VOLBEAT
SKINDRED / NAPALM DEATH
CARDIFF INTERNATIONAL ARENA, CARDIFF
Denmark’s arena-filling rockers outsource the adventurism
WITH THE PROSPECT of a 16,500- capacity arena planned to replace and plug the gap between the newly rechristened, 5,000 capacity Cardiff International Arena and the enormoconcerts at the Principality Stadium, it’s hoped that the Welsh capital will soon be able to host the big-name shows that so often pass it by. However, a glaring issue is the apparent lack of appetite for hard rock and metal shows in the locality, with recent tours by Machine Head, Parkway Drive and Shinedown falling a great distance short of selling out tonight’s venue.
Even though a sizeable chunk of the floor is taken up by the Metallica-style snake pit, Volbeat have had no such problems attracting punters for their first arena show in this neck of the woods. And it’s also to their credit that they’ve done so with two perversely exciting live acts that make the bill such an odd but tantalising draw.