Epica show last night proved why Amanda is the coach and Simone is the student!

[arnavut]

Last night show at the Masquerade, Amanda simply showed who is the teacher who is the student.

Amanda's mid range was more powerful, she flawlessly switched from mid to falsetto and back to mid , whereas Simone still has problems with live(most of the time it feels like she has a break in between). Amanda had more commitment to the songs when she was singing than Simone . (Opposite is also true interms of headbanging, Simone has the edge)

The same songs I listened to over years had more emotion and were more intense. Wow!

Simone is getting better every album every tour but, Amanda showed yesterday that Simone has still long way to go.

 

[Cheiron]

Well lets be honest about the situation. Simone was/is(?) Mark's girlfriend. Simone wasn't really a singer before the start of Epica (from what I've read). Simone is still learning, but she's very good. She'll get better, and as she does so will Epica both live and in the studio.

 

[VenomGA]

I didn;t think the vocalist last night was all that great and Epica's performance was NO WAY on par with their PP performance.

 

[ratanda]

Interesting, a friend of mine made similar comments about Simone's performance at PP: lacking power.

 

[Stevie WOnder]

Saw them in Quebec city last month and I agree that Amanda has got some pipes in every sense of the term...

Steve

 

[AMBR]

A lot of people who attended the NYC show were also singing Amanda's praises. This is no diss on Simone, but Amanda is clearly the total professional with worlds of talent and experience. Would like to see/hear a LOT more of her in some capacity after her stint with Epica is over and Simone returns.

 

[GameFreac]

Yeah I'm not even a fan of Epica but last night they were great......way better live IMO

She sounded better than Simone from what I've heard so far

 

[Stingray11214]

Here is a better question:

Why is Amanda the teacher and Simone the frontwoman?

 

[BARfest]

Has anybody watched their DVD of the 2 Meter Sessies?? (Dutch TV) Simone is all of 19 or so, and this was just after the Phantom Agony album.. This is what really drew me to Simone. Her pitch has never been perfect, nor has her presence on stage ever been overwhelming, but there is an Xfactor to her voice which moves me beyond belief. I think Amanda by far is the superior singer now, but Simone has something that Amanda lacks-- Its like listening to Carreras vs. Pavarotti in their prime. Pavarotti has that beautiful tonal quality which cant be replicated--

I really hope that their next album is on-par. Their performance at ProgPower was one of my all-time favorites. Consign to Oblivion was incredible as well. Mark has a lot of the right ideas in his writing. The last album was a tad derivative in my opinion.

 

[AMBR]

Here is a better question:

Why is Amanda the teacher and Simone the frontwoman?

Simone is a beautiful performer with an exceptional voice and growing talent. I think she is perfect for Epica. Yet, it was just such a major treat to hear Amanda perform and I REALLY hope to see more of her in another band...SOON! Why is this exceptional singer and dynamic woman not performing regularly? She needs to be showcased with someone.

 

[Petethedrummer]

she has a bunch of real good solo stuff
http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendid=53641468

 

[Comic Book Dude]

Amanda was really good with her performance Wednesday night in St Pete. Florida, but if you hadn't seen (and heard) Simone at ProgPower, then you have no idea how impressive she can be live. There were moments when she just blew me away, and I'm not the biggest follower of Epica. Let's not kick her when she's down with an illness. It was great to hear Amanda with the band, but there's always a little something missing when it's not the original singer.

 

[7thSaviour]

Last night show at the Masquerade, Amanda simply showed who is the teacher who is the student.

Amanda's mid range was more powerful, she flawlessly switched from mid to falsetto and back to mid , whereas Simone still has problems with live(most of the time it feels like she has a break in between). Amanda had more commitment to the songs when she was singing than Simone . (Opposite is also true interms of headbanging, Simone has the edge)

The same songs I listened to over years had more emotion and were more intense. Wow!

Simone is getting better every album every tour but, Amanda showed yesterday that Simone has still long way to go.

Amanda is truly a professional in every sense of the word. IMO, SHE should've gotten the NW gig. She's definitely better than Anette Olzon, with all due respect.

 

[7thSaviour]

A lot of people who attended the NYC show were also singing Amanda's praises. This is no diss on Simone, but Amanda is clearly the total professional with worlds of talent and experience. Would like to see/hear a LOT more of her in some capacity after her stint with Epica is over and Simone returns.

Amanda is one of the best female singers out there, and I've heard a lot of 'em. She ruled the stage from beginning to end of the show.

 

[7thSaviour]

It was great to hear Amanda with the band, but there's always a little something missing when it's not the original singer.

That's exactly how I felt when I saw NW play without Tarja. There was definitely a formless void on the stage where Tarja should have been.

 

[7thSaviour]

?? I don't get it.

Are you implying that because Amanda isn't the front woman but Simone is that she's the better singer? I am just trying to understand the question. If the question is serious, well, I would have to assume that because Amanda isn't Dutch, and Simone being his girl and wanting to join the band and being a singer made more sense to him. Amanda was hired to help them with Simone and with their English lyrics.

She's done a great job with that, too. Mark speaks decent English as it is. Some of the band members said or sang nothing during the set. Are they just that quiet or is their English really that poor? Having said all that, I love their lyrics and musicianship. Great show!

 

[BlindPanzer]

I have to agree. I was bored by the PP performance but Amanda's voice made all the difference when I went to the SymX show.

 

[RiffDaemon]

But Amanda.. damn that woman can sing!!!

She had some pipes, for sure. Very interactive/playful with the crowd up front, too. They did a great thing in bringing her along.

 

[DemonOfTheWoods]

Amanda Sommerville is a vocal goddess. I can't wait to see her tonight @ Jaxx (if I make it there!)

 

[Sumeet]

Amanda was really good with her performance Wednesday night in St Pete. Florida, but if you hadn't seen (and heard) Simone at ProgPower, then you have no idea how impressive she can be live. There were moments when she just blew me away, and I'm not the biggest follower of Epica. Let's not kick her when she's down with an illness. It was great to hear Amanda with the band, but there's always a little something missing when it's not the original singer.

I'm no vocal expert by any means, but Somerville did a very good job as far as I could see. Though quite honestly if I had a blindfold on, I probably would not have been able to tell the difference. The sound at the St Petersburg show was also not the best (for any of the bands), but it was a good performance. Still, while Somerville probably is a more technically skilled vocalist than Simons, there is (whether one wants to admit it or not) also a visual aspect that inevitably comes into play when you have a live performance of a metal band with a female vocalist, and that aspect was certainly altered a lot by having a different vocalist.