Share your Threshold experiences

[Graham_s]

I don't know if there has been a thread like this before (there probably has!) but I thought I would start another one!

I thought it would be good to hear people's most memorable experiences/annecdotes from Threshold gigs over the years. Let's share some nostalgia!
And I hope the band themselves have some interesting things to share with us!

 

[forgottenglory]

That's an interesting thread! I'll need to dig some pictures of my most memorable Threshold gig and post it with the really nice story which goes with it soon.

 

[Graham_s]

That's an interesting thread! I'll need to dig some pictures of my most memorable Threshold gig and post it with the really nice story which goes with it soon.

Sounds great! and it would be great to see peoples photos too.

 

[LavagesOfTime]

I have a long list, despite having seen them three times!

The first that comes to my mind is stealing (very italian, indeed!) probably the last Threshold poster in Zoetermeer at the dvd show (you can see it in the booklet), with the help of a guy from the crew I won't mention lol, having it singed by the whole band... the worst part is that I gave it to my girlfriend, at the time. Now she's and ex girlfriend and there's no chances to have that poster back!

Another one is when I got invited to sing Falling Away at the soundcheck in Pratteln... being a poor singer, and being that probably the most challenging song to sing - especially the chorus - I refused

At least I watched the soundcheck from behind Rich's keyboards:

A couple more memories from the dvd show:

Mac gone to the dogs:

and karl playing everywhere with his portable marshall amp:

I also badly miss the wonderful conversation with Johanne James, since we both mix english and italian when we talk each other, and it should sound absolutely crazy to other listeners!

 

[forgottenglory]

and karl playing everywhere with his portable marshall amp:

Priceless

 

[Graham_s]

Those photos are great! its nice to see some older ones. Shame about that poster

 

[LavagesOfTime]

The pics actually look older than they are because are scans from paper photos. I took them in 2002/2003.

 

[razoredge]

Threshold gigs.... I can only dream.

Upon the hearing of Goodbye Mother Earth would be mine, I was sold

 

[Graham_s]

The pics actually look older than they are because are scans from paper photos. I took them in 2002/2003.

yeah, i realised after I posted that they didn't look that old after all. I find you can usually tell how old photos of metal bands are by looking at the hair length and the quantity of denim being worn!

 

[LavagesOfTime]

I find you can usually tell how old photos of metal bands are by looking at the hair length and the quantity of denim being worn!

Another funny thing: Jon was used to sing lead vocals at soundchecks, and I remember getting in at Z7 when he was playing and singing an hilarious song about "a band who wanted to be like Iron Maiden" or something like this: does any of the band remembers about what he was singing? I only remember laughing a lot!

 

[LavagesOfTime]

Shame about that poster

I've found a picture of it when it was still on the wall:

 

[forgottenglory]

After a lot of reflection, I've decided to share memories from this gig:

I have seen Threshold three times now and they have constantly put on great performances everytime with the Dead Reckoning gig in London being quite a rush. However, my first Threshold gig will always be special. I saw them during the Critical Mass tour. The Underworld doesn't exactly have state of the art sound and I was told that the sound was excellent at the back so I decided to stay at the back because I really wanted to enjoy the music.

I don't remember the songs that were played (I've got to dig that bootleg tape that a concert buddy taped for me) but I remember the sound to be awesome with the band putting on an excellent performance where I heard the songs like I heard them on the record, making me proud to be a Threshold fan.

But the after show experience really made this gig special for me. By the Critical Mass tour, I had all the albums and DTFs, which I brought with me to be signed. The first band member I met was Richard West.

I told him how much I enjoyed the show and how much I loved Threshold and asked him if he could sign my booklets, which he graciously did. I then asked him where I could find the other band members to have my booklets signed. Richard then said something really cool. He asked me to wait for him 'here' and he would go around the venue to have the other guys sign the booklets! I was touched by such a special treatment and all I could say was yes.

