There is no news that Ville Valo, once the voice, the eyes, and the soul of Finnish self-proclaimed love metallers HIM, embarked on a solo career a few years after HIM disbanded. Releasing an EP, Gothica Fennica Vol. 1, in 2020, I was absolutely thrilled to hear that the EP would be followed by his solo debut full-length, Neon Noir, which saw the light of day in January 2023. Having previously attended a VV show at the Arena in Vienna, Austria, on 5 March last year, I knew what I was about to experience. So this show was a must-see to feed my nostalgia and soothe my soul. There were also rumours that the current tour was supposed to be the end of it and that VV was a "one album thing" so when I realized I had the chance to witness Ville perform live in Ljubljana and that might be my last chance, I knew it was a must for me. I arrived at the venue a few minutes before the doors opened at 19:00 [CEST], and there was already a long line outside. Although I knew that the concert was sold out two weeks ago, I wasn't expecting that many people to attend. And just as the venue opened, the first rows were immediately filled - people just stood there and waited for the show to begin.

VV was accompanied on this tour by the British enigmatic synth-pop duo Zetra, who opened the show at 20:00 [CEST]. Their entrance was as mystic as they were – out of nowhere, they appeared on stage and started their musical journey for the night. During their half-hour set, they seemed completely transfixed and spellbound, which gave their performance a certain zest. They had their own set on stage, with a large canvas behind them, and they were standing on some sort of staircase landing that lifted them off the stage.

The duo had zero interaction with the crowd during the set and just played one song after another, performing seven songs altogether. Zetra was well received by the audience, including myself. As for their music, I have to admit that I am not very familiar with it, and before seeing them live, I had only listened to a few tracks from their discography. At the end of the show, all I have to say is that their on-stage presence is just as mesmerizing and mysterious as their music, and I would highly recommend it to everyone who loves a good combination of goth and post-punk with synth-driven soundscapes.

Although the audience gave them a big cheer, it wasn’t until their performance was over that things really started to heat up. It took about half an hour for the crew to fix the stage for the main act of the evening, and the atmosphere was getting really tense. Suddenly, at 21:00 [CEST ], the lights dimmed, and the hypnotic "Zener Solitaire", an instrumental track from VV's Neon Noir, began playing in the background. At this point, the crowd went completely silent - as we knew this was the beginning of VV's part of the show. The band came on stage, and people were hyping out. And, when Ville finally came to join them and started the gig with "Echolocate Your Love", this huge energy flow filled the place, and the ethereal experience went a level up.

As stated beforehand, seeing VV perform live just a year ago, I knew what the setlist would be about - a mixture of fresh tracks from VV's debut album and HIM covers. After all, HIM was a part of Ville Valo as Ville Valo was a part of HIM for over two decades, so performing HIM songs was inevitable and what people expected and came for in the first place. Therefore, it was no surprise that the audience became completely wild at the first notes of "Right Here In My Arms" already and then the same happened when they played "Wings Of A Butterfly". In general, the HIM covers were the ones that truly and madly captivated the audience, who sang along all night long. Although there were some Neon Noir songs people in the audience seemed to know quite well, such as "Echolocate Your Love", "Loveletting", and "The Foreverlost", it was tracks such as "The Funeral Of Hearts", "Poison Girl" and "Join Me In Death", that were the stars of the evening, along with the already mentioned HIM songs.

If Ville Valo was once famous for being larger than life on stage, flirting with the audience, being incredibly interactive and holding a cigarette in his hand, that Ville seems to have been long forgotten. The change in his lifestyle is reflected in his stage act and singing - the long shrieks and screams are now a thing of the past, and his singing is far more focused, smooth, and sensual. His interaction with the crowd throughout the night was incredibly minimalistic. There were a few thanks here and there, and we were all just fine with that. Toward the end of the first part, Ville Valo treated the audience with one of his strongest compositions since Venus Doom by HIM was released, "Saturnine Saturnalia". The performance of this mesmerizing and heartfelt song touched my soul, as it was so incredibly emotional - I was almost in tears. Afterwards, the band said its final goodbyes and left the stage.

That is how things work nowadays since we all wanted more and got the encore we hoped for. When I heard "Gone With The Sin" live for the first time, my heart melted as this woeful composition, which is still one of my favourite songs. And again, the entire audience sang along - it was truly a stunning and nostalgic experience for me. With songs from Neon Noir, "In Trenodia" and "Baby Lacrimarium", the encore once more lifted the audience with HIM's "Buried Alive By Love" before ending with a soothing and mesmerizing "When Love And Death Embrace" from HIM's debut album.

The atmosphere was rock-infused and very intimate at the same time, although with some sound trouble. Luckily, the band's energy, intertwining with the engaging audience, made the evening so special. Ville seemed to have found a good line-up of live musicians for the tour, as they seemed to be enjoying the evening as well. Furthermore, I sincerely thank Dirty Skunks for organizing the event and trying to preserve the scene in Slovenia. Should VV ever tour nearby again, I will be sure to attend. Yes, anyone who knows me will tell you that I had a crush on Ville two decades ago, but now I am in awe of Mr Valo, hoping to see him and the band perform many times more.

Report by Ines
Photos by Ines
Edited by Jerneja
Links: VV, Zetra