Finnish metal band Apocalyptica opened the night and I
have to admit that I was not impressed. I had never heard of the band prior to
that night, even though they have been around for more than 20 years. To me,
their version of cello metal just didn’t sit right. I saw them as more of a
Trans Siberian Orchestra wannabe. I tried to keep an open mind, but I just
found myself getting bored as they performed. To say that their music wasn’t
for me is an understatement. And although I wasn’t crazy about them, I was obviously
in the minority. The band drew huge applause from the sold out crowd.
After Apocalyptica left the stage to a rousing ovation,
the anticipation for the headliners grew. It wasn’t long before the lights went
down, and from our vantage point at the side of the stage, we saw them leave
their dressing room and line up to make their appearance. They walked onto the
stage and the Ballroom roared to life. SIXX:AM was here to play and everyone was
ecstatic.
SIXX:AM got off to a solid start with a nice blend of old
and new. The audience seemed to know the new material as much as the older
tunes and it was evident the new album had been well received. I personally
enjoyed hearing the new songs more than the older tunes, but the selection of
songs from the first two records wasn’t bad either.
After about three songs, James Michael ran to the side of
the stage and walked off quickly. We looked over to see what was happening and
there was a nebulizer that James used. I had no idea that the singer had
asthma, but belting out the tunes the way he did, combined with all of the
running around on stage, made it understandable that he would run out of
breath. James didn’t let it affect him at all. He inhaled deeply and was back
on stage before almost anyone even knew what was happening.
When James took a seat behind the piano, I looked over at
Metal Eddie and laughed. We both knew what song was coming next. As I stated in
my review, I was not crazy about SIXX:AM’s version of “Drive.” Metal Eddie flat
out hated it. And as the night wore on, I teased him endlessly, because we both
knew that the song was going to be performed. And to be completely honest, the
live version was not bad at all. Seeing the band play it live gave me a better
appreciation for their version of the song. It still isn’t one of my favorite
SIXX:AM songs, but I have a deeper enjoyment for it now.
Somewhere in the middle of the show, Nikki Sixx took a
turn at addressing the crowd. He told the tale of how the band came to be and
how they never wanted to share their music with anyone but themselves. SIXX:AM
was meant to be a fun side project that wasn’t supposed to go anywhere. They
wanted to be selfish in that regard. But the music got out and then the fans
demanded more. And after they got more, the fans demanded a tour. And now Nikki realizes that he isn’t going to
be retiring after all. He announced that the band hopes to have another record
and tour in 2016. That news brought the loudest cheers of the evening.
The best part of the night came toward the end. The
one-two combination of “Lies Of The Beautiful People” followed by “Stars” was
just incredible. “Lies Of The Beautiful People” is the one song that I wanted
to hear the entire evening. I personally feel that it is SIXX:AM’s best song
and one of the greatest rock songs ever recorded. It is extremely powerful and
catchy and contains all the proper elements of a perfect rock song. When the
band pulled it out toward the end of the set, I screamed my lungs out and sang
as loud as I could. I sang so loud, that I think I annoyed a couple of the
girls standing next to me. They hadn’t really heard a peep out of me all night
long, and then all of a sudden I was screaming like a banshee and singing so
loud that my voice cracked. I couldn’t help it. I absolutely love “Lies Of The
Beautiful People.”
And the band didn’t end the main set there. They pushed
the envelope and followed “Lies Of The Beautiful People” with “Stars.” I thought
that was a risky move, but SIXX:AM was able to pull it off flawlessly.
Apparently “Stars” is a much beloved song as well and the band crushed it in
the live setting. It was a fantastic ending to the main set, complete with
paper stars confetti flying from the stage and covering most of the crowd in
front.
The encore was a ballad to rocker finish as “Skin” made
way for “Life Is Beautiful.” And while it was a decent encore, the moment of
the night had passed for me. There was nothing that would top “Lies Of The
Beautiful People” into “Stars.” It was just too perfect.
When the encore ended, the band said their goodbyes, and
received a much deserved ovation. Having witnessed their performance that
night, I will most likely be going to see the band again. Not right away mind
you, but if they were to come back around on tour next year and I get a message
from Metal Eddie---you can count me in.
Setlist
Let’s Go
Give Me A Love
Relief
This Is Gonna Hurt
Pray For Me
Dead Man’s Ballet
Accidents Can Happen
Miracle
Live Forever
Gotta Get It Right
Drive
Help Is On The Way
Goodbye My Friends
Lies Of The Beautiful People
Stars
Encore
Skin
Life Is Beautiful
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