For those who know of the bands, this combination is a long time coming, and not just because they’ve rescheduled their tour many times over the year. Two of the most powerful symphonic bands in the world collaborate towards a single night, and I have front-row seats.
Well, not exactly a seat; I’m still standing, but I’m so close to the stage that I can see the sweat pouring off the lead singers’. But I digress. Firstly, for those who don’t know the bands, Within Temptation is a Dutch rock band. Their sound has evolved over the years, they have eight albums and they’ve been performing live since 1996. Their lead singer, Sharon Den Adel, has the voice of magic, and some would call her an angel. She also designs all the stage outfits and costumes herself, thanks to a Degree in Fashion.
Evanescence is also a popular band with lead singer Amy Lee. They’ve been going since 1995, and their most well-known songs are “Bring me to Life”, and “My Immortal”. Both songs are featured in the film Daredevil with Ben Affleck. Mostly I know Evanescence from my gothic teen stage in school, when I’d listen to her music on repeat while feeling all rebellious and angsty.
So here I stand, an hour before opening outside the OVO Hydro centre in Glasgow, in nothing but a leather jacket and jeans. I thought I’d put on heavy makeup, but the people around me had enough makeup to make a bigger statement. The wait is long, especially in the cold, and finally, the doors open, and everyone streams in like a wave. Luckily, I’m early enough to make it to the front and see the stage for the first time. Everything is covered in black cloth, hiding the props from the crowds. “I’ll bet it’s a statue,” someone says behind me. “No, I think it’s a door” , “It’s a mirror,” I say, and I get a few murmurs of agreement. But none of us knows what’s under the black fabric. The wait is long, and finally, we get the first supporting act. It’s a new band called Veridia from America. Their songs are catchy and bombastic. They have amazing outfits and stream ribbons like wings, but there is that impatience through the crowds, and they want to see the main acts.
When Veridia finishes, there’s a hushed silence as everyone holds their breaths in excitement. The cloth is pulled back, and there is indeed a statue, a giant mask which makes up the central part of the stage. Sharon Den Adel does not disappoint. After a bit of intro music, the stage bursts into colours, and she comes up through the light, singing her first song, “See Who I Am.” Sharon has the crowds entranced. Her voice resonates through the stage, reaching the back and echoing with such power. She’s known for her gorgeous outfits, and tonight she’s wearing a self-designed costume. Her dress’s key elements come off, and she changes quickly between breaks. There are times when she incorporates the giant mask whose eyes light up. When she sings “Angel” the eyes are malevolent, adding to the songs themes. Every song has a story, and that adds so much to the whole performance that it’s impossible to look away.
The crowds love it; people shout, sing, and dance around. Where it was once cold, the stadium is now hot with an energy. A rush generated through excitement.
Sharon Den Adel interacts with the crowd with confidence and jokes. The other band members are just as confident. Rudd Jolie and Stefan Helleblad come forward to perform solo jigs on their guitars. Even twenty feet up in the air, Sharon throws her lines out in perfect tempo on an actual swing. When they finish, there is a change in energy. The guards have been handing out water to keep everyone hydrated in Hydro.
We wait extraordinarily long for the backstage crew to set up. They move incredibly fast, but they must set up a new stage for Evanescence. The lighting, the props and even the colours have to change, and everyone works quickly as the crowds all stand and stare eagerly.
Finally, the lights go down and there’s a hush. When Amy Lee came on, she started with the song “Artifact/ The Turn” and led right into “Broken Pieces Shine”, but her voice was a bit muffled, so I couldn’t catch the words. The crowds erupted in excitement, and she jumped right into her performance. The people around me swayed and danced, but I didn’t hear much singing. By now, the crowds had been on their feet for more than two hours, and you could feel it in the energy. But the guards brought water back and forward, and people kept dancing and watching. When Amy Lee went to play her piano, half the crowd couldn’t see anything but her legs, cutting her off from half the audience. One of her excitable fans – a young woman in front of me – screamed her undying love every three minutes, even going so far as to begin throwing her jewellery onto the stage. After half an hour, it was clear that the songs Evanescence played needed to be better known. The crowd didn’t sing along, and many people were getting restless. Finally, Amy Lee called out to the crowd, “You know these songs, so you’d best sing along, so I don’t feel like I’m singing alone.” She then began to play “My Immortal.” The relief and happiness that swept over the crowd as they heard the intro was felt all around. Finally, everyone began to sing. Evanescence ended with “Bring Me To Life.” A classic.
Finally, as everyone was filling out of Hydro into the cold Scottish winter, there was excitement and finality to the shows end. Within Temptation didn’t disappoint, and they certainly took the prize for the performance of the evening.
Photo Credit: Stephen Walker
