Symphonic gothic hard rock band Evanescence released their sixth album `Sanctuary` in June and arrived in Birmingham as part of a worldwide tour in support of said release. It had been well over a decade since I last saw the band and what immediately struck me about tonight was the anticipation prior to the bands arrival, which was almost tangible and that there were very few empty seats in this 15,800 capacity arena.
The lights dim and we find a stage bathed in red with the bands musicians starting the number as singer Amy Lee walks on stage and the venue erupts. The opening number is the title track of the latest album and a real anthemic opener tinged with an aching quality, an almost statement of intent with a cinematic quality. We enjoy a further trio of cuts from the latest album with the pounding and thumping `Tell Me When You`ve Had Enough` the soaring `Afterlife` and pulsating `Rapture`. The crowd really come to life when `Going Under` from 2003`s debut album `Fallen` is shared with phones held aloft and all and sundry singing along.
Singer Amy Lee sits at a piano and plays `Lithium` a real emotive power ballad along with the edgy `Like You` before the slow burn `Self Destruct` rings out and the stage is engrossed in flames with some band members rising aloft on scissor lift risers.
Rapper K.Flay joins the singer to perform `Fight Like A Girl` a song recorded for the film Ballerina, which to me had an almost middle eastern vibe. The dreamy love song `Beautiful Lie`, the powerfully emotive `Wasted on You` which the singer shared was a personal number and the breathy `Forever Without You` follow but it`s the grammy award winning `Bring Me To Life` from the debut album that ignites the place with fire, streamers and confetti, a song which has sold 745,000 copies in the UK alone.
The home straight includes `Imaginary` a reflective power ballad, the soaring anthemic `Better Without You` and the almost restrained but edgy `About Us` which was shared from atop a scissor riser platform. American singer and musician Poppy joins Amy for `End of You` with some unclean or growled vocals from her guest.
The singer sits at a piano for the penultimate number, the tender power ballad `My Immortal` from the bands debut album as phones light up the arena. The anthemic `Wide Open Heart` closes out this flowing one hundred minute set as the band take their bows.
This was a really cleverly constructed set which included the majority of songs from the new release blended alongside some of the bands more popular numbers from throughout their career. The band who include guitarists Troy McLawhorn and Tim McCord, drummer Will Hunt and bass player Emma Anzai are integral to the band`s performance and sound but this is singer Amy Lee`s band, and there`s no doubts about this as she stalks and commands the stage.
The band`s songs are still written from difficult and also joyous personal lived experiences but this stage show with its pyrotechnics and back screens is light years ahead of the show I caught many years ago but watching Amy and her band perform tonight you can understand why she has an army of devoted fans who will still come out in vast numbers and support a band who haven`t released an album for five years or toured these shores since 2022.
A heartening night shared with a band who are still on top of their game.
