Artists: Kamelot, Frozen Crown, BlackBriar, Ad Infinitum
Venue:Â Manchester: Ritz
Date:Â 3rd November 2024
"When the five-piece took to the stage at 9.15pm, expectations in the crowd were clearly high."
Kamelot have a big sound, painted on an epic musical canvas, and when they have played in the UK in the past, I don’t think they have ever been able to project that sound, purely based on the venues they have been given. I also think the band’s profile isn’t the same as it is in mainland Europe or America. The last time they played in Manchester was in March 2019, when they shared a bill with Evergrey and Visions Of Atlantis. The small Club Academy venue was totally unsuitable for the sound of all three bands, and I truly believe they suffered as a result. When the new UK dates were announced, I was pleased to see that a larger venue had been chosen, though I was slightly concerned how well it would be attended, due to the aforementioned profile issue.
When the five-piece took to the stage at 9.15pm, expectations in the crowd were clearly high. The room was probably three quarters full, with room on the upstairs balcony for those that wanted a higher vantage point, so it was comfortable, with space to move around. The band launched straight into ‘Veil Of Elysium’, quickly followed by ‘Rule The World’. To say the lighting was moody would be an understatement, and I would be surprised if any of the photographers I was sharing the pit with got many decent shots. The sound was decent, but I could have done with Tommy Karevik’s vocals being a little higher in the mix. The band wasted no time with between song banter, so ‘Opus Of The Night’, ‘Insomnia’ and ‘When The Lights Are Down’ all followed in quick succession. Melissa Bonny, from Swiss Metal band Ad Infinitum (who were the main support act), made regular appearances and her clean and harsh vocals complimented those of Karevik nicely, adding some light and shade wherever necessary.
If I am honest, I think the more recent Kamelot studio output has become a little samey, but live the songs took on much more of an identity. I still prefer the albums they recorded with Roy Khan on vocals, but Karevik does a fantastic job with all stages of the recorded canon. Guitarist and band-leader Thomas Youngblood was keen to encourage the crowd at every opportunity, peeling off some tasty solos to great effect. Bass player Sean Tibbetts was non-stop throughout the whole ninety minutes, prowling the stage or jumping around with total enthusiasm. We were treated to an anthemic ‘Vespertine (My Crimson Bride)’ which saw Karevik and Bonny interact very theatrically. ‘Karma’, ‘Sacrimony (Angel Of Afterlife)’, ‘The Human Stain’ and ‘March Of Mephisto’ kept the energy levels high and the constant sparks at the front of the stage raised the temperature even more. We even got a rain of confetti, which I am glad I didn’t have to clean up. Alex Landenburg’s drum solo was somewhat perfunctory, but Oliver Palotai’s brief keyboard spot bled into to an extended run through the rampaging 'Forever’, which also included band introductions and plenty of audience participation. ‘One More Flag In The Ground’ and ‘Liar Liar (Wasteland Monarchy)’ brought things to an epic close, and filing out it was nice to hear some people, who had clearly never taken in a Kamelot show before, commenting on how good they were.
A great night all round and a mention for the three support bands, Frozen Crown, BlackBriar and Ad Infinitum, who all turned in cool sets, with AI being especially effective. I would have liked better lighting (at times the band members were shadows on the stage hidden by deep blue and red shading) and cheaper beer prices (£8 for a pint is ridiculous for a non-arena venue), yet these two negatives failed to quell my enjoyment. Kamelot were finally on a stage big enough to do them justice and that made all the difference.
Review & Photos: Dave Bott
Gallery: All photos © Dave Bott (used with kind permission)
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