NataliezWorld

California teenage band Scarcity run by teens within the 13-14 range, not only just released their debut EP "Through My Veins", but have been playing shows relentlessly as of late. Just wrapped up quite an assortment, catching them twice already, this trio based act is very impressive. With that said, their most recent show out of Coyote Studios a warehouse within the Downtown LA area, may have not brought as big of a crowd but it still caught the attention of all those there. A minor mosh pit broke up, with some leaping from one side of the room to the next, to others pushing one another here and there. To even having the drummer invite the fans up to sing-along to one of the songs performed. 

LIVE PHOTOS:

The band's performance was short but catchy. Having sung a couple of the songs off the EP release, and the rest being a good chunk of cover songs, this band has got something, and with many years to follow, they are likely not to be stopping anytime soon. But grow and mature as years progress, because the momentum is there, energy fixed, with angst to fill in any gaps, that may be missing, it all comes out to being entertaining yet fun. The next generational act of the nu-metal genre, that will being going places.

SETLIST:

1. Intro

2. From the Beginning

3. Roots Bloody Roots – Sepultura Cover

4. Through My Veins

5. Bodies – Drowning Pool Cover

6. Shimmy -System of a Down Cover

7. Sugar – System of a Down Cover

8. Brackish – Kittie Cover

9. Dig - Mudvayne

10. Break Stuff – Limp Bizkit Cover

Canadian metal alternative rockers Kittie who has been together for the past thirty years, forming back in 1996, with sisters Morgan and Mercedes remaining the sole consistent members til this very day and time. Have recently announced a run of a tour, in which they have not toured since 2012, where they would go on a hiatus of quite sometime. But once they made a come back, comeback they did, not only with a tour, but with an accompanying new album "Fire" released in 2024, the band would be glad to be back!

With that said, I myself personally have never seen this band live like ever. Only given the chance to meet the band during in a meet and greet event at the music store FYE way back in 2007! Whole different look and sound slightly for the band back then when releasing 2007's "Funeral for Yesterday". But now would be the time to shine and get to see them live in person in Los Angeles at the Echoplex in sunny California.

The fans would already be piled in come door time, as I had made it by the end of the evening, catching headliner's themselves Kittie hit the stage roughly around 9:45PMish performing til about a little after 11PMish, non-stop with no breaks til the very end!

Twenty songs for their extensive set list, rotating through a good chunk of their seven-album release. A lot of the favorites including "Spit", "Brackish", being top contenders with others including such as "We Are the Lamb", "Eyes Wide Open", "Cut Throat", "Oracle", "We Are Shadows" and "What I Always Wanted" to just name off a few.

LIVE PHOTOS:

The crowd packed this venue out, I'd say at least the very front to the mid-back, not to the very back to the back bar area, but middle section, where the side couches stood, to the front mostly. The front space had a pit break up, with crowd surfers piling in at certain points, with the pit causing all there to be pushed forward against the stage with no barricade. 

The band as a whole was entertaining and the show was fun. Having never seen this one live before, it was nice to get the chance to do so. Kittie has been around for some time and they still act like they came out of the 90's era, bringing that nu-metal alternative era to the modern times to create something memorable.

SETLIST:

1. Fire

2. I've Failed You

3. Cut Throat

4. Oracle

5. Spit

6. Do You Think I'm a Whore

7. Ugly

8. Empires (Part 2)

9. We Are Shadows

10. Pain

11. What I Always Wanted

12. Suck

13. Burning Brides

14. Come Undone

15. We Are the Lamb

16. Vultures

17. Charlotte

18. Mouthful of Poison

ENCORE:

19. Brackish

20. Eyes Wide Open

Polish blackened death metal band Behemoth, whom I have seen three times in 2006 as a part of the "Sounds of the Underground Tour" then again in 2010 at the House of Blues on the Sunset Strip in Hollywood, California, and most recent on their 2026 touring cycle entitled the "Godless IV" 2026 North American tour with openers Deicide, Rotting Christ and Immolation. This trek would run in the springtime concluding on May 21st 2026 at the Hollywood Palladium in Hollywood, California.

Upon arriving at the venue, a little after 6PM, grabbing some merchandise then catching the last bits of the opening bands set Immolation, they brought quite the intensity. The bands set was so loud you could hear it not just inside the theater itself, but within the entry way of the lobby area where the bar and merch booths stood, even within the bathrooms, that's how powerful they presented themselves. There death metal styling was something else, and surely an act not to miss if you have not seen them prior.

