Legendary band Riot V was playing their only date in France following the release of their album Mean Streets, and they decided to play in Grenoble! This was cause for celebration and an event not to miss. For the event, two local bands from Lyon were added to the tour lineup: Revenge and Spirit War.
Revenge
Revenge could benefit from the unwavering support of their fans from the start of the show. Their presence that day wasn’t a done deal, as some of the band’s line-up ended up not being there, and it was their Spirit War mates who took their place, with only a few days to get ready. To make things worse, their singer wasn’t really in top form and gradually lost his voice during their set.
Fortunately, he could count on the backing vocals of his musicians and the audience, especially on their classics like “Don’t Trust Your Nightmare” and “Just Wanna Rock”. In the end, it was their energy and good humour that saved the day and made their set a very enjoyable one.
Spirit War
Moments later, the three Spirit War members were back for their own set. Led by Markus Fortunato, the band could not be prouder to open for Riot V (of whom Markus has been a fan since he was fourteen). Once again, the trio delivered classic rock ‘n’ roll with a melancholic, melodic twist. The performance was solid. The tracks that stood out were: ‘Never Give Up’ and ‘Fight To Survive’.
Crystal Viper
French fans had already seen Crystal Viper on the Hellfest main stage in 2024, but this time, the setting was much more intimate and less rainy. Strangely enough, while Revenge and Spirit War were well-lit on stage, Crystal Viper played under weirdly dim turquoise light without variation. Although the band’s style is a good match for the headliner, the songs lack originality. While the instrumental parts were quite convincing, the vocal lines sometimes gave the impression that they weren’t on the right song.
Singer Marta Gabriel, usually on bass and vocals, was back on guitar this time, while her bandmates were running around the front of the stage. Although the venue wasn’t packed to the rafters, for a concert in the middle of the week, the attendance was more than satisfactory. The setlist put a slight emphasis on the album Tales From Fire and Ice, but otherwise represented the band’s discography well.
Even if “Metal Nation” has a more than commendable message, the track itself is as classic as it gets. The same can be said for “Still Alive”, which takes a more melodic approach. It was a nice moment with a band that defends a very classic heavy speed, maybe a bit too much so, without necessarily managing to stand out.
Riot V
With four bands in one night and a tight schedule to keep to, it’s a shame that Riot V took so long to get on stage. Especially as the setlist was cut short to give the 4 bands time to play before the venue’s curfew.
Still, it’s hard to pick out the best moments of the concert, because they were all unforgettable. Both the sound and the musicians’ performance were perfect. Bands of this stature who deliver so much (on anniversary tours) are more than impressive and rare.
For many fans (especially the younger ones under 30), it was the first time they were able to see Riot V live. The band opened with “Hail to the Warriors” from their latest album, Mean Streets, before moving on to the more classic “Fight For All”. Todd Michael Hall was in great form on the mic. His performance was sharp, and the overall sound was perfect. As for the guitars, Mike Flintz may be less demonstrative than fellow bassist Don Van Stavern, but he was no less impressive.
After the opening tracks, the setlist for this anniversary tour continued to be carefully chosen, taking the audience on a journey through the band’s extensive discography without neglecting the new album, the classics and a few surprises.
One of the surprises was the excellent “Restless Breed”, which delighted the die-hard fans. There was very little talk on stage that night, and the band had time to play 15 songs. But they didn’t forget to have a drink with the front row on “Swords and Tequila” before launching into a wild rendition of “Thundersteel”, which had the whole audience singing along without really hitting the right note.
They sped through the encore acclamations to have the time to play the last three songs, including the almost ballad “Take Me Back”. All in all, it was certainly the best show of the year in Grenoble.
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