HIM Kick Off Summer Festival Run at Rock Im Park and Rock Am Ring

After wrapping up their North American tour just under a month ago, HIM went back on the road on Friday for the first two dates of their Summer festival tour that continues through August.

On Friday and Sunday night, HIM played at the annual rock music festivals Rock im Park and Rock Am Ring in Germany.

The band played the same set list for both shows but Sunday night's set was broadcast live on a number of live streams including MTV Germany.

Once again, HIM took the stage to the strains of the Shangri-Las' "Dressed In Black" and played a 11-song set comprised of mostly older songs.

Despite the fact that they were playing while Germany's own Rammstein were on the main stage, they drew a large crowd.

Vocalist Ville Valo was in rare form introducing each song in his own self deprecating way and joking with bassist Mige Paananen.

Before playing one of their newer singles, "Heartkiller", Valo exclaimed, "Let's just see if the sparks will fly now!" referring to the lyrics of the song's chorus.

During a solid performance of their cover of Chris Isaak's "Wicked Game", Valo and Paananen took a moment to pay tribute to Type O' Negative's "Black Sabbath (From the Satanic Perspective)".

Throughout the evening Valo kept referring to how old they have gotten and then said as a tribute to old age they would play a power ballad.

After saying he'd like to play a cover of The Scorpion's "Wind of Change" but couldn't because, "I can't whistle.", he instead introduced a ballad off of their latest album, "Disarm Me (With Your Loneliness).

HIM closed their set with classic "Funeral of Hearts" that ended with Valo showing off his vocal range and their popular cover of Billy Idol's "Rebel Yell".

The only problem with the evening was the fact that Paananen's and keyboardist Burton Puurtinen's backing vocals were turned up too loud, which at times threw off the rhythm of the song.

HIM will be visiting a number of festivals over the next few months:

June 12-Donington Park, United Kingdom

June 13-Greenfield Festival, Switzerland

June 20-Gothenberg, Sweden

July 15-Tallinna Lauluvaljak

August 7-Pori, Finland

Rock im Park/Rock Am Ring Set list:

Buried Alive By Love
Join Me In Death
Heartkiller
Rip Out The Wings Of A Butterfly
The Kiss Of Dawn
Wicked Game
Disarm Me (With Your Loneliness)
Right Here In My Arms
Killing Loneliness
The Funeral Of Hearts
Rebel Yell