IMMOLATION:

Following them would be Rotting Christ a melodic black metal, extreme metal band with some slight gothic metal elements that caused their performance be quite entertaining. A lot of their band members goofing off, when performing, nodding their heads in headbanging, or bending around this way or that way, it made it funny. Their performance was more mellow and slow driven, but they did have some fast-paced songs as well. It was a bit of this and that for the most part, that created something unique and still fun.

ROTTING CHRIST:

Next up would-be death metal legends Deicide, who have been around for close to 40 years, having seen them a few times back in 2011 at the Key Club on the Sunset Strip in Hollywood, California and then again at the 1720 warehouse venue in 2019, then again tonight being the third time. This performance was no different, they still got that energy, just as they have always had within them. The crowd was hyped up and energy flowing ever so fluidly they kept the mosh pit constant, with the band never missing a beat, playing extensively throughout their set from start to finish. Truly a classic death metal act that is legendary for a reason.

DEICIDE:

Wrapping up the evening would be Behemoth, having seen them previously, but being sometime since this performance brought the light show with strobes, lighting effects, and costume changes briefly throughout. The band was as the opener's had been quite intense, even having the frontman Nergal, whom had cancer and lived it! His singing tactics were brutal, with some blood splat to the audience. It was very "metal" if you will, making the whole performance flawless. They had a set list that was lengthy, at one point the audience thought it was over with, as they had done a minor finale, but they kept going after a brief break. Finishing up with the encore though, it made it worth wild, the entirety of it all, being very rememberable. 

BEHEMOTH:

Twenty years have gone by since last seeing GWAR, the theatrical, heavy metal shock rockers of the weird kind way back in 2006! Back then, they were a part of the tour titled "Sounds of the Underground Tour 2006". Which was held at the now no longer present venue in Los Angeles California called the Gibson Amphitheater in Citywalk next to Universal Studios Hollywood.

Back then, seeing them was fun. But this time around, I felt more engaging. The show was sold out this night at The Belasco, varies fans gathered from kids to adults young to old. Gotten inside the venue and catching hardcore punks King Parrot perform was enlightened. Their vocalist was funny, as fans stood against the barricade one point a fan filming the performance has the vocalist biting the persons phone, not letting go. To another part had him crowd surfing atop the audience to making funny faces it was a riot! The performance just felt hardcore that it was so right. The band and vocalist did well and made the crowd cheery and approved. 

KING PARROT LIVE PHOTOS:

Next up came Soulfly fronted by one of the Calavera brothers Max, and his performance just felt a slight off. Vocals and guitars just were presented but it felt like he wasn't as his strongest maybe jet lag. Seeing Soulfly in 2020 in a smaller venue at the time; felt like they were in their prime. Seeing them here tonight didn't feel so well received. The performance was good, lots of rough housing, jumping, shouting the works. It just was repetitive at times. A lot of the songs sounding alike and not separate from one another, like they were seeping into one another. Soulfly was good but not as great.

SOULFLY LIVE PHOTOS:

Rounding off the evening was Gwar and they were very entertaining. Lots of people packed in the upper and lower levels. Loads of prop work, puppetry, bloodshed. Yep! The whole crowd practically was wearing white attire. So, everyone got spilled with the guts of the various characters upon the stage. Some included ICE, President Trump, Elon Musk among others. Such as the dinosaur! These were quite goofy and exciting to see live. The audience moved in such a tight packed space it made for the blood shed to be sprayed upon every which way possible no one was left untouched by the looks of it.

GWAR LIVE PHOTOS:

The band themselves were dressed up in their glorious costumes, that had bodily functions causing certain sprays to occur, the crowd wanting more. Now was it blood shed or something more? Perhaps food coloring? Who knows!

But everyone was having a blast regardless. In short Gwar puts on a show that is soaked in blood with so much laughter it causes an infection of good times.

SETLIST:

1. Fuck This Place

2. Crack in the Egg

3. Eigth Lock

4. Have You Seen Me?

5. Tormentor

6. Hate Love Songs

7. Lot Lizard

8. Saddam a Go-Go

9. I'm in Love (With a Dead Dog)

10. Metal Metal Land

11. El Presidente

12. Tyrant King

13. Hail, Genocide!

14. Gor-Gor

15. Mother Fucking Liar

16. Pink Pony Club (Chappell Roan Cover Song)

17. Sick of You

Theatrical heavy metal go getters Avtar had announced this past New Year that they would be heading out on a spring headlining tour, in support of their latest album "Don't Go in the Forest", as they had done a headlining run just last fall. This time they would bring Fleshgod Apocalypse and Frozen Soul, making a stop in Los Angeles, California on Downtown LA at The Novo.

