PlanetMosh Keeping it Metal
Tonight’s gig was the first time Blind Guardian had played the UK in just under 5 years, so it’s no surprise that there’s a good turnout tonight. While it’s not sold out it’s clearly not far off that judging by how packed the place is.
The night opened with Israeli band, Orphaned land. If you’ve never heard anything by them before then you’re missing out – they’re an increasingly rare thing in metal – a band with a truly distinctive sound. Their music is a mix of heavy metal and middle Eastern music, so really do stand out from the crowd. The crowd certainly loved their set – at one point the floor was a sea of fans bouncing up and down, and at other times a sea of arms waving. They drew lots of applause and cheers, but the biggest cheers came after vocalist Kobi Farhi talked to the crowd about wanting to see an end to the Middle East conflicts. A great set.
Orphaned Land setlist:
All Is One
The Simple Man
Barakah
The Kiss of Babylon (The Sins)
Brother
Birth of the Three (The Unification)
Sapari
Norra El Norra (Entering The Ark) + Ornaments Of Gold
After a short changeover it was time for the long awaited return of Blind Guardian. With it being the only UK date then fans had travelled from across the UK and as a result expectations were very high. Could Blind Guardian live up to the expectations? Well in short, yes they could and they did it with ease. I’ve been to a lot of gigs at the Forum but I don’t think I’ve ever heard a crowd singing along as loudly as they did for some of the songs tonight.
Tonight’s set includes songs from the latest album (Beyond the red mirror) and from across their career, including one of my favourites from the “At the edge of time” album – Tanelorn (Into the Void). That song was clearly not just one of my favourites but is also a favourite of a lot of fans judging by how the crowd reacted when the band started to play it. Unlike many bands who play the same set every night of the tour, Blind Guardian have been changing their’s a fair amount, which may be related to the fact that they are recording every night on the tour for a live album. Now there’s something for fans to look forward to.
It really was an epic set and has to rate as one of the best gigs I’ve seen this year. Let’s hope Blind Guardian are true to their word and don’t leave it so long before their next visit to the UK.
Blind Guardian setlist:
The Ninth Wave
Banish from Sanctuary
Nightfall
Fly
Tanelorn (Into the Void)
Prophecies
The Last Candle
Miracle Machine
A Past and Future Secret
Bright Eyes
Lost in the Twilight Hall
Imaginations from the Other Side
Encore:
Into the Storm
Twilight of the Gods
Valhalla
Encore 2:
Wheel of Time
The Bard’s Song – In the Forest
Mirror Mirror
