Article and Photos by: Ian Urquhart
Gilford, NH – Hugging the coastline of New Hampshire’s Lake Winnipesaukee, the Bank of New Hampshire Pavilion became home to a night full of international metal on a humid, New England-summer evening. Stretching from Meredith to Laconia, Deathbat and Volbeat shirts were amongst the majority. Windows were down. Speakers turned up. Parking lots swamped. Gilford, New Hampshire was ready to melt some faces.
New Hampshire is also home to Hampton Beach – a popular summer location for local bands to play the Casino Ballroom or Wally’s Pub. Natives to this area, Prospect Hills kicked off the head-banging evening. The dread-slinging lead man, Adam Fithian was certainly the spark to Prospect Hill’s flame. Expressing his body language coincidentally with his vocals, Adam portrayed his passion for their performing lifestyle stating, “There may not be a lot of money in music. But we do it because we love it.” Conversations were had ahead of time with the front row of fans indicating a potential crowd dive from Adam. Instead the lead vocalist belted out their closing song “Come Alive,” off of Impact (2012) from the barrier. For a local New England rock band, these guys jammed and kindled the evening’s heavy metal fire.
Hailing from the streets of Denmark, Volbeat riff-chugged their way to the stage with horns raised high. Not a single head inside the pavilion remained still as Michael Poulsen, Lead Vocal/Guitar, and Rob Caggiano, Guitar, bull-rushed the Gilford crowd with their Metallica-influenced string licks. Recognizing their geographical location, Michael and the rest of the Copenhagen rockers were reassured by the New Hampshire crowd’s appreciation for some good ole Elvis and Johnny Cash. Briskly transitioning, the familiar ring of Johnny Cash’s, “Ring of Fire” progressed into, “Sad Man’s Tongue” off of Rock the Rebel/ Metal The Devil (2007) – dedicated to the Man in Black himself. With the distinguished twang of a Fender Stratocaster, “Still Counting” off of Guitar Gangsters & Cadillac Blood (2008) resulted in a distortion gut-punch getting everyone off their feet and into a crowd surfing frenzy. Volbeat – faces are still being put back together. Well done.
Straight out of Bat Country, the beasts from Southern California concluded the evenings events and they were fire – quite literally. Famously known for heavily pyrotechnic performances, Avenged Sevenfold opened their set with, “The Stage” the first single to be released off of their most recent album The Stage (2017). Synyster Gates, lead guitarist, took center spotlight as Brooks Wackerman, drums, administered the cymbal splashing responsibilities. With such a matured arsenal of albums, Avenged included a little piece of each while performing in front of a venue-wide projection screen providing a detailed visual component to their performance. For those who have seen Avenged Sevenfold live before, there are a few songs that are what some people call, “no doubters.” “After Life” off of Avenged Sevenfold (2007) and “Nightmare” headlining Nightmare (2010) did not disappoint. Fist pumps. Face twisting guitar solos and backing vocals from their late drummer, Jimmy “The Rev” Sullivan pumped through each seat of the pavilion. What came to many as a surprise was an instrumental jam of “Warmness on the Soul” off of Sounding The Seventh Trumpet (2002) bringing all the hardcore-dedicated fans to the surface humming along. As the clock began to tick away, the closing numbers included “A Little Piece of Heaven” off of Avenged Sevenfold (2007) and “Unholy Confessions” off of Waken the Fallen (2003). One word – explosions. Indoor fireworks. Graphic music videos. Glasses wine and the hollowing echoes of the thousands in attendance allowed New Hampshire to be accurately represented as a positive force and welcoming location to perform.
Final Thoughts (Editorial Addition):
Avenged Sevenfold has been a massive influence to millions across the globe – myself included. To have had the opportunity to photograph and cover a band meaning so much to so many people, it was an indescribable honor. The joy and the pain shared amongst the Avenged Sevenfold fan base has been a rhythm consistently beating in the hearts of those who support them. To have been given the privilege to capture live moments I have mainly witnessed through a computer screen is something I’m greatly appreciative of. Avenged, you’re all welcome back to New Hampshire whenever you’d like!
Cheers and Rock on!
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