(Note: HIM are still currently on their farewell tour with CKY and 3Teeth. If you haven’t seen them yet, see them NOW.)

I remember this summer feeling mournful when Blabbermouth announced HIM’s farewell tour.  To tell the truth, HIM was one of those bands where I always held off on deeply listening to until I really needed to.  This farewell tour was God’s way of saying, “Hey, maybe now’s the time to listen to this band.”

In case you don’t know, HIM, an acronym for His Infernal Majesty, is a Finnish rock band who have been performing for over twenty years.  Their music is performed with many Gothic elements and subject matter such as death, romance...and both!  You may remember them by their MTV staple “Wings of a Butterfly” or hit single “All Lips Go Blue.” “Dark Light” was their most commercially successful album, but if you ask me and my boyfriend, nothing could compare to the raw and sinister feelings you get hearing “Razorblade Romance.”

Oh, and the lead singer Ville Valo is a close friend of Bam Margera! 

HIM decided to perform at the House of Blues in Houston, which was a perfect location to say goodbye to an iconic band.  3Teeth and CKY are HIM’s openers on this tour.  3Teeth are an up and coming industrial band with only one (hard-hitting and amazing!) album, and CKY, or Camp Kill Yourself, are a relatively known and modern day alternative rock band with that one song everyone knows but can’t name. (“96 Quite Bitter Beings!”  Spotify it and you’ll know!)

Oh, and CKY’s drummer is Bam Margera’s brother! (No, Bam was not there, but I hope he’s doing well!)

 Unfortunately, due to terrible HWY 290 traffic, we had to miss 3Teeth’s opening performance.  From what I heard in their debut album, I was extremely disappointed that I missed them!  I’m hopeful I can catch those guys on their own tour.  Sorry, 3Teeth!

My boyfriend and I got lucky finding the perfect parking garage, handing over our tickets, and finding our seats in time to watch CKY! HIM couldn’t have picked a better opener!

Their performance was super engaging with the audience, and you could absolutely tell they loved being there.  They performed everyone’s favorite, took many photos of the audience, and gave out a few gifts to the crowd as well!

The icing on top of CKY’s performance was when they quoted this Facebook post referencing “96 Quite Bitter Beings.”  You gotta love a band who can laugh at themselves!

After CKY’s performance, my boyfriend and I quickly headed over to their merch booth and grab a snack. I don’t know what it was, but the Houston House of Blues has great nachos! Plus, $40 for two shirts and a new CD? Thanks, CKY!

Finally, when the clock struck 9:00 PM, the lights turned dark and HIM arrived, opening up with “Buried Alive by Love.”

Their whole performance was cloaked with dark purple lights, making it almost impossible to get good cell phone pics.  Thank you, Ville Valo!

Even though I didn’t immerse myself into HIM’s music like my boyfriend did, I absolutely wanted to after the concert.  HIM’s last performance surely didn’t feel forced.  His voice was still as captivating as it would be on record, and all the gothic women surrounding me in the audience were eating it up.  I never saw such sultry dancing during “Wings of a Butterfly,” and I didn’t even know you could dance to a song like that! There was so much gothic sexual tension in the bar with a couple making out on my left and a man stroking his girlfriend right in front of me.  Ville Valo sure has a way hypnotizing the audience.

I do want to apologize to my dear boyfriend because I was asking so many questions.

”Honey, what’s this song called?” 

“‘Join Me In Death.’  It’s about necrophilia.”

“Honey, what about this one?” 

“‘Gone With the Sin.’ Also about necrophilia.”

(I looked more into the lyrics. He may be right.)

After performing three encores, which included a cover of “Rebel Yell,” HIM said their goodbyes and broke the hearts of every soul in that room.  My boyfriend was in tears and I reassured him that as long as we had their music, HIM would never really be dead.  

Even though it would be the only time I would ever see HIM live, I was okay, and my music library grew three albums that day!

R.I.P to the almighty HIM.  And to CKY, we’ll catch you again in March!