The last couple of years in the career & personal lives of A7X have been a (well-documented) rollercoaster, following the shock, devastating death of drummer & best friend, Jimmy 'The Rev' Sullivan in late 2009. So for the band to not only finish & release the new record 'Nightmare' (which includes some of The Rev's last pieces of work), but to then have the strength to go out on the road & tour that record without their best friend is a feat in itself.
With original support act Sevendust pulling out of the tour a few short weeks prior, the night started out with the band left to fill those shoes, Australia's own 'Dream On, Dreamer'. But sadly, the boys from Melbourne honestly left me feeling really disappointed. Musically they were 'OK' & bassist/back-up vocalist Michael McLeod was solid, but harsh vocalist Marcel Gadacz was mediocre, at best, and had me wishing the band would finish their set sooner than they had started.
So when the lights dimmed for the final time and a massive roar went up from the crowd, a wave of relief washed over me........ now here comes the REAL show!
Along with current supporting drummer Arin Ilejay, who at the age of just 23 did a very impressive job at the helm of the kit, the boys of A7X took to the stage looking ready & raring to go, opening the show with a monster rendition of the title track from new album 'Nightmare', which then rolled straight on into massive fan favourite 'Critical Acclaim' & new track 'Welcome To The Family' (which brought with it vigarous sing-alongs courtesy of the crowd). And although the setlist was a varied mix of old fan favourites as well as shiny new tracks, it definitely wasn't all bash & thrash, with frontman M.Shadows taking a few moments out of the mayhem to speak briefly about his 'brother' The Rev, his passing & how much he loved coming to Australia, which lead into current single, the heartfelt rock ballad penned about Rev, 'So Far Away'. In fact the whole show was peppered with his memory, from dedications by the band, to loud & strong 'Rev' chants spontaneously erupting from the crowd, to the very fitting inclusion of his vocals on a backing track (rather than having one of his bandmates sing his parts) which made it feel almost as if he had never left at all.
Switching gears again the band took it up another notch, with tracks like the massive 'God Hates Us' which, as Shadows states, "has been banned in 76 countries *laughing* luckily Australia's not one of them', & the lyrically sick & twisted (yet strangely very enjoyable & funny) 'A Little Piece Of Heaven', which to me sounds like a Tim Burton/Broadway number.
The whole band were really tight for the entire length of the show, Shadows' voice was big, brash & strong, with bassist Johnny Christ keeping things rolling along all night, but for me the definite stand-out of the night was rhythm guitarist Zacky Vengeance & lead guitarist Synyster Gates. The synchronicity of this duo has to be heard live to be truly appreciated, filling the arena with resonating, flawless musicianship beyond their years on every song, with the crowd lapping up everything they had to offer.
With a short encore of just two tracks, the band closed out their set with the tearjerker 'Fiction', a track that The Rev finished recording piano for & singing on, just three short days before his passing. And with the vocals of their fallen friend resonating through the amps & into the ears of every fan in the arena, A7X triumphantly exited the stage to the voracious cheers of a truly satisifed crowd that are all elated that they have chosen to go on, in a band that means so much to so many.
