The much anticipated “Fear the Premiere” tour, featuring Mike’s Dead, Veil of Maya, August Burns Red,
and headliner Ice Nine Kills had their opening night at Kemba Live in Columbus, Ohio and boy did they
slay the audience!
First up were the goth metal band Mike’s Dead. Their set could easily be summed up in 3 words:
Energetic, sweaty, and smiley. The smiles did not leave any of their faces throughout the entire
performance. I overheard a decent amount of people talking about how they saw these guys a few
months prior at Sonic Temple and how much they enjoyed them, so it is no wonder they did a great job
getting the crowd hyped up for the rest of the night. Keep these guys on your radar, they will be
headliners someday.
Next up was the band Veil of Maya. Their singer started the set rivaling the tongue sticking out phase of
Miley Cyrus, but then quickly started showing off his impressive vocal range. Their bass player had hair
whips that were easily some of the best I have ever seen. He was also playing a headless bass, which I
found quite cool. Definitely check them out if you haven’t already.
Third up to the stage was August Burns Red. This set started on 100 and never let up. Face melting
music, crowd interaction, and ear to ear smiles made their performance truly outstanding. As with
Mike’s Dead, I overheard a few people sharing stories about other times they had seen ABR and how
much they loved these guys. Don’t miss this band live if they come near you, I promise you will
thoroughly enjoy yourself.
Finally, the main event, Ice Nine Kills! These guys put on such a unique and entertaining show. From
wielding a chainsaw while singing, being chased by an inflatable shark while playing guitar, or the stage
actors dressing up and performing as well known horror movie characters, this band will keep you on
your toes in the best way. There were also quite a few crowd members (including a few kids) dressed up
in horror costumes as well to show their love for INK. I can’t say enough good things about these guys
when they perform, so definitely see these guys on this tour if you can.
