23rd April 2006
Doro, Sonata Arctica, Altaria
This Friday night it would not have been very difficult to find the LKA in Stuttgart, even if I had never previously been there. In small groups metal fans of all ages were strolling to the place where, in a few hours time, the blonde, indestructible hard rock icon Doro Pesch, who has cast her spell over her fan community for more than twenty years now, was going to appear. When I arrived, the venue was already well-filled and I had to elbow my way to the stage, passing teenagers in Goth-style as well as old-established Metal-heads. For quite a while, this cute little family stood close to me; they had brought along their little daughter, and all three were proudly wearing the promo-shirt for ‘Doro’s’ new studio album, ‘Warrior Soul’. However, the banner in the background of the stage first announced the Finnish band ‘Sonata Arctica’, who, together with their compatriots from ‘Altaria’ to whom especially ‘Sonata Arctica’s’ guitarist Jani Liimatainen is related through a common time, are supporting ‘Doro’ on this tour.
Altaria
The Finnish melodic metal band ‘Altaria’ was founded in the year 2000 by Marko Pukkila (bass) and Tony Smedjebacka (drums); at that time both playing in a band called ‘Blindside’. With Johan Mattjus (vocals) and Jani Liimatainen (guitars) the first ‘Altaria’ line-up was complete; simultaneously, Jani was already playing the guitar for ‘Sonata Arctica’. After a line-up change - the vocalist was replaced by Jouni Nikula - they released their first album, ‘Invitation’ (Metal Heaven) in spring 2003; also a second guitarist, Emppu Vuorinen from ‘Nightwish’, joined the band. During the tour to promote their debut album, Jouni left the band and was replaced by Taage Laiho, also contributing the vocals for ‘Kilpi’. Emppu stopped playing for ‘Altaria’, too, due to commitments concerning ‘Nightwish’ and a new guitarist was quickly found in Petri Aho. After the recordings for their second studio album ‘Divinity’ and quite similar to Emppu, Jani had to leave ‘Altaria’ because he was too busy with his main band, ‘Sonata Arctica’. The replacement was found in J.P. Alanen, who had played in the band ‘Celesty’ up to then. This year, ‘Altaria’ released their third album, ‘The Fallen Empire’ (Metal Heaven).
Line-up: Taage Laiho (vocals), J.P. Alanen (guitar), Petri Aho (guitar), Marko Pukkila (bass) and Tony Smedjebacka (drums).
http://www.altariamusic.com/
Music
‘Altaria’ were the prelude to an evening under the signs of melodic metal. Despite their experienced playing, their songs did not really get caught, at least not with me as a listener. The rougher tones coining the tracks on their first album have in the meantime given way to more complaisant ones, already noticeable on their second, a development providing them with more potential listeners, but also bearing the danger of disappearing in insignificance.
Performance
The five guys from ‘Altaria’ tried hard to manage their job as the first band of the evening as good as possible and set the numerously assembled audience in the right mood. And they truly succeeded in doing so; they seemed to have quite a few fans in the audience.
Rating
Music: 3
Performance: 3
Sound: 6
Light: 4
Total: 4 (3.6)
Sonata Arctica
The history of ‘Sonata Arctica’ begins in a little town called Kemi somewhere in northern Finland in the year 1996, when four guys decide to form a band – ‘Tricky Beans’. A few years and some line-up changes later the band consists of Tony Kakko (vocals/keyboards), Jani Liimatainen (guitars), Janne Kivilahti (bass) and Tommy Portimo (drums) and they decide to change the band name into ‘Sonata Arctica’. In 1999 they release their first studio album, ‘Ecliptica’. Their well-received debut is followed by a short European tour with ‘Stratovarius’ and ‘Rhapsody’. A few months later, bass player Janne is replaced by Marko Paasikoski, who had been one of the founding members of ‘Tricky Beans’. In January 2001 their second studio work appeared, titled ‘Silence’ (Century Media). This album is regarded as their best one so far by many fans. In the following, they publish a live album – ‘Songs of Silence-Live in Tokyo’ – some kind of reward for their trusty fans in Japan, and change their label from Century to Nuclear Blast. Their latest release called ‘For the Sake of Revenge’ (2006) is again a live album.
Line-up: Tony Kakko (vocals/keyboards), Jani Liimatainen (guitars), Marko Paasikoski (bass), Henrik Klingenberg (keyboards) and Tommy Portimo (drums).
http://www.sonataarctica.info/
http://www.myspace.com/thegreatsonataarctica
http://www.myspace.com/therealsonataarctica
Music
I was very anxious to see ‘Sonata Arctica’s’ performance. A friend of mine had repeatedly recommended them to me, but a first listening to their song material had not really filled me with enthusiasm. But experiencing them live was something completely different. They played a sort of fast, but melodic metal, attributed to the Speed- or Power-metal genre. They had a pretty good live sound and many of their songs were accompanied by the enthusiastic chant of the fans. The set list was, according to the promotion of their recently released live album, a mixture of older hits and newer material.
Performance
Pretty good-humoured, ‘Sonata Arctica’ occupied the scene after the opener ‘Altaria’. Especially Tony frolicked indefatigably over the stage and joked with the audience and the photographers. The well-performed songs carried as well away as the delight the band apparently took in performing them. The guys were seeking direct contact to their fans all the time, inviting them to sing along or clap their hands in the rhythm of the songs, which was enthusiastically appreciated. Rarely a band has impressed me that much with their rousing live show and good mood, and I can very well imagine that this evening has yielded them a few extra fans.
