Nightwish and Kamelot at The Sound Academy, September 20th

Spent most of the day coding and listening to Karl Pilkington clips on Youtube. Filled with Mancunian wisdom, I drove down to the Sound Academy a little after doors opened. Cirque was on at the same time but traffic wasn't too bad. Got to the Sound Academy - HUGE lineup. Seems like only two people were doing patdowns. It took about 45 minutes to get into the venue and likely delayed the start of the show.




Got in, got a drink and should have got into the line for the T-shirts as I marked a sweet red Kamelot T-shirt for purchase. Different crowd - not the typical metal scene. More women and also a wider age range. There were even a few kids (pre-teen?) in the audience. And alot of couples. Also, the balcony was in use (wonder how much those tix were?).




My cousin in Florida mentioned Kamelot a few months back so was stoked to get the chance to see this band out of Tampa. Kamelot changed their lead singer recently so time for new guy Tommy Karevik to hold it down. The lead guitarist, Thomas Youngblood, is the lone thread of continuity from this band which has been kicking around for 20+ years.

Kamelot's stage backdrop was from their latest album. Must say that's one aspect that has changed a bit in the music industry - Graphic Design. It has eluded some of the older bands who look positively grade-schoolish next to bands that get it. Well, in my estimation Kamelot and Nightwish have the goods.

Show got underway eventually with an atmosphere charged by a symphonic lead-in. Each band member made their way onto the stage. The drummer was off to the right giving the rest of the band members license to cross the stage whenever they wanted. A lone female back-up vocalist with a mask stood on a second level - cool stage setup.




Took me a while to pick up what Kamelot were putting down. Shorter length guitar riffs which accented rather than held together each track. I was next to a group that were singing each track. Good thing the audio was decent in the middle. Spent more time listening to the vocals which had longer phrases. Tommy Karevik has a really good voice!




A few songs in another singer appeared on stage. Smoking hot guest Alissa White-Gluz from The Agonist was riveting during Sacrimony. Definite stage presence and complimented Kamelot's sound seamlessly. Looks like she has joined on for the remainder of the tour.

The last two tracks from Kamelot were absolutely fantastic. Tommy Karevik did some call and response with the audience and got pretty good participation. Alissa joined in on the last track. Kamelot left a figurative hole in the stage with a stellar performance.




Here's the Setlist (thanks setlist.fm):

Rule the World
Ghost Opera
Center of the Universe
Karma
When the Lights Are Down
Sacrimony (Angel of Afterlife) w/ Alissa
Pirates
Forever
March of Mephisto w/ Alissa




By the break, the merchandise line had shortened. Turns out they had run out of mediums in the Kamelot shirt I wanted. Got a Nightwish tour T instead. After a killer opener, Nightwish had some high expectations to meet - fortunately this was a Nightwish crowd judging by the prevalance of merchandise.




Another break, another drink and Nightwish took the stage. Annete Olzon is the frontwoman and I was curious to see how they would handle the transition from the "heavier" tone of Kamelot. First few tracks had a similar symphonic feel but then they took it down a gear to focus on Olzon's softer vocals. Good decision, she got a nice voice.

It was surprising the range - both dynamic and thematic - of what they played. Somehow, they managed to make it all work without making it sound scattered/disjointed. I mean Nightwish's tracks feature a variety of musical techniques. Soft vocals, symphonic passages, strings, overdubs, even choruses and of course metal riffs. Amidst this cornucopia was Troy Donockley on some kind of celtic pipes for a folk metal feel.




Anette got everyone to bring their cell phones out for one track. Again the crowd seemed receptive however there was noticeably less interaction and prompting compared to Kamelot. The sightlines had by this time become impossible. I moved around a bit but without much success. Got an elbow in the ribs during Over the Hills And Far Away for my troubles. Last few tracks got a bit more intense and metallic for the big finish.




Here's the Setlist:

Intro: Crimson Tide (Hans Zimmer song)
Storytime
Wish I Had an Angel
Amaranth
7 Days to the Wolves
The Siren
Slow, Love, Slow
I Want My Tears Back w/ Troy Donockley
The Crow, the Owl and the Dove w/ Troy Donockley
The Islander w/ Troy Donockley
Nemo w/ Troy Donockley (Acoustic)
Last of the Wilds w/ Troy Donockley
Planet Hell
Ghost River
Over the Hills and Far Away (Gary Moore cover) w/ Troy Donockley
Song of Myself
Last Ride of the Day
Outro: Imaginaerum




Last Ride of the Day was indeed the last as there was no encore. Possibly because of the delay in starting the concert. I'm blaming the Sound Academy for this. Anyway, good show. The audience got what they came for.


Highlights: Kamelot with Tommy Karevik and Alissa White-Gluz's vocals - awesome sound!!


Played some post-concert Queen (The Game) to wind down and made it to Smoke's on Dundas for a curry chicken poutine. Good eats.