Finnish rock star Ville Valo kicks off his first U.S. solo tour in Philadelphia

Rocker Ville Valo is one of Finland’s most iconic musicians, but he also has deep ties to Philadelphia through his longtime friend, skateboarder Bam Margera. “Philadelphia holds a special place in my heart,” Valo said to The Inquirer. “There’s some sort of spiritual connection there.”

This weekend, Valo kicks off his first ever U.S. solo tour with a doubleheader at the Theater of the Living Arts on Friday and Saturday.

Valo, who was the front man and primary songwriter for the chart-topping gothic rock act HIM until 2017, released his new self-produced solo album Neon Noir last January. Bam, a pro skateboarder and the star of MTV’s Jackass, was so close with Valo that the musician allowed Margera to use HIM’s “heartagram” logo — a combination of a heart and a pentagram — on T-shirts and skateboards coveted by teens across the country. The symbol became a common tattoo design after Bam introduced it to reality TV star Kat Von D.

Bam found out about HIM on one of his earliest European skate tours and fell in love with their 1999 studio debut Razorblade Romance, his brother Jess Margera said. During the early days of Jackass, he tracked Valo down at a venue in London where the two bonded over heavy metal and skateboarding. Valo went on to spend a lot of time with Bam and his family at their home in West Chester.

In 2001, Bam helped HIM line up their first U.S. gig. It was a video debut party for the CKY series — a precursor to Jackass — at the Trocadero in Chinatown. Jess headlined the show with his alternative metal act, also called CKY, which plans to release a new album this winter.

“I remember the guys from CKY called me ‘Philly Valo’ for many years,” the front man said.

HIM was a massive success in Finland in the 2000s; every studio album they recorded made it to either spot No. 1 or 2 on the country’s official charts. Bam’s relentless support also made sure the band gained traction in the United States, which was rare for European hard rock acts at the time.

HIM eventually caught the eye of Jimmy Pop — the front man of the Montgomery County comedy rock act the Bloodhound Gang — who signed the band to his label Jimmy Franks Recording Co. Shortly thereafter, HIM was scooped up by Republic Records, an imprint of Universal Music Group.

With fans clamoring to get copies of Razorblade Romance from the handful of shops that sold them, the record store finally took note and started selling HIM’s records.

Valo and Bam haven’t seen each other since HIM’s final U.S. tour in 2017, but the musician hopes they’ll connect again soon.

“I’d love to give him a big hug,” Valo said. “I think it’s incredibly sad for his family,” he said in reference to the skateboarder’s ongoing struggles with addiction and rehabilitation.

At the show, Valo is excited to share his new solo material, which is more eclectic. He described it as somewhere between Black Sabbath and Depeche Mode. He will also be peppering in some old HIM tracks. But that won’t be the only thing familiar to longtime fans. The musician has updated the heartagram design and commissioned a set piece of the logo which will hang over the stage for the entirety of the tour.

Ville Valo performs at Theatre of Living Arts, 334 South St, Philadelphia, 8 p.m., Friday, March 31 and Saturday, April 1. Tickets, starting $50, are available online.