The Barby Club in Tel-Aviv is one of Israel's most well known venues. Over the years the club has had the privilege to host performances by artists such as Mike Patton, DOWN, PARADISE LOST, APOPTYGMA BERZERK, Regina Spektor, Macy Grey, and a many great deal of local Israeli artists. The magic of the Barby is in its ethos, being one of Israel's oldest and most fitting venues for Metal performances, and on that note – there's no concert more fitting for the natural atmosphere of the Barby than a Metal concert. Upon entering I felt as always when I go there – bewildered by the beautiful chandeliers, and caught by the huge Bob Marley poster hanging on the entrance wall, as if the man himself is  greeting us to come in and have a great night of peace and love. .. And what could CHILDREN OF BODOM possibly want other than that?
 

These guys are genuine Rock stars – in every sense possible. The performance was tight as hell, the musicianship is highly complex and the show's an absolute jaw dropper. They display an extravaganza of talent and virtuosity, alongside a great stage presence and nonstop exhilaration of the crowd. CHILDREN OF BODOM paid close attention to the rules – and they know that the most crucial one is that there aren't any rules. Over the years they've covered CREEDENCE CLEARWATER REVIVAL, Britney Spears, IRON MAIDEN, Kenny Rogers, ANTHRAX, Billy Idol, ROXETTE, and TWISTED SISTER, infusing their own unique sound into massively important Rock and Pop iconic anthems. It takes no more than a quick listen to the bands material to get a sense of their musical education – and the spectrum spreads from the cannons of classical music to 80's and 90's Pop and Rock culture acts. What CHILDREN OF BODOM represent is a sub-genre band far from cultural mainstream, that uses every musical element that was conceived over modern history and embellish it to create the beastly art that is their own - Unique and eclectic.

Before I sink into the lungs of BODOM's performance, my apologies to the opening act, NOTHING LIES BEYOND for missing their show, traffic was a bitch and I really made it into the venue at the end of their set.
 

The band chose a great setlist, and performed highlights from all eras of their creation, and the audiences satisfaction was well noticed. The pleased crowd reacted warmly to every gem the band played, especially during "Hate Me", "Angels Don't Kill", "Follow The Reaper", "In Your Face", and "Downfall". The Barby has been known for having the occasional sound flop, irritatingly so especially in metal concerts – and it was flat and blurry at times. The audience was mostly ambivalent to that anyway, as high voltage in the air was present and the strong interaction between them and the band was vivid and evident.

Alexei has mesmerizing charisma, and in terms other than the music itself, it's no surprise the band's one of the most commercially successful acts in modern Metal. He constantly fuels the crowd by asking for a moshpit, and chanting and ranting the sorts of 'yeahhh Tel Aviv fuck yeahhh mother fuckers yeahh great to be here motherfuckers' – that's really all you need to get a metal audience going anyway, but he does it with flare and awe. By the way, I feel obligated to remind our devoted readers – Warmen is absolutely out of this world.
 

CHILDREN OF BODOM is a band of great importance, far beyond the obvious reason that they stand proud as one of the most popular acts in Metal, and not even because of their excellence in performance and showmanship. As a band that fronts the Finnish scene alongside other tremendously talented bands such as IMPALED NAZARENE, AMORPHIS, and ENSIFERUM, they hold their ground firmly as the one of the strongest representatives of a scene, a genre, and a geographic icon for metal music and it's acceptance by broader crowds. Their zest is in bringing the Metal atmosphere alive – and they excel in doing so no matter what they play –a piece from any era of their repertoire or even a Britney Spears cover.

The band's well aware of the influence Pop and Rock culture has had over youth culture for the last decades, to even greater lengths of course, and they're a visceral voice that tells people to fuck shit up and care less. Basically using terms out 'their' world, thickly suggesting uptight people in an uptight post-modern world to lighten up. Now what could be more important than that?

Setlist
1. Sixpounder
2. Living Dead Beat
3. Bodom Beach Terror
4. Halo of Blood
5. Scream for Silence
6. Hate Crew Deathroll
7. Lake Bodom
8. Follow the Reaper
9. Dead Man's Hand on You
10. Are You Dead Yet?
11. Blooddrunk
12. Angels Don't Kill
13. Towards Dead End
14. Hate Me!
15. Downfall
16. In Your Face

*Photography by Alexandra Zeevy