VILE ELECTRODES started the show with their electropop.

VILE ELECTRODES started the show with an electropop set. The duo – consisting of Anais Neon and Martin Swan – has been making music for ten years and already released three albums but in Germany, they are still insider knowledge. Maybe after this short tour and sold-out shows they’ll get some new fans. And in case the music didn’t stay in the head of the audience singer Anais’ outfit surely did – a white long dress, combined with a neon green belt and hair accessories of the same color that looked like green cat ears.

Also, her voice was very recognizable. VILE ELECTRODES were allowed to play 30 minutes, which is quite long for a gig with two support bands. Martin Swan was behind the knobs and buttons and also Anais was the one who spoke to the audience in a very shy and cute way.

Maybe it was the hot weather and the hot temperatures in the venue, or the very bad air inside, but they didn’t really win the audience over with their music. Some music just doesn’t work live so well.

Up next: THE INVINCIBLE SPIRIT rocked the stage.

After a short break, THE INVINCIBLE SPIRIT rocked the stage with only seven songs. Sometimes it doesn’t take much to get a great atmosphere in the venue.

For sure THE INVINCIBLE SPIRIT is an absolute cult of the scene and very popular especially in Germany.  In the mid-80s the project that Anja Vorel and Thomas Lüdke brought to life became famous in the scene with songs like ‘Provocate You’, ‘Make A Device’ and especially ‘Push!’.

The audience loved this show and started dancing and singing even when there wasn’t much activity on stage. It got hotter and hotter in the venue and the air got worse and worse, but the fans didn’t let that get them down. Great mood in the Essigfabrik during THE INVINCIBLE SPIRIT’s show and when they ended their short set with the JOY DIVISION-cover of ‘Atmosphere’ you notice the sad faces in the audience. This show was just too short for the fans. But also they were still waiting for APOPTYGMA BERZERK.

APOPTYGMA BERZERK came to Cologne with a surprising setlist.

Finally, after a 30-minute break, the mighty kings of synth-pop APOPTYGMA BERZERK hit the stage. After 25 years in business and plenty of hits, APOPTYGMA BERZERK still love to surprise their fans by playing songs that they haven’t played live for a long time. But they also know that they have the most supportive fans, who know all the lyrics no matter how old a song is and how long it wasn’t a part of the band’s live setlist. apart from performing their old hits, they also played some new songs. In September, APOPTYGMA BERZERK will release an EP with the name “Nein Danke”. From this EP, the band from Norway played the songs ‘Adam + Eve’ and ‘A Battle For The Crown’. Of course, songs like ‘Dead Air Einz’, ‘Non-Stop Violence’ or ‘Shine On’ found a place in the setlist as well.

APOPTYGMA BERZERK created a show for everyone to dance and sing along.

The whole evening was so well-mixed and after some dancing songs, APOPTYGMA BERZERK switched to calmer or more serious ones like ‘Stich’. The concert-goers love them all and even differently-abled people started to dance at least for a few songs.  APOPTYGMA BERZERK also love to play cover songs. Besides ‘Shine On’, which is originally from THE HOUSE OF LOVE, they also played ‘Before You Came Along’ by FAIRLIGHT CHILDREN and ‘Fade To Black’ by METALLICA.

I got goosebumps when Jonas Groth showed that he is not only an amazing keyboardist but also a great singer. He sang the song ‘Nearest’ and it’s hard to understand why he doesn’t sing more parts or songs in this band.

After 23 Songs, APOPTYGMA BERZERK said good-bye.

Everything comes to end at one point and so did the APOPTYGMA BERZERK gig in Cologne. But before they left the stage, singer Stephan started speaking before the band played the very last song of the evening.

He explained how and why he met THE INVINCIBLE SPIRIT. He went to a record store to buy a DEPECHE MODE LP but went home with the debut album from THE INVINCIBLE SPIRIT. Fascinated by the sounds, he started making music himself. With this knowledge, it was not a big surprise that Thomas Lüdke was invited to come back on stage and perform ‘Backdraft’ together with APOPTYGMA BERZERK to end this lovely night.

Altogether, it was a very nice concert. It was especially nice to see that there are still bands who play more than the standard 90 minutes and also don’t have one setlist which will get some new songs added for a new tour. Fans went home happy and now we can only hope that the next tour is longer and will be announced soon.  

For all Photos please visit my Flickr.

Did you see APOPTYGMA BERZERK live this year? Where? Tell us in the comments!

