VOLBEAT – WEMBLEY ARENA – 13TH NOVEMBER 2025
Volbeat arrive at Wembley tonight not quite as marauding Vikings, but close enough. They come mob-handed with Witch Fever and the near-legendary Bush in support.
Manchester-based Witch Fever are gloriously genre-defiant. Heavy with shades of Black Sabbath, they also echo early Nirvana and 1990s US acts like Throwing Muses, The Breeders and Belly. Had they existed then, they might have fitted perfectly on the 4AD label. Their sound is powerful yet sensitive — no one-trick ponies, and one of the most interesting opening acts I’ve seen in a while. Check ’em out!
One band I didn’t expect to see as a support, even at Wembley Arena, is Bush. Granted, they were always bigger in the States than the UK, but it’s still a surprise to hear frontman Gavin Rossdale address “those who haven’t heard of us.” Back in the day the UK press unfairly dismissed them as Nirvana copyists — a notion that now feels ancient and absurd. After a lengthy drum intro the set opens with Everything Zen from Sixteen Stone. If anyone here genuinely hasn’t heard of Bush, this should correct that. With all respect to his bandmates, tonight is very much The Gavin Rossdale Show — and rightly so. He’s a consummate frontman, sprinting down a walkway to a diamond-shaped satellite stage partway into the arena, complete with mic stand and setlist. It’s like a second home.
For Bullet Holes Gavin rejoins the main stage, though by The Land of Milk and Honey he’s out front again with guitarist Chris Traynor, who soon retreats to safer ground. A stunning cover of Come Together by The Beatles follows — long a live favourite — before the band draw heavily from post-2010 albums. Far from nostalgia, this material proves Bush remain vital and heavy as ever. They rock.
I last saw Volbeat at Download and wasn’t overly impressed, but tonight’s so-called *Greatest of All Tours* promises redemption — and delivers it. As Lemmy once said of Motörhead, they’re a rock’n’roll band — only shinier with metal edges. They open with The Devil’s Bleeding Crown behind a curtain that soon drops; by second song Lola Montez the crowd treat it like a greatest-hits show, roaring every word. Frontman Michael Poulsen complains the volume of singing isn’t loud enough — either the crowd’s warming up or he’s going deaf. Touring guitarist Flemming C Lund keeps things tight and tasteful — proof that less can be more.
I’d heard of Volbeat’s country leanings, yet it’s still a surprise when they preface Sad Man’s Tongue with a snatch of Ring of Fire by Johnny Cash. Michael jokes they “stole” the song from Mr Cash — and in fairness it stands as a classic in its own right. Demonic Depression follows with the most metallic tone of the night, providing a stark contrast. Bassist Kaspar Boye Larsen sports a Bush T-shirt — so at least one person here’s heard of you, Mr Rossdale!
Fallen is dedicated to everyone who’s lost someone — especially Michael’s “dear father.” There’s been a lot of on-stage reflection on loss lately; death, sadly, is part of life. Shotgun Blues (not the first song with that title) is a stonker, but the real eyebrow-raiser is the gloriously titled In the Barn of the Goat Giving Birth to Satan’s Spawn in a Dying World of Doom. The goat adorns the cover of the new album God of Angels Trust — its name, Michael tells us, is Thor. Sweet! Though if the goat’s giving birth, shouldn’t it have a feminine name? The song itself is an epic and prompts the evening’s first crowd-surfer — not the last.
By a Monster’s Hand, the first single from the new album, earns an ecstatic sing-along. The same surfer rides again as a mosh pit erupts. Beer prices might be £9.25 a pint, but plenty is still airborne. Michael claims he hasn’t seen a surfer yet; clearly he’s missed it. He offers a free Volbeat shirt to the first — cue our hero’s triumphant re-surf and well-earned prize, joined by others including one rather scantily clad woman. Brave choice!
Michael calls for a circle pit during The Devil Rages On; one instantly forms. Guest vocalist Johan Olsen (of Danish band Magtens Korridorer) joins for The Garden’s Tale from Rock the Rebel / Metal the Devil and For Evigt from Seal the Deal & Let’s Boogie — the latter dedicated to Michael’s wife. It’s genuinely touching. As Johan leaves, Michael quips that he’s “old but good” — lucky they’re friends.
Before Still Counting, Michael invites kids onstage. It takes time but eventually around thirty appear — proof that heavy music really is for all ages. Some tiny, some not so tiny, they cover ears, headbang, dance or film the moment as Michael signs tickets and lets them strum his guitar. They leave in perfect order — so much for rebellion! Immediately afterwards the band launch into a blistering cover of Children of the Grave by Black Sabbath. Hopefully the title isn’t a nod to their young guests. They play almost to curfew, finishing with A Warrior’s Call (possibly new) and Pool of Booze, Booze, Booza from their debut. No fake encores — just all killer, no filler.
Tonight Volbeat make a far stronger impression than they did at Download 2022 — though to be fair, outdoor daylight never helps atmosphere. Indoors at Wembley they absolutely conquer. Was this “the best of all tours”? Maybe not — but it was really bloody good.
Words: Mark Kelly Photos: Robert Sutton
