Well, I have to say that it's pretty damn impressive! After having experienced Volbeat live more times than most psychiatrists would probably find advisable, there I was AGAIN with my chin rather unbecomingly resting on my chest, trying to croak the time honored words "I'll be damned!" coherently.

 

Never the less, it happened again when the biggest band, this country has ever produced, during the weekend returned to their home soil and almost 40.000 fans with two concerts – one in Copenhagen and one in provincial Horsens.

 

Maybe the shows weren't absolutely perfect, but never fucking mind: Only af few songs into the Copenhagen show and from the very beginning in Horsens Volbeat delivered in spectacular style with two concerts that are both serious candidates to the title of "parties of the year" if not concerts of the year.

 

It is neither here nor there to keep harping on about Volbeat being world class act which is often the case in the band's home country. Of course they're a world class act – otherwise they wouldn't have gotten to where they are today.

 

Of course, world domination is no quality in itself but it is rather reassuring that this position has been awarded to a band who actually DESERVE it – not least on a planet that in many respects seems dangerously close to falling off its' hinges these days.

 

Volbeat have achieved this position, obviously because of irresistible songs like "Sad Man's Tongue", "Radio Girl", "Guitar Gangsters And Cadillac Blood", "Heaven Nor Hell" and "Lola Montez", not to mention a truly inspired medley of "A Broken Man And The Dawn", "Mary Ann's Place", "Rebel Monster" and "Making Believe".

 

The songs are not the only reason though. It is of paramount importance too that Volbeat almost always play these songs in a manner that balances the delivery evenly between the aforementioned sense of spectacle and charming disbelief.

 

It is really like they do not quite understand how great both they and their fans think this rock and roll thing really is.

 

Then I don't really give five flattened hipster approved indiedemos for those purists and "fans" who for reasons best known  by their therapists cannot handle that Volbeat have become an international household name. (Note to my international readers: Whining about that sort of thing is another Danish speciality, Ed.).

 

You know the type: Those people who keep whining about their ex-favorite band being way better when they played the local pub just for the benefit of said whiners and their sad friends.

 

Fuck ‘em anyway!

 

If you did yourself the favor of keeping your ears open at these two shows – I've been told that it's quite the clever thing to do at a rock show -  you experienced Volbeat with a sound just as suitably dirty and insisting as their sweet melodies are readily accessible.

 

The sound was excellent and so loud that every one of drummer Jon Larsen's kick drum beats made my shirt sleeves shiver and there was sufficiently with happy smiles on parade on stage to make Volbeat's generous use of pyrotechnics almost superfluous.

 

That kind of thing is contagious I can tell you.

 

But hell; you know it by now: Volbeat are primarily a rock band who loves what they're doing and prove it and eminently emphasize it time after time.