That Friday night would be a packed crowd upstairs and downstairs, lots of fans dressed up as the famous Avatar singer, sporting his either leather attire or circus themed attire with red jacket and hat, with others wearing casual wear band t-shirts, shorts, pants, jeans, etc. Upon arriving exactly around 7:30PM, the opening band Frozen Soul out of Texas, would play for the next thirty minutes, bringing on a special guest Gerald Way of My Chemical Romance, for their collaborated track "No Place of Warmth", which was quite the surprise! The entirety of their set was quite entertaining, their frontman being goofy yet highly entertaining, interacting with the audience from start to finish. The crowd kept the energy flowing with lots of crowd surfing, moshing, and freebies, as whoever crowd surfed would get a free t-shirt! It was quite a performance that was fun, with just the right amount of death metal to please all.

FROZEN SOUL LIVE PHOTOS:

Next up was Italians Fleshgod Apocalypse, whom I had not seen since 2011! Since then, the band's line up has changed up quite a bit, prior being an all-male act, as opposed to nowadays being an all-male act with an added female as backing and main vocalist, alongside guitarist/vocalist Francesco Paoli. Female vocalist Veronica Bordacchini, would be the welcomed addition, as she brought an operatic style to the mix, creating a more theatrical element to the band's symphonic death metal style. It was intense yet playful, as the pianist and drummer, would entertain the crowd, clapping, throwing their hands up and down getting that hyped up energy overflowing it made everyone enthusiastic.  They had a solid set, with classical arrangements with mellow moments that kept it in check, making it mellow dramatic but not that dramatic.

FLESHGOD APOLCAYPSE LIVE PHOTOS:

Last up would be Avatar from Sweden, their heavy metal, hard rock style, being quite brutalizing with intensity unlike any other within a lot of their tracks, ranging from "Colossus", "Smells Like a Freakshow", and "Hail the Apocalypse", among other more tame tracks like "Don't Go in the Forest", "Torn Apart" and "Howling at the Waves". The extensive set consisted close to twenty songs total, rounding off to 17. The whole performance brought crazy antics from loads of theatrics, costumes, facial expressions, and lots of goofy madness that made the audience roar with laughter and excitement. The singer is always goofing off, making faces, dancing, singing greatly, with such fun it made the whole night such fun. If you have not seen Avatar yet, then go do so.

AVATAR LIVE PHOTOS:

This run of a tour brought such fun, that cannot be said enough, lots of laughs with so much fun at hand, it made the music that more memorable and so much more enjoyable in the end.

SETLIST:

1. Caption Goat

2. Silence in the Age of Apes

3. The Eagle Has Landed

4. In the Airwaves

5. Bloody Angel

6. Death and Glitz

7. A Secret Door

8. The Dirty I'm Buried In

9. Colossus

10. Torn Apart

11. Howling at the Waves

12. Legend of the King

13. Let It Burn

14. Tonight We Must Be Warriors

ENCORE:

15. Don't Go in the Forest

16. Smells Like a Freakshow

17. Hail the Apocalypse

Vampires Everywhere! began way back when in 2009, releasing their debut album "Kiss The Sun Goodbye" in 2011, since then the band has had it's mishaps and line-up changes, but are still going strong even now in 2026; releasing all new music, touring, the works! But in an interview that happened in early summer of 2025, the frontman Michael Vampire was asked, if the band's debut album "Kiss The Sun Goodbye" would be performed in full in celebration of the 15th anniversary, and he considered it and ended up running with the idea, as a tour would commence in 2025 and into 2026, the east and west coast runs would take place.

The West Coast would get the second of the two parter of this run entitled the "Kiss The Sun Goodbye 15th Anniversary Tour", kicking off in Hollywood, California at the Whisky A Go Go,  the show would sadly not be sold out but it did gather quite the crowd, when the band hit the stage close to 10:30PMish, performing for a good hour or so, indeed playing a number of the tracks off the album debut; including such as "Bury Me Alive", "Bleeding Rain", "Kill the Chemicals", "Lipstick Lies", and "Immortal Love", as well as some covers including "Teenage Dream" by Katy Perry and "Cry Little Sister" from The Lost Boys movie soundtrack. The set list was quite good, consisting of a selection of songs off the debut, which had the audience there be very entertained.

