Images: Black Veil Brides, Falling in Reverse, Set It Off October 30, 2014 at the House of Blues

On October 30th, House of Blues Las Vegas played home to the Black Mass Tour, and young fans came out in droves to see Black Veil Brides, Falling in Reverse, Set It Off and Drama Club.

Unfortunately, due to some photo pass issues, I had to miss Drama Club, so the first band I saw on this night was Tampa’s Set It Off. I caught these guys last October on the Scream It Like You Mean It tour and became an instant fan. Looks like I’m not the only one, because this time around, the guys were playing to a much bigger crowd. They played mostly new songs from their recently-released (and excellent) Duality, but snuck in a few old songs like “Nightmare” from 2012’s Cinematics. Set It Off ended with frontman Cody Carson doing his signature crowd walk/trust fall combo and their latest single “Why Worry.” A little birdie tells me these guys will be back in Vegas soon, and I encourage you to check them out.

Hometown boy Ronnie Radke and his band of merry men, Falling in Reverse took the stage next. The guys have always had a huge local following of young fans, mostly due to carryover from Radke’s days in Vegas’ Escape the Fate. Opening with the hard hitting “Sink or Swim” then into “Goodbye Graceful,” they played a mix of hits from The Drug In Me Is You and Fashionably Late. Kids crowded the front barricade and sang as loud as they could with Radke and company, especially during a cover of Escape the Fate’s “Not Good Enough for Truth In Cliché.” Mid-set, we saw a rapping Radke on “Alone,” which was more than a little entertaining to watch. The 12 song set was capped off by the band’s biggest hit, “The Drug In Me Is You.”

Here’s where I admit that I’ve never listened to Black Veil Brides, so I really didn’t know what to expect. All I knew about them going in is that they have an insanely large and faithful following of young fans who paint their faces and call themselves the BVB Army. The HOB bar was packed with parents as the under 16 crowd pushed their way to the front, erupting in cheers as the band took the stage. They opened their 18 song set with “Heart of Fire” and “I am Bulletproof,” and from a photographer’s standpoint, they’re a bit of a dream to shoot. The lights were amazing all night and the guys are very theatrical on stage, never looking bored as they plowed through “Wretched and Divine,” “Shadows Die,” and older hit “Knives and Pens.” BVB even snuck in a cover of Danzig’s “Mother” which the kids seemed confused by, but got the parents ears perked up a bit. After a long drum solo by Christian “CC” Coma, the group finished with “Perfect Weapon” and “Fallen Angels” before walking off stage.

Of course the “one more song” and “BLACK VEIL BRIDES” chants started up almost immediately. The band came out shortly after and frontman Andy Biersack asked for “suggestions” from the crowd to play as an encore. They ended the night with their 2013 single, “In the End” and I, along with all their fans, left the venue completely impressed by their performance.

-Tylor Thuirer | https://www.flickr.com/photos/thuirermedia/