There are very few Finnish bands that have broken into the mainstream media. There are even fewer that have become household names. But one of those very few is a band called HIM. Even in high school in the mid 2000s, when the internet and music sharing wasn’t as easily available as it is now, I knew of the band HIM. None of my friends listened to them, but we all knew about them. That was notoriety back then. It wasn’t until a couple years ago that I finally got into HIM, and unfortunately to me, they had retired. Even though HIM had retired, lead singer Ville Valo could not be kept from making new music or returning to the stage. Announcing his solo project under the name VV, a tour was announced over a year in advance before any song had been released. I marked my calendar and waited patiently as that year passed to finally see Ville Valo on his Neon Noir Tour with support from Kælan Mikla. By the time I got to the Belasco Theatre, the line was already around multiple blocks as fans have just as eagerly been awaiting this show as I have.

Opening the night was an Icelandic three piece called Kælan Mikla. I had no idea what to expect from this band, but to say I was pleasantly surprised would be an understatement. Classifying themselves as a post-punk dark wave band, and dressing like gothic lolita’s. I was immediately captivated. Lead singer Laufey Soffía was casting a witches spell on the audience as she moved her vocals from melodic melodies to stepping back from the mic and full on screaming at the crowd. Bassist Margrét Rósa Dóru-Harrýsdóttir was getting lost in her own melody as she danced throughout the set, but never lost the groove of each song. Pulling double duty on synthesizer and the flute was Sólveig Matthildur Kristjánsdóttir, who created tantalizing melodies that moved the packed crowd. Kælan Mikla played an enchanting set that included songs like “Stormurinn,” “Kalt,” “Sirenur,” “Næturblom,” “Andvaka,” “Solstodur,” and ending with “Hvitir Sandar.” Kælan Mikla may have come to Los Angeles as unknowns, but they left with a slew of new fans.

Finally, after a year of sitting and waiting, we were just moments away from Ville Valo playing Los Angeles again. Opening the night with “Echolocate Your Love,” Ville stepped onto the stage embodying the definition of tall, dark, and handsome. I then heard the biggest scream I have ever heard in the Belasco Theatre as people lost their minds. I have always heard that Ville Valo had a beautiful baritone voice, and you can hear how deep and sultry it is on record but hearing it in person was candy to the ears. Ville doesn’t move to much on stage, he would rather plant himself at the foot of the stage and lock eyes with every fan in the crowd. When the moment comes that you get to catch his gaze, his piercing green eyes fill your soul with pleasure as if Dracula was trapping you under his spell. But as soon as the moment happens, Ville finds his next passionate fan and you are just left wanting more of this man. The night was a fantastic mix of Ville’s solo album, intertwined with HIM’s biggest hits, including “The Funeral of Hearts,” “Neon Noir,” “Loveletting,” “Buried Alive by Love,” “Baby Lacrimarium,” “Wings of a Butterfly,” “Heartful of Ghosts,” “Join Me in Death,” and “When Love and Death Embrace.” As Ville walked off stage, the crowd was left panting in a puddle of their own sweat. But they were not done. They were not done being engulfed by their desire for Ville Valo. Coming back on stage for a four song encore including “Soul on Fire,” “Salute the Sanguine,” “Poison Girl,” and finishing off the night with “Saturnine Saturnalia.” As the lights came up, crowd cried for more pleasure. The crowd cried as they could have kept going. I’ve never seen a single man leave a crowd so wanting of more.

This was just a normal Tuesday to most people, but for the screaming fans at the Belasco Theatre, they were just given ultimate musical pleasure by a man who knows how to seduce with music. I finally understood why so many people were in love with HIM’s music and Ville Valo especially. The man can just gaze into your eyes, and he knows you are his. The wait until he comes back, could be the longest musical celibacy for many people. But this was not a normal concert, this was a night of romance and pleasure that most people may never truly know.