Volbeat / Motorpoint Arena / Nottingham
It’s been a long busy, but enjoyable year at LiveWire. 69 shows and 163 bands, and as we head into the Christmas break, it’s off to the Motorpoint Arena for one last time, to see the Danish metal band Volbeat. On arriving, it was clear with the amount of equipment, lighting and additional speaker units, this was going to be a class top production. The stage had a large diamond shaped walkway out front, with a VIP pit in the middle - it’s looking impressive !
Up on stage first is Birmingham grindcore metal band Naplam Death, who are Mark ‘Barney’ Greenway (vocals), Shane Embury (bass), Mitch Harris (guitar) and Danny Herrera (drums). Napalm Death are an unashamed noise band, with a strong political ethos, and Mark talks to the crowd about immigration and treating everyone as equal, and the importance of women’s rights.
The set includes You Suffer their world record song (worlds shortest), over almost before it’s begun ! They also included their second shortest song Dead a massive 2 seconds in length just for a bit of balance, with Mark telling the crowd how different the two songs are, tonally structurally. The wall of noise is incessant and they end the set with a cover of a the Dead Kennedy’s classic Nazi Punks Fuck Off.
Napalm Death really are an experience, with Embury’s bass in overdrive, the speakers buzzing wit the effort, Danny pounding the drumkits with ferocity as Mitch hammers out the guitar riffs at full pelt. And of course, over it all sits the growling, ferocious vocals from Greenway. An intense, powerful set delivered with passion, wow what a start to the night.
Set List:
Narcissus
Backlash Just Because
Fuck the Factoid
Contagion
Lucid Fairytale
You Suffer
Scum
The Kill
Amoral
Suffer the Children
When All is Said and Done
Dead
Nazi Punks Fuck Off
After a short turnround on stage, the arrival of Welsh Reggae Metal band Skindred is announced with the Star Wars Imperial March. Skindred are Benji Webbe (vocals) Daniel Pugsley (bass), Mikey Demus (guitar) and Arya Goggin (drums). They released their debut album “Babylon” in 2002 In 2002 and have released seven in total. Their new album “Smile” is due to be released in 2023.
Skindred are an incredible live experience – the ultimate party band. Benji appears on a podium with two red roses raised high as they launched into the opening track Stand for Something. Rat Race hits us and the riffs are intense and powerful, as Benji raps the lyrics to the crowds obviously pleasure. Benji has an incredible ability to connect with his audience as he prowls around the walkway. At one point, the Benny Hill theme tune kicks in as Ayra jumps up form his drums and rushes round the walkway and tries to steel Benji sunglasses before being chased off !
The interaction and sense of unity is evident. Benji introduces Kill the Power with a speech about negative people, encouraging the crowd to chant along and sing the lyrics with him. It’s an absolute powerhouse of a track.
Before That’s My Jam from 2018’s “Bing Tings” Benji splits the crowd in two, one half tasked with shouting “Whoop” the other with “That’s My Jam”. He plays the two sides off against each other and conducts us through the track. The audience are loving it ! For Nobody we’re asked to clap our hands “Radio Ga-Ga” style and the audience as one happily join in and is singing along to the chorus.
As the set closes, we have Warning from their 2011 album “Union Black”. The crowd knows whats coming as they get ready for the “Newport Helicopter”. The crowd crouch down with t-shirts and bandana’s held aloft between two hands like a placard, before Benji counts them down and they launch up as one and swirl the t-shirts around their heads. An amazing sight and the energy in the stadium is off the scale.
As the band leave the stage “Nobody Does It Better” rings out from the PA as Benji slowly walks round the walkway saluting the crowd. As ever, Skindred didn’t disappoint.
Set List
Stand for Something
Rat Race
That’s My Jam
Jump/Jump Around
L.O.V.E. (Smile Please)
Kill the Power
Gimmee That Boom
Nobody
Warning
The lights go out and the stage springs to light with video walls bursting into showing shots of the band backstage ready to come on before the lights come on hailing the introduction of headliners Volbeat. From Copenhagen in Denmark Volbeat are Michael Poulsen (vocals/guitar), Rob Caggiano (guitar), Kaspar Boye Larsen (Bass) and Jon Larsen (drums). The band has released eight studio albums, with the debut “The Strength/The Sound/The Songs” in 2005, and releasing their most recent “Servant of the Mind” in 2021.
They start with The Devil’s Bleeding Crown from the icon 2016 album “Seal the Deal & Lets Boogie” and the crowd are jumping right from the off. Poulsen makes his way down the walkway to the front and is framed by the smoke cannons much to the crowds delight. Poulsen welcomes the faithful and apologies for having a heavy cold, asking the crowd to help with the singing, which results in huge cheers.
The stage turns red and lights up with symbols as Kaspar Larsen leads us into Temple of Ekur on his bass. The smoke effects are in full force again as Poulsen, Caggiano and Larsen prowl the walkway It’s a heavy one with powerful loud riffs which has the crowd waving their arms and chanting along.
Another track from “Seal the Deal” and the crowd light up the phone torches as For Evigt (Forever) starts, a beautiful moment. Volbeat aren’t your usual metal band, and have a wide range of influences from rock and metal through rockabilly and good old rock and roll, and this really shows in their material which has a broad range of styles. Seal the Deal has a full on heavy introduction to which the crowd enthusiastically clap along to as Poulsen, Caggiano and Larsen strut round the walkway.
The final track of the main set is The Devil Rages On taken from 2021’s “Serpent of the Mind” Fittingly, the lighting is deep red with fire around the drumset on the screens, it’s a powerful crescendo to finish on, and as the track ends the cannons fire off more smoke and confetti into the arena air and the crowd erupt in cheers once more.
As we reach the encore the anthemic track Let It Burn rings out the crowd are bouncing round as Caggiano delivers a solid solo. Perhaps track of the night goes to Die to Live an emotional track from “Rewind, Replay, Rebound”. Michael introduces each of the band members to roars of approval form the crowd before they head into the final track of the night, Still Counting. A powerhouse of a track as the smoke machines go into overdrive as a wall of sound crushes the arena. The power builds and builds to a crescendo before the stage explodes into a shower of tape and smoke.
Just wow, what a night ! It’s unusual to have three such diverse bands on one line up. With Napalm Deaths raw, relentless power, Skindred’s reggae party metal and then the complex mix of influences from Volbeat. This is a show that will live long in the memory, and what a way to end 2022 !
Set List
Devils Bleeding Crown
Pelvis on Fire
Temple of Ekur
Lola
For Evigt
Fallen
San Mans Tongue
Wait a Minute My Girl
Becoming
Seal the Deal
Last Day Under the Sun
Devil Rages On
Let it Burn
Die to Live
Pool of Booze
Still Counting
