, travels by web; it’ s the afternoon of June 13th when Monica informs me , with a text message, of the streaming; we waited it during the Rock am Ring , the Germans have deceived us and then undeceived , we hope that the Swedish are more generous. And so , after dinner, I start the connection to the link that Monica has posted on the messageboard and patiently wait to see them, even if not live. Other bands play before them and the wait seems endless. It seems like going back to the Give it a name last year , when we waited seven hours of bands more or less noisy, more or less unforgettable, to be able to see them : these are the thoughts we come up with in chat, Monica and I. Then at 11.40 pm, once the gig of the Looptroop Rockers is over, the connection disappears and it’s perceivable, among the people connected with me in chat, a certain tension; the technicians are probably preparing the stage … Then at midnight and a few minutes ,the miracle: the video appears again , diffused lighting on the dark stage and the intro begins. The time has come, our five guys come back live for us who didn’t see them since March; certainly a live gig is much more, but anyway hearing them play gives us an unbelievable excitement. And here they are , Migè with one of his unfailing pats, Gas at the drums, Burton at the keyboards, a Linde , a blond beard on the chin who gives him a look more old but charming , who takes possession of his Gibson ; and finally Ville with a long jacket , sweatshirt and cap, more muffled up than the possible. But you know Ville is Ville , and his walking on stage, whatever he may wear, brings with it waves of adoring fans, and so this is for another time. They start with “Passion’s Killing Floor”; the audio at the beginning has some problem ,because Ville shows to the sound technician to turn up and to fix the volume. The guys are full of energy and the gig is perfect; excellent Linde’s guitar who, between solos, changes and riffs in the songs like “ Right Here In My Arms”, “Sleepwalking Past Hope”, “Rebel Yell” , is giving prove of his special musical performance ; excellent also the Migè’s bass who gives us unbelievable moments, like the intro of “Kiss of Dawn” or the accompaniment of “It’s All Tears” ; crazy our Gas, who underlines the rhythm in the same “It’s All Tears” and in “Wicked Game”, scanned by our drummer who makes like counterpoint for the Linde’s distortions and for the Burton’s keyboard. Perhaps Ville is at first a few subtonic, probably because of the audio problems , but also because of his voice not that clear and open compared with the other live performances he accustomed us to in this last times ( and smoking just three cigarettes during all the performance gives suspect.). The set list follows the one at the gigs we have been to during last months: the songs from Venus Doom, with some hits of the previous albums : Wicked Game, Poison Girl, It’s All Tears, Killing Loneliness, Soul On Fire, Rip Out The Wings Of A Butterfly, Right Here In My Arms and the unfailing The Funeral Of Hearts.
We must spend a word for a special song , that is Rebel Yell: we didn’t listen it live since Rock Am Ring in 2001 and now we find it with a new pluck, thanks to the arranged rhythm of drums and guitar, that is accompanied by Burton’s keyboard; and when the Linde’s solo starts , swift and exact, a smile shows up on my face…it’s wonderful to find the songs who accompanied beautiful past moments and it’s wonderful to find it as beautiful as it was before or even better! Just as they are as great as in the past, with the same desire of music but also with the wish to grow and to get better , that makes them unique and irreplaceable to our eyes.
It’s already 1 am when the streaming finished :endless comments in the chat we made to discuss about the performance , and then we greet each other and go to bed . Tomorrow work is waiting for us and, probably, a sleepless night for the emotions we felt this time, again. Goodbye in Bern and in Helsinki for Ankkarock , boys, this time live, with my beating heart , such as the other times , in the moment I’ll see you on stage!
Scaletta:
Passions Killing Floor
RHIMA
Wings Of A Butterfly
BABL
Wicked Game
Kiss Of Dawn
Join Me
Sleepwalking Past Hope
Poison Girl
Killing Loneliness
Soul On Fire
Bleed Well
It is All Tears
Funeral Of Hearts
Rebel Yell
Mrs.Lindstrom-Rosanna
Planned and developed by Mrs Lindstrom with the help of Nailedtoacross, Legolas di Mirkwood,
Shikaia590 and Maia.Editor in chief: Mrs Lindstrom, Graphic Project: Dan[616]
