Ville Valo – Varsity Theater – Minneapolis MN – April 11th 2023

Live Nation and The Varsity Theater present Ville Valo

VV (also known as Ville Valo, and the lead singer of band HIM) brought his Neon Noir Tour to the Varsity Theater this past Tuesday, and my inner teenager was screaming. I’ve listened to him in various forms since I was in high school. My best friend had a huge poster of him on her door. I honestly thought he was an artist I’d never see live, so having the chance to was amazing. 

Opening for him was Kaelan Mikla, an Icelandic group that really blew me away. They were a mix of synthwave-goth-folk-industrial that was entrancing from the start. They were dramatic, ethereal, and sometimes feral. The lead singer would often stand a few feet from the microphone and just scream into it, and the effect this had was palpable. I immediately added them to my Spotify. They made me smile stupidly and gave me goosebumps. They really made an impression and I’m excited to listen to them more. 

Screams erupted when VV hit the stage. He’s been a staple of gothic rock since the 1990s, and his new album continues that legacy. His deep, dreamy voice, coupled with the dramatic, poetic lyrics of his songs obviously resonated with many, many people even after all these years. VV seemed so comfortable on stage, and I just found myself smiling along with him, and every time I looked in the crowd, it was also full of smiles and admiration. 

The setlist was a seamless mix of VV’s new music and older HIM songs. I got to hear “Wings of a Butterfly” and “Right Here In My Arms” just to name a few, which I never thought I’d hear live. That was a treat. But his new music fits right into it, and already feel like classic songs to me, the titular “Neon Noir” being one of them. I’m happy to know that this classic romantic style of gothic rock is still alive and well, because I have a soft spot for it. 

I remember when I was a kid and first getting into gothic music, I was admonished in my social circles for being into a band that had a pentagram incorporated into their logo. But the iconic heartagram has stayed relevant for a reason. At the end of the day, most of VV’s songs are love songs, and it shows.

Review and photos by Sophiea Owen