Stalker Magazine
/December 2012/
Helldone Festival 2012
HIM
Finnish media had reported about the stumbling start of Helldone festival, where Ville not only messed up vocally but also in terms of social interaction, therefore I was anxious what?s going to be the deal this night. No, this time Ville appeared fit and friendly, clean shaven and dressed in a style we all know. And so thin he could hide behind the microphone stick. A new song, “Strange Worlds” (you can watch the video at heartagram.com) opened the show – and I could not hear anything of Ville then, I rather heard the fan crowd singing along. And didn?t see anything unusual by then. Also when the microphone screeched during Sweet 666 … The band had fun on stage, obviously, and Ville didn?t make too much contact with the crowd (which I also didn?t find so unusual). The show seemed fine in every aspect.
Then they played another new song, I will be the end of you, where Ville had problems to find the vocal line and the voice sounded weak (especially in higher registers) or could not be heard at all. Then I understood the reasons of the microphone problem – it was cranked up to the max. Gone with the sin however– where Ville snatched a guitar and the lights were dimmed down to create a campfire feeling - became one of the show highlights due to the atmosphere. Yet the following Wicked Game should become a turning point – when he managed to reach some higher note, it sounded very thin, or there was no sound at all. It seemed he hardly dared to get a high tone out – and the legendary “nobodyyyyyy.... ” turned into a half-spoken / half-whispered reference.
Unfortunately, a HIM show stands and falls with Ville?s performance – even when Mige, Linde, Gas and Burton play their asses off – which they did. The problems continued during Sanctuary, and Funeral of Hearts or Join Me was sung partly by the audience for a good reason; also Mige and Linde took over more of the vocal tasks. Old hits like Open your Arms sounded better as originally settled in the lower registers, which was also the case for When Love And Death Embrace.
Unexpectedly the band came back for an encore, a mainly instrumental Sleepwalking Past Hope which once again underlined the achievement of the band.
For me it was painful to listen how an artist struggles to deliver a performance everybody expects – and it simply doesn?t work. I am familiar with cracking and disappearing voice myself – it happens every time I catch the flue. Therefore I suspect a similar cause here...
When leaving the club I overheard a fan stating that Ville was even more drunk this night than the night before. Seems totally unfair, in my experience drunk people lose control not only over the high registers of their voices... Unfortunately there?s no official band statement when writing this report, therefore I don?t know if my suspicion of “the flu” is correct – best wishes for tonight?s show and the Helldone-gig on New Year?s Eve!
Setlist 29.12.2012:
Strange World
Right Here in My Arms
Wings of a Butterfly
Heartkiller
The Kiss of Dawn
Your Sweet 666
I Will Be the End of You
Gone With the Sin
Wicked Game
The Sacrament
The Funeral of Hearts
It?s All Tears
Soul on Fire
Buried Alive by Love
Join Me in Death
When Love and Death Embrace
Encore: Sleepwalking Past Hope