Zur deutschen Version geht es hier.
Guys, what was that last Friday at Hellraiser Leipzig? FREEDOM CALL were back in the area after what felt like centuries and had the Hamburg band NIGHT LASER with them. As you might have guessed from the title, it was cozy and warm and that wasn’t without its challenges for us… Read more in the article!
First of all, many thanks to lightinmirror.de, who not only almost melted, but really got everything out under the most adverse conditions!
NIGHT LASER
But let’s start with the opening act first! This was one of the few occasions when I didn’t have time to listen to the opener beforehand. Accordingly, I approached the whole thing fresh. NIGHT LASER play Glam Metal that sounds surprisingly modern and fresh despite the good portion of vintage. If you’ve had enough of MÖTLEY CRUE after decades of drug consumption, you’ll feel completely at home here!
The gig at Hellraiser was something very special for NIGHT LASER for two reasons: On the one hand, it was the guys‘ first time in Leipzig and on the other hand, they were celebrating the release of their new album Call Me What You Want, which I have to give an enthusiastic recommendation at this point!
What particularly impressed me about the band was their honest joy on stage. NIGHT LASER are a live band like no other and despite the adverse stage and temperature conditions, they rocked the place as if they had been born for it. The millennials among us would probably describe their joy as “Golden Retriever Energy”.
The only tiny drop of bitterness for me was that I would have liked a second live guitar. Given the stage was far too small, this was certainly not feasible, but I think it would have benefited their live sound.
FREEDOM CALL
First of all, I have to come clean: The show at Hellraiser was only my second time seeing FREEDOM CALL live and their first headline show for me. I won’t even mention that my first live experience with this band was seven years ago… Considering this fact, I was really excited to see what was in store for me.
The set began with A Perfect Day and I was blown away by how much the audience was already into it. People had obviously been on withdrawal for years and were determined to make the most of every moment. In all the years I’ve been doing this, it was probably one of the best crowds I’ve ever experienced. The atmosphere only got hotter with every song.
Cue “heating up”: Anyone who knows the Hellraiser knows that there is a large and a small space. This time the concert took place in the smaller one. For reasons I couldn’t quite figure out, the start was moved from 19:30 to 20:00 without the fans knowing. This led to everyone crowding into the small room half an hour before the actual start. Due to a lack of ventilation, the room heated up at an incredible rate and I was honestly surprised that nobody in there had any health problems. If that had happened, it would have been difficult to get people out anyway because everyone was standing so close together. The heat was so bad that the bands were completely drenched in sweat after just one song, which is anything but pleasant when you have to/want to play an almost two-plus hour set.
During our last visits to the Hellraiser, I had always noticed that the staff were not exactly friendly, but I attributed this to the rather stressful event situation. But last Friday, the staff at the door were downright unfriendly. I understand that they take their job seriously and certainly don’t have much time to tell every single person the same thing. What I don’t understand is when people berate fans, snap at the sister of the headliner’s guitarist for no reason and talk to me as if I’m a bit stupid because I forgot to put my press sticker on my clothes in the pre-show stress. I can see my mistake too, but there’s a difference between saying “Would you please put the sticker on your clothes. It will make our job easier“, or whether you start directly with ”Hey! We have these stickers for a reason. You do realize that, right?”. At a time when live events are a privilege that many don’t often afford, this is simply not acceptable. You lose a loyal audience that would rather go to a different venue next time if you talk like that. We love coming to the Hellraiser, but the combination of the tropical heat, which later caused condensation to drip from the ceiling, and the behavior of the staff left me with a particularly bitter aftertaste that evening.
At this point, I would like to take my hat off to FREEDOM CALL once again, who delivered a professional and experienced show in the smallest of spaces despite the adverse conditions! The setlist included songs from the current album Silver Romance as well as the band’s own evergreens like Union of the Strong, Warriors, Mr. Evil, Metal is for Everyone and Tears of Babylon, which is also one of my personal favorites!
As already mentioned above, the fans had an unbridled joy celebrating this “ Happy Metal” party with their idols, which was unfortunately only literally clouded by the fact that FREEDOM CALL answered the question “How much fog do you want to shoot out of the fog cannon” with an enthusiastic “YES!”. In view of the small venue and the already scarce fresh air, I would have liked to have seen a different approach from the band here.
At one point, singer Chris sang a song without guitar and I noticed that the sound was much fuller when both Lars and Chris played the strings!
All in all, it was an evening full of highs that fans will remember for a long time to come. For me, the experience was significantly spoiled by the external circumstances, for which FREEDOM CALL cannot be held responsible. I will have to repeat the whole thing again on occasion to make up for this experience!
But I’m all the more pleased to be able to present you with another interview. Check back over the next few days to find out what “The Happiest Metal Band in the World” has to say.
Shieldmaiden's Voice 