Sons of Apollo (feat. Portnoy & Sherinian)

[The Silent Cody]

Summer tour in europe (apart from festival dates) is really strange imo. July and august are horrible months for touring in europe. To the point of where venues here are more or less closed during those months...

Im guessing its really going to be a festival tour with solo dates in between to fill the gaps.  Sort of like how DT and others like Iron Maiden do it, but obviously on a smaller scale.  Granted, I know nothing about club concerts in Europe during the summer.  Just my guess.

Yep, You know nothing because there is no gigs in clubs mostly then SON  Polish gig is also at Prog something festival, with Insahn and probably Riverside as always.

[Madman Shepherd]

Summer tour in europe (apart from festival dates) is really strange imo. July and august are horrible months for touring in europe. To the point of where venues here are more or less closed during those months...

You damn Europeans and your weeks and weeks of vacation. 

[Schurftkut]

i like how this thread turned into talking about having seats in a venue and their demographic having back aches from standing too long while attending their rock pedigree shows :-)

[ProfessorPeart]

i like how this thread turned into talking about having seats in a venue and their demographic having back aches from standing too long while attending their rock pedigree shows :-)

Get off my lawn!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Anguyen92]

i like how this thread turned into talking about having seats in a venue and their demographic having back aches from standing too long while attending their rock pedigree shows :-)

Don't you mean their octopus pedigree shows?   

[SwedishGoose]

22nd of September they will play at the Plovdiv Amphitheater with the Plovdiv Orchestra. Filming the event for DVD release...

https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=1998764900141142&id=116713035013014

[SystematicThought]

I wonder how the Orchestra is gonna figure in here. Also, aren't orchestras cheesy? Hasn't a certain CheeseWiz band used orchestras before?

Seems like it could be a cool thing though. That Romeo Delight cover they did when they debuted the band was good, so they do good covers and made it their own. Cool looking venue too

[The Walrus]

What exactly is the orchestra going to do other than emphasize the beginning of Labyrinth (for their original stuff, not the cover set)? Are they really going to arrange songs like Coming Home and Alive? This is hilarious of them to ape something Dream Theater and a thousand other bands have already done.

[Anguyen92]

Not that I have anything against orchestras in general (my favorite band played with an orchestra last October and most people claimed it was the best show that they have ever delivered), but doesn't SOA playing with an orchestra goes against being anti-cheesey and wanting to be a macho-like (balls to the walls) band?  Does an orchestra goes against that mentality?

That venue does look cool and looks like it can fit up to a lot of people in that building.

[cramx3]

22nd of September they will play at the Plovdiv Amphitheater with the Plovdiv Orchestra. Filming the event for DVD release...

https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=1998764900141142&id=116713035013014

Interesting.  Devin Townsend did the same thing this past September and on the exact same date (The 22nd of September, I know this cause it's also my birthday).  Same venue, same date, same orchestra, also for video release. 

[bill1971]

The second set will be a special covers set by request. I guess there will be a way to vote online of what they should play. I have to hand it to MP he  tries to keep things interesting.

[?]

Sons Of Apollo will be playing 2 Sets with an Orchestra...the 2nd set will be a very special COVERS SET - By Request!! (Details coming soon on how to vote)

inb4 everyone requests the entire The Astonishing

[bill1971]

Not that I have anything against orchestras in general (my favorite band played with an orchestra last October and most people claimed it was the best show that they have ever delivered), but doesn't SOA playing with an orchestra goes against being anti-cheesey and wanting to be a macho-like (balls to the walls) band?  Does an orchestra goes against that mentality?

That venue does look cool and looks like it can fit up to a lot of people in that building.

The orchestra will all wear leather jackets and jeans and frown the entire time.

[bosk1]

Sons Of Apollo will be playing 2 Sets with an Orchestra...the 2nd set will be a very special COVERS SET - By Request!! (Details coming soon on how to vote)

inb4 everyone requests the entire The Astonishing

  That would be hilarious.  Well, given that it is going to be a demand sort of thing, I think it is safe to say there will be some high fan demand for GnR and Journey.  I'm interested to see what they play.