Setlist APOPTYGMA BERZERK COLOGNE 17-08-2019

• Weight Of The World
• Unicorn
• In This Together
• Atom & Eve
• The Sentinel
• Love Never Dies
• Deep Red
• Non-Stop Violence
• Stitch
• Dead Air Einz
• Shine On (The House of Love cover)
• Asleep or Awake
• Nearest (unreleased new version)
• Before You Came Along (Fairlight Children cover)
• A Battle For The Crown
• Kathy’s Song (Come Lie Next to Me)
• Eclipse (OK Minus Remix)
• Shadow
• Until The End Of The World
• Starsign (with extended Intro)
• Fade to Black (Metallica cover)
• Bitch (Weil Mix by Substaat)
• Backdraft (with The Invincible Spirit) (Deviced by The Invincible Spirit)

ALLUSINLOVE started the evening with a powerful show.

ALLUSINLOVE kicked the evening off with a powerful show. The young boys from Yorkshire knew how to start an evening as an opener for the iconic SKUNK ANANSIE. It was a very hot day and the venue was like a tribe house. But nevertheless, ALLUSINLOVE rocked the stage like there was no tomorrow. ALLUSINLOVE is a band that has a lot of fun on stage and even more power. ALLUSINLOVE is also a mysterious band: they had no band logo on stage, no merch available to buy, almost no information about the boys in the world wide web, only a short mention that they are ALLUSINLOVE. Sometimes less is more, but in this case, a little bit more information for the new fans would be helpful.

ALLUSINLOVE played about 30 minutes before they had to leave the stage for SKUNK ANANSIE. Great and powerful show on this hot evening.

SKUNK ANANSIE made the fans go crazy.

The audience got nervous when the clock hit 9 pm. Sure, it was extremely hot in the whole building and waiting felt even longer than it actually was and also, they wanted to see the amazing SKUNK ANANSIE finally on stage. When they hit the stage the crowd and the band went crazy. SKUNK ANANSIE started their long show with powerful songs, which let the people go wild. Not only the songs were a reason for this, but also Skin’s extraordinary and crazy outfit for the show.

After 25 years on stage, SKUNK ANANSIE haven’t aged.

It was really hard to believe that SKUNK ANANSIE is celebrating their 25^th anniversary now. If you take a look into the band members faces, you can’t see that. All look very young, especially their mighty frontwoman, Skin, who still looks like she did 25 years ago. And also the stage performance doesn’t show their age. To be honest: many young bands don’t have as much power on stage as SKUNK ANANSIE! Not only the band is ageless, but also their music and their audience. People all ages attended the show and celebrated a big party this evening.

SKUNK ANANSIE’s ballads were breathtaking.

Although the band is famous for their power on stage, when it comes to the calmer songs, they show that they can do both. Skin’s voice is just breathtaking! During their faster songs, her voice goes a little bit to the background, but she is more than a limelight hog. She is a super talented singer with an unbelievable voice. The concertgoers enjoyed this very much and you could see very impressed faces in the audience.

The band did an acoustic show some time ago, which is also available on CD. It’s hard to believe that they don’t do something like that more often because it’s outstanding. The light show totally fit into every song – it was beautiful to watch. Especially when they started to play ‘Hedonism’ – the song everyone on this planet knows – goosebumps! Not only for the song but also when Skin let the crowd sing. Yes, everybody knows this song. But this song, performed live has so much more power. You only can feel it, when you are a part of it.

While other bands don’t talk about politics, SKUNK ANANSIE used every moment for this.

When it comes to the moment you ask bands about the political situation in the world, many don’t want to speak about it. SKUNK ANANSIE are different. Since they do music, they use their songs and the stage to talk about what’s going on on this planet. So they also did in Cologne.

The British band stated that racism, sexism, homophobia still exist today and that’s something we shouldn’t tolerate anymore. Skin is just a real power woman. So powerful and aggressive during the songs but then she started speaking and calmly and honestly. You believe every phrase out of her mouth and you enjoy listening to her.

SKUNK ANANSIE came with new songs and over 20 old ones to Cologne.

In order to celebrate this anniversary right, the band brought many old hits. But they also played some new songs. With ‘What You Do For Love’ and ‘This Means War’ they showed their fans: there will be a SKUNK ANANSIE after this anniversary tour and it will be amazing.

After 25 years they are not tired of making music, playing gigs and spending time on the road. A band that truly loves what they do and this is something that you can feel and see during their shows.

A perfect and unforgettable evening with SKUNK ANANSIE.

Maybe it’s because they’ve been in business for 25 years, or just because they are awesome, or maybe because of both, but this SKUNK ANANSIE concert was just perfect!

There are many great concerts. But then there are the ones you must tell everyone about, even if they don’t listen to the same music as you. The SKUNK ANANSIE show in Cologne was one of these shows! It’s also one I will always remember.

Did you attend this show or one of the other anniversary gigs? Tell us in the comments!

For more photos, please visit my gallery on Flickr.

