Kamelot – Islington Academy 2008

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Kamelot’s popularity and notoriety in the UK has steadily increased over the last few years, starting with the outstanding The Black Halo and its successful videos, then new album Ghost Opera and successful shows at ProgPower UK II and London’s Astoria 2 in 2007.

The second half of this tour came with the re-release of Ghost Opera with a bonus disc of b-sides and live songs to try to keep their profile high, but most fans just wanted more live shows. This time with Firewind and Forever Slave in tow this show was the opening night of the new tour, and the first sell-out. A date in Wolverhampton was also added, an upgrade on the 2007 tour which only included London in the UK.

Forever Slave were disappointing, but their sound was good, which was encouraging for the other two acts. Unfortunately when Greece’s Firewind took the stage the sound had deteriorated rather drastically, and hearing Apollo Papathanasio’s vocals or Gus G’s lead guitar over the bass and drums was difficult at best. They played a tight, but short set highlighted by the unexpected inclusion of early song Warrior. Reports indicate in Wolverhampton they enjoyed a better sound and a longer set, so this was just an unfortunate night for them, as they are normally excellent and this time were just let down by forces beyond their control. Apollo was visibly unhappy at the enforced brevity of the show.

Kamelot didn’t fare a lot better with the sound. After a couple of songs the state of the vocal mix was improved enough to make out most of Roy Kahn’s words, but it still wasn’t up to the standard of last year’s show. Their performance was, especially without any injury drama (see last year’s review) and although the majority of the setlist remained the same, the new additions were welcomed, but most were a repeat of last year.

The set could have done with even more changing around. October really wasn’t that long ago, and although there were some new songs in the set, they were direct replacements in terms of position for the ones dropped, so the songs kept from last year were played in the same order. And one of those dropped was one of the most popular ones, Haunted (Somewhere In Time), which a lot of the more recent fans didn’t appreciate. And just as last year excellent soprano Anne-Catrin Maerzke had next to nothing to do.

All in it really did feel like we were watching the same show all over again, which was disappointing. Part two of the same tour need not be the same show, especially in cities played last time, and hopefully when they come back again next year, where they’ve upgraded to the 2,000 capacity Astoria, as well as a return date in Wolverhampton, plus expansion to Leeds, Glasgow and their first ever Irish date in Dublin, they will change things further, including perhaps a new song from the next album. The show certainly needs something new for the returning fans which, on the evidence of the ever increasing crowds, would seem to be quite a large number.

“ repeat of last year ”

Firewind Setlist: Into The Fire / Head Up High / I Am The Anger / The Silent Code / Warrior / Falling To Pieces / Mercenary Man

Kamelot Setlist: Rule The World / When The Lights Go Down / Soul Society / Pendulus Fall / Descent of The Archangel / Abandoned / The Human Stain / Solos / Serenade / Elizabeth / Keyboard solo / Forever / EdenEcho // Ghost Opera / Karma // March of Mephisto

Photo(s): Johan Eriksson | www.rockersdigest.com

Written by Andy Lye
More: 2008, Gigs, Power Metal, Progressive, Firewind, Kamelot