Kamelot Status for the Festival

[Stardust2112]

Awww.... You guys are sweet for thinking of me. Haha.

I got this news while at the PNC Bank Arts Center watching RUSH. Logged in to update my status and saw the PPUSA update. Obviously, I'm crushed because I worship and adore Roy, but this isn't about me - it's about Roy and it's about Kamelot. Sure I'm upset, but I'm sure I'm nowhere near as upset as Roy and the rest of the band.

Canceling the tour at this point would probably be a mess, so I'm glad things will continue as planned. Michael sings his ass off and he's a very cool guy, and I know he'll do a good job filling in.

Whatever is up with Roy, I hope it's not serious and passes quickly!!

~Christina
P.S. Okay, okay... I admit that I'll probably cry myself to sleep for the next two weeks with a photo of Roy squished against my chest. LOL.

 

[sccaldwell]

Just to throw mine $0.02 in with the rest...

I *am* disappointed that Khan won't be there, and it won't be the same to see Kamelot without him. As everyone else, my thoughts first and foremost are with him for a speedy and complete recovery. However, I'm *thrilled* at the choice of stand-in vocalist...Mike's an amazing vocalist in his own right, as well as being a fun and very cool dude. Far better to see Kamelot with Mike at the mic than to have NO Friday night headliner.

For anyone upset about this change of plans, consider this: If Khan "toughed it out" and toured anyway, he'd likely screw up his voice permanently, possibly have other long-term/permanent health problems as a result, *AND* put on a sub-par performance that would be disappointing, anyway (which is not a knock against him AT ALL....it's simply due to the fact that he's SICK). If you've never seen Khan perform live, then yes, this sucks for you, but sh*t happens and you'll get to see a *different* awesome singer front Kamelot. Rather than cancel, Kamelot is making the best of a bad situation, have picked a PHENOMENAL stand-in for Khan, and the tour will have a different, fairly unique flavor to it. I'm actually just as excited as before, though for different reasons.

As a *great* side-effect (that I don't think anyone has mentioned), many Kamelot fans will learn of yet another phenomenal band that they otherwise might not know about in Circus Maximus, which is a win for them *and* CM!

See you all in a week!

Craig

 

[adaher]

I can{t say enough how big this is of Kamelot. A lot of bands would have cancelled their shows over this, but they stepped up and got a temporary replacement.

On one hand, it sucks that we won{t get Roy Khan, but on the other, it will be interesting to hear the songs with Eriksson. Hes a very different singer, be interesting to see how he interprets the songs.

 

[Kilroy Murdoch]

Andra, what would your ideal solution be?

I mean, if they postponed the tour, you'd still have to rebook all your transport etc! So the only way you'd actually be able to get what you want is if you forced Khan to do the tour. :/

Props to Kamelot and i'm sure you guys are going to see some one-off stuff which I am very jealous about. I can't help but feel Tommy Karevik from Seventh Wonder would've been a better replacement though!

 

[Mynock]

So the only way you'd actually be able to get what you want is if you forced Khan to do the tour. :/

Which would more than likely result in a less than stellar performance, leading to disappointment I'm sure, leading to more/different complaints.

 

[General Zod]

I just need to point out how different the opinions of this forum compared to Blabbermouth. There isn't a single positive comment about this news on the Blabbermouth news (comments). Everyone's saying about how much Kamelot should have canceled the tour, how Kamelot without Khan = Maiden without Bruce, that it's not worth it, blah blah blah... Fuck those people. This is going to be fucking awesome!

It just shows their lack of knowledge about the scene. To stick with the Bruce analogy, this is like going to a Maiden show in 1989, finding out Bruce is sick, and that Dio will be replacing him for the evening. None of this is a knock on Khan. I think it would be totally bad ass to go see Nevermore, and find out Nils is handling the vocals for a night, or go see Iced Earth and find out Russell will be taking over for an evening. The opportunity to hear one great vocalists fill in for another, is quite cool in my book.

As a *great* side-effect (that I don't think anyone has mentioned), many Kamelot fans will learn of yet another phenomenal band that they otherwise might not know about in Circus Maximus, which is a win for them *and* CM!

This. CM is going to see a real benefit from this. A lot of people are going to leave those shows saying, "Wow that guy can sing" and end up buying a few CM CDs.

Ban me if you wish. Not everyone is going to just accept this solution. That's reality.

Why would anyone ban you for pointing out the obvious? I suspect most people who listen to Kamelot have no idea who CM is, and will be rightfully disappointed. I expect it will definitely hurt ticket sales.

 

[adaher]

It just shows their lack of knowledge about the scene. To stick with the Bruce analogy, this is like going to a Maiden show in 1989, finding out Bruce is sick, and that Dio will be replacing him for the evening. None of this is a knock on Khan. I think it would be totally bad ass to go see Nevermore, and find out Nils is handling the vocals for a night, or go see Iced Earth and find out Russell will be taking over for an evening. The opportunity to hear one great vocalists fill in for another, is quite cool in my book.


Or in a real life example, Dio quitting Sabbath and Rob halford being a last minute replacement.

