|
 Even
though it hasn't been a long time since I last
saw Anathema (actually I saw only Vincent and
Danny Cavanagh performing an acoustic show last
December) I was really looking forward to this
concert. There is something about live shows that
blows my mind away, especially when it is one
of my favorite bands that is performing (I guess
that goes for most of you as well). So, even if
time seemed to pass by torturously slow, the big
day finally came and once more I found myself
waiting impatiently at the threshold of Rodon
club for the gate to open.
It was about 8:30 when I got
in, together with a big bunch of fans that had
also been waiting, and more people were still
turning up (by the time Anathema went on stage
the place was suffocating). After an hour or so,
the concert began at last. The first to perform
were Sense Of Loss, or at least that's what I
think, a Greek metal band who played for about
45 minutes. To tell you the truth I have never
listened to this band before (I am far from being
a metal expert) and I'm afraid I didn't get a
very good impression on them (on the other hand,
I almost never enjoy support groups!). I thought
that there were kind of repeating themselves.
To be honest, they did have a problem with the
sound and, although both the male and the female
vocalist (especially her) were quite good, their
voice was totally muffled by the guitars.
Oh well, enough of that. The
time finally arrived when Anathema went on stage
and they were fervently welcomed by their fans
(after all, we Greeks are known for our enthusiasm!).
They began the show with "Shroud Of false",
then followed "Fragile Dreams" and "Empty"
- two of my favorites - and went on with "Balance"
and "Closer" from their last album.
Next on the list were a couple of songs from "Judgment"
and the show went on similarly, with the band
playing mostly songs from their last four albums.
Their performance was outstanding,
their sound was next thing to perfection and I
was really satisfied by the play-list which included
some of their most characteristic moments such
as: "One Last Goodbye", "Flying",
"Re-connect", "Pulled Under At
2000 Meters A Second", "Pressure",
"Release" and so on (by the way, it
was nice to listen to some of Duncan Patterson's
composures once again). The only hitch I think
was that the vocals were a bit lower in comparison
to the sound of the instruments (but then again
that happens at almost every live performance).
One of the highlights of the evening was the performance
of Lee Douglas who sang "Parisienne Moonlight"
and "A Natural Disaster"; she was absolutely
breathtaking and it was an unexpected pleasure
to listen to those songs live!
As the show went on the "temperature"
began to rise and the audience were getting sweatier.
I was totally fascinated by the whole thing and,
as always with Anathema, it was a night I won't
forget. Finally just before the end, the band
played some of their oldest songs, including "Angelica",
"Sleepless" and "A Dying Wish",
but I have to admit that we seemed to enjoy hearing
them more than they did playing them! I think
that they have entered a new era and maybe fans
should keep that in mind for future shows (some
of you know what I'm talking about). Last but
not least, Danny performed a cover of Pink Floyd's
"Wish You Were Here", which was a very
suitable way to close such an atmospheric show.
All in all, it was a very rewarding
experience (I even got my ticket signed by Vincent
later that night!!!) and I will definitely keep
going to their concerts because every time is
as exciting as the first (if only that were the
case with everything in our lives)! |
