Last night’s concert at the Northcote Theatre in Melbourne was a showcase of dark gothic rock at its finest; beginning with local darkwave outfit Dark Water, and headlined by the illustrious Ville Valo – best known as the lead vocalist of HIM. Touring Australia as a solo act under the moniker VV, we put on our finest black outfits and head to Northcote to witness VV’s solo work, as well as some HIM classics.
Opening act Dark Water are a Melbourne-based 80s-inspired darkwave and synth pop act whose performance set the bar high with a hauntingly beautiful set. Captivated by their songs The Tower and Pipe Dreams, we enjoyed the various songs from their released discography – in particular Take the Piss and Poison. Hearing constant whispers from the crowd about the various acts that Dark Water reminded them of, it was clear that they had the tick of approval from the packed out crowd at Northcote Theatre. Closing song Haunted was a perfect end to a fantastic support slot, and their melancholic songs left us both in awe and wanting more.
Before long, it was time for VV to take to the stage. Having last seen HIM back at Soundwave in 2014, we knew just how incredible Ville’s stage presence is and we knew that tonight would be nothing short of spectacular. From opening track Echolocate Your Love immediately capturing the crowd’s attention, the setlist continued with a perfect blend of solo material from his 2023 release Neon Noir, sprinkled with beloved HIM hits that the crowd absolutely lost their minds for. From the big singalongs during The Funeral of Hearts and Join Me In Death, to the upbeat songs from his solo record including The Foreverlost and title track Neon Noir, the audience brought everything they had to the table.
Some of the most notable moments of the night included the intense vocal performance during Buried Alive by Love, the lighting and production during Heartful of Ghosts, when things slowed down for Gone With the Sin, and how wild the crowd got for Wings of a Butterfly. While the band’s interaction with the crowd was somewhat minimal, the concert still felt intimate and incredibly emotional – the songs speaking for themselves to the adoring audience.
Leaving some of the best songs for last, as VV headed to the encore we witnessed our favourite track from his solo catalogue with Run Away From The Sun, as well as an audience-wide singalong for Right Here in My Arms. Before performing closing track Saturnine Saturnalia, Ville took the time to tell the crowd, ‘It’s good to be back after all this time.’ We hear of the inspiration of the last song coming from one of his favourite bands Black Sabbath, and he tells the crowd they will take a brief ‘creative break’ which will be 2-4 minutes depending on their bladders. Valo’s engagement was incredibly heartfelt, and he couldn’t stop smiling throughout the set as he expressed his gratitude for being back in Australia.
The encore closed out the night with In Trenodia; a perfect choice for the encore and a personal favourite for everyone we spoke to. Performing HIM track Killing Loneliness as well as Baby Lacrimarium, the set ended with When Love and Death Embrace as VV told the crowd, ‘Thank you so much for everything – sacrificing your Friday night for this’. We’re told it’s their last song (but it’s a long one) as we feel the communal appreciation for a night of exceptional music. While sad to see it end, it was a pleasure to see Ville Valo back in Melbourne, and we hope he comes back soon.