The year was 2006 and the then unsigned Five Finger Death Punch played their first ever show with DragonForce. Yes, really!
In the world of heavy metal, few bands have risen as rapidly as Five Finger Death Punch (5FDP). Formed in 2005, the Las Vegas-based band made their live debut in a way that would set the tone for their explosive career – a single tour date with the legendary British power metal band DragonForce at the Wiltern Theater in Los Angeles.
A monumental beginning
Five Finger Death Punch’s first-ever gig was part of DragonForce’s ‘Inhuman Rampage’ tour, an unusual collaboration that brought together two distinct styles of metal.
While DragonForce dazzled audiences with their high-speed guitar solos and epic melodies, 5FDP introduced fans to their groove-metal sound, characterized by heavy riffs and emotionally charged lyrics.
According to former 5FDP Drummer, Jeremy Spencer, the DragonForce gig came about thanks to Five Finger Death Punch’s original guitarist, Darrell Roberts knowing one of the band members in DragonForce, which led to them being invited to play. Also on the bill that night were All That Remains and Horse The Band.
At the time, Five Finger Death Punch was unsigned and outside of Myspace, know one had really heard of them or their music so this gig was a pretty big deal for the band.
Before stepping on stage, Ivan Moody rallied the band with one simple statement: “Let’s go show these motherf*ckers that we mean business.”
And it sounds like, that’s exactly what they did! Although they probably didn’t know it at the time, this marked the beginning of 5FDP’s journey to becoming one of the most influential bands in modern rock and metal.
Check out behind the scenes of the show…
Five Finger Death Punch x DragonForce – the original gig poster:
From the vault – aka Myspace – a poster for the Wiltern Theater gig.
The setlist that started it all
During their debut performance, 5FDP played tracks from their yet-to-be-released debut album, The Way of the Fist. They had just a 25-minute set and even had to take a song out to be on the safe side that they wouldn’t over-run a strict curfew.
If Jeremy Spencer’s Deathpunch’d book is to be believed, around the time of this gig (and their other 2006 shows), the band only knew FIVE songs from the album at this point for live shows.
According to Setlist.fm, Five Finger Death Punch played ‘Ashes’ and ‘The Devil’s Own’ and Jeremy Spencer says they had a circle pit going for ‘A Place To Die’. Judging by other setlists around this time, it’s possible that ‘Salvation’ was one of the two other tracks performed, and it’s seems unfathomable that the band wouldn’t have played ‘The Bleeding’.
These tracks gave fans a taste of the raw energy and intensity that would define their music.
Legacy of the show
The date with DragonForce was more than just a concert, it was a launching pad for Five Finger Death Punch. The exposure they gained from performing alongside an established band like DragonForce helped them hit the ground running.
And, such is the legacy of the show, Five Finger Death Punch and DragonForce actually really good friends! According to Herman Li they’ve even trained martial arts together!
And an FFDP UK post wouldn’t be complete without some random trivia for you…
Did you know that DragonForce guitarist Herman Li recorded solos for the DragonForce album ‘Maximum Overload’ with Zoltan Bathory of Five Finger Death Punch on a yacht? There’s footage too!
During the COVID-19 lockdown, DragonForce’s Herman Li, Sam Totman and Alicia Vigil came up with a Five Finger Death Punch song in five-minutes. All in good humour of course! Although, we’re still waiting for Zoltan and the gang to enter the chat with a DragonForce in five-minutes song to get their own back.
And finally, Andy James has also shredded with Herman Li! Evidence below.