DragonForce, the power metal sensation known for their blazing guitar solos and epic anthems, recently embarked on their latest tour for their new album “Warp Speed Warriors”. Now I’m not going to lie, power metal is not my usual jam. But I’d heard through a good few others that DragonForce gigs are great fun, and they were ace… I’m talking epic guitar solos, giant arcade machines for podiums and cuddly chickens being launched through the crowd kind of ace…

The gig kicked off with a bang as DragonForce took the stage with huge amounts of energy and enthusiasm. Led by original members Herman Li and Sam Totman, the band delivered flawlessly executed performances of fan favourites like "Through the Fire and Flames," "Fury of the Storm," and“Revolution Deathsquad”. Alongside that is a handful of tracks from their latest album, which also went down well with the crowd.

The production value of the was top draw, with great visuals, pyrotechnics, and lighting effects that added to the epic atmosphere. There was also a good amount of crowd interaction, the whole band gave the impression that they really love what they do and they were stoked to be back in Bristol. The crowd was encouraged to dance, which they did. They were encouraged to open up a circle pit, which they did. And they were asked to throw a 2-foot-tall stuffed chicken around the room, which they did… With roars of applause when someone managed to launch it up to the balcony.

After the set had finished, they briefly disappeared off stage before re-appearing for the obligatory encore, which was two covers, “My Heart Will Go On”, yes, the Celine Dion Song and “Wildest Dreams”, Yes, the Taylor Swift song, followed by the final song "Through the Fire and Flames”. All under two huge inflatable dragons of course.

As I said at the beginning, power metal isn’t a genre that I generally listen to, but DragonForce absolutely know how to put on a show, so even if it's not your thing, I’d recommend grabbing a ticket to their next gig if you can…