I'VE SEEN THE CONCERT, ALL KINDS OF SPOILERS FOLLOW
Man, what a show!!! by now the "surprise" effect of the Avantasia ensemble is gone, so you know what you're gonna get: 3 hours of music, singers coming and going, you can somehow predict the setlist in broad strokes, but hey, even having seen it already twice (and each time every three years anyway) doesn't take anything from the sheer magnitude of this glorious musical event!!!
Stage design was probably the best yet; some very nice and eye-candy physical decorations, with the Burtonesque trees from the cover and lanters, and a giant screen to change the backdrop (Iron Maiden would have used actual backdrops).
Intro is Beethoven's Hymn to Joy, and Ghost in the Moon starts with the riff of when the song kicks in - Tobi still sings the very beginning, but adding the riff before what in the album version is just Tobi and piano alone makes for a more bombastic start of the show, good call.
I was wondering what they would do with Book of Shallows... turned out just a duet with Ronnie Atkins, and one of the female vocalists (I didn't know there were two!) sang the Petrozza parts, she's a mean screamer that one! she was fitting and sweet for Moonglow but like Alyssa from Arch Enemy she can turn the aggressive vocals on.
Geoff Tate was good, his songs came out quite nicely. Oliver Hartmann KILLED IT on Reach out for the Light, he should have gotten all the Kiske songs!
About Maniac... first of all, it was a moment when I was walking around the venue to find a better spot, so I didn't really pay too much attention
but while we all agree, I guess, that it should have never been on the album and definitively it shouldn't be played live, it's a fun and short rocking song that in a live setting comes out well. I mean, it's weird that they played it, but when you're actually there, you can go along with it and survive it I guess.
On the other hand, I was SO GLAD that they found room for Master of the Pendulum, that song is great and catchy and it went down with a blast live. I actually didn't notice that they didn't play any songs off The Mystery of Time, would have loved to hear The Great Mystery again for example.
The ending was as classic ad it can get, everyone waving hands during Farewell, and the final joint ensemble of Sign of the Cross, it's always great to see the seemingly endless line of singers announced and coming on stage one by one, and everyone at the end jumping along to that stupidly and irresistibly catchy snippet of The Seven Angels.
It was a marathon and it didn't help having switched to daylight savings time and also having another concert the night before, but who cares, these are events to live for
if you like Avantasia and you already saw them, you know what you're gonna get so go if you can, it happens once every three years and as we've seen with Kiske not everyone's presence is granted so enjoy it while it lasts!
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Topic: The official Avantasia and Edguy thread v Moonflower Society - Oct 21st (Read 212108 times)