Going to The Gathering semi-acoustic live, seemed the perfect way to cool down after the furious Hypocrisy gig two weeks ago. The day started early since I had to get an interview from Frank, and as long as I was there I got to watch the sound checks too where I got a sneak preview of what would follow.
At 20:30 the Greek support band Akaktas showed up. This is a new band and that was their second live performance. At first when I saw the DJ decks I got scared at the idea of listening to a Limp Biscuit rip-off (the only thing worst than Limp themselves), but thank goodness this wasn't the case.
Their sound is a mix of Faith No More and Red Hot Chili Peppers with a few scratches thrown in. I have to admit that they exceeded my expectations by far and I am sure that we'll hear more of them in the future. The crowd had a lot of fun and the 45 minutes of their performance flew by really easily. I have to give special credit to their bass player; this guy is a true pro and adds a lot to the band.
A few minutes later it was time for The Gathering. As far as I know there were about 800 people in Gagarin 205 at that time, which isn't bad considering that it has a capacity of 1000 more or less.
From the beginning to the ending of their live performance, the whole feeling given from the band combined with the crowd was amazing. It's very rare to see the audience singing along almost 2 hours and any band that can generate this need, deserves my utmost respect. Perhaps this is why this is my third time in a Gathering gig and I never get tired of them. Not to mention the feeling of people who wear "Iron Maiden" t-shirts sharing the same feelings with people who probably don't know who Ozzy is, in the same concert.
The sound in Gagarin was good as always, despite the usual small problem with the singer's voice not being heard so loud when you are in the first row and close to the center. That seems to be a usual problem for most concerts, but anyway.
This was a semi-acoustic live. Meaning there was minimal electric guitar and mostly acoustic ones. Everyone from the band was in a great mood. A lot of weight was put on Frank's performance during the piano-only parts and Rene for the acoustic guitar parts. The new bass player Marjolein did a great job in her new post and the rest were excellent too.
Anneke was enchanting to say the least; some claim that here movement during the song seems a bit too much. They way I say it, she is living every note and she is performing to every word that is coming out of her mouth. When she is singing she is lost in another world and only returns when the crowd cheers.
Her voice is simply unbelievable. This is why the best studio album can't replace singers like her. The warmth of her voice and the way she changes scales is hard to describe, it's majestic in a way.
The set list was a mix of old and new; every song was equally welcomed. I have to admit, that even though I am a fan of acoustic guitar, I did miss the electric one from several songs. Still it was interesting to listen to the somewhat different versions.
They played, in the following order: "The Big Sleep", "Marooned", "Sleepy Buildings", "Saturnine", "Amity", "Souvenirs", "Travel", "Like Fountains", "Eleanor", "Spirits", "Broken Glass", "Stonegarden", "Jelena". For encore, they closed with "These Good People" and "Black Light District".
Almost two hours of a mental journey to another world. The Gathering have always been an experience of a lifetime no matter the kind of music you are into.
