EVANESCENCE 

– Astoria  - 20th June 2003

Immediately I was interested but also perturbed at the same time. Doubtless the music may be good but why should I support a band who were apparently blatantly ripping off someone else? In any event upon discovering the CD for £9.99 at my local Supersava in the new release section I decided that this cost could be submerged with little difficulty within my weekly shopping and so took the plunge. Upon hearing it my concern proved correct so derivative was the material. So who’s the mug in this game then eh?...actually, don’t answer that one!

Bands have always been influenced others but perhaps not as starkly as this (although I’m sure Evanescence will say it is subconscious, and maybe it is). Lacuna Coil were influenced by The Gathering, they by Paradise Lost, they by Celtic Frost, the list goes on, but I can handle the nature of the material being peddled by our friends from Arkansas for several reasons; 1) The album is undeniably excellently crafted and full of good songs, 2) I bought it like almost any other release I try; I perceived them as an underground band who interested me. Just because they have now become massive why should I throw the towel in? and 3) because they put on a performance tonight which ultimately justified their billing.

Support act Span are everything that Kerrang tries to ram down peoples throats these days; fun powerful guitars, a quirky frontman (although you wonder how much he means it) and songs with big hooks the titles of which, other than “Found”, are unfortunately instantly forgotten. Nonetheless they make a considerable impression being consummate showmen and most in the heaving Astoria are applauding by the end. They sound like a heavy metal version of The Tremolos to me, but they will not be interested in my opinion. They will be f**king huge.

The wait for Amy Lee & Co seems to go on forever before the lights go down and the band open with “Going Under”. Tight and exuberant, treading the boards in the “corridors of power an ocean away” has plainly broken the band in as a live entity. Amy Lee (who does look like Cristina Scabbia on stage) wears what appears to be a wedding frock covered by a black Basque. She is a whirlwind of movement and, just as we Brits like, very feisty; (she doesn’t think twice about telling someone to “f**k off pal” when an unadvised comment is made after she is given a rose by another smitten member of the congregation).  Where Cristina tends to focus on her singing, Amy does struggle with her breath sometimes as is the “Bruce Dickinson” nature of her performance leaping about paroling the stage but I bet she is an animal in the sack.

Ben Moody has pneumonia tonight – how anyone can have a cold in this venue tonight beats me as I am dripping with sweat all evening – but this does not detract from his efforts. The Fallen material remains the backbone, but those songs unrecognisable are I believe from another little known release the name of which escapes me. The double billing of “Bring Me Back to Life” and “Tourniquet” is quite simply awesome and is the highlight. Great songs that I am forced to admit are performed by a great band.

No encore after an hour, but I suspect they had few songs left in their cannon and besides Evanescence have more than made their point, one or two sound problems aside (Amy’s vocals were too low in the mix). While you always wish the originators of a sound to be the ones who make it, I can at least console myself with the fact that the band who have broken probably deserve it, you just wish that such marketing benefits are available to others. They are not just pale imitators on this performance and the world will always have a need for a Lacuna Coil-lite band with a pop sensibility and Evanescence let nobody down. Just don’t be surprised if Cristina & pals sue.

And yes I did wear my Lacuna Coil shirt and tragically I only saw one other, but yes I can live with it. Leave your cynicism aside and go and see them when they return.

Review by Andy Lees

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