AVANTASIA
The All-Kart Halle - Kaufbeuren, Germany
December 4, 2010

What a great surprise was this Avantasia tour!

Tobias Sammet dream back in 2000 and 2001 was to record an album with his favourite singers, including former Helloween vocalist Michael Kiske.
Who would think that 10 years later he will bring him back on stage?

More albums have been recorded since, and Avantasia made a short summer tour in 2008 with some of the singers, but not including Michael Kiske.
That was in support of the album The Scarecrow.

Back in those days, I was lucky to see Avantasia live at Sweden Rock Festival.

In 2010, with the new album Angel Of Babylon, Avantasia decided to tour again... but this time they were playing headlining shows instead of festivals... and it was announced that Michael Kiske was going to tour with them!

And it wasn't all, Tobias Sammet put together an amazing Avantasia line-up: Many other prestigious rock and metal singers joined, like Bob Catley, Jorn Lande, Kai Hansen, Amanda Somerville and Olliver Hartmann.

So, Avantasia were playing a historical, something not to be missed for a fan living nearby the scheduled cities on tour.

Avantasia scheduled dates in Germany, Switzerland, Sweden, Japan, Mexico, Brazil and Argentina.
So, here I was on my way to the small Bavarian city of Kaufbeuren to see Avantasia on stage!

The show started with the song Twisted Mind, only with Tobias Sammet on vocals.
Felix Bohnke's drum was higher in the centre of the stage, with Amanda Somerville on one side and Miro on the other.

The first guest singer came on the second song, The Scarecrow: Jørn Lande was absolutely majestic, the guy has an impressive voice. Everyone gave him a great ovation.

Jørn also sang Serpents in Paradise with Tobias, and the lyrics
"Vandroiy can you hear me... Vandroiy can you tell me..." let us know what was coming soon... they seemed to be calling, well, you know who! Call him Ernie, call him Lugaid Vandroiy, you know about who I'm talking about!

It was Bob Catley from Magnum the third singer on stage. He sang the first slow moment of the evening: A great version of The Story Ain't Over.

Then we heard the famous Prelude, intro to The Metal Opera, and we all knew what was coming next!
He was there, in front of us, the man that inspired almost every power metal singer in the 90's: Michael Kiske!

Well, he has changed since he left Helloween! But his voice is as clear and powerful as you can hear on his records!
If I had to descibe it in just one word, it would be: AMAZING!

And then another former Helloween singer came on stage! The one and only Kai Hansen from Gamma Ray!

He sang one of my favourites songs, Death Is Just A Feeling, originally recorded by Jon Oliva from Savatage.

Avantasia setlist continued with all their hits and those singers coming back again for different songs.
The audience was in trance, in total communion with the band.

Finally, Amanda Sommerville came to the front of the stage to sing the lead parts of Farewell, certainly one of the most beautiful Avantasia songs, originally recorded by Sharon Den Adel from Within Temptation.

The last songs of the eveing were played with another guitarrist, in addition to Sasha Paeth and Olliver Hartmann:
Kai Hansen brought with his old classic pink ESP Flying V-styled guitar ! Imagine what I felt when I saw him playing side by side with Kiske!

During the whole show, the sound was OK but not really great.
The lights were perfect, and the audience responded as the band deserved it: All musicians delivered a first class performance.

The only negative thing I'd say about this concert is that the stage set was only a backdrop with cover of The Scarecrow album.
Thy should have made something more special. After all, they're the ones who titled their first two albums "The Metal Opera"!
Maybe they will at Wacken they will?...

This was without any doubt a magical evening, a big party, and a night to remember forever.
But the dream was not over... Avantasia's concert in Fulda was just a couple of weeks away!





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Setlist Avantasia – All-Kart Halle - Kaufbeuren, Germany – December 4, 2010

01. Twisted Mind
02. The Scarecrow
(with Jørn Lande)
03. Promised Land
(with Jørn Lande)
04. Serpents in Paradise
(with Jørn Lande)
05. The Story Ain't Over
(with Bob Catley)
06. Prelude
07. Reach Out for the Light
(with Michael Kiske)
08. The Tower
(with Michael Kiske)
09.Death Is Just a Feeling
(with Kai Hansen)
10. Lost in Space
11. In Quest For
(with Bob Catley)
12. Runaway Train
(with Jørn Lande,Michael Kiske,Bob Catley)
13. Dying for an Angel
(with Michael Kiske)
14. Stargazers
(with Jørn Lande, Michael Kiske, Oliver Hartmann and without Tobias Sammet)
15. Farewell
(with Amanda Somerville)
16. The Wicked Symphony
(with Jørn Lande,Michael Kiske,Oliver Hartmann)
————————————
17. The Toy Master
(with Kai Hansen)
18. Shelter From the Rain
(with Michael Kiske,Kai Hansen on guitar)
19. Avantasia
(with Michael Kiske,Kai Hansen on guitar)
20.Sign of the Cross / The Seven Angels
(with Jørn Lande, Michael Kiske, Bob Catley,Oliver Hartmann, Amanda Somerville, Kai Hansen on guitar)

Avantasia Links:

Avantasia Line-up: