RivetSkull Returns to The Space With Originals and Dio Tunes!

RivetSkull played The Space on Friday, November 14, 2025.

Anyone who’s followed me for any period of time knows the love I have for the music of Ronnie James Dio. Any opportunity I get to see someone performing Dio music, whether it’s a tribute band, former Dio band members, or anything in between, I’m there. A few months back, a band called RivetSkull played The Space, giving us sets of both original music and music from all the major phases of Mr. Dio’s career. Upon hearing they’d be back, I knew it was a show I’d want to catch.

The Space easily ranks among the best venues we still have remaining in Las Vegas. Following the closure of Count’s Vamp’d back in June, I’ve certainly been looking for places to fill that gap, and while many have been trying, that’s a tough thing to accomplish. The Space has a fantastic showroom with superb lighting, an exterior lobby/bar area, and even a gender-neutral restroom. Additionally, many gigs at the venue are all ages, which is a welcomed change in a town where too many rock shows are 21+.

While the showroom has a great layout, one strange change made to the venue I’ve never seen before is the awkward decision to put tables and chairs between the barricades and the stage. As someone who likes to stand at the barricade just feet from the band, whether I’m taking pictures or just rocking out, this is something I’d prefer not to see in the future, especially considering the venue already has some reservable tables and chairs in the back of the room on an elevated platform.

Many, many thanks to The Space for actually advertising this show starting at a decent time… and then actually starting on time! This show was advertised to start at 8:00 PM (a welcomed change from too many gigs that don’t start until 10:00 PM or later) and started right on the dot. Before long, the foursome took the stage, tearing into a set of their original music. Hailing from Seattle, long a hot bed for all things that rock, their influences are numerous. Singer Chad McMurray is a hell of a frontman, with a powerful voice and stage presence, but also someone capable of unleashing fury with a keyboard on a song that requires it. I definitely need to do my homework when it comes to their original material, but I was not disappointed. The turnout of audience members was frustratingly small (probably only like 20-25 people) and likely due to competing shows that include the KISS Kruise Land Locked event at Virgin, and Steelheart at the Golden Nugget, but these guys didn’t care. They rocked everyone in the audience and then some. None of the audience members were bored.

Following a brief intermission, the quartet returned to the stage, ready to pay tribute to the music of Ronnie James Dio. Mr. McMurray joked about how this “was the set the people came to see,” and it wasn’t long before they tore into classics from the Black Sabbath, Rainbow, and Dio eras, much to the delight of an enthused crowd of rockers. When I’d seen the band last time, they played one set of original music and two sets of Dio tunes, but here we just got the set of original music and a single set of Dio tunes. This was likely done to accommodate a curfew, which is often the case with all-ages shows.

Fortunately, the condensed set of Dio music still rocked, with RivetSkull pulling out all the highlights and then some. Tunes like “Holy Diver,” “The Last in Line,” “Rainbow in the Dark,” and “We Rock” from the Dio band years are a given. From Black Sabbath, we got the title cuts from HEAVEN AND HELL and THE MOB RULES, as well as choice cuts like “Children of the Sea” and “Neon Knights.” Rainbow was represented with tunes like “Kill the King” and the title cut from LONG LIVE ROCK AND ROLL. The set was admittedly a bit heavy on the “popular” tracks without too many deep cuts; there were sadly no tracks from the seminal 1976 RAINBOW RISING played, nor any songs from past 1984. That’s a shame because I would’ve loved to see these guys try their hand at “Stargazer” from that album, which remains one of the all-time definitive Ronnie James Dio songs, or tunes from the 1992 Black Sabbath Dio reunion album DEHUMANIZER. Some slight technical difficulties didn’t stop the band; this was a tight and intense set that never disappointed. The show was over by just after 10:00 PM; shows ending at this time are a refreshing change given how late some multi-band sets go in this town.

I’ll be keeping my eye on RivetSkull, and I’d advise you to do the same. These guys know how to rock, whether they’re doing Ronnie James Dio tunes or their originals. If they come to your town, don’t hesitate to buy a ticket. You’ll thank me later.