The Depot was packed wall to wall as fans young and old crowded in to see DragonForce perform for their 2023 tour. Being an all-ages show, whether they had discovered the band through Guitar Hero, or had been a fan from the beginning, it was a blast for everyone.
Near the beginning of their set, legendary guitarist Herman Li invited some of the younger members of the audience at the front of the crowd to view the show from up on stage and remarked, “I would have been so lucky if my dad had taken me to a concert when I was that young!”
The crowd was energized by the performances of songs, both old and new. From the start of the set, a good size mosh pit formed with fans running and jumping, followed by crowd surfing. To raise the energy even further, Mark Hudson, lead vocalist, brought out a stuffed chicken for the audience to toss around during their new hit single, “Power of the Triforce,” saying, “You can’t play a song about the Legend of Zelda without chickens to toss around.”
According to Hudson, the music of DragonForce is inspired by video games, and to support that theme, the stage was flanked by two large arcade cabinets featuring footage of classic games. The cabinets also doubled as platforms for the musicians to stand on during various moments of the show.
DragonForce performed with Billy Wilkins, a guest guitarist who has recently gained quite a lot of popularity on YouTube. He supported the band with vocals as well as backing guitar and solos, and he certainly added to the energy. One audience member stated, “He’s living his dream right now. I’ve never seen someone so happy to be on stage!”
For their last two songs, DragonForce inflated two massive dragons on stage and played “Highway to Oblivion,” followed by their classic “Through the Fire and Flames,” inviting audience members to sing along.
It was a memorable experience that attendees are sure not to forget!
