Metal, Hardcore, Indie, Rock
Despite the raging storms outside, fans were lined up and ready to go outside Old National Centre in Indianapolis, Indiana, on May 19th. Black Veil Brides was coming to town, bringing along From Ashes To New, TX2, and As December Falls. It was a show no one wanted to miss a moment of.
As December Falls kicked off our night, an independent band that was visiting us all the way from Nottingham in the UK. They had a blast on stage, jumping and dancing around through all of their songs, and got the crowd inspired to start moving, too. The band already had some fans in the crowd when their set started, but by the end of it, they had won over the whole room.
TX2 was an unexpectedly high-energy set, with not a moment of peace throughout it. Vocalist Evan Thomas was all over the stage, jumping up risers and over bandmates, and even came down to the barricade more than once. The crowd happily returned the energy, and it seemed that more than half the room was already aware of the band and excited to see them play. The fans even got a chant of “TX2” going mid-set, to which Evan remarked that it was very cool to have happen to them.
It was obvious that just as many people in the room came for From Ashes To New as they did Black Veil Brides, based on the energy the crowd gave off from the moment their set began. The mosh pit got going hard during their set, and the crowd surfers began their antics of putting the security guards to work. The band had tons of energy on stage, and no one could miss guitarist Lance Dowdle’s costume changes throughout the night that, thanks to the fact they were highlighted by the band’s onstage theatrics. They even had a surprise in store for us all, with As December Falls’ vocalist Bethany Hunter coming out for “Barely Breathing,” which the crowd loved.
Black Veil Brides blacked out the room right before they came on stage, leaving us with chanting fans and screams of “I love you!” Then, we were met with their explosive energy and heavy stage presence from the start. The crowdsurfers didn’t hesitate for a moment and kicked off just seconds into the first song.
When you pay to go to a Black Veil Brides show, you’re not only paying to see the band, you’re paying to hang out with them while they’re onstage, too. Vocalist Andy Biersack had plenty to say to us throughout the night, whether it was jokes about the recent Sleep Token fan incident, talks about how he couldn’t give a fan in the crowd a drumstick because he didn’t have any, or making fun of the crowd for lying about their birthdays when he asked whose birthday it was today. Of course, his fun also came with a serious side, and he took plenty of time to sincerely thank the fans who had stuck around through the years and fought hard to be a fan of the band. Because of fans like that, their latest album has been tremendously successful, and it was obvious that Andy was genuinely grateful for everyone who’d helped them come this far.
And whether you’re a fan of Black Veil Brides‘ old or new, you’re sure to get songs on the setlist that you know. Off their latest album, “Vindicate,” they played “Bleeders,” “Hallelujah,” “Vindicate,” and “Certainty.” They also played some older picks, including “Beautiful Remains” and “Sweet Blasphemy.” Don’t worry, if you only know their biggest hits, they played those too.This leg of the Vindicatour only has a few dates, but you’re in luck if you want to catch them. They head over to Europe this summer for a few one-off dates and a couple of festivals, and will be back touring the US this fall. Be sure to head over to their website and see what dates happen to be near you.
