GODSMACK, VOLBEAT and STITCHED UP HEART Get Insanely Loud at London, ON’s Budweiser Gardens [Photos & Show Review]

This was a rock and roll show for the ages! Godsmack with Volbeat and Stitched Up Heart on the same bill for one incredible evening of rock and roll. Kicking off the performance this evening we were introduced to Los Angeles hard rock band Stitched Up Heart. Formed in 2010 by singer Alecia “Mixi” Demner, the group also features James Decker on drums, Merritt Goodwin on guitar, and Randy Mathias on bass.

Stitched Up Heart have a couple of EPs and a full-length album to their name, with a forthcoming new album due later in 2019. One of the tracks on that upcoming album is their new track “Lost” which features Sully Erna of Godsmack – and Erna turned up on stage with the band to perform the song live for London this evening. Stitched Up Heart is considered a band on the rise, a fact made evident by their energetic performance this evening.

Check out the above-mentioned Stitched Up Heart song, “Lost,” featuring Sully Erna.

Michael Poulsen, Rob Caggiano, drummer Jon Larsen and bassist Kaspar Boye Larsen took the stage next, filling London’s ears with the sweet sounds of their rockabilly-tinged metal to an almost full house. This was a week before the announcement of Volbeat’s new album and subsequent European tour with Toronto’s Danko Jones. Danko was in London this evening playing a headlining gig at London Music Hall, and the powers that be managed to get Danko into Budweiser Gardens and on stage with Volbeat to perform “Black Rose” with the band.

Whether the audience knew it or not, this was a rare treat indeed – I’m not sure Danko has ever played that number on stage with the band before. If he has, it’s something that’s only happened once or twice. There have been many descriptive words used to describe Volbeat’s sound over the years, I’m sure. I’m going to add a word here for their music: Addictive. As the band worked their way through tracks like “Lola Montez,” “Sad Man’s Tongue,” “16 Dollars,” “Fallen” and “Hallelujah Goat” it felt like there wasn’t a fist in the arena that wasn’t pumping along in unison to the songs.

And, because you need to hear it, here’s “Black Rose” featuring Danko Jones.

Sully Erna (with whom we recently spoke — read our interview here), Robbie Merrill, Tony Rombola and Shannon Larkin hit the stage at 9:45 and launched right into “When Legends Rise,” he title track and one of the most energetic songs off of their newest 2018 album (read our review here). It only took a single song to establish what most people in the venue already knew; Godsmack plays a mean live show. Everything sounded tight; the drumming, guitaring and bass-lines were all reverberating in sync as the band bathed the audience in just over an hour of heavy music adorned with incredible pyrotechnics, concussion blasts and a duelling drum solo between Sully Erna and Shannon Larkin entitled “Batalla de los tambores” that has become a thing of legend at a Godsmack show.

Godsmack performed five songs from When Legends Rise this evening, along with a tight cover of “Highway To Hell” and a half a dozen of their most revered back-catalog material. Personally, I felt like the show was too short. Maybe that old showbiz catchphrase of “always leave the audience wanting more” really does ring true, as I’m already eager to see the band perform again (when they play at (Heavy Montreal) at the end of July).

The Godsmack latest album, When Legends Rise, dropped on April 27, 2018, via BMG.

Volbeat’s London Setlist:

01. The Devil’s Bleeding Crown
02. Lola Montez
03. Sad Man’s Tongue (with Ring of Fire intro)
04. A Warrior’s Call
05. Let It Burn
06. Black Rose (with Danko Jones)
07. The Everlasting
08. 16 Dollars
09. Dead but Rising
10. Fallen
11. Hallelujah Goat
12. Marie Laveau
13. Doc Holliday
14. Seal the Deal
15. Still Counting

Godsmack continue to deliver. Here’s the video for their single “When Legends Rise”:

Godsmack’s London Setlist:

01. When Legends Rise
02. 1000hp
03. Say My Name
04. Keep Away
05. Awake
06. Unforgettable
07. Batalla de los tambores
08. Voodoo
09. Under Your Scars
10. Bulletproof
11. Highway to Hell (AC/DC cover)
12. I Stand Alone