Liv Kristine - vocalist Leaves' Eyes Statement about illness on 'Beauty And the Beast' tour
The ‘Beauty And The Beast’ tour started last week, a package of five bands travel through Europe till the end of the month: LEAVES'EYES, SIRENIA, ATROCITY, STREAM OF PASSION and ELIS. Soon after their start on 13th November, headliner Leaves’Eyes is befallen with ‘bad luck.’ Vocalist Liv Kristine developed voice problems after her injection against the ‘New Influenza’ (also called Mexican, Swine flue -SD). For the first time in days she is allowed to give a statement before she will enter the stage in Dordrecht, The Netherlands.
Liv Kristine: “The day the tour started my voice was gone. So far we have already done five shows in a bad condition, and I was really scared to open the guest-book on our website. There is nothing which is negative; people are so positive, friendly and understanding. Every night the audience is been amazing!”
Her voice sounds raw and she is only allowed to speak for a short time. Her words are for all those people who supported her like friends, family and the fans of course!
Liv Kristine: “I know now even more how to appreciate my fans. It’s been tough for me: feeling like a failure every night, but the audience supported me and the energy is been fantastic. I want to say thank you to everybody."
She staid very professional and definitely didn’t want to cancel the shows, although it is not her fault. During her first shows in the Netherlands you saw the pain on her face, sweaty, pale and struggling to get through the songs. Still she is very down to earth about dealing with this problem.
Liv Kristine: “It would have been different when it is my own mistake, like having a ‘rock-and-roll’ lifestyle with too much drinking and smoking. I don’t have experience with this kind of psychical circumstances. It is new, and I was wondering: what will happen now? No voice...
I tried to change singing techniques, what also happened naturally. It happened to press out the tone. There is all that slime inside your body, and the vocals chords are not vibrating the way you want.
You think you sing a C, but it is a D. Totally insecure, and it doesn’t sound nice whatever you do. It made me quit frustrated, but I realised: ok, cancelling a show would be worse. People wouldn’t know the reason. I decided just to stand there, being a human being, and I am not a machine.”
All the shows she never left the stage earlier. Even when her voice became softer and talking was hard. Like always she wanted to give something to the people.
Liv Kristine: “It is giving and taking. It also works in this kind of situation. It made me feel comfortable. Although I knew ‘ok I was again failing on stage, but there was a kind of interaction and the vibration.’ Now things are getting better and I still can find the energy. I have been hiding after the shows, because I needed some time for myself. Take my rest, and my band members locked me up in hotel rooms for three days. It is the first day they let me out now – they let the bird fly!”
The new songs from ‘Njord’ are more than before higher and more bombastic. Nevertheless she decided to perform some on stage, what was very impressive.
Liv Kristine: “I like the energy of the new songs. It is amazing. Pieces like ‘Ragnarok’ or ‘Emerald Island’, ‘Froya’s Theme’ and ‘Irish Rain’. They are just good songs also in a live situation. Some songs are so great on an album, but when you play them live it doesn’t have the power you had expected. With the album ‘Njord’ the songs work live too, they fit well with the older songs. I am always looking forward to singing the new songs!"
She bend forward, talking a bit softer: "This time it was funny, because I didn’t had to learn the lyrics. They were already there (points to her head-SD) on my mind. I think it was worth it, spending more time on this album. We knew which way we wanted to go, and which aims we wanted to reach. It seems to be the perfect way for us to go. When I see that it functions live as well, of course that is a great bonus!”
Touring with a new album is exciting, also finding the right setlist. Liv Kristine had to change the setlist during the Dutch gigs due to her illness, but that was only temporary. She explains: “For each tour we try to stick to the same songs, that is it. Now we also had to cut the set, because we are way too long with everything. For my voice that was al right.”
Information about the 'Beauty And The Beast Fest' on myspace:
http://www.myspace.com/beautyandthebeastfest
Also LEAVES'EYES published their video online about the 'Njord' recording: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QypYNkJKIvk
All pictures are copyright protected.
Monica Duffels - Moon In Virgo: http://www.mooninvirgo.nl/
Vlien Steenberghe - Vlien Photography: http://www.vlien.net/
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