Brimming with charisma and gothic melodrama, Ville Valo commands your full attention both on and off the stage. Perfectly fusing the melodic and the melancholic, Valo is the embodiment of Johnny Cash, The Sisters Of Mercy, and Elvis with the lyrical elegance of Lovecraft, Poe, and Bukowski. He is truly one of a kind.
The Everblack Podcast spoke to Ville Valo about his upcoming tour Australian tour, his solo album Neon Noir, touring solo compared to with HIM, quitting smoking, the origins of the heartagram and fans getting it tattooed, the importance of music to him and more.
Watch/listen to the interview here:
Being original does not come easy and creating an entire genre is next to impossible, yet with HIM, Valo did just that when he came soaring out of land of the midnight sun, hypnotising the globe with an enchanting mix of dark rock anthems and emotionally charged ballads.
With his distinguished baritone five-octave crooner voice, Valo’s vocal prowess is unparalleled; equally at home making Chris Isaak and Neil Diamond classics his own or wearing his heart on his sleeve on HIM hymns, Funeral Of Hearts, Right Here In My Arms or Wings of A Butterfly. In fact, VVN Music has ranked him as possessing the eighth-highest vocal range of any known singer in popular music and Loudwire ranked Valo as one of the greatest frontman of the 21st century.
Valo’s evolution from the vampiric leader of HIM to the solo artist known today as VV is represented perfectly via HIM’s iconic Heartagram logo. Something Valo gifted the world when he created it on his 20th birthday. The truly iconic image perfectly captures the juxtaposition of the music with the heart representing its softer side, while the pentagram conveys the heavier, darker elements.
With VV, the Heartagram has been updated to include two extra lines to form the moniker VV at its centre. Ville playfully comments that, “Artistically speaking, the main difference between HIM and VV is the extra line in the Heartagram, but what an exquisite line it is!”
VV’s debut solo album, Neon Noir was released in early 2023 and it further exemplifies his storytelling prowess and the ability to contrast darkness and light.
VV is performing select shows featuring a perfect mix of solo and HIM songs.
Metal Wani captured the mood of the London show back in March of this year:
When the house lights are killed, the venue is engulfed in a haunting emptiness. As strands of pink and purple begin illuminating the stage, a bright, cold heartagram appears from the darkness – accentuated by the updated VV at its core. Like a lighthouse beacon it cascades across the audience and as Ville Valo appears the reception is akin to a hero’s welcome. Delivering an holistic set that spans the entirety of his career.
Be still our jet black hearts..
TOUR DATES
Wed, March 13: Powerstation, Auckland
Fri, March 15: Northcote Theatre, Melbourne
Sat, March 16: The Metro, Sydney
Sun, March 17: The Tivoli, Brisbane