Setlist SKUNK ANANSIE Cologne 20.07.2019

• Charlie Big Potato
• Because Of You
• All In The Name Of Pity
• I Can Dream
• Follow Me Down
• My Ugly Boy
• Twisted (Everyday Hurts)
• Weak As I Am
• Cheap Honesty
• Love Someone Else
• I Believed In You
• God Loves Only You
• Can’t Get By
• Hedonism
• This Means War
• Intellectualize My Blackness
• Yes It’s Fucking Political
• Tear The Place Up

Encore:

• Brazen
• What You Do For Love
• Highway To Hell (Refrain)
• Skank Heads
• Little Baby Swastika

You would surely book a big venue for an anniversary tour because you know that all the fans will want to be a part of this unique event and also you never know if you’ll see GOSSIP for the last time or if they do another tour with a new album.

So it was a big shock when I arrived at the venue and only about 60 people were waiting for entrance and it was only 15 minutes before open doors. Ok, it was a very hot day, so the fans might come a bit later. Also, there was a lot of traffic on the streets. At this point, I knew the situation was a little bit strange but still I hoped that the venue would be full by the end of the night. Well, I was wrong.

MEGGIE BROWN started the evening with her unique show.

It’s not so easy to find information about MEGGIE BROWN. Her style is pretty unique and so is her show. On her Facebook page, she states “Terrifying Hi-Fi pop songs” and “Crying for 14 years”. She has no website, no more information. So, who is MEGGIE BROWN?

The important thing is that she opened for GOSSIP, with a super unique and interesting show. The audience enjoyed the show and also people asked for merch, which unfortunately wasn’t available at this show. Later in the evening, you could see the band dancing to GOSSIP’s encore in the back of the venue.

GOSSIP’s Beth Ditto became an icon and role model for the LGBTQ-community.

Beth Ditto became a powerful figure and an icon and role model for the LGBTQ-community a long time ago. So, no doubt many people from the community attended the show. You also couldn’t miss the two Drag-Queens in the foyer and in the venue itself.

Standing ovations when GOSSIP entered the stage.

The gap between MEGGIE BROWN and GOSSIP was too long. The concert-goers started getting choppy. It should start at 9 pm. But when GOSSIP finally appeared on stage, with Beth Ditto in a metallic-green dress, the audience went crazy.

The band started with powerful songs like: “Pop Goes the World” and “Love Long Distance”. After the first song, frontwoman Beth Ditto said that she was nervous and that the people made it so easy. Also, she said many times during the show, that her voice is broken. But seriously: Her voice was on point from the first seconds to the last!

Much like Beth-Ditto, the show was full of humor and anecdotes from the past. Always when she talked too much, her lovely drummer Hannah Blilie interrupted her by starting the next song. Beth Ditto is such a funny and lovely person. Her German is pretty good and so, many spoken parts were a mix of English and German. Also, she told the audience, that her cousin attended the show, too.

GOSSIP came with a full band and a DJ.

We all know GOSSIP is a band with three members. But for their live shows, they tour with a complete band and a DJ to add the right sounds into the songs. You couldn’t notice, that this band played one of the first shows after six years. The relationship between the band members seemed so familiar and except for Beth, who missed the lyrics at the beginning of the show, there were no mistakes.

No matter where you stood in the venue, the sound was perfect. But the light was not what you expected for a GOSSIP show. It was pretty dark and often Beth stood in the dark. Some front lights had helped to avoid this. People go to concerts not only for the music – they also want to see the band they love. The light effects in the back looked amazing, and during the show, the front got some more light, but especially for the first rows it must be very disappointing being so close to the band but couldn’t see them.

The audience celebrated all of GOSSIP‘s hits.

When a band celebrates the anniversary of an album, they usually play the whole record. But GOSSIP didn’t. They played nine songs from “Music For Men”, but the album consists of 12. They also played two covers, two songs from “The Joyful Noise” and thee from “Standing In The Way Of Control”. These 16 songs and also Beth Ditto’s talks between the songs, made the concert last about 100 minutes, which is a good average.

Gossip ended the show with their biggest hit “Heavy Cross”.

For the encore, Beth Ditto changed her dress. The metallic-green dress had to give way to a black one with golden upside-down crosses in the same style. With the new dress, she rocked the three last songs with lots of power and still lots of joy. With “Heavy Cross” was the perfect song for GOSSIP to end the show. The concert-goers went wild again and started hard to dance. A great end of an unforgettable show.

However, I have mixed feelings about the show. For sure, it was GOSSIP and they rock the stage no matter what! The sound was amazing and the audience celebrated a big party with GOSSIP. But then there was the empty venue. Palladium has a capacity for round about 4.000 people. The security told me, they expected around 1.500 people! I’ve never seen this venue so empty!

To make it look better they hid many parts with curtains. So, maybe that is the price you have to pay as a band when you disappear for 6 years. To be fair: PINK also played on this day in a big arena. But had another day made a difference? It’s hard to believe because the music of both artists is very different.

