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Nightwish, Lullacry, & Hydra
The Phantasy Theatre
08-23-04
Reviewed by Taliesin
Govannon
It had been a long
time...way, WAY too long...since I had been to a heavy metal show. Call it
poverty, call it being hopelessly out of the loop regarding local shows
(sometimes I *really* need to get my head out of the European music scene
and back in Ohio!), but I've been listening to a wide variety of new heavy
metal acts without seeing them live. Of course, many of the bands I listen
to these days have never even played the US, or if they have it's been at
some far-flung music festival that would require a week's vacation to
attend.
So without going to shows,
I sometimes feel like I'm the only person in Ohio listening to some of these
bands. Imagine my relief when I walked into the Phantasy and saw people in
Katatonia and Dimmu Borgir t-shirts! Hell, the warm-up music was Opeth!
Honey, I'm home...
Local rockers Hydra opened
the show, and I have to say that they were damned impressive! Their songs
were tightly arranged, the melodies extremely memorable, and their stage
presence was way more polished than I expected. Unfortunately I had to miss
the first part of their show to do an interview with Sauli and Heavy from
Lullacry, but what I saw made me want more. By this time next year, these
guys ought to be the headliners.
Next up was Lullacry.
This band had taken a while to grow on me, but now I can be officially
considered a fan. Lead singer Tanja's Gwen Stefani-meets-Shirley Manson
vocal style might seem like an odd addition to a heavy metal band, but
Lullacry makes it work quite well. They played a mix of material from their
full-length releases "Be My God" and "Crucify My Heart", as well as a couple
of tracks from their new EP "The Fire Within". A special moment for an old
fart like me mwas their cover of the W.A.S.P. classic “L.O.V.E. Machine”
(what is it with Blackie Lawless and I.N.I.T.I.A.L.S. anyway?). Bassist
Heavy had some equipment problems early on, but it didn't distract from the
show. Hell, it made me appreciate the mix even more! I am so tired of
crappy sound mixes that relegate the bass to little more than a low rumble
where individual notes are hardly discernable. Heavy is a more than
competent bassist, and his lines were an integral part of Lullacry's live
sound. When he had to drop out for a couple of bars this was made even more
obvious. The crowd was enthusiastic, and Lullacry more than delivered.
Watch out for this band...they're going places.
By the time headliners
Nightwish took the stage, anticipation was at a fevered pitch. One got a
sense that many in the venue had been waiting for a long time for this.
Opening with "Dark Chest Of Wonders" from their new album "Once", Nightwish
proved that they were NOT going to let these fans down.
To utilize an over-used
phrase, this band kicked ass! If lead singer Tarja missed a single note all
night, I didn't catch it. The band was clearly enjoying themselves, and
there were more smiles onstage and off than at a free Ecstacy party. After
a few songs the rest of the band let Tarja have a break, and they jammed out
the Megedeth classic "Symphony of Destruction" to the surprise and delight
of the crowd. "Nemo", "The Phantom of the Opera", "The Kinslayer", "Wishmaster"...all
were top notch.
After a while, an
incredible phenomenon developed. All through the set, the band and the
crowd became locked in a symbiotic exchange of energy that took the vibe
higher and higher. The band played for the crowd, the crowd poured the
enthusiasm and energy right back, and that made the band play ever better.
This, of course pumped the crowd, which pumped the band, and so on. By the
end of the set, you just had the feeling that somebody was going to have an
orgasm. This is rock and roll at it's finest, and it was incredible to
witness. By the time they played the last encore ("I Wish I Had An Angel",
one of my personal favorites), the audience was left feeling very, VERY
satisfied.
All in all this was an
awesome night. For those who missed it, that's too bad...Nightwish will not
be playing venues this small for long. And they won't be this cheap,
either. The heathen Hippy gives the show as a whole five lighters held up
in tribute.
For pictures, click
here.
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