avantasia_2019_05

» Avantasia 2019 05 02

Review and photos by Krister
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City: Stockholm
Venue: Fryshuset Arenan
Date: May 5, 2019
Avantasia set length: 195 min

Avantasia

Tobias Sammet's metal opera has grown very popular the past years and I'm a huge fan of the concept myself. They are currently touring on the Moonglow album, from which they play almost every song.

A big difference from past years I've seen Avantasia is that Michael Kiske is no longer touring with them. Instead we've gotten Geoff Tate, the classic vocalist from Queensryche. Being a bit sceptical of how good Geoff's voice would be live I was positivly surprised of how good he's performing his singing parts live. Just as previous years we also get to see Eric Martin, Ronnie Aktins, Jorn Lande and Bob Catley.

Backing vocalists are Herbie Langhans and Adrienne Cowan. Some dates prior to the Stockholm gig also had Ina Morgan but she's not participating today. Herbie and Adrienne handles the backing vocals good and it's hard to not be impressed by the versatility of Adrienne, being able to sing as both an angel and a demon.

The fact that an Avantasia show is far longer than most other shows doesn't seem to have any effect on the band. From their first to their last song you can feel the happiness and energy throughout the show. The band looks happy and keep interacting with each other on a level that makes everyone get into a really good mood.

It's hard to find anything bad about a show like this. The variation of singers and songs makes well over three hours just rush by. Every year I get to see an Avantasia show I know that it'll be one of the best gigs I see that year, and this time is no exception.

Performance: 8,5 chalices of 10
Stage sound: 8 chalices of 10
Best: ---
Worst: ---

Setlist:
Ghost In The Moon
Starlight
Book Of Shallows
The Raven Child
Lucifer
Alchemy
Invincible
Reach Out For The Light
Moonglow
Maniac (Michael Sembello cover)
Dying For An Angel
Lavender
The Story Ain't Over
The Scarecrow
Promised Land
Twisted Mind
Avantasia
Let The Storm Descend Upon You
Master Of The Pendulum
Shelter From The Rain
Mystery Of A Blood Red Rose
Lost In Space
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Farewell
Sign Of The Cross/The Seven Angels