Nov 23, 2005 21:56
I haven't taken the time to recount the concert yet, so I shall do so now. To say it simply, the show was fucking amazing. They truly love their fans, I believe (unlike so many other bands which couldn't give less of a damn about their fanbase...), and they went to all ends to put on the best possible show.
The band which opened for Kamelot -- Seven Witches -- was a pretty cool group. They weren't quite the same style as Kamelot, dwelling more in "true metal" than sweet melodies and heart- felt scripture, but they had a sound you could go wild to. Their guitarist, Jack Frost, was pretty crazy... he did alot of tricks while playing, such as continuing a solo with his guitar behind his head and even playing with his teeth at one point! One of their songs stuck with me more than the rest -- "Passing Over to the Other Side" or something like that -- which was about losing a loved one and asking the immortal question of what lies beyond. All in all, they put on a good show -- they kept it fairly short, what's more, playing for half an hour or so.
Kamelot. They set their equipment up fairly quick (fifteen minutes or so), entertaining the crowd with two of their new videos. Casey was on stage testing his drum set for a few minutes as the rhodies ran about setting up the cymbals and checking Thom's guitar (who's now playing an ESP ltd) behind the curtains. Then they all left the stage and the lights went off as smoke billowed from behind the scenes... with their knightly intro filling the hall, they came on stage one at a time to the rabid screams of the fans. When Youngblood came out, he almost immediately burst into "Center of the Universe," Khan running out on stage once his cue was met as everyone -- around 600 people, I'd guess -- screamed.
This was their first time in New York, but Khan said it won't be their last -- apparently, they're going to be doing a full- fledged tour on the U.S. in 2006. They played "The Spell" fairly early on, which was fantastic! Casey's drumming and Youngblood's ripping were much edgier than on the album -- you could feel the entire song beating in your heart as Khan knelt on center stage and let his soul sing. They followed that with "Nights of Arabia" (during which Khan introduced the band) and then "Abandoned," which -- according to Khan -- they've only played live twice before. It's one of my favriote songs, so one can imagine my excitement once I heard the soft intro melody lifting through the air....
Oliver -- the new keyboardist -- proved himself as the rest of the band took a quick break. He ran through a five minute neo- classical piece, ranging from quick- paced dread to a lifting melancholy. The rest of the band returned for The Haunting, along with Mari who came on stage in a black velvet dress. She and Khan played through the song, staring at one another at the end of the song: "someone like you...". The next song was another one of my favriotes, "Forever," which they did a spectacular job on! Khan had the entire audience singing to him, holding the mic outward for us: "Will you revive from the chaos in my mind, where we are still bound together. Will you be there, waiting by the gates of dawn when I close my eyes forever." They slowed the song to a beat after that as Khan asked us to sing to him again, giving the crowd the vocal melody of the song. The band applauded the crowd, as Khan told us to clap for ourselves. They played "Momento Mori" next, which Khan called "a sweet little ballad," making a reference to The Expedition (their live album).
Casey put on an amazing drum solo as the band went off stage for another quick break. Five minutes of beating away at his set, spinning his drum sticks in the air between beats -- he has to be one of the best drummers in metal. When his improved solo came to an end, he stood up and smiled, holding his drum sticks up to God as if they were a sword pointing to the heavens. The band came back out (Glen holding some German beer in his hand) and performed what was to be their last song, "Farewell," which they chose for obvious reasons. I think this was the only song off their list which I didn't know like the back of my hand. After thanking everyone a million times over, they left the stage, the lights dying down as a chant of "Kamelot, Kamelot, Kamelot" ran through the club. A minute or two passed before they charged back on stage, Khan picking up the mic and asking: "New York! Are you ready for The March?," as "The March of Mephisto" tore in! It's one of their heaviest songs, I'd say. Still having heart to afford us more, they played a song which was a bonus on a Japanese album -- Khan said they wanted everyone to hear it. It was a very beautiful ballad, consisting only of Khan singing and a soft piano melody in the background. Kamelot finished with "Karma," which I would say was their best performed song! Youngblood was doing an insane solo, running from one side of the stage to the other, playing inches from the crowd who cheered him on with fists, screams and the typical metal salute. He and Glen would trade places, covering the entire stage. As the song ended, Khan promised that this won't be the last time they'll see New York while the rest of the bandmates left their instruments and joined arms to bow before the audience. As they left stage, Casey held up a red apple and bit it (they kept referring to Ny as 'the Big Apple').
Intro
Center of the Universe
Soul Society
The Spell
Nights of Arabia
Abandoned
Edge of Paradise
When the Lights are Down
Oliver's keyboard solo
The Haunting
Forever
Momento Mori
Casey's drum solo
Farewell
Encore:
The March of Mephisto
Epilouge
Karma
They put on the single greatest show I have ever seen. Their stage presence was outstanding.... This was one of the greatest experiences of my life.
Goodnight all.