Stone Sour, Avenged Sevenfold, Hellyeah Halloween review!

Hellyeah, Avenged Sevenfold and Stone Sour: 31/10/2010 Hammersmith Apollo

The anticipation for this gig has been huge and no matter who headlined which night it was bound to be a truly amazing spectacle. With both Avenged Sevenfold and Stone Sour suffering recent losses (and of course Hellyeah drummer Vinnie Paul loosing his brother Dimebag four years ago) this was sure to be a moving event and a tribute to their fallen brothers. Even waiting outside before the doors opened there was the feeling that everyone was getting along and was there to support each other after the tragic losses with chants for Paul Gray, Jimmy ‘The Rev’ Sullivan, Dimebag Darrell and Ronnie James Dio. Once inside the crowd eagerly anticipated the start of Hellyeah, The Texan rockers powered their way through their set which featured greats such as “Hellyeah” “Cowboy Way” and “Alcohaulin’ Ass”. Vinnie Paul’s stage presence is what makes this band, their performance was admirable but not up to the standards of Vinnie’s legendary former band Pantera.

Then came in many peoples view the highlight of the show as Avenged Sevenfold took to the stage. The band arrived on stage with masks on for Halloween and romp into “Nightmare”. Everyone knew this song and was singing along (even the security guards were joining in) and were there to support the band after the tragic loss of The Rev. This certainly became apparent when M. Shadows dedicated the song “So Far Away” to him, the crowd responded by pulling out lighters and mobile phones before giving a “Jimmy” chant. This was a very moving part of the set and brought tears to many peoples eyes (me included). The energy that they bring with them is phenomenal with M., Synyster Gates, Zacky Vengeance and Johnny Christ tearing round the stage and of course not forgetting Mike Portnoy whos enthusiasm is unbeatable( not to mention toasting marshmallows on the pyros!) . The band ended with “Almost Easy” and stated that they will return in the future. In the spirit of Halloween the band then brought on stage boxes of sweets and each band member threw them into the crowd.

Next up were Stone Sour with a slightly gender confused Corey Taylor. Again with this being Halloween Taylor decided to dress in lingerie and a tutu, despite this and having to follow the astounding act of Avenged, Stone sour really pulled out all the stops. Their performance was impeccable and included a Corey Taylor solo performance of “Bother” which was a real show stopper. The show also featured the UK live debut of “Lets Be Honest” which was another highlight of a fantastic show.

Reflecting on all the bands it was a brilliant show and all performances were of the highest quality (apart from the occasional/unfortunate guitar break down for Synyster Gates). This tour having sold out far in advanced you could see why tickets were selling like hot cakes. If you get the chance to see any of these bands then do not pass up the opportunity as it was a fantastic show and one that you will never forget and not just because of Corey Taylor’s dress sense.

Overall rating 9/10