Words by: Robert Sutton
Images by: Robert Sutton Photography
www.facebook.com/robertsuttonphotography
Katatonia is just coming to the end of a whopping 34 date European tour, titled ‘Fallen Hearts of Europe’. Their only UK date was at The O2 Shepherds Bush Empire London on the 21st October.
Support for the evening was from ‘VOLA‘ and ‘Agent Fresco‘.
VOLA: are a four piece band from Denmark who plays a bit of a mix of progressive rock infused with electronica , industrial and extreme metal music, opened up the evening’s performance to a fairly well-attended audience especially considering the fact that they were on stage at 6:30 pm. They were a great opening act that seemed to go down well with the audience.
Agent Fresco: again another four-piece band, but this time from Iceland and this time more into the ‘arty’ version of progressive rock. I’m not too sure what Arno?r Dan Arnarson (vocals) had had for dinner, but whatever it certainly gave him the energy to run across the stage for the majority of his performance! Good string set and again one that the audience appreciated.
Katatonia is a quintet who are from Sweden and were formed in 1991. They originally started out playing doom metal, but have changed tack a bit and now play with a more progressive rock style.
This being their 25th anniversary since forming and also the 10th anniversary of their seventh studio album ‘The Great Cold Distance‘ tonight’s performance was to be one of two sets.
The first being this album being played in full, in the order that it appears on the album. With a very nearly sold out crowd, the lights were set to a dull red to provide the mood for the album and the band launched into the first track ‘Leaders‘ and we were off on the journey of this great album from them. However, as with all great albums, it was over all too soon and the band announced that there would be a short break before they came back and played their second set of the evening.
This second set would be a more traditional one with a mix of songs from their collection, including three from their latest album ‘The Fall of Hearts‘ which was released in May this year. This time the lights were set to a blue color and the band opened this second set with ‘Last Song Before Fade‘ from the latest album. They finished their standard set with ‘Gateways of Bereavement‘, which they haven’t played live for twenty years! from their first album ‘Dance of December Souls‘. Their encore was ‘Ghost of the Sun‘, from their sixth album ‘Viva Emptiness‘ and this rounded off a super night’s performance and one that was a real treat for any Katatonia fan.
Setlist:-
Set1: (The Great Cold Distance)
1: Leaders
2: Deliberation
3: Soil’s Song
4: My Twin
5: Consternation
6: Follower
7: Rusted
8: Increase
9: July
10: In the White
11: The Itch
12: Journey Through Pressure
Set 2:
13: Last Song Before The Fade
14: Teargas
15: Serein
16: Saw You Drown
17: Old Heart Falls
18: Day
19: Dead Letters
20: For My Demons
21: Forsaker
22: Evidence
23: Lethean
24: Gateways of Bereavement
Encore:
25: Ghost of the Sun
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