The last time I saw Delain, I went home thinking that I didn’t necessarily had to see then live again. It’s not like they suck as a live act. Because they don’t. It’s like, you have this band, that plays pop songs in a heavy arrangement, they’ve got a hot singer that can hit all the right notes at the right time, and the show’s completely rehearsed and it’s professional and entertaining and you’ve had a great time and all but, you know, when you walk home you get the feeling that, well, you wouldn’t have missed anything special. It’s just one of those shows.
Last week, on something like a whim, I went to see them again. I had nothing to do on a saturday night, they were playing in Hilversum and I’ve never seen a huge crowd in De Vorstin so I figured it wouldn’t be sold out, and it wasn’t.
I had a great time. Everything I said earlier still applied: they play their songs and they play them well, Charlotte‘s still a hot singer, and the show’s still very much rehearsed. I mean, everytime the bassist and guitarist didn’t have much to do during the verses, they moved to the back of the stage, only to move to the front again when they could rock out during the choruses.
Probably the biggest indicator of the feeling I have about seeing Delain live, is this: for this particular show, their guitarist was otherwise engaged. So they had Merel Bechtold—a tiny guitar-player with massive dreadlocks from the deathmetal band Purest of Pain—stand in. If you told me this was her regular gig, I’d believe you.
Still: I had a fun night out. While I still wouldn’t go out of my way to see them again, I’m sure I wouldn’t mind it if I did.
- Seen live
- Delain and Kingfisher Sky at De Vorstin, Hilversum on April 13th, 2013.
- Setlist
- Mother Machine / Stay Forever / Invidia / Milk and Honey / Electricity / Go Away / See Me in Shadow / Pristine / Control the Storm / Sever / Get the Devil Out of Me / April Rain / Sleepwalkers Dream / Not Enough // Hit Me With Your Best Shot / The Gathering / We Are the Others