HIM has returned to touring the US in support of their latest album Screamworks: Love In Theory and Practice and this time they brought a solid lineup along with them. For this tour, I decided to check them out at their Las Vegas stop instead of the usual LA venues. From start to finish they crowd was entertained and were receptive to all the bands.

The night started out with Punk Rock band Drive A from Los Angeles. The band had a Rise Against/Anti-Flag feel to them, and with the reception they were receiving you would have thought they were a local band. Their sonic assault won over the crowd instantly and they did not let up their entire set. It really shows how much a reactive crowd can energize a show.

Up next was Dommin. They seem to be making the rounds with Finnish bands as they previously toured with The 69 Eyes. This time around the band’s set felt more polished with their melodic take on Gothic Rock. Their red rose covered equipment help set the mood for a darker themed set. Their cover of “(I Just Died) In your Arms Tonight” once again went over very well and the crowd even sang along to it. It is always awesome to see a primarily younger crowd knowing songs that came out before most of them were born.

After Dommin came We Are The Fallen. This is a band that consists of original members of Evanesence and former American Idol finalist Carly Smithson on vocals. This was a case of not knowing what to expect and I can say that the band was a pleasant surprise. They definitely had that Evanesence/Lacuna Coil feel. The band was solid throughout their and even threw in a cover of their own with their version of Madonna’s “Like A Prayer”. Once again, the crowd was very receptive and was not just sitting on their hands waiting for the headliners.

It was then HIM’s time to take the stage. You could tell the audience was pumped. It had been a couple of years since their last tour. The set started with a bang with bassist Mige letting out a huge scream to begin the first song Like St. Valentine. The set was filled with many old fan favorites (such as Funeral of Hearts, Poison Girl, and Join Me In Death among others) and songs that newer fans were familiar with (from Dark Light and Venus Doom). Their stage set really reflected the bands more recent sound, with a more stripped down back to basics feel. There were two huge heartagrams or elaborate banners and lighting, just the band and their music. Lead singer Ville Valo did not do much movement on stage, but he didn’t need to. He has a natural charisma that fans can connect to. He was even bringing back his melodic screams to the band’s live show as he did on the new album. Their encore consisted of one song, but it is a song many fans have been clamoring for a long time now. The stars must have been aligned for this tour because the encore was their cover of Billy Idol’s Rebel Yell.

The crowd in Las Vegas brought a way different feel to the usual ones I see at LA shows. They were very receptive to all the bands, and were willing to give them all a chance rather than watch just the band they like. It was a very welcome change from the norm and made for a fun concert atmosphere.