Avenged Sevenfold- Web 2.0 Experience vs. Web 3.0 Experience
Avenged Sevenfold
Rocket Mortgage Field House
Cleveland, Ohio
March 9, 2024
By Andrew Latshaw
Looking back to the year 1999 in Huntington Beach, California, that is where this musical journey began. The original lineup consisted of M. Shadows (vocals), Zacky Vengeance (guitar), The Rev (drums), and Matt Wendt (bass). While the band formed in 1999, it would not be until 2001 when they exploded onto the scene with their debut album titled “Sounding the Seventh Trumpet”.
I remember hearing them for the 1st time shortly after I left college, and my initial take was that they reminded me of Dio’s solo work, and when I learned that it was this new band called Avenged Seven-Fold, I was enthralled! Over the years, I never was able to catch them live, but I did always have a tape or CD of theirs in my rotation. They were great for road trips; I loved their evolving sound that would teeter between rock and metal.
As the guys were gaining popularity and recognition, they lost the Rev to an accidental overdose in 2009. Not only was the Rev their drummer, but he was also the original drummer, and one of the beloved founding members. While this cataclysmic event shook them and the music scene to its core the show must go on, as they say… and it did in fact go on! Fast forwarding to 2024, this was a big night for me! Not only was this the first time I was able to catch them live, but I was also there to photograph them!
The openers on the night of the show at the Rocket Mortgage Field House, in downtown Cleveland, Ohio was Sullivan King and Poppy. I was not sure what to expect from either of them, having never heard of them. Sullivan King started his set by carrying a torch back and forth across the stage a couple of times before getting into his set. He struck me as a DJ more than anything. Playing some original mixes, and also playing some songs that were songs that were cut and pastes of other songs and artists. I personally do not care for that, and it kind of hit me in the feels when he used a small sample of Linkin Park’s “in the end” toward the end of his set. I love Linkin Park, and that just did not set well for me.
Up next was Poppy. I was not sure what to think of her set really. There were a few of her fans throughout the arena. While her set was extremely high energy, and rhythmic, I am sad to say that I may be getting too old to understand what she was trying to convey… I did not really understand the point she was making. She had a guitarist, and a drummer backing her up on the massive stage wat was set up there at the arena. Due to the 7ft tall stage it literally engulfed her and was hard to follow her as she danced and moved around.
I cannot stress enough, please check these people out on YouTube and other streaming services! This is purely my opinion, and I never mean to persuade someone to ignore or miss out on something that you may in fact love to listen to! Unfortunately for me, I was there for Avenged Sevenfold, and their start time could not get there soon enough for me!
I am not sure how many readings this know, but when you photograph a concert at a larger venue, industry standard is you are allowed 3x songs from the pit in front of the stage. There are some that are different, there are some you are only allowed to shoot from the soundboard, AKA front of house. After Sullivan King’s fist 3x was done, I checked my gear and walked around talking to the concert goers around the concourse! I was curious who they were here to see, what songs they were looking forward to hearing and so forth. I did the same for when Poppy was playing. I watched some of her set, and back to the crowd!
While I was walking around, I was reminded of the power of music, and not just the power but the majestic possibilities of music. As I walked around the arena, I saw people as young as 4yrs old, and one guy who described himself as and I quote: “The oldest child you will ever meet stuck in the decaying body of an old geezer!” he said laughing! He was running around on a scooter, and I asked him if he was worried that he would get hurt if the show got rowdy, he said: “I am not worried at all! Things get too excited; I will run some Mother F**kers over!” then he beeped his scooter horn! I could not help but laugh hysterically! I fist bumped him and then moved on to talk to some others. I loved seeing the age range of the people and fans! The crowd was so diverse in age, race, and every other category you can imagine… it was truly a beautiful site to see!
The time had come for Avenged Sevenfold to take the stage. I ran to security to get my gear and get suited up for the headliner of the night. While I was preoccupied with my gear, I heard the others talking about Matt wearing a mask on stage. I thought to myself that does not seem likely… I did not think that they were in that sort of stage presence. As the show started, sure enough Matt was wearing a ski mask. It was black and embroidered across the forehead in a small white font: “I LOVE YOU” and then on the bottom, covering he throat it said in a larger font: “NOBODY”. I will say that it made for some interesting pictures.
After the initial befuddlement of the mask, it hit me… 25yrs that Avenged Sevenfold has been around, and 22yrs of listening to them, I was finally there and experiencing these amazing musicians live, in person, and I was not dreaming! They opened their set with the house speakers playing Nightcall (Kavinsky song) as the guys were getting into place. Matt sat way back on the stage, in the center in a wingback chair for most of the 1st song of their set which was “Game Over” and then he finally came to the front of the stage where the 15x photographers clambered to get their stills of him in that mask.
After “Game Over”, they went seamlessly into “Mattel”. At the back of the stage, there was this huge screen with a projection of a house on it. During their performance of “Mattel”, the house was seen burning and consumed by the flames. Trying to combat the stage of pictures, I did not have the mindset to try to understand the meaning of the burning house. I will say that the visuals of this in person were pretty awesome!
The 3rd song of the night, and our final song in the pit was “Afterlife”. The guys took turns walking up to the front of the stage, to give the fans a closer look at them. The screams from the crowd were overwhelming and deafening! There were points where I felt the percussion of the music, but all I could hear were the fans! This was just so fantastic to feel and experience in person!
You hear people today saying that they can feel the vibe, or people were vibing… standing there in the pit at Rocket Mortgage Field House, I felt that arena on another level… I felt the pure and raw emotions that this crowd had for these men! The overwhelming feeling of the atmosphere there on the floor was immeasurable to say the least!
“Afterlife: had reached its end, and as the wave of photographers were trying to get out of the pit to be compliant of the rules and respectful to the band and venue… it hurt me to hear them start playing “Hail to the King”! I love that song; I would say that is my favorite song of their entire catalog! I missed most of it having to stow my gear to go watch the rest of the show.
Overall, I would say that it was an awe-inspiring performance! The guys in A7X were as lively and energetic as ever! People have said over the years that anticipation makes the heart grow founder… I waited 22yrs to see these guys and it was astonishing to finally check A7X off my list of my “Must See Shows!”
My contact there at the arena, she and her two assistants were professional, and accommodating! They got the wrinkles of the behind-the-scenes issues ironed out with quickness! I have photographed the arena for Hockey and Monster Jam events in the past, never have I shot a concert there to this point, and they made it seamless for us! I do hope to be invited back!
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