Setlist
01. Intro
02. Misplaced
03. Blinded No More
04. FullMoon
05. Victoria's Secret
06. Broken
07. 8th Commandment
08. Tallulah
09. My Land
10. Black Sheep
11. Medley
12. Don't Say a Word
13. The Cage
+Vodka+outro
Rating
Music: 7
Performance: 8
Sound: 7
Light: 6
Total: 7 (7.2)
Doro
I surely do not have to introduce Doro Pesch. Germany’s most successful hard rock lady, born in Düsseldorf, started her career in 1980 as a vocalist in a band called ‘Snakebite’. A few years later she changed to ‘Warlock’ whose debut ‘Burning the Witches’ (Mausoleum) was well received by critics and audience. In 1986, ‘Warlock’ released their greatest commercial success, the album ‘True as Steel’. In the following, they played the ‘Monsters of Rock’ festival in Donington, Doro being the first female to appear on this event. Due to legal factionalism concerning the name ‘Warlock’ the band was renamed. ‘Force Majeure’ from 1989 is their first release as ‘Doro’. After some line-up changes, the band developed more and more to a solo project. Till the present day ‘Doro’ has published several successful studio albums, the latest being this year’s release ‘Warrior Soul’ (AFM Records).
Line-up: Doro Pesch (vocals), Joe Taylor (guitar), Oliver Palotai (guitar/keyboards), Nick Douglas (bass) and Johnny Dee (drums).
http://www.doropesch.com/ / http://www.doro.de/
Music
Scarcely a few minutes had passed off since ‘Sonata Arctica’ had left stage, much to the regret of many fans, and the stage equipment was still sedulously modified, when first calls for ‘Doro’ rang out, enhancing continuously and culminating ultimately in frenetic applause when she turned up on stage, dressed as usual in black leather and rivets. This evening she presented her new studio album ‘Warrior Soul', but all-time favourites from her past releases shouldn’t be missed out either. In the stage background, the corresponding banner hung resplendent, showing the cover of her last work: Doro in fantasy clothing, in Amazon-like pose with a sword in hand. Her fans seemed to have taken up the new album very well; also the new tracks were hailed and sung along passionately. In about the set’s last third, the band took a little break and vanished backstage; solely drummer Johnny remained and delivered the enthralled audience a brilliant drum solo. Classics like ‘All We Are’ and ‘Love me in Black’ were requested by the fans and ‘Doro’ met their wishes. They also played the ‘Kiss’ cover ‘Only You’ (‘Doro’, 1990); it comes from ‘Kiss’’ 1981 album ‘Music from the Elder’. The band finished their set with ‘My Majesty’ from their latest album.
Performance
It is impressing to see how much energy this tiny, dainty singer emanates and with how much devotedness and power she manages, after all these years on stage, to still enthral and carry away her fans. She whirled from one side of the stage to the other, talking quite a lot to the audience and fully came up to the expectations you have of a “queen of hard rock”, as she is often called, optimally supported by her band mates. Little specialties like the guy covered by furs, with a sword in his hands, who beset the stage during the new release’s title track, rounded up the successful performance. ‘Doro’s’ music and lyrics are for sure a matter of taste, but her live performance shows that she really knows how to rock. The show ended with her own parting words to her fans: “Bleibt gesund, bleibt munter, bleibt sauber - bis zum nächsten Mal!” (Keep alive and kicking, stay clean - 'til the next time!) .
Rating
Music: 6
Performance: 8
Sound: 7
Light: 5
Total: 7 (6.6)
{jos_sb_discuss:17}
Line-up: Doro Pesch (vocals), Joe Taylor (guitar), Oliver Palotai (guitar/keyboards), Nick Douglas (bass) and Johnny Dee (drums).
http://www.doropesch.com/ / http://www.doro.de/
Music
Scarcely a few minutes had passed off since ‘Sonata Arctica’ had left stage, much to the regret of many fans, and the stage equipment was still sedulously modified, when first calls for ‘Doro’ rang out, enhancing continuously and culminating ultimately in frenetic applause when she turned up on stage, dressed as usual in black leather and rivets. This evening she presented her new studio album ‘Warrior Soul', but all-time favourites from her past releases shouldn’t be missed out either. In the stage background, the corresponding banner hung resplendent, showing the cover of her last work: Doro in fantasy clothing, in Amazon-like pose with a sword in hand. Her fans seemed to have taken up the new album very well; also the new tracks were hailed and sung along passionately. In about the set’s last third, the band took a little break and vanished backstage; solely drummer Johnny remained and delivered the enthralled audience a brilliant drum solo. Classics like ‘All We Are’ and ‘Love me in Black’ were requested by the fans and ‘Doro’ met their wishes. They also played the ‘Kiss’ cover ‘Only You’ (‘Doro’, 1990); it comes from ‘Kiss’’ 1981 album ‘Music from the Elder’. The band finished their set with ‘My Majesty’ from their latest album.
Performance
It is impressing to see how much energy this tiny, dainty singer emanates and with how much devotedness and power she manages, after all these years on stage, to still enthral and carry away her fans. She whirled from one side of the stage to the other, talking quite a lot to the audience and fully came up to the expectations you have of a “queen of hard rock”, as she is often called, optimally supported by her band mates. Little specialties like the guy covered by furs, with a sword in his hands, who beset the stage during the new release’s title track, rounded up the successful performance. ‘Doro’s’ music and lyrics are for sure a matter of taste, but her live performance shows that she really knows how to rock. The show ended with her own parting words to her fans: “Bleibt gesund, bleibt munter, bleibt sauber - bis zum nächsten Mal!” (Keep alive and kicking, stay clean - 'til the next time!) .
Rating
Music: 6
Performance: 8
Sound: 7
Light: 5
Total: 7 (6.6)
{jos_sb_discuss:17}
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