When Finnish love metal giants HIM announced earlier this year they would be calling it quits after 26 years, it was not really a surprise to many, but yet sad news for their loyal fans all over the world. The band soon announced a worldwide farewell tour Bang & Whimper, and luckily included its only Canadian stop in Toronto on Monday, November 13th.
Love metal legends HIM bringing farewell tour to Toronto.
Finnish love metal legends HIM will be stopping at Rebel in Toronto next Monday, November 13th as a part of their North American farewell tour.
The band announced earlier this year they will be calling it quits after 26 years.
“At the end of 2017 we will be released into the wild,” said bassist Mige. “Before this event of great transformation we would love to offer you one last chance to experience our live performances in His Majesty’s service. It shall not be a weepfest but a celebration of love metal in all its lovecraftian glory! See you there!”
His Infernal Majesty AKA HIM was formed in Helsinki, Finland in 1991 by front man Ville Valo and bassist Mikko “Mige” Paananen. Guitarist Mikko “Linde” Lindstrom soon joined as well as the drummer Mika “Gas Lipstick” Karppinen a few years later. Their debut album Greatest Lovesongs Vol. 666 was released in 1997, and gained huge popularity in Finland with one of its biggest singles, the Chris Isaak cover Wicked Game.
The 2000 album Razorblade Romance launched HIM into the top of the charts in Finland and Germany, and eventually 2005 album Dark Light which reached the charts in fifteen countries.
HIM found its way to the North America audiences when Jackass alumn Bam Margera discovered the band and became good friends with frontman Valo. Margera ended up directing three of the band’s music videos, including Buried Alive By Love starring Juliette Lewis.
Countless live shows and eight studio albums later, the band is saying their goodbyes to there fans with an extensive tour. The North American tour finishes on November 17th in New York City, and continues to Europe, with one last show on New Years Eve at their home stage at Tavastia in Helsinki.
Tickets to HIM’s Toronto show with special guests CKY and 3TEETH are still available Ticketmaster.
Those God Damn Wild Boys, now with more Calgary.
The day after a show – or in this case the 2 days it took for the fog to clear from my head – I always enjoy going back to go over my notes from the evening. It’s a pretty good gauge on how my night went, where it ended up, and if I was still coherent by the end of it. The neater the notes, the tamer the evening. When it comes to our freshman night at Dicken’s in Calgary to check out The Wild! and CKY, I managed to make out about 3 pages before my notes became ineligible so I’ll be re-telling the later events of the evening from what blurry memories I have left. If you’ve never seen those God Damn Wild Boys in their element, spoiler alert: it was a night of unadulterated, debaucherous rock and roll.
CKY, The Wild! and more rock the Babylon
Monday nights in Ottawa are not necessarily the most successful nights for live shows, but this past Monday was clearly an exception. The Diamond Mine Agency had brought a five band set to the jam packed Babylon, with the American rock band CKY as its headliner, Kelowna’s The Wild!, Toronto’s Old James and two opening acts from Ottawa.
The Wild! heading out on North American tour.
Kelowna rockers The Wild! have just released their second album Wild At Heart in February, and are heading out on a two month long tour this summer. The tour consist of ten Canadian dates with Pennsylvania band CKY as well as 27 shows across the U.S. with the heavy metal super group Adrenaline Mob.