Also, the dark front of the stage was a big letdown for the show. The show itself was brilliant. The setlist was the right one for this event and you could see the band had fun on stage. Actually, it seemed they never split. The people who came to the show had a lot of fun.

But what does the number of concert-goers tell us about the success of the band? Although the band didn’t show any disappointment about the empty venue, it’s hard to believe that GOSSIP will reunite for a new album or even another tour due to the low numbers of sold tickets. For the show in Berlin, it was the same. Only time will tell if there will be more GOSSIP in the future. But one thing’s for sure: the show was fun and if you didn’t attend this show, you really missed out!

Did you attend this show or one of the other anniversary gigs? Tell us in the comments!

For all photos, please visit my gallery on Flickr.

This autumn ALTER BRIDGE will return to the European stages with full power, the new album “Walk The Sky” and two great support acts. In November, the American alternative superstars will perform together with SHINEDOWN and THE RAVEN AGE at five shows in Germany and 20 other European gigs with their new songs and their hits from 15 years of band history.

Don’t miss their powerful stage performance – Myles’ breath-taking voice and Mark’s unique guitar riffs make a great live-experience! Be a part of an unforgettable evening with one of the best bands in their genre.

Tickets cost approximately 60 Euro. There are also, as always, VIP tickets available. For more information please visit ALTER BRIDGE’s website.

ALTER BRIDGE – Tour Dates Germany:

• 19.11.2019 Hamburg – Sporthalle
• 20.11.2019 Berlin – Columbiahalle
• 22.11.2019 Leipzig – Haus Auensee
• 26.11.2019 Cologne – Palladium
• 27.11.2019 Munich – Zenith

ALTER BRIDGE’s European Tour Dates:

• 12.11.2019 Copenhagen – KB Hallen, DEK
• 14.11.2019 Helsinki – Ice Hall Black Box, FI
• 16.11.2019 Stockholm – Hovet, SE
• 17.11.2019 Oslo – Sentrum Scene, NO
• 23.11.2019 Warsaw – Hala Kolo, PL
• 29.11.2019 Vienna – Gasometer, AT
• 01.12.2019 Zurich – Halle 622, CH
• 02.12.2019 Milan – Mediolanum Forum, IT
• 04.12.2019 Barcelona – St. Jordi Club, ES
• 06.12.2019 Lisbon – Sala Tejo, PT
• 07.12.2019 Madrid – Palacio Vistalegre, ES
• 09.12.2019 Paris – Olympia, FR
• 10.12.2019 Amsterdam – AFAS Live, NL
• 12.12.2019 Brussels – Cirque Royal, BE
• 14.12.2019 Nottingham – Motorpoint Arena, GB
• 15.12.2019 Manchester – Manchester Arena, GB
• 17.12.2019 Glasgow – SSE Hydro Arena, GB
• 18.12.2019 Birmingham – Birmingham Arena, GB
• 20.12.2019 Cardiff – Motorpoint Arena, GB
• 21.12.2019 London – O2 Arena, GB

Are you going to see ALTER BRIDGE this year? Tell us in the comments!

In Oberhausen DJ BOBO performed in front of 8.000 people.

Normally, the König-Pilsener Arena in Oberhausen has space for around 12.000 People but due to the fact, that the DJ BOBO shows are seated, there isn’t that much space left. But with 8.000 people it was almost sold out. This is actually an amazing rate because on this tour, DJ BOBO has also announced dates in big venues in Cologne and Dortmund and all three cities are close to each other.

DJ BOBO came to Oberhausen with a 2-hour show.

The evening started pretty early, although there was no opening act. The reason for this is simple: DJ BOBO knows there are always many families with children in his shows. To make it comfortable for the children, he starts early. Also, the stage design is pretty elaborate and it must take some time to get it into the busses again.

After over 25 years on stage, DJ BOBO still knows how to enchant people.

With “KaleidoLuna”, DJ BOBO released his newest masterpiece and with it, he created a new breath-taking stage design and show.  DJ BOBO just knows what his fans love. And with this love, he connects his fans from the start with the new generation.

DJ BOBO is ageless and enchants people of all ages with his new music as well as the older songs. The audience in Oberhausen loved every song, but one could clearly see, that the old ones are still the hits, which the people love the most. Although it was a seated concert, no one in the venue sat on their chair for so long. When the first hit-song started, everyone jumped up and started dancing.

DJ BOBO led through the show with a lot of interesting stories.

Between the songs, DJ BOBO led through the show with a lot of fun and interesting stories. So, once he showed up how he has started his career by showing all his released LP’s. Everything with a lot of humor by not taking everything too serious. On another occasion, DJ BOBO let a 6-year-old play some kind of drums on stage. Literally, a dream came true for this little boy and the audience gave them so much respect and love, it was just beautiful to watch.

