American rock Gods Godsmack return to the UK after three years and they’re back in full force. After ‘We Will Rock You’ plays throughout the venue and the curtains fall Godsmack are straight into the action with ‘When Legends Rise’ and the energy in the room builds straight away.
During the show vocalist, Sully Erna talks about how it’s good to be back as the last few years have been pretty much hell due to the pandemic. One of the many great parts of the show includes Sully talking about working on a new album but at the same time being very secretive and hinting they’ll play a new track, but they don’t want people to have their phones out recording it. This makes sense as in some cases it does ruin the experience for others.
When ‘Something Different’ was played the crowd started to sing it back to the band and you could see each band member’s face lite up from this reaction.
Sully stopped the show at one point and with the audio on loop, he wanted Manchester to “look like a rock show as back in the ’70s / 80’s”, he wanted people to move. Sully spots a kid on her dad’s shoulder points and says “that’s the spirit of rock”. He wanted to see the room move and jokes about men wanting to just stand there looking buff but while working crap jobs serving fish and chips and answering tiny phones with their beefy hands, everyone laughed!
Sully says ‘Something Different’ was written as he had his own reasons in life but tonight it’s dedicated to the girls, “to those who had that one dumb asshole who broke your heart, send this to every c*cksucker out there who hurt you”. To make this more special Sully shouts to turn off all the lights, and to light the room with phones – it was beautiful!
“I love this country, we have an 8-year-old and an 88-year-old here tonight” Sully belts with excitement later stating “we are bringing up a new generation of rockers!” The band then plays their brand new hard-hitting single ‘Surrender’, a track that has been hugely well received by fans.
Sully asks the crowd who has seen them before and asks if they will they come back to watch them again, he hinted towards Godsmack coming back on a bigger scale, with a bigger venue with some big bands too. Godsmack have become a staple in the UK rock scene, a bigger tour will be something to look forward to along with the new and possibly the final album coming out.
Coming to the final part of the show the band plays ‘Voodoo & Whatever’, but of course it would not be a rock show without an encore! A piano appears as Godsmack play ‘Scars‘. Sully started a non-profit charity organisation called Scars Foundation which has been running for four years now, it raises funds to help those with mental health issues, alcoholism, PTSD and suicide prevention. Sully talks about trying to do their part to help those in need. Music touches people’s hearts and lives in ways that other things sometimes can’t, it can help people open up and heal. All you have to do is look in the comments sections of Godsmack’s YouTube videos and you’ll see so many heartfelt stories from people all around the world – It’s great to see an artist doing something to try and help. With all of this in mind the track ‘Scars’, it means a lot.
Godsmack end the show with ‘Bulletproof’ followed by an iconic track ‘I Stand Alone’.
We’re really looking forward to hearing the new album and what crazy tour they will announce in the future, hell even make a venue out of a giant car park it would be incredible!
