Event:	Sonata Arctica: UK Tour
Written by:	Baz Anderson
Published:	20.03.2011
Galleries:	Sonata Arctica - Sheffield, England, 19th March 2011 by Baz Anderson (25)

Sonata Arctica can certainly pull a crowd. Before the doors opening, the queue was one of the longest it has been for a while for a show at the Corporation. Inside, the venue was packed with people wearing various power metal apparel. They weren't going to be disappointed.




Main support of the night came from Italian long-running, and long lived Labyrinth. Clearly delighted to be on stage, the band tried to rouse the audience into clapping and singing along, to a lukewarm response. The vocalist sounded somewhat like Edu Falaschi of Angra with the occasional glass-shattering scream in there. Labyrinth's style is pretty straight-forward power metal, but considering how susceptible to being boring this style is, the band were actually enjoyable. The audience finally responded and gave the band an honourable exit from the stage.



The venue packed, it could only be time for Sonata Arctica to do their thing. Kicking off with a trio from the latest album, the fantastic "Flag In The Ground" first, we were under way for a great set. Tony was hyperactive and as crazy as ever, transferring his enthusiasm into the audience. Only Tony and Elias seemed particularly interested to be in the stage, playing about on the left hand of the stage with Henrik rolling his eyes at the other. Regardless, the band's setlist was pretty strange with a strong weight towards the newer albums.



Tony's apparent premonition of Facebook from twelve years ago "Blank File" was a really great surprise and sounded much better live, especially vocally, than the CD ever has. "As If The World Wasn't Ending" did however seem like it had been thrown in the setlist to eat up time. Other highlights of the set included the marvellous "Victoria's Secret", the usual favourite "Full Moon" and the closing "Don't Say A Word". Strangely the setlist contained absolutely nothing from the "Silence" album and only a disappointing combined three from "Winterheart's Guild" and "Reckoning Night" together. Regardless of this though, Tony's crazy charisma and great singing voice was enough to deliver a thoroughly enjoyable set.



The band are going to record a live DVD next month in Finland for a late 2011 release, and will also be recording their new album later in the year, which should see the light in early 2012. For an interview conducted before this show, visit this location.



Setlist: Flag In The Ground / The Last Amazing Grays / Juliet / Replica / Blank File / As If The World Wasn't Ending / Paid In Full / Victoria's Secret / Instrumental Paté / The Misery / Full Moon / In Black & White / Encore: Caleb / Don't Say A Word



Thanks to Markus and Jaap for the accreditation.
Written by Barry Anderson.
Photos by Barry Anderson.