This part of this show was about the band QUEEN. Sure, QUEEN is for many of us a big musically influence, also for DJ BOBO. The 6-year-old boy should try to play the famous drums of “We Will Rock You”. It was just the cutest thing I’ve ever seen during a show. And also cute to see how lovely DJ BOBO works with children.

Perfect sound, excellent dancers and singers, amazing stage design and a great setlist – DJ BOBO made the audience happy.

I’ve been at the König-Pilsener Arena a couple of times, but there has never been such a clear sound in this venue. Sure, it wasn’t as loud as I normally know it, but, again, many children attend DJ BOBO’s concerts and it’s great that he takes care of them. The big surprise for me:  DJ BOBO has a live band on tour! This was something I didn’t expect because it’s more about the show and dance and less about having a live band.

 The stage design was pretty elaborate and it was hard to focus on only one thing. The eyes got so many things to see and times went by so fast because there were so many things that happened on stage. It’s hard to describe the stage design because it changed with the different songs, too.

It was also nice to see, that DJ BOBO gave his singers and dancers the chance to show their talent while he was more in the back and not so much in the focus of the audience.  They all did an amazing job and it was so much fun to watch them. I can’t forget to mention Jesse Ritch, who joined DJ BOBO’s crew some time ago and his voice fit perfectly to the songs. Some might already have known him because he reached the 3^rd place on Germany’s “Deutschland sucht den Superstar” (the German version of “American Idol”). He is also a great dancer, which you could see during the shows several times and altogether he just gave the songs a special note. An amazing artist for sure!

Attending a DJ BOBO concert is escaping the hard, real world for some time to recharge the batteries.

During this over-2-hour show, you could forget all your problems and just have fun. You were able to recharge your batteries and you felt like being back into the time you were young and carefree. DJ BOBO’s music is for everyone. It’s great to see music connecting people of all ages to have a good time.

It was just a perfect show and evening. I’m not sure if a seated venue is such a good choice for his shows because the fans want to dance. But for the security of the children, it is. One could say DJ BOBO didn’t dance as much as 25 years ago. But that would be just unfair because we all get older and it’s just natural for the body and condition to change over the years. He is still a great dancer but just doesn’t show it that much during the shows anymore. But altogether it was a very impressive and beautiful evening.

In 2022 DJ BOBO will go on a big anniversary tour to celebrate his 30^th anniversary on stage.

In 2022 DJ BOBO will celebrate his 30th anniversary on stage with a big anniversary tour. Don’t miss it because this will be another highlight in his career.

For all photos, please visit my gallery on Flickr.

Did you attend one of the shows from the “KaleidoLuna”-Tour? Tell us in the comments!

GOSSIP’s Beth Ditto became an icon and role model for the LGBTQ-community.

Beth Ditto became a powerful figure and an icon and role model for the LGBTQ-community. The band reached everything they could ever dream of. With their following album “A Joyful Noise” they continued the style of “Music For Men” and could keep their success. It really couldn’t be any better but then there was the split in 2016. Frontwoman Beth wanted to open a fashion label and beginn her solo career. We all know she did both very successfully but the last year there weren’t many news from this powerhouse.

But now, GOSSIP is back!

GOSSIP will headline many shows in Europe, including two shows in Germany, and some festivals, too. Don’t miss out – their shows are extremely powerful and funny. I attended a GOSSIP-show in 2012 and, by then, it was really the best show I’s ever seen! I really recommend attending one or more of these gigs and I’m sure, you won’t regret it! Tickets cost approximately 50 Euro. For more information please visit Gossip’s website.

GOSSIP Tour Dates – Germany:

• 05.07.2019 Cologne – Palladium
• 06.07. 2019 Berlin – Tempodrom

Tour Dates Europe – GOSSIP:

• 04.07.2019 Hérouville-saint-clair, Festival Beauregard, France
• 08.07.2019 Paris – Salle Pleyel, France
• 10.07.2019 Ramonville-saint-agne – Le Bikini, France
• 12.07.2019 Alges – NOS Alive, Portugal
• 13.07.2019 Madrid – Mad Cool Festival, Spain
• 15.07.2019 Luxembourg – den Atelier, Luxembourg
• 16.07.2019 Amsterdam – Paradiso, Netherlands
• 19.07.2019 Glasgow – SWG3 Galvanizers, United Kingdom
• 20.07.2019 Manchester – Manchester Academy, United Kingdom
• 21.07.2019 London – Somerset House, United Kingdom
• 10.08.2019 Landerneau – La Fête du Bruit, France
• 12.08.2019 Vienna – Arena Wien Open Air, Austria
• 14.08.2019 Zurich – Rote Fabrik – Aktionshalle, Switzerland
• 15.08.2019 Bagnes – Palp Festival, Switzerland
• 17.08.2019 Hasselt – Pukkelpop Festival, Belgium
• 18.08.2019 Dublin – Love Sensation – The Royal Hospital Kilmainham, Ireland

For more international GOSSIP or Beth Ditto tour dates please check their website.