VAMPIRES EVERYWHERE LIVE PHOTOS:

In the end, the album may have not been played precisely in full, but tracks were played rightfully so. This touring run will continue its course and bring back that classic Vampires Everywhere! Sound that all of us knew and still cherish and love to this day.

Japanese sensation Hanabie out of Tokyo, Japan, have been going strong since their formation 10 years ago roughly. Their styling is a combo of metal sub-genres such as metalcore, hardcore punk, nu-metal and screamo, taken influences from electronica, J-Pop, and a culture that is contemporary centered around the Harajuki which is a spot in Japan that is quite popular within the fashion and dinning lifestyles. In short, they have created a style that is self-described as one thing only "Harajuku-core".

With that said, they band has toured the US. quite a bit as it were, seeing them for the first time back in 2023, with a follow-up time happening in 2025 that was an unfortunate experience. But a year later, and the band would head out on the road for their own headlining springtime tour, bringing with them Nekrogoblikon and Enterprise Earth.

The trek would kick off in March into April, wrapping up April 11, 2026, at The Belasco in Los Angeles, California to a sold-out crowd! But whilst this show was a sold-out experience, due to popular demand, a second show at the same venue would occur that next day April 12th! To a decent crowd from my understanding.

But the last night of the tour, it was quite the experience, the line of fans wrapped around the entire building, and once inside, the line would wrap from inside the actual theater to up the stairs, going up like 3-4 flights, for just the merchandise booth, with fans piled up inside the theater waiting for the actual show to kick off!

After grabbing some merch in that horrible line, the show kicked off about 7PM, with openers Enterprise Earth a deathcore band whose time together has been spent with line-up changes quite a bit, since their formation back in 2014, but do not let that turn you away, the band has gone on to get new members, release more albums, and continue performing as they had done tonight. And the crowd was quite pleased with the results, the pit opening up, with crowd surfers, being constantly overflowing, to others banging their heads, to all others just enjoying a good time. The energy was constant and full force with such a rush it felt memorable yet so much fun.

ENTERPRISE EARTH LIVE PHOTOS:

Following would be Nekrogoblikon a Los Angeles, California staple, as it was their hometown and they were glad to be back home! Being around for twenty years, this melodic death metal band, brought the cuteness or "Kawaii" to the masses, as fans laughed, cheered, and had fun crowd surfing, moshing, and headbanging non-stop. The two co-lead vocalists John Goblikon and Dickie Allen, were quite entertaining, going off on one another vocally, with John being done up in the cutest kawaii attire of a pink skirt and accessories. He made the evening everlasting with his funny banter, and dancing, messing with his fellow band mates, the audience was really into their presence that they did not want the band to go! That is how to keep a crowd into you!

NEKROGOBLIKON LIVE PHOTOS:

Lastly would be Hanabie from Japan, and their performance was quite something else. They performed for a good hour, non-stop with one break right before their encore. But throughout their performance was energetic like no tomorrow, constant movement in the pit, lots of crowd surfing as it were during the opening acts, to non-stop fun! A lot of songs kept everyone on their toes such as "Spicy Queen", "Tokimeki About You, and "Osaki ni Shitsurei Shimasau", besides the other 15 sung to their hearts content. The lead vocalist Yukina was so into her performance; she gave off such energy and phrase it was unforgettable. The rest of her band mates brought the fun as well, with the band having some minor line-up changes due to drums, but the bill now is solid. Hanabie is one of those Japanese bands, you have to check out at least once, to get a feeling of what you’re missing out on! They are just that good.

HANABIE LIVE PHOTOS:

Overall, this touring cycle ending up on a high note with notably good bands, high energy momentum, and lots of fun, way more than need be.

SETLIST:

1. Neet Game

2. Sunrise Miso-Soup

3. Reiwa Matching-sedai

4. Tousou

5. Kotoshi koso Gal Shoka version

6. Iconic

7. Spicy Queen

8. Ware Amatou

9. Watashitachi no 7Kakan Sensou

10. O-TA-KU Lovely Densetsu

11. Tokimeki About You

12. Choujigen Galaxy

13. Osaki ni Shitsurei Shimasu

ENCORE:

14. L.C.G. (Travis Worland Enterprise Earth Vocalist and Dickie Allen Vocalist of Nekrogoblikon)

15. Today's Good Day and So Epic