Last weekend it was finally time for another visit to lovely Amsterdam. It still remains one of my favorite places to visit, explore, chill, and for some good old fashioned headbanging.
Instead of going by car, this time we opted to take the train to the Dutch capitol. Especially when booking early group tickets, it can get pretty cheap. And to be honest, it’s way more relaxing than having to navigate all the traffic, finding a parking spot… and finding your car back afterwards.
Anyhow, the trip went pretty smoothly. And after checking into a hotel in the Bijlmer area of Amsterdam for the weekend, we still had some time to kill before the Epica concert. So we took a quick stroll through the shopping area. Not much to be said about that. The Bijlmer area is basically the same as every shopping district in the Netherlands, lots and lots of empty shops.
For dinner, nothing fancy. We had a quick bite at the local Eazie. It was pretty ok to be honest. And more than enough as a foundation for the rest of the evening.
And what an evening that would be. But first, we had to make our way into the AFAS Live venue. And every time I’ve visited this place, getting in was always terrible. Slow moving lines. And a buildup of people because they still think having a merchandise stand within a few feet of the entrance is a good idea.
Anyway, we made our way into the concert hall in time and managed to grab a nice glass filled with Texels Skuumkoppe on the way. Sadly no draft, but pored out of a can. And after a few sips of this marvelous brew the lights dimmed. Musicians gathered, and after a very weird introduction by a masked figure that kind of reminded me of a steampunk version of Rorschach, Epica kicked down the doors.
And a boy did they kick in with a blast. I mean, nothing is more exhilarating than hearing your favorite metal band live, and also backed by a symphonic orchestra and choir. As singer Simone said halfway through the show: “wouldn’t it be awesome if we could always tour this way?” Oh yes, it certainly would!
For a bit longer than 2 hours Epica rocked the stage. They rocked it as you would expect from an Epica show. Bandmembers goofing around and just having fun, all the while playing their hit songs. And, with that orchestra and choir also on stage it really was something to behold. Something Epic ;p.
But it wouldn’t be a special show without some surprises. The first one was a new song called “The Ghost In Me”. A metal rendition of Danse Macabre from Leopold Stokowski. The song was written in cooperation with the Dutch theme park Efteling as promotion for their new haunted attraction called Danse Macabre. While playing, all kinds of close-up shots of the theming of the new ride where shown on the gigantic videowall that served as the shows background.
The second surprise was during “Sirens – Of Blood and Water”. Singer Simone was joined on stage by Charlotte Wessels (ex-Delain) and Amalie Bruun (Myrkur) for an excellent rendition of their song which all these lovely ladies co-wrote. A real banger.
And after that highlight, only a few more songs remained. Interrupted by a few fake show ends, it was time for one last hurrah! But not before the strange figure from the beginning of the show returned. According to his words of joy, somehow we all together, by being there, partying, making music, enjoying sounds, the melting of metal and classic, we had reached synergy! And we had to party one last time! Hell yeah! And it wouldn’t be an Epica show if that wasn’t with “Consign to Oblivion”. The last song for ages on their setlist. Still my favorite thing they wrote, can’t get enough of it. But also always a sad moment when hearing it live. You just know when the first notes of that song hit, it’s like a signal that within 10 minutes, it’s show over. So with that in mind, we made the most of it. With a wall of death and a massive circle pit, the night came to an epic conclusion.
Setlist #
- Unleashed
- The Essence of Silence
- Menace of Vanity
- Sensorium
- The Fifth Guardian (Interlude)
- Crimson Bow and Arrow
- Arcana
- The Skeleton Key
- The Ghost In Me
- Storm the Sorrow
- Universal Death Squad / The Last Crusade / The Phantom Agony / Design Your Universe
- Tides of Time
- Sirens – Of Blood and Water
- Unchain Utopia
- Beyond the Matrix
- Code of Life
- Cry for the Moon
- Aspiral
- Consign to Oblivion