I arrived just in time to hear the last couple of songs by Nonpoint, and I was very impressed. They have great energy and stage presence, and seem to have a fresh take on their subject matter; even when it’s the usual metal message conveyed in tracks like “Fuck That”. Some people may not like it, but, well, like the song says…

While the majority of the crowd vacated the floor to obtain more beer, I rushed up to the front row barrier to stake out my territory for Sevendust’s set. In a way, I’m glad that Sevendust is still a small enough band that I can easily do that, but I doubt this will last long. The band has been steadily building momentum throughout its career and seems poised to break into the big leagues soon. As soon as Sevendust hit the stage, the band showed why these good Southern boys are ready for more recognition.

Their trademark aggressive-but-catchy hooks translated better live than even I expected, and the crowd was moshing, surfing and chanting along right from the first lines. The members of Sevendust all have a natural ability to engage their audience without resorting to the usual lame crowd rapport methods. Their set was one big vibrant march through old and new standards, with well-polished chops and performance antics along the lines of Steve Vai leading up to the big favourite for an encore, “Enemy”. You know a concert is great when it’s over an hour and a half long and you still can’t believe it’s already over. But hey, best to leave us hungry for more, eh?