lördag 29 Sep 2007, 9:40

Fri 28 Sep – Kamelot, Threshold, Serenity

According to the schedule published the day before, the opening band - Serenity were scheduled to start playing the moment that the doors opened at 7PM, so I must admit that I didn't get there in time to see them at all.

Then at just after 7:30PM, Threshold hit the stage. It was only the second time that I had seen them play live with Damien Wilson on vocals and once again I was hugely impressed. His stage presence is immense and the added movement he brings means that the whole of the band's performance is much more animated that it ever was during the 'Mac' years. Given the length of time available, the set leans towards the more recent material and in fact appears to be exactly the same set that the band played two weeks earlier at the Summers End Festival which I attended in Bilston. Damien masters the material completely and it is hard to see even Mac performing the songs as well as this. I doubt that he could manage the stage dive performed by Damien either! :)

Setlist:
Slipstream
Pressure
Mission Profile
Hollow
Pilot in The Sky of Dreams
Light & Space
This is Your Life

At around 8:45PM Kamelot hit the stage. From where I was standing in the upstairs bar, the sound was very good and the voice of Roy Khan could be heard nice and clearly above the music, just as I like it - though apparently it was not so good downstairs. It proved to be an eventful evening for the band with stand-in touring bassist Sean Tibbetts(replacing Glen Barry) disappearing off stage not long into the set. The band continued to play as best the could and finally after about three songs Khan told the audience that Sean had fallen and broken his leg, but that they were going to continue as best they could.

He must have been saying this slightly tongue in cheek as a few songs later a stool appeared on stage and an obviously hobbling Sean appeared and perched himself on it - with a roadie then placing a packing case by the side of it, so that Sean could rest his foot. What a trooper!

Anyway, though I do like Kamelot they are one of those bands which I find difficulty in remembering song titles and in distringuishing one tune from the next. Its all fine, well produced and constructed songs with excellent vocals, but it does sound rather samey.

Mention should also be made of the excellent German vocalist who is now touring with the band, singing mainly backing vocals, but coming to the front of the stage and acting playfully with Khan during duets such as (the one from The Black Halo). She certainly adds another dimension to this band which gets more polished and professional every time I see them. A quality show, for sure.

The full Kamelot set-list (purloined from Dave Ling's Diary on his website www.daveling.co.uk was:

Solitaire/Rule The World
When The Lights Are Down
Soul Society
Mourning Star
Descent Of The Archangel
Abandoned
The Human Stain
Guitar Solo/Jam,
Centre Of The Universe
The Haunting (Somewhere In Time)
Forever
Keyboard Solo (Oliver Palotai)
Ghost Opera
Love You To Death
Karma
Encore
March Of Mephisto.