[cramx3]

22nd of September they will play at the Plovdiv Amphitheater with the Plovdiv Orchestra. Filming the event for DVD release...

https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=1998764900141142&id=116713035013014

Interesting.  Devin Townsend did the same thing this past September and on the exact same date (The 22nd of September, I know this cause it's also my birthday).  Same venue, same date, same orchestra, also for video release.

The second set will be a special covers set by request. I guess there will be a way to vote online of what they should play. I have to hand it to MP he  tries to keep things interesting.

LOL Devin also has a by request set.  Pretty funny how it's literally the exact same thing.

[The Walrus]

Good luck getting any GnR on a filmed release by any band that isn't GnR.

[?]

Sons Of Apollo will be playing 2 Sets with an Orchestra...the 2nd set will be a very special COVERS SET - By Request!! (Details coming soon on how to vote)

inb4 everyone requests the entire The Astonishing

  That would be hilarious.  Well, given that it is going to be a demand sort of thing, I think it is safe to say there will be some high fan demand for GnR and Journey.  I'm interested to see what they play.

Yeah, seriously speaking I think they'll put up a selection of songs to choose from, which probably will include something from their past bands.

Btw I found a news story from another source, which claims the orchestra will only join them for the cover set: https://www.radiotangra.com/en/news/read/30754.html

The new American supergroup featuring members of DREAM THEATER, MR. BIG, GUNS ‘N ROSES, and JOURNEY will present live the songs from its sensational debut album 'Psychotic Symphony' followed by a 'By Request Covers Set' where the band will be joined by the renowned Plovdiv Philharmonic Orchestra founded nearly 70 years ago and made up of over 100 highly qualified musicians.

[ganpondorodf]

Very weird

[ReaperKK]

This is very weird. Usually when bands do this it’s after an already established career with at least a few albums behind them.

[ProfessorPeart]

Katatonia did The Great Cold Distance there in its entirety. I believe Opeth also performed with the orchestra there as well. Seems to be a go-to for metal bands. I really enjoyed the Katatonia recording.

[cramx3]

Katatonia did The Great Cold Distance there in its entirety. I believe Opeth also performed with the orchestra there as well. Seems to be a go-to for metal bands. I really enjoyed the Katatonia recording.

My opinion, it's a low budget spot that has a cool setting and an easily accessible orchestra that will work with you.  I can't find any other reason for bands to pull such exact similar live releases.

[PROGdrummer]

What exactly is the orchestra going to do other than emphasize the beginning of Labyrinth (for their original stuff, not the cover set)? Are they really going to arrange songs like Coming Home and Alive? This is hilarious of them to ape something Dream Theater and a thousand other bands have already done.

Um...

God of The Sun and Divine Addiction? And it wouldn't be hard (or that strange) to arrange pretty much any of the other keyboard parts on the album for orchestra.

[SwedishGoose]

Opeth recorded the show they did there but did not release it as a DVD or CD.

Some songs were released on the Sorceress special edition the rest with the orhestra were released on the previous edition of Prog Magazine.

[The Walrus]

What exactly is the orchestra going to do other than emphasize the beginning of Labyrinth (for their original stuff, not the cover set)? Are they really going to arrange songs like Coming Home and Alive? This is hilarious of them to ape something Dream Theater and a thousand other bands have already done.

Um...

God of The Sun and Divine Addiction? And it wouldn't be hard (or that strange) to arrange pretty much any of the other keyboard parts on the album for orchestra.

And the other 6?

[SystematicThought]

This is very weird. Usually when bands do this it’s after an already established career with at least a few albums behind them.

