Unapologetic, fiery and loud. Five Finger Death Punch take on Wembley Arena
Written by Aggie Anthimidou on February 5, 2020
…and allude to an imminent appearance at Download Festival
The SSE Arena, Wembley
It is a daunting task to have Megadeth, a legendary band, opening for your show but Five Finger Death Punch’s career journey has given to the five Las Vegas rockers all the confidence they need to back it up.
Review and Photos: Aggie Anthimidou
A titanic stage, a theatrical performance and an infectious high-octane energy didn’t leave anyone in the arena indifferent. It was a visual show of stage props, bright and colourful lights and pyro but the band was never outshined by it all.
Atmosphere was already built up amongst the 12,000+ strong ‘Knuckleheads’ by the time the band took on stage.
As the huge curtain dropped, singer Ivan Moody, guitarists Jason Hook and Zoltan Bathory, bass player Chris Kael and drummer Charlie Engen hit the stage with ‘Lift Me Up’ amidst waves of lasers and strobe lights.
Ivan Moody’s stage presence is hugely energetic, theatrical and entertaining. Each member though is very much the show’s protagonist bringing in his own stamp and individuality and taking on equal spotlight and stage presence. It was equally thrilling and overwhelming trying to visually follow each of them throughout. Guitarists Jason Hook and Zoltan Bathory took on the stage to deliver crafted solos while bassist Chris Kael and drummer Charlie Engen set the beat.
Charismatic Jason Hook, very much loved from the crowd’s reaction, was a key presence throughout the night impressing fans not only with his playing but also with his vocals; as he joined the lead man for a number of acoustic songs. His Gibson gear collection is impressive with multiple changes over the course of the gig; rotating between his various signature Gibson and Epiphone Explorers and 7 strings Ibanez.
‘Sham Pain’ saw waves of gold confetti showering the fans, an intense and melodic song was a crowd pleaser and was dominated by Hook’s captivating solos.
“There is no politics and religion takes a back seat because here we are all bad company,” says Moody. The ‘Bad Company’ cover was delivered soulfully with deep and melodic vocals complemented by Hook’s solo on a Gibson Double-Neck this time.
Bathory, Kael and Engen increased the temperature throughout ‘Got your six’ which led to an increased mosh pit activity.
It was time for the acoustic part with mood mellowing ‘Wrong Side of Heaven’ – with only Moody and Hook sharing the stage. This is the thing with metal. It has so much soul whether plugged or unplugged. A fine balance between aggression and romance. And Five Finger Death Punch explored both sides last Friday.
Moody has a unique charisma to take an arena show and turn it into an intimate gig not only through the music but also through the sincere confessions on his struggles and addictions that openly shares with his fans encouraging to share back.
‘Battle Moon’ was the most tender moment of the evening with Moody bringing on stage a little girl to sing with him. “That is what makes all of this worthwhile,” he says.
Kenny Wayne Shepherd’s ‘Black on Black’ cover brings a Southern blues rock break into the set. ‘Coming Down’ gave one of the magical highlights of the evening with a small platform elevating Jason Hook for his riveting solo.
Burn MF opened up with Engen’s skilful, rapid solo playing building up crowd anticipation for what was to follow. At Moody’s request the arena turned into a sea of fireflies.
The band wasn’t done yet though. Moody launched into an extended engagement with the audience, talking about touring with Megadeth as one of the “biggest honours of his life”, his awe around Dave Mustaine and celebrating with Chris Kael two years of sobriety. He reached out to fans to encourage sharing their stories and inspire them to stick to their path of recovery. The show drew to an end with ‘The Bleeding’ but the band gave something to fans to look forward to.
“Next time we see you, we are gonna headline Download Festival” Moody shouts. I am sure it won’t be a long wait.
Setlist
Lift Me Up
Trouble
Wash It All Away
Jekyll and Hyde
Sham Pain
Bad Company (Bad Company cover)
Burn It Down
Got Your Six
Wrong Side of Heaven
Battle Born
Blue on Black (Kenny Wayne Shepherd cover)
Coming Down
Never Enough
Burn MF
Encore
Inside Out
Under and Over It
The Bleeding
* Writer’s note: the earlier version of this article has been corrected.
