Gallery, ReviewDitch This MagazineMarch 17, 2024gallery, live, melbourne, Odin Imaging, Nathan Goldsworthy, odin imaging, Mai Tosley, Northcote Theatre, Ville Valo, Dark Water, The Pheonix

Ville Valo + Dark Water @ Northcote Theatre 15-03-24

Gallery, ReviewDitch This MagazineMarch 17, 2024gallery, live, melbourne, Odin Imaging, Nathan Goldsworthy, odin imaging, Mai Tosley, Northcote Theatre, Ville Valo, Dark Water, The Pheonix

photos: Nathan Goldsworthy @odin.imaging
words: Mai Tosley

The fans of Ville Valo were very willing to line up and wait to hear love songs from the man who invented a genre. The line to get into the venue was all the way around the building and down the street, for I have never seen such a long line of eager people. This just shows how much talent one man can hold, bringing in folks form all age groups. The line finally starts to move as people have been waiting eagerly.

With everyone ready in the venue of Northcote Theatre waiting to be amazed by Dark Water, for those who don't know them it was a surprise to see a two piece band. With one on the bass and the other singing and playing guitar it was an intriguing and different kind of set, great music from the duo.

Lights flashing and upbeat music blasting the crowd have a dance party waiting in anticipation for Ville Valo to grace the stage. The intro song of the set 'Zener Solitaire' comes on and the band appear under a giant heartagram background center stage. With the pinkest lighting you will ever see it looks like cotton candy clouds with the added smoke machines. The audience scream to their delight and with no messing around the band jump straight into 'Echolocate Your Love' the first song on Ville Valo's newest album Neon Noir.

Then playing the first song from HIM 'The Funeral Of Hearts', powerful singing emitted from the audience as they sang along word for word with Ville Valo. Giving us more of the new album he played 'The Foreverlost', going off the first few songs the setlist has a pattern of one Ville Valo song followed by a HIM song that everyone was fortunate to experience. Keeping up the theme melodic notes of 'Join Me In Death' playout and you feel the power of the guitars. Followed by 'Neon Noir' the lights bouncing off the disco ball hanging from the roof, giving the room a spectacular mood.

The next couple of songs went down without a hitch as the crowd got amped up for 'The Kiss of Dawn', 'Loveletting' and 'Buried Alive By Love', his voice was so strong and beautiful. Slowing it down for 'Heartful of Ghosts' the perfect song for the lights to light up the heartagram like it's beating. Then moving on to 'Gone With The Sin' his voice making you feel something unexplainable. Proceeding with 'Salute the Sanguine', 'Wings of a Butterfly' and 'Run Away From the Sun' a personal favourite of the new album. The crowd really livened up for 'Right Here In My Arms' and ending with 'Saturnine Saturnalia'.

Cheers erupted from the audience promoting the band to come back out and ending the set with four more songs. 'In Trenodia', 'Killing Loneliness', 'Baby Lacrimarium'. Ville Valo thanks the listeners everything and plays the last song of the night 'When Love and Death Embrace'.