HELLYEAH Guitarist On First Show: 'We F*cking Destroyed'

HELLYEAH guitarist Tom Maxwell (also of NOTHINGFACE) has commented on the band's first official live performance, which took place Sunday night (May 20) at Rams Head Live in Baltimore, Maryland. He said, "We fucking destroyed. It was fucking great and what blew me away even more was the chemistry on stage. We blew Baltimore a new asshole. They'll be talking about that show for a long time."

Security was tight at Rams Head Live for HELLYEAH's live debut. Bob Suehs of Rock N Roll Experience, who attended the concert, wrote at his web site, "I've personally covered too many shows at this venue to even remember them all, and in all that time, I've NEVER seen security as tight as it was at this particular show! I had a photo pass and I even went through a very detailed search...entrance into the venue was slow because of this, but I assume it was the necessary precaution that Vinnie [Paul, ex-PANTERA/DAMAGEPLAN and current HELLYEAH drummer] wanted after the tragic situation he experienced."

Suehs added that the last act he had seen with such tight security was MARILYN MANSON.

He wrote that the band played its entire debut album along with a cover of QUEEN's "Stone Cold Crazy". At one point the crowd chanted, "Vinnie, Vinnie," before changing the chant to "Dimebag, Dimebag," a reference to Paul's brother, "Dimebag" Darrell Abbott, who was shot to death onstage in December of 2004.

Paul pointed skyward during the chant, while singer Chad Gray told the crowd that "Dime was watching down on them."

HELLYEAH's inaugural tour continues Tuesday night (May 22) in Louisville, Kentucky. The band will also join KORN and others on the Family Values trek this summer.