“This was one of the best crowds we’ve ever played for, we will have to come back,” lead singer M. Shadows said.
By KOBY BRINNUpdated: JUNE 27, 2018 21:17Avenged Sevenfold onstage in Rishon Lezion Tuesday night(photo credit: LIOR KETER)
California hard rockers Avenged Sevenfold made thousands of Israeli fans extremely happy Tuesday night at the Rishon Live Park.The popular band that adeptly integrates metal and pop elements into their music has for years been the target of a lobbying campaign via Facebook to get them to come to Israel. And 19 years after they formed, the band, known affectionately as A7X, finally made it to the Promised Land for a show that left no hard-core fan disappointed.Following a well-received set by local metalist band Betzefer, A7X came out to a hero’s welcome. Aggressive, but also melodic and fun, the band seemed like they were having a great time onstage, as was the crowd, who knew all the lyrics and sang along to every song.Vocalist M. Shadows joked at one point that he couldn’t hear himself because he was being drowned out by the fans. The crowd mostly consisted of twenty-somethings who first fell in love with the band as teenagers; for them, the band is as powerful and relevant today as it was then.As part of a three-song encore, the band played perhaps the most anticipated song of the night – “A Little Piece of Heaven,” from their 2007 eponymous album – which propelled the audience even higher.“This was one of the best crowds we’ve ever played for – we will have to come back,” Shadows said at one point, probably repeating something he says at every show. But at least to the audience members who had waited years to see them, his sentiments sounded genuine. Next time A7X fans won’t need a Facebook campaign to get them back.
