I have to think many people are a lot like me. We hear what’s on the radio for the most part and think what we hear represents the bands style and sound. To say that is not always the case is of course an understatement but rarely has it ever been so true than for the band who opened up for The Five Finger Death Punch Tour that also had Breaking Benjamin and Nothing More. I’m referring of course to Bad Wolves.
The other bands do sound like the songs you hear on the radio. For me Bad Wolves came on strong with a remake of Zombies that they owned to the core. Follow it up with a melodic rock with an edge sound in Can You Hear Me Now you think you’ve good a good hard rock band and a sense of their style. Nope. Gotta tell you if you went to the tour last weekend at the Starplex Pavilion in Dallas expecting a lot of that you were in for a surprise to say the least. Bad Wolves is most certainly a harder rock to metal band of high energy and “in your face” power from Tommy Vext, the singer.
The lineup going on tour now with these quartet of bands is sure to sell out and please a wide variety of rock and roll fans with some incredible music. Going on at 6pm, the sun was still high in this Texas summer. Bad Wolves took the stage and owned it from start to finish. Well, near as I can tell. Can You Hear Me Now started after we were escorted away from the pit. We only get 3 songs but man alive, sometimes those 3 songs are just simply an amazing experience that even photographers and writers can get lost in. But even from the outside of Starplex you could hear the power and the audience eating it up. Note to self, check out their next tour through Dallas – these guys are certainly on the way up and earned their spot on a top tour this summer with Five Finger Death Punch.
Nothing More. Just damn. This band has been on our radar since the early days when as our interview Jemini says, there were more people in the band than in the audience. Even then you could just tell something was special here and certainly over the years they’ve come a long long way to earn a spot on this summer tour.
Nothing More is one of the few bands also that will give a photographer the entire set to shoot, not just the first 3 songs. They certainly are a high energy band with Jonny Hawkins expelling enough energy per show to power small 3rd world countries through the winter. Between the unique vocals, compelling songs that pull you in, and talent the band has, they’re going to be around the music world for a long long time.
At this point heat took me out for a bit so I wasn’t able to photograph Breaking Benjamin but while sitting just outside the stage area, you could certainly hear the crowd go nuts at every appropriate time. Damn Texas summers can be brutal and it makes me feel for the bands that have to perform in our heat.
We’re now approaching the last act – Five Finger Death Punch. For many years I just didn’t appreciate this band as I have come to over the last few albums. But with every release they pull out some surprises whether a new song of their own, or a cover you never saw coming, this band is a legitimate powerhouse in the industry and just took to another level Saturday night at the Starplex Pavilion. While you still just get your 3 songs as a photographer, the band is so very photographer aware and they mug it up for us and ensure that we have ample opportunity to get some killer shots.
Between Wash It All Away and Trouble I at least would sing along with the 2 of the first 3 songs. No, I won’t count the Barney song as one of the first – just a very unique intro for a very unique band. After that they did the cover I mentioned in the Offsprings Gone Away. Wrong Side of Heaven and Remember Everything are also hits I’m so glad they chose to do live.
In all, you’d think for 3 songs you just shoot nonstop and many times that’s all you do. But every once in a while for some bands, you find yourself putting the camera down and reminding your emotional state that you’re mere feet from some of the hottest bands in the world today. There is simply no better seat in the house that isn’t sharing the stage with the bands themselves. I found myself “camera down” for all 3 bands on this tour at one point or another. While I was getting all the photos I could, I made certain to just sit there and appreciate the moment in time.
If you get a chance to see this tour, do it. This is certainly one of the hottest tours of this year.
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