Are you going to see Gossip this year? Tell us in the comments!

LINDSEY STIRLING performed with none other than CELINE DION.

The world’s most famous violinist got the chance to perform with none other than CELINE DION and supported EVANESCENCE on their “Synthesis” Tour through the United States. Her list of collaborations is long. One of her most famous collaborations is “Shatter Me” with Lzzy Hale from HALESTORM.

LINDSEY’s music doesn’t need vocals.

Although LINDSEY works with many great artists, her music doesn’t need vocals. Her style is so unique and her music lives from the violin – vocals would rather distract the listener from her violin’s main role in the music.

LINDSEY STIRLING‘s live shows are breathtaking and once you have attended one, you want more and more. Now, we get the chance to have her back in Europe for six German dates and 17 other European dates in 13 countries. Don’t miss out on seeing LINDSEY STIRLING live because it is truly one of the best shows you can attend!

Tickets cost approximately 55 Euro. For more information and VIP tickets please visit LINDSEY STIRLING’s website.

LINDSEY STIRLING – Tour Dates Germany:

• 12.09.2019 Frankfurt /Main  – Jahrhunderthalle
• 13.09. 2019 Munich – Zenith
• 17.09.2019 Leipzig – Haus Auensee
• 20.09.2019 Berlin – Columbiahalle
• 24.09.2019 Hamburg – Barclaycard Arena
• 27.09.2019 Cologne – Palladium

Tour Dates Europe – LINDSEY STIRLING:

• 14.09.2019 Milan– Alcatraz, Italy
• 16.09.2019 Vienna – Gasometer, Austria
• 18.09.2019 Krakow – Tauron Arena, Poland
• 19.09.2019 Warsaw –Torwar, Poland
• 21.09.2019 Strasbourg – Zenith, France
• 23.09.2019 Copenhagen -Falconer Salen, Denmark
• 28.09.2019 Paris – Seine Musica, France
• 01.10.2019 Bordeaux – Metropole Arena, France
• 02.10.2019 Lyon – Halle Tony Garnierm, France
• 04.10.2019 Nates – Zenith, France
• 07.10.2019 Budapest – Budapest Arena, Hungary
• 08.10.2019 Prague – o2 Unsiverum, Czechia
• 09.10.2019 Zurich, Samsung Hall, Switzerland
• 10.10.2019 Tilburg – 013 Poppodium, Netherlands
• 11.10.2019 Esch-sur-Alzette – Rockhal, Luxembourg
• 12.10.2019 Brussels – Cirque Royal, Belgium
• 14.10.2019 London – Eventim Apollo, United Kingdom

For more international tour dates please check LINDSEY STIRLING’s website.

Are you going to see LINDSEY STIRLING this year? Tell us in the comments!

Finnish Band ARION opened the evening with an energetic show.

The whole evening started with ARION, another Finnish band, which was formed in 2011. They play a mix of Symphonic and Power Metal that harmonized pretty well. Especially Power Metal is known for its powerful performances, so it was no wonder ARION could get the attention of the audience pretty fast with their music. This band knows quite well how to rock on stage and how to get more and more fans. I’m pretty sure, they went home with a lot of new fans because you just have to love a band with such charismatic band members, great music and a powerful live show!

ARION opened the evening with an energetic show that the concertgoers won’t forget. After the show, the band came out to the merch stands to greet the fans. They took a lot of time to speak with the fans and tak photos with them.

When BATTLE BEAST hit the stage the sound of the keyboard died.  

There is nothing more terrible for a band than the sound dying during a song. But that’s live music and it can happen, no matter how hard you try to avoid it. If it happens after the band just hit the stage and played for three seconds, however, it’s not the best start into the evening. So this is what happened to BATTLE BEAST in Bochum. The audience took it lightly and also the band made some jokes about it like “It’s gonna be a long evening today”. They fixed the problem after a few seconds and then finally the evening could start. The situation made the band nervous, for sure, but BATTLE BEAST managed it very professionally and after that, the band had the best sound I’ve ever heard in this venue!

The audience went crazy for BATTLE BEATS-frontwoman Noora Louhimo.

When frontwoman Noora appeared, the audience went crazy. This woman has power! And she knows how to show it. Her power was projected to the audience as well and one can’t explain how powerful her voice is live and the powerful effect her whole appearance has on the people in the audience – you just can’t find the right words.

Forget the CD’s, this is a band you must see and listen live! You can imagine from listening to the CD’s that this BATTLE BEAST must be a powerful one, but live it exceeds all expectations! It’s not only Noora – the whole band is a great example of how live music should sound. The bands worked together pretty amazing on stage and next to this perfection they also had a lot of fun.

Push ups during the BATTLE BEAST show and a lot of fun on stage.

