Concert Review and Photos: COMBICHRIST and DOPE at Arizona Pete's

Blood Lust and Death Tour

Arizona Pete’s – Greensboro, NC – 26 March 2017

Metal fans of all ages residing in central North Carolina converged on Arizona Pete’s in Greensboro for a night of high energy performances as the Blood Lust and Death Tour rolled into town. The very diverse crowd ranging from 18, to even a few in their 50s, was excited for the show. Before doors opened, I spoke to a mother and daughter who were attending the show who said, “we are excited for the show tonight, I listened to DOPE when I was in college and now my daughter – who listens to September Mourning and Davey Suicide – and I can share an experience together.”

Davey Suicide was the first of the touring musicians to take the small stage inside the venue, but the confined space didn’t limit them from delivering a high-energy performance. The band’s unique blend of punk and metal helped win the audience over and convert them to fans of Davey Suicide. We spoke with singer and founder of the band, Davey Suicide, after the performance about the tour who stated, “I think this might be our favorite tour that we’ve done in six years. It’s a perfect demographic.”

With their mix of pop, metal, and horror elements in their performances, female-fronted metal act, September Mourning, helped to maintain the high energy of the night. At one point during the band’s set, frontwoman Emily “September” Lazar took an audience member’s cell phone, which was recording video, giving them a look from the stage and delivering a very special memory for the fan to take home from the show.

When Dope took the stage, the crowd released their energy that the first two bands had helped build up, creating circle pits and moshing while a fury of headbanging took place on stage. Dope found success in the early 2000s with multiple hit singles, one being their cover of “You Spin Me Round” and another being “Debonaire,” which was featured in the hit film The Fast and the Furious, helping to bring the spotlight to the band. Longtime fans of the band were not disappointed, as the band left every single bit of energy they had on the stage, giving fans their money’s worth.

The last band to take the stage, industrial punk rockers Combichrist, ended the night in the best possible way. I spoke with frontman, Andy Laplegua, before the band’s performance, and he stated that, “tomorrow is our first day off in weeks, but it’s been a great tour, with great bands and a bunch of new friends, it’s worth it at the end of the day, we love this.” That love showed through on stage, as the band delivered their energetic performance they maintained smiles on their faces, enjoying every single moment on the stage. If you haven’t seen Combichrist live before, let me explain how their percussion section works. The band has two drummers on stage with dual kits, and each drummer has an assistant. Why, you might ask? During the performance, the drummers would toss drumsticks between each other, sometimes missing their mark, needing the assistant to pick them up for them.

The Blood, Lust and Death tour was by far one of my favorite concerts that I have attended in years; the combination of high energy from both the artists and the fans made for a memorable night. The tour is currently wrapping up, with the last stop in Los Angeles just a few days away. Davey Suicide is currently in discussions about a fall tour cycle, while Combichrist are working out a possible European tour as well.