Some would say Bullet For My Valentine have taken a step back. 2010 saw them release third album 'Fever' and subsequently embark upon the arena tour that followed. Fast forward three turbulent years and they're back at the Apollo in support of 'Temper Temper'. A smaller venue than the MEN Arena maybe, but the show feels even bigger.
Support tonight comes in the form of special guests Halestorm. Given a very tight half an hour slot, Lzzy and co. rush through a six song set. It's undeniable that Lzzy Hale is a phenomenal front woman. She has the crowd eating from the palm of her hand the moment she strides onto the stage for opener 'Love Bites (So Do I)'. Halestorm's mix of bitterness and anger is a nice taster of what's coming tonight. It's album track 'Rock Show' that gets some of the loudest screams and has the entire room clapping along. The set feels somewhat rushed, to see Halestorm in all their glory it's probably best you go to a headline gig, but nevertheless, they get everyone warmed up nicely.
Half an hour is all it takes for the Bullet For My Valentine guys to grace the Apollo with their presence. A dramatic opening to Queen's 'We Will Rock You' and 'O Fortuna' in the dark, before the band are lit up in green for 'Breaking Point'. Fourth album 'Temper Temper' has had mixed reviews. Die hard fans love it, fair weather fans are on the fence. It's raw and angry, Matt Tuck changed the writing process of this album to suit the bands rocky circumstances. Despite the anger in the lyrics, the band are clearly a united front tonight.
The set list is a showcase of Bullet's greatest hits. Power ballads from past albums are left by the wayside in favour of the angry, hate fueled screams of relationship breakdowns. It's when the band disappear and the crowd are left in the dark to listen to the haunting sounds of the Apocolyptica intro from 'The Poison'. A strange choice to put such a build up halfway through, but it feels appropriate. They gently touch upon the debut and follow up 'Scream Aim Fire' opting to slot in newer album tracks. 'The Last Fight' see's Matt Tuck stand alone, stripped back for the first half. And new song 'Dirty Little Secret' entices Lzzy Hale out for a duet.
Bullet For My Valentine are the heavy weights in British rock music. 'Temper Temper' is cleverly written, changing the sound of Bullet forever. The choice to write autobiographically came from the internal problems the band were having. It should be awkward for the four of them to perform them on stage, but it isn't. Matt Tuck is cocky in a likeable way, a decent front man, engaging with the crowd. Years of practice for him have definitely paid off.
There's no encore tonight. It's song after song with shots of banter in between. They say they're ending with 'Tears Don't Fall' - the original, not the part two version that was a surprise track title on 'Temper Temper'. Chants of 'bullet, bullet' and 'we want more' before the grand finale, 'Begging For Mercy'. A fitting end to what has been a very angry set list. The band disappear and come back to throw guitar picks and drum sticks into the crowd. It's like they never wanted to leave, and truth be told, neither did we.
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