The BATTLE BEAST show was not only full of perfection but also full of fun. Can you imagine a guitar player doing push-ups during a gig? When have you seen a band using electronic drums and making fun about MODERN TALKING with it? And all on the same evening? But Noora also said that they have the funniest bass player in this world. And she is probably right.

BATTLE BEAST’s setlist focused on “No More Hollywood Endings”.

BATTLE BEAST played a mix of old and new songs with the focus on the new album “No More Hollywood Endings”. During this show, power-woman Noora showed that she is more than just a singer. Surely, her voice was extremely powerful through all the songs, but she also showed us that she is a great actress, entertainer, and dancer! The songs performed were accompanied with a unique performance by Noora and a lot of fog. Everything fit together very well and made the evening remarkable.

ARION and BATTLE BEAST made this evening unique.

ARION and BATTLE BEAST made this evening unique. Both bands did an amazing job on stage and had a lot of fun.

The audience went home divided. Many agreed that the show was breathtaking, but there were also opinions that the “new” BATTLE BEAST sound has nothing to do with the “old” one. The influence of former member Anton was huge, which you can clearly notice when you listen to BEAST IN BLACK. Yes, the band is open for new things, but is that bad?

Bands and audience had a great connection during the concert. This was a powerful evening combined with great music, a lot of fun and amazing performances. This was an evening, the concertgoers won’t forget.

If you want to see all the photos, please visit my Flickr.

Have you been at one of the past BATTLE BEAST-shows? Did you like it? Tell us in the comments!

BATTLE BEAST Setlist Bochum:

• Unbroken (Intro had to be restarted)
• Familiar Hell
• Straight to the Heart
• Unfairy Tales
• Black Ninja
• Endless Summer
• Guitar and Keyboard Solo
• I Wish
• Raise Your Fists
• The Golden Horde
• Out of Control
• Touch in the Night
• Bastard Son of Odin
• The Hero
• Eden

Encore:

• No More Hollywood Endings
• King for a Day
• Beyond the Burning Skies

SONATA ARCTICA’s very first acoustic tour.

After over 20 years in SONATA ARCTICA -history, the band did their very first acoustic tour! With the name “Acoustic Adventures in Europe 2019”, they played over 20 shows in Europe with a special set list and songs we never have heard in this way.

Bochum was the last stop of this unique experience and you really could see both bands still weren’t bored with the setlist. By the beginning of the supporting band WITHERFALL’s show, the venue, Christuskirche, was already almost full. On that evening, you could get a few tickets at the desk but I think the show was sold out not much later. And this is no wonder because the Christuskirche was made for such shows. With the acoustics of a church, every show that takes place there gets a unique touch – this evening wasn’t the exception.

WITHERFALL tamed the beast, turning their heavy sound into something beautiful.

WITHERFALL actually plays harder sounds. So it was interesting to see how they turned their music into an acoustic adventure and that it was actually possible without destroying it. But WITHERFALL literally tamed the beast and turned their heavy sound into something very beautiful. It’s hard to believe that their songs can sound so soft and beautiful unplugged. Don’t get me wrong: their songs are not bad in their original form! But the difference between the original song and its acoustic version was just breathtaking. So it was a big surprise for all who only knew the original tracks – a really amazing start into this evening!

SONATA ARCTICA’s Tony Kakko crashed the WITHERFALL concert by walking into the church in pajamas.

Funny thing! At the beginning of the WITHERFALL-set, Tony Kakko crashed their concert! He walked into the church looking like he was about to go to bed. With a toothbrush in his mouth, he looked around as if saying: “What the hell is going on here?” It was really funny and WITHERFALL had problems to continue with their show. Fans told me later, that Tony and the band always do such things at the end of a tour. Bochum was the last show, so, actually, it was predictable but still funny. Acoustic concerts always feel a bit too serious and strict. With this action, everything felt a bit more relaxed.

WITHERFALL was allowed to play for 45 minutes, which is quite long for a supporting act but for this kind of show, it wasn’t long enough. Concertgoers were brought into another space. Everything sounded so amazing. It was hard to realize that this show was over!

A big plus for WITHERFALL: you could meet the guys before and after the show at the merch. They really took a lot of time for the fans in a nice atmosphere.

When SONATA ARCTICA entered the stage to standing ovations.

When SONATA ARCTICA entered the stage, the band got standing ovations. Since the show took place in a church, there were only non-moveable benches – the fans really had to sit. Normally, a seated show has less action from the fans. But SONATA ARCTICA created a great acoustic concept to avoid a boring show!

SONATA ARCTICA-fans sang along with every song.

The setlist was a great plus on this evening. So the SONATA ARCTICA fans sang along to every single song and it sounded so amazing in the church, like a choir full of beautiful voices. So amazing!

