19.03.2011 Epica

Hedon, Zwolle (Netherlands)

(Pentax k-x with Tamron SP AF 17-50mm 2.8 XR Di II LD Asp IF and Sigma AF 50-150mm 2.8 EX DC APO HSM II)

Although it was meanwhile the fifth time during one and a half years that I was watching Epica it was never getting boring. Just the opposite as I am again and again looking forward to see them as the shows are never 100% identical and Epica imagines always something special (like e.g. the belly dancer beginning of 2010, an album show like on last years Metal Female Voices Fest VIII or pyro shows).
After the used start with "Samadhi" during which the audience was directly taken to working temperature it continued with a lively cross section through all of their former released albums through the evening. All members of the band were as usually in a really good mood and took the enthused listeners at the sold out Hedon wonderfully with them. Classics like "The Last Crusade" or crackers of the new album "Design Your Universe" like "Martyr Of The Free World" were lively changing. Just like Simone Simons wonderful soprano with the grunts and screams of Mark Jansen.
Goose bumps like each time appeared during the wonderful ballad "Cry For The Moon" that unfortunately was only played in a shortened version. During that the stage was completely bathed in deep blue light and only Simone supported by Coen Janssen on synthesizer were standing on it. Only for the final of the song durmmer Arien van Weesenbeck, the guitarists Mark Jansen and Isaac Delahaye as well as bassist Yves Huts joined them to finish it fulminantly.
Direclty before the encore starts Coen always enters the stage alone to horse around a little bit with the audience. That evening he spontanously decided to change his place with the guitarist Isaac who instead tinkled the ivories of Coen's synthesizer. However Coen quickly found out that that was not the optimal decision and changed back for the upcoming "Sancta Terra" to better known terrain. The closure of the evening was like often "The Phantom Agony". This time it was played in a Radio2 version which meant that the faster parts were played in a disco style supported with well fitting yellow red green spinning lights.
Overall again a concert of slightly more than 90 minutes but as always way too short. At each concert you were thinking afterwards: "Why did they not play song xyz?". But so you can look forward for a reencounter with Epica and so once more I start my way back home happily. The next time I will see Epica again is only a question of time and for me it is already certain!