When I was told I was shooting Godsmack I was excited. I saw them live many years ago and became a big fan. The Canadian Tire Center was the spot for the night, and it was going to be amazing. Godsmack brought along Danish rock band Volbeat and American’s Stitched up Heart along for the ride to round out the lineup. One thing I found interesting was the fact that Volbeat was playing a set just as long as a headliner. This made the tour more like a tag team vs and opening act and headliner moment.

Stitched Up Heart performs at Canadian Tire Centre in Ottawa photo Tom Mt. Pleasant

Stitched Up Heart was first on deck and this was a new one for me. I did a little digging and found that they seemed pretty dynamic on stage. One of my fellow photographers told me to expect a lot of “Hair” and boy he was right. The lead vocalist Alecia Demner rocked out harder than most people I’ve come across and she was certainly not difficult to look at either. They played the stage and interacted with the crowd and people loved it!

Volbeat performs at Canadian Tire Centre in Ottawa photo Tom Mt. Pleasant

Up next is Volbeat. I am not always the best with matching and artist to a song but Volbeat certainly has a handful of memorable tracks. With Stitched Up Heart finished they doubled the size of the stage for this show. It started out with a heavy interlude being played as the curtain dropped and the crowd exploded. I noticed there was a wide mix of ages here to see Volbeat which was cool to see. Michael Poulsen, who is the lead vocalist has such a unique voice it’s quite interesting to listen to with the mix of the hard rock tunes. They even had a little dedication to Johnny Cash who is one of the bands inspirations.

Godsmack performs at Canadian Tire Centre in Ottawa photo Tom Mt. Pleasant

Last but certainly not least, Godsmack. This band has always been one of my favourites and I was excited. They started out the night with the title track “When Legends Rise” from their current album. Next up was “1000HP” and in came the flames. I’m pretty sure I lost some of my eyebrows with the first blast and wow it was something. Every person in on the floor sang every line of every track that was played, and it was something. Lead singer Sully Erna interacted with the crowd and told them all how much he missed played Ottawa and he was going to make it up to us all by playing more tracks from the new album and old favs.

Godsmack performs at Canadian Tire Centre in Ottawa photo Tom Mt. Pleasant

The cap to the whole night was the iconic drum duel. I don’t want to ruin this one to much, but this is one of the most amazing things you can see live. Really makes you leave with a smile on your face and a newfound respect, especially if you have never seen it before.

Please make sure you check out the new album, When Legends Rise, and if you get a chance to see Godsmack live…take it…trust me it’s worth every second.  For more details visit www.godsmack.com

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