However, I was a bit worried that I wouldn't see either Richard or my booklets again. I clearly remember thinking: "Is this man not going to run away with my booklets?!". My music and my CDs are precious to me! This prompted me to follow him around the venue as he was having the booklets signed. Whenever he would hand the booklets to one member he could point to me and say: "It's for him.". There was some kind of amazement in Richard's eyes, which to this day I have not been able to figure out why.

​

Richard made me feel like I was the rock star and not him. It was a bit hard for me to grasp but over time I have come to cherish this memory.

Another memorable moment was when I was introduced to Karl. After he had signed the booklets, I remember saying to him that I loved Threshold and his guitar playing better than Dream Theater (no offence to DT fans). You can, at least I can hear the passion, emotion, intensity and electricity in his playing. I still get goosebumps when I hear his guitar solos!

Note: I had short hair at the time because I was working in an accounting practice. I had grown some facial hair to look a bit tough and not too out of place in the audience as I came to the gig directly from work. Looking back on this now:
​

 

[LavagesOfTime]

I don't remember the songs that were played​

Setlist:

Phenomenon
Choices
Turn On, Tune In
Oceanbound
Angels
Falling Away
Freaks
Echoes of Life
Virtual Isolation
The Latent Gene
Fragmentation
Light & Space

Encore:
Long Way Home

 

[LavagesOfTime]

I had grown some facial hair to look a bit tough and not too out of place in the audience as I came to the gig directly from work.​

It didn't work, at all - honest.

 

[BurningDownTheMiddle]

I see you adopted the non smiling stance at an early stage! (maybe you are just in shock!)

Great memories

 

[forgottenglory]

Setlist:

Phenomenon
Choices
Turn On, Tune In
Oceanbound
Angels
Falling Away
Freaks
Echoes of Life
Virtual Isolation
The Latent Gene
Fragmentation
Light & Space

Encore:
Long Way Home

Thanks for that! Awesome set list that was!

It didn't work, at all - honest.

yes!

I see you adopted the non smiling stance at an early stage! (maybe you are just in shock!)

Great memories

I stopped smiling when I got into Hard Rock and Heavy Metal.

 

[LavagesOfTime]

I see you adopted the non smiling stance at an early stage! (maybe you are just in shock!)

 

[forgottenglory]

I also can't believe how orange I look in the pic with Karl!

 

[Havermout]

My first (live) experience with Threshold was at ProgPower Europe I back in '99, a show many people would rather forget. A few years later a friend and me travelled to Atlanta for our second (or third) visit to ProgPower USA, we flew with BA from Amsterdam to London and from there to Atlanta. During boarding we happened to walk in front of the Threshold guys and found out that Mac spoke a bit Dutch so with had a bit of hilarious talk in the que to get on the plane. In Atlanta we even shared the same hotel (with Pain of Salvation as well) and it's a strange experience to see that members of bands you like so much come to your table to say goodmorning when you're enjoying your breakfast instead of the other way around.

H.

 

[BurningDownTheMiddle]

I have already posted some reminiscences of the pub days - being saved from a walk to the tube down a nasty alley after the gig at Bethnal Green by an unexpected lift (sitting next to an amp) and getting a copy of a cassette from Tony Grinham in the Compasses car park that was for radio stations only ("don't tell the others I gave you it") both stick in the mind - but have two more up to date ones.

1 After accidentally finding out that a pub band now had a deal (I always used to check the T section in record stores and one day in Glasgow there was a Threshold CD), after a few years I emailed, not expecting a reply. I ran a salmon egg hatchery at the time and the staff had the dubious pleasure of my record collection to listen to so I asked for a signed photo - and it arrived and after lamination was quickly put up on the wall. "To the Ormsary Hatchery from Threshold". I left there nearly six years ago but it still looks down on the workers!

2 Having not seen the "record deal version" of the band I finally made up for it at Rotherham in 2007. I took along my Mother Earth T Shirt bought from Tony Grinhams other half, Sarah, in the Compasses, probably for 3 or 4 pounds. It hasnt worn well with some good ageing (or rather staining, probably guinness) but it is still clear what it is. I asked each member of the band to do their best with a black marker pen and voila - the shirt is below. The ambition now is to track down all the others...