Delain / Aeverium - P60, Amstelveen (The Netherlands) - 17 March 2017

The last time that I saw Delain on stage was in Amsterdam in December 2016 for their very special 10th anniversary show. I was literally blown away thanks to such enthusiasm, professionalism and spectacular lights, effects and guests. Ending the 'Moonbathers' Tour with such a highlight was one of the most intense moments in my musical experience. That's why I decided to organize a short trip to the Netherlands to attend one more Delain gig before they leave to the US and Canada for a co-headline tour with Hammerfall. Between January and April, the Dutch Metallers organized a couple of club shows in their home country. On 17th March, I went to the south of Amsterdam, to Amstelveen, to see my favourite band once again.

I arrived (very) early, to be sure to get the front row. A couple of hours later, the doors opened and I got into P60 which turned out to be a charming and modern conventional venue with a capacity of about six hundred. Very quickly, both the standing area and the balcony were full and the gig was – I guess – almost sold out.

Aeverium, a German Alternative Metal band, opened the concert with a forty minute set. I did not know them, but they have a nice balance; two singers – one female and one male ‒ and a very varied sound. They were also at times very aggressive at times and at other points quiet – sort of like Amaranthe but a bit rougher perhaps! They were an energetic, opening act and the audience was receptive to what they offered. I will definitely attend one of their shows if I have the opportunity to do so.




Delain started their set after a thirty minute break. The intro of their show is always stunning; lights off, deep sound coming up with 'The Monarch' starting. Drums and guitar (Ruben Israel and Timo Somers respectively) then highlighted. 'Hands Of Gold' opened the set by which time the whole crew was now on stage – Martijn Westerholt (keyboards), Merel Bechtold (second guitar), Otto Schimmelpenninck van der Oije (bass guitar) and Charlotte Wessels (lead singer). The song was powerful, with Schimmelpenninck van der Oije replacing Alissa White-Gluz for the growling part and the audience had been warmed up after only five minutes of the set.

The set-list was no different from the one on the 'Moonbathers' Tour last year, 'Suckerpunch' and 'The Glory And The Scum' were played next followed by 'Get The Devil Out Of Me' and 'Army Of Dolls'. The show was now perfectly choreographed and each member knew where to go, when they have to, to whom they can smile, or with who they can "joke on stage". After couple of gigs of the same tour, of course, it looked a bit less spontaneous despite some improvised moments, but it remained fun to experience.

'The Hurricane' came next. This is, to me, one of the best songs of the latest release. Thanks to the lyrics, Wessels' powerful and emotional voice and the lighting effects, the live experience gave this track an additional dimension, I feel. 'April Rain' brought the audience back to the basics and after a short interlude, a tape introduced 'Here Come The Vultures'. Here, the backdrop fell down to reveal the 'Human Contradiction' artwork. Then, 'Fire With Fire', 'Sleepwalkers Dream' and 'Stay Forever' were played. This last one always comes across well on stage. Next, the audience started singing along with 'The Gathering' and finally 'Pristine' led to the encore. 'Mother Machine' gave us the chance to head-bang while another backdrop featuring the 'We Are The Others' album artwork appeared. 'Don't Let Go' took our remaining energy while 'We Are The Others' brought the gig to a conclusion.




So, no new material and nothing had changed since the 'Moonbathers' tour, but that was not the aim of such a Dutch club show tour. The gig remained impressive nevertheless and for me was well worth the wait and the journey.

I had the chance to meet Westerholt, Bechtold and Schimmelpenninck van der Oije after the show. They always take time to go out after the concert to talk with people waiting for them, for pictures, autographs or simply for a talk.

So, to their first US and Canada tour, and then Delain will hit the road next October/November with Marco Hietala (Nightwish), who features on a lot of their records. I hope that this short 'Danse Macabre' Tour will bring back on stage some tracks which are not frequently played by Delain such as 'No Compliance', 'Sing To Me' and 'Your Body Is A Battleground'... Whatever, I'll be there!

Julien Marbaix