Bullet For My Valentine took to the Audio stage this Saturday, the 3rd, just over 24 hours after their powerful performance as the main attraction on the Sunset Stage at Rock In Rio , to repeat the feat of the previous night in terms of power and connection with the fans.
This time, playing to a much smaller audience, the Welsh band didn't slow down even when stepping onto safe territory. With a long-standing relationship with fans in São Paulo, a city where they've already performed four times and the only one to host the band besides the Rio festival this year, it's inevitable that Bullet For My Valentine will follow a kind of script for their shows here. Complete with a perfect déjà vu of the band's 2019 show , the audience requested "Hand of Blood," and the guys couldn't say no, with vocalist Matthew Tuck repeating the words from three years ago before performing the song, which wasn't planned on the setlist. "If we mess something up, don't put the video on the internet."
With seven albums released and two decades on the road, the metal band is in a new phase of their career and defines this new moment as a kind of "Bullet 2.0" for having rediscovered their own "musicality, technique and aggression," as they told Multishow backstage at Rock In Rio , something perceptible in the perfect synergy on stage: Jason Bowld is aggressive on the drums, Tuck is a precise frontman who knows how to share the spotlight with the talented Jamie Mathias , bassist and standout for sharing vocals with power and pitch, while Michael Paget demonstrates his satisfaction at being on stage in the smiles as he plays the guitar with ferocity.
Alongside the undeniable brilliance of the band on stage, the Brazilian fans also deserve the title of stars of the night. The joyful anticipation of the packed Audio venue was electric, yet also familiar, like another reunion of friends, with the audience showing a glimpse of what they would do throughout the show by enthusiastically singing along to the warm-up songs, from "Hail To The King" by Avenged Sevenfold and "Last Resort" by Papa Roach , to the much-applauded "Chop Suey" by System of a Down .
But nothing compares to the explosive chemical reaction when Bullet For My Valentine meets the São Paulo fans waiting with open arms, betting on hits like "Your Betrayal" and "Waking The Demon" right from the start and being greeted by a deafening chorus, making it difficult to hear Tuck's words at various moments, but also allowing the vocalist to simply leave some parts for the audience to scream.
With a well-balanced set spanning their entire discography, the band quickly introduced the first track from their self-titled album, released in November 2021, and received a warm reception from the audience with “Knives,” “Rainbow Veins,” and later, “Shatter.” While these tracks weren't screamed at the top of their lungs like songs from albums like The Poison (2005) or Scream Aim Fire (2008), the choruses were already widely known and will be sung with due passion in time.
Beyond Bullet For My Valentine's powerful performance, the fans followed the script with fervor, even during some surprises, such as when a member of the band's crew was called to the stage to celebrate the birthday and received a chorus of "Happy Birthday" in English.
Even when “Scream Aim Fire” was supposed to close the set and “Hand of Blood” was added to the delight of the audience once again, idols and fans seemed reluctant to leave, with the musicians lingering on stage throwing drumsticks and picks to the crowd and waving a Brazilian flag, which was left on top of the drums at the end. And even after the band left, the venue took a while to begin emptying, with the certainty that Bullet For My Valentine has a receptive – and always ready for more – audience here.
Check out exclusive photos from our contributor Renan Facciolo and the full setlist below.
Setlist – Bullet For My Valentine in São Paulo
Your Betrayal
Waking the Demon
Piece of Me
Knives
The Last Fight
Rainbow Veins
4 Words (To Choke Upon)
You Want a Battle? (Here's a War)
All These Things I Hate (Revolve Around Me)
Over It
Shatter
Tears Don't Fall
Suffocating Under Words of Sorrow (What Can I Do)
Scream Aim Fire
Hand of Blood
READ ALSO: Bullet For My Valentine is the “biggest British metal band since Iron Maiden”, says magazine.