That's what seems weird to me. To do this at this stage of Sons of Apollo almost to me makes it seem like a nostalgia act, or a cover band with big names in it that also happens to have an album that didn't chart in the US (except the Heatseakers Chart, still sold less than 5000 copies). It just seems odd, although it's guaranteed to sell on MP's name alone

[w_marano]

Katatonia did The Great Cold Distance there in its entirety. I believe Opeth also performed with the orchestra there as well. Seems to be a go-to for metal bands. I really enjoyed the Katatonia recording.

Paradise Lost also did that with the same orquestra and released the concert two years ago.

[Fritzinger]

I could really imagine they expand the intro of Labyrinth to be the opener. A 3 minute orchestra intro based on the song intro; while that's playing, the band comes on stage and perform the song with the orchestra. That'd be pretty cool. I could also see something like this being the intro of all the other concerts (with the intro of course coming from the PA).

[Anxiety35]

What would you want them to play for covers?

Here's some I'd like to see them cover:

Shy Boy (David Lee Roth)
Lines In The Sand (DT)
Perfect Strangers (Deep Purple)
Unchained (Van Halen)
In The Evening (Led Zeppelin)

[ganpondorodf]

Isn't Perfect Strangers already on the album?

[Stadler]

Not that I have anything against orchestras in general (my favorite band played with an orchestra last October and most people claimed it was the best show that they have ever delivered), but doesn't SOA playing with an orchestra goes against being anti-cheesey and wanting to be a macho-like (balls to the walls) band?  Does an orchestra goes against that mentality?

That venue does look cool and looks like it can fit up to a lot of people in that building.

The orchestra will all wear leather jackets and jeans and frown the entire time.

HAHAHA, that got an honest to god laugh out loud.    Nice. 

[Stadler]

Sons Of Apollo will be playing 2 Sets with an Orchestra...the 2nd set will be a very special COVERS SET - By Request!! (Details coming soon on how to vote)

inb4 everyone requests the entire The Astonishing

  That would be hilarious.  Well, given that it is going to be a demand sort of thing, I think it is safe to say there will be some high fan demand for GnR and Journey.  I'm interested to see what they play.

Yeah, seriously speaking I think they'll put up a selection of songs to choose from, which probably will include something from their past bands.

Btw I found a news story from another source, which claims the orchestra will only join them for the cover set: https://www.radiotangra.com/en/news/read/30754.html

The new American supergroup featuring members of DREAM THEATER, MR. BIG, GUNS ‘N ROSES, and JOURNEY will present live the songs from its sensational debut album 'Psychotic Symphony' followed by a 'By Request Covers Set' where the band will be joined by the renowned Plovdiv Philharmonic Orchestra founded nearly 70 years ago and made up of over 100 highly qualified musicians.

I'm glad they told me the album was "sensational".   I haven't gotten many "sensations" from the album itself since I listened to it the second, and last, time.

Look, I'm all for the epic over the topness of an orchestra; but for only the covers?   Sounds like a lot of hype that has nothing to do with the band itself, or it's original music. 

I have to say, I'm no marketing wizard*, but this is confusing. 

*I say humbly, since I have an MBA from a top ten school and know enough about marketing to know you don't confuse your audience.

[cramx3]

I'm a sucker for concerts like this, so I'd buy it, but honestly, it feels more like a money grab than a special event since how special can an event be for a band with one album that had a lukewarm reaction and hasn't even played a gig yet?

[TAC]

I'm not really interested in hearing their music. Not sure why I'd need to hear them play someone else's. And muck it up with an orchestra to boot.
Billy Sheehan really has nothing better to do than this?

[SwedishGoose]

I'm a sucker for concerts like this, so I'd buy it, but honestly, it feels more like a money grab than a special event since how special can an event be for a band with one album that had a lukewarm reaction and hasn't even played a gig yet?

It will be special because the director will arrange the songs to try to make up for the lack of time spent in writing them.... writing times of the songs will at least double 

[PetFish]

"... made up of over 100 highly qualified musicians."

Yeah, that's how I'd want to be described, "highly qualified".  It's like when you're trying to compliment someone but don't really have anything so you say that they're "punctual".