HIM @ The Wiltern & signing session @ Hot Topic, April 23rd

One of the highlights of BogFires’ trip to LA was seeing HIM, Finland’s most successful band in the U.S., perform here at the sold out Wiltern theatre with Dommin and The Fallen opening. HIM had a signing session at Hot Topic on Hollywood and Highland mall earlier that day. Coincidentaly the ASCAP EXPO 2010 was held the same day at the Renaissance Hotel nex door and many of the music industry people got to witness the massive following HIM has here in the U.S. A purchase of a HIM- CD or t-shirt and the Hot Topic- card was required in order to get a wristband that entitled you to meet the band. You could only get one item signed and no photos were allowed. Later that afternoon Hot topic had sold out all their HIM CD’s and t-shirts. The line outside Hot Topic started forming early on and by mid-afternoon it was already on Highland Avenue. I joined the line at 4 PM, when the band arrived, and the line was already on Hollywood Blv by then. Accoring to Hot Topic personnel, only the cast of Twilight was able to atrract more people there recently. Most of the people I spoke with in the line didn’t have tickets to the sold out show. After waiting in the line for 2 h and 30 min I finally got to meet the band and have my t-shirt signed. The guys seemed to be in a good mood, and they were joking around in Finnish. The signing session must have lasted at least three hours all together.

The doors at Wiltern opened at 6.30 PM and before HIM started their set at 9.50 PM the opening bands Dommin and the Fallen performed. The front of the stage was packed even before Dommin started their set. BogFires already catched Dommin live twice when they toured with HIM in Europe. According to Roadrunner Records, touring with HIM has been both pleasant and rewarding for Dommin, who are doing a headlining minitour across U.S. on their way from NYC, where HIM finishes their tour on May 9th. The Fallen is another interesting group, playing melodic hard rock/light metal, with the 2008 american idol finalist Carly Smithson as the front figure vocalist and former members of Evanessence in the band. Good shows from both of the opening bands and the audience loved them. Both of the bands had an 80’s cover song in ther setlist, Dommin with Cutting Crew’s I Just Died in Your Arms Tonight and The Fallen performing Madonna’s Like a Prayer.

By the time HIM started the athmosphere at the venue was sublime. The band did not dissapoint their loyal fans this time either and it was yet another perfect night for the HIM fans. Setlist was similar to the setlist on the European tour, with few additions, as Killing Loneliness from the Dark Light album and Bleed Well from Venus Doom were also performed. HIM has some major celebrity fans here in LA who have helped the bands journey in achieving the massive following they have here. The most significant of course being Bam Margera, who was spotted at the show with his wife Missy. Another big fan of the band is of course Kat Von D who advertised the show at her tattoo shop in West Hollywood.

Photos from the show available at

http://www.heartagram.com/tour/2010/04/23

Another live review available at

http://www.artistdirect.com/entertainment-news/article/live-review-him-the-wiltern-los-angeles/6749222

BogFires would like thank HIM & Seppo Vesterinen for the collaboration.