Photos and review by NOTES FROM VIVACE
LOS ANGELES – Des Rocs recently stopped by Los Angeles’ The El Rey Theatre as part of his North American tour. His fans lined up early outside the venue, eager to grab coveted spots at the front of the stage. A member from his team was outside interviewing fans who were dressed for his glam rock performance.
The band opened up the night with one of their latest releases “This Land.” The crowd needed no introduction to the song as they sang throughout: One way in and no way out!
Lead singer Danny Rocco had a theatrical flair that never let down throughout the set. His amazing level of energy had him running in circles across the stage. He must have finished a 5K run that night.
Moment of the set: at one moment, Rocco’s high energy resulted in him knocking over his microphone stand. He attempted to catch the falling stand with his leg.
After singing “Suicide Romantics,” the band walked off the stage. The crowd wanted their encore. They started to chant “Des Rocs! Des Rocs!” instead of yelling out the standard chants such as “One more song” or “Encore!” Rocco came out to sing “Maybe, I” solo. The crowd responded by singing along with him.
The full band then came out to perform “I Am the Lightning.” It might have been past 11 p.m., but the whole auditorium responded by swinging their arms back and forth.
Moment of the set 2: going full comedic, the band put on a mini-skit. Rocco acted like he had collapsed on stage. After finishing a 5K run, he had a good excuse to collapse. His bassist came over to wonder if someone needed to call 911.
Opening up for Des Rocs was the Toronto based band ROMES (a catchy acronym for the longer name: Raw Overdriven Mind Expansion Systems). They’re supporting Des Rocs throughout the tour. The brothers Jacob and Nicolas Bitove are using the tour to support their 2025 album “Sonic Trash.”
As the curtains parted, the crowd cheered the two brothers. The venue was immediately turned into a club scene. The band had their own LED lights, which amplified the venue lights, creating a show that blasted colors across the stage.
Their set opened with their self-described “punktronic” title track SONIC TRASH. Nicolas was behind the drum kit while Jacob switched it up throughout the set between synths, bass, and occasionally putting those aside to just focus on his vocals.
Their synth club sound had the crowd in a hypnotic trance that surged every time Jacob raised his arms. Other times, he would just suddenly stop playing his bass, take a stance, and give the crowd a look. It was a silent command for the audience to roar, and roar they did.
For much of the set, Jacob wore a biker leather jacket. When it came to the middle of the set, he took off his jacket and the band’s punktronic sounds switched to a rap focus. He took to his knees at times, ready for a rap battle. The final tune of the night “Chillthefuckout.” channeled the spirit of Eminem. The leather jack makes a cameo in that tune, “Drag myself out of the mud. Put my leather jacket on.”
To end the set, Nicolas came out from behind the drum kit and the two brothers wrapped their arms around each other. As they left the stage, they gave a heart sign to the crowd.
The duo put on a performance that showed a diversity of influences blended seamlessly for a crowd pleasing set.
Velvet Chains opened up the night with deep hard rock vocals of lead singer Chaz Terra. When they got to their song “Hurt Me,” they told the crowd that it was a love song and that the crowd was free to dance to it. It was mentioned that the band is from Las Vegas, but Terra added that he grew up in Los Angeles.
Perhaps the two best songs of their set included the word “dead” in the title. “Dead Inside” was a Evanescence-like hard rock grinder. “Dead in the Head” is their latest release and is sure to stay in their set rotation from this point onwards.
The band’s hard rock set included a full stage performance with all the band members interacting with each other as they moved around, refusing the temptation to stay in their own little corners of the stage.
Des Rocs setlist: This Land, The Juice, Never Ending Moment, Dream Machine, Used to the Darkness, Hanging by a Thread, Born to Lose, This Is Our Life, The Riders of Red Hook (Legends Never Die), Suicide Romantics. Encores: Maybe I, I Am the Lightning, HVY MTL DRMR, Let Me Live / Let Me Die.
ROMES setlist: SONIC TRASH, ANOTHER DAY, DISSOLVER, BLACK HONEY, the dread, ROCK N ROLL IS ASLEEP, GIMME SOME HEAT, GLASS EYED IDOLS, CHOKER, Chillthefuckout.
Velvet Chains setlist: Wasted, Ghost in the Shell, Hurt Me, Suspicious Minds, Dead Inside, Sins, Dead In The Head, How The Story Ends.