On November 21, snow covered Paris in a great white blanket, plunging the capital into the cold, the perfect opportunity to go to the Adidas Arena and warm up at the Within Temptation concert !
BLIND8
The venue fills up fast, and the audience is eager to see the headliner, but curious about the opening acts. At 7.30pm, Blind8 take to the stage, much to the surprise of the crowd, as no lights are switched off to announce their arrival. They do, however, get some applause. Their set is short, lasting just 20 minutes, but it's worth remembering that the band is still young. Indeed, the Ukrainians only founded the band last year, but they've had the opportunity to feature Sharon den Adel on their single Labyrinth and have been booked on the Within Temptation tour! But accolades aren't everything, and while the band brings atmosphere and energy, the sound doesn't suit the audience. Nevertheless, they left the stage to rapturous applause.
ANNISOKAY
At 8.05pm, the lights go down, announcing the arrival of German band Annisokay. The crowd seems to light up, and the welcome is worthy of a headliner! The band kicks off with Throne Of The Sunset, and the pogos begin. The lighting effects are impressive and almost hypnotize the crowd. On the third track, Sharon den Adel takes to the stage, to the cheers and applause of the entire arena, to sing Like A Parasite with the Germans. She left the stage immediately after the song, but the audience was in for a surprise, as Annisokay followed up with a cover of Linkin Park's One Step Closer! The crowd goes wild and it's a wonderful show. All in all, 30 minutes was enough for the band to conquer the crowd and prepare them for the headliner's arrival, leaving a strong impression on the audience.
WITHIN TEMPTATION
It wasn't until 9.00 pm that the lights went out again, giving way to a majestic intro in front of a cheering crowd. It's fair to say that the Dutch band were eagerly awaited, their last appearance being two years earlier, co-headlining with Evanescence. They were back this time in honor of the promotion of their Bleed Out album, released in 2023.
And indeed, they put this album front and center, kicking off the show with We Go To War, Bleed Out, Ritual and Don't Pray For Me, four tracks from the latest opus. The audience was won over, singing along to every word, vibrating to every note and jumping to every beat.
As for the scenography, it could be described as legendary: pillars and ornaments reminiscent of the interior of a Gothic church, presenting the stage as the altar of the band itself. And if the sets and lighting are beyond reproach, so too is the legendary singer Sharon den Adel, whose performance is faultless. No crack, no breathlessness, no false notes... Fans were left speechless.
The evening had already been full of surprises thanks to Annisokay, but Within Temptation decided to play along too, bringing Tarja Turunen on stage to sing The Promise, as well as My Immortal, a track from her own repertoire. The audience gave her a warm welcome, with thunderous applause and a shower of screams.
But she wasn't the only guest that night. Ukrainian musician, sound engineer and producer Alex Yarmak was also on stage with the band, microphone in hand.
The band left the stage to make themselves scarce, but soon returned with four songs for the encores. They also brought back Tarja Turunen for Paradise (what about us?) before closing the evening with their hit Mother Earth.
It was a night to remember for symphonic metal fans, who are already looking forward to seeing Within Temptation at next year's Hellfest!
A big thanks to Veryshow for the invitation !
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