In order to make things more relaxed and comfortable, Tony made nice and sometimes funny announcements for the next song. For example, near the end, he asked his bandmates what was their very first car and all bandmembers started telling their own little stories. This was cute and interesting at the same time.

SONATA ARCTICA played 18 songs with a mix of faster and calmer acoustic ones.

The mix of faster acoustic songs and the very calm ones was just perfect. The fans loved them all but during the calm ones, there was a special feeling in the church. The atmosphere gave me goosebumps and maybe tears because the emotions during many of the songs were just too strong. It was a pretty emotional show, that’s for sure. But on the other hand, the faster songs made everybody clap their hands and have fun, even though it was an acoustic set. The 18-song-setlist was just perfect for a show like this. Surely, everyone has a different taste and maybe someone’s favorite song wasn’t played on this evening but even then people still left the concert with a happy face.

SONATA ARCTICA found in WITHERFALL the perfect partner for this tour.

It was altogether a very beautiful and emotional evening. I can’t say if all concerts create this feeling in the normal venues, but the church probably made it a little bit more special and unique. In WITHERFALL, SONATA ARCTICA found the perfect partner for this tour. This combination made th evening unforgettable.

To be honest: I saw SONATA ARCTICA in 2016 and I went home a little bit disappointed. I don’t know what I expected, but, somehow, more. I’ve loved their music since I was 20 or so but the live performance wasn’t so much to my liking. Maybe also because I see so many shows throughout the year and the enthusiasm fades a bit when you attend so many concerts. So I only attended this show because I knew the concerts at the Christuskirche are the best. And this time I didn’t get disappointed. This show made me change my mind about the live quality of SONATA ARCTICA.

The church has this special sound. If you fail to hit a note the venue shows it clear and loud. Everything during the show was so great and perfect but it still felt so intimate and nice, like friends playing some songs for you in your living room. This was really special, even if you attend many shows over the year.

I really recommend the Christuskirche because it’s so beautiful for concerts with such a special sound. I really love attending concerts there because you never go home disappointed, you go home very impressed by the atmosphere of the show – there is something you can’t explain, you must feel it!

If you want to see all the photos, please visit my Flickr.

Have you been at one of the past SONATA ARCTICA acoustic shows? Did you like it? Tell us in the comments!

SONATA ARCTICA Setlist Bochum

• Life
• Only the Broken Hearts (Make You Beautiful)
• Half a Marathon Man
• The Rest of the Sun Belongs to Me
• As If the World Wasn’t Ending
• FullMoon
• Letter to Dana
• Alone in Heaven
• On the Faultline (Closure to an Animal)
• Wolf & Raven
• I Have a Right
• Black Sheep
• Among the Shooting Stars
• Tallulah
• Paid in Full (Preceded by band first cars’ introduction)
• Flag in the Ground

Encore:

• Victoria’s Secret (Half; Tony & Elias only)
• The Wolves Die Young (with ‘Vodka’ outro)

A new DELAIN-album will be released this autumn.

A specific release date has not been announced yet, but the album will probably come out around the beginning of DELAIN‘s “The Masters Of Destiny” European tour in November of this year – this would make the most sense. In February, they also published the magical video to the song of the same name, ‘Masters Of Destiny’, and we could all admire the absolutely beautiful and breathtaking landscape of Iceland.

DELAIN will play 13 European cities in 6 countries during “The Masters Of Destiny” tour 2019.

During “The Masters Of Destiny” European tour this autumn, DELAIN will play 13 cities and 6 countries. Luckily, Germany is blessed with seven stops distributed in the whole country. But also the other cities and countries are more than DELAIN has usually done in the past. So all together we can be very happy with this tour.

But before the “The Masters Of Destiny” tour gets started, DELAIN will be on a big North American tour and perform at some festivals in Europe. So if you are interested in these dates, check DELAIN’s website for more information!

Tickets for the “The Masters Of Destiny” European tour cost about 30 Euro. And again, for more information please visit the band’s website.

Tour Dates Germany:

• 19.11.2019 Bochum – Zeche
• 22.11.2019 Karlsruhe – Substage
• 28.11.2019 Munich – Backstage
• 29.11.2019 Berlin – Lido
• 01.12.2019 Hamburg – Gruenspan
• 03.12.2019 Hannover – Musikzentrum
• 04.12.2019 Aschaffenburg – Colo Saal

Tour Dates Europe:

• 21.11.2019 Esch-sur-Alzette – Rockhal Club, Luxembourg
• 23.11.2019 Pratteln – Z7, Switzerland
• 24.11.2019 Budapest- Barba Negra, Hungary
• 30.11.2019 Copenhagen- Pumpehuset, Denmark
• 05.12.2019 Lyon – Transbordeur, France
• 06.12.2019 Paris – La Cabaret Sauvage, France

Are you going to see DELAIN live in this year? Where? Tell us in the comments!