Look, at least as far as PP is concerned, if Kamelot had backed out it would have left Glenn without a headliner. I would personally have settled for William Hung singing lead for Kamelot rather than not having Kamelot at all.

 

[MartinW]

I can understand people being angry and disappointed, but not the ones directing it towards Kamelot, who seems to have handled the situation as best they could (judging from the very limited information we have received so far). Be angry and disappointed at luck/fate/the universe/God/the alignment of Jupiter in relation to Betelguese/whatever you believe in, but don't blame the band for someone getting seriously ill.

 

[AngraRULES]

Nice to see everyone being so understanding and all, but there is another side to this coin.

I was to travel 700 miles, purchased VIP tickets for meet & greet, all for the purpose of finally meeting Roy Khan. I've paid not only airlines but VIP tix, hotel, rental car, this trip was going to cost me over $1200 dollars.

So, my response is NOT understanding, supportive, or happy.

My response is, NO NO NO NOO NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!

This sucks more than anything has ever sucked.

I am going to cancel Tickets, Rental Car, Hotel, and Airfare.

A replacement singer for Kamelot? This is NOT acceptable! I'm sorry, you do not replace a god. It's simply NOT DONE.

I understand your disappointment dude, but would you have rather they cancel the whole entire tour, take a huge financial hit, risk not being able to promote their new album in the States at all...? Are you serious dude? Listen, this is the 6th or 7th Kamelot US tour. I can't understand how somebody wasn't able to catch them on tour before. Maybe you should've gone seen them earlier, or wait 'till next time.

You do what you feel is right, and I will do the same. My entire reason for going and spending extra for VIP tickets isn't going to be there. Therefore there is no reason for me to be there. It's just as simple as that.

Here's another lesson to be learned... VIP tickets for tours like that are kinda lame and a waste of money. You spend extra money that you didn't need to just to meet the band, when you can easily get to the venue 1-2 hours earlier and meet them outside (or stay half hour after the show for the same purpose). Then again, if you're already traveling 700 miles and spending 1200 dollars just to see one Kamelot show, don't complain about "wasting" another $30.

Now quite being selfish and give Mike a chance. He's an amazing singer and you will be blown away by his voice. Sure, he isn't Khan and it's a letdown for Kamelot fans, but be SUPPORTIVE to a band that you're a FAN of. It's easy to like them and support them when everything is nice and dandy. When shit hits the fan, it's a whole different story it seems...

 

[AngraRULES]

It just shows their lack of knowledge about the scene. To stick with the Bruce analogy, this is like going to a Maiden show in 1989, finding out Bruce is sick, and that Dio will be replacing him for the evening. None of this is a knock on Khan. I think it would be totally bad ass to go see Nevermore, and find out Nils is handling the vocals for a night, or go see Iced Earth and find out Russell will be taking over for an evening. The opportunity to hear one great vocalists fill in for another, is quite cool in my book.

This. CM is going to see a real benefit from this. A lot of people are going to leave those shows saying, "Wow that guy can sing" and end up buying a few CM CDs.

Why would anyone ban you for pointing out the obvious? I suspect most people who listen to Kamelot have no idea who CM is, and will be rightfully disappointed. I expect it will definitely hurt ticket sales.

Agree 100%. I find it extremely cool to see a band being fronted by a guest and/or different vocalist. If it wasn't for Simone Simons' illness a few years ago, I don't think I would've gotten to see Amanda Sommerville live, and she was amazing. Ironically, if I went to see Circus Maximus and Mike wasn't fronting the band, I'd be quite upset.

Hopefully for Circus Maximus this means a little bit of exposure and an opportunity to do a full tour later on. Kamelot should take them on next time as a "thank you" gift.

 

[Thorn23TX]

Hopefully for Circus Maximus this means a little bit of exposure and an opportunity to do a full tour later on. Kamelot should take them on next time as a "thank you" gift.

I *like* this idea!

 

[ladyFreyja83]

Nice to see everyone being so understanding and all, but there is another side to this coin.

I was to travel 700 miles, purchased VIP tickets for meet & greet, all for the purpose of finally meeting Roy Khan. I've paid not only airlines but VIP tix, hotel, rental car, this trip was going to cost me over $1200 dollars.

So, my response is NOT understanding, supportive, or happy.

My response is, NO NO NO NOO NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!

This sucks more than anything has ever sucked.

I am going to cancel Tickets, Rental Car, Hotel, and Airfare.

A replacement singer for Kamelot? This is NOT acceptable! I'm sorry, you do not replace a god. It's simply NOT DONE.

wow how amazingly selfish....you are gonna break it down to money just for one band in an amazing fest that hosts many amazing bands! I LOVE kamelot and Roy but I would hope that you are the exception to the fan base and that the rest of their fans just hope that he is home and getting well....if you didn't think about just yourself for a moment you may realize that this is an amazing treat and that this band is doing an exceptional thing by still bringing their music to their fans!!! It had to have been hard for Roy and Kamelot as a whole to come to this decision....either way since you broke it down to money and travel....there are hundreds of people traveling to see this fest, my self included...me and my bf are coming from Seattle so your 700 miles is sad to complain about....go to the show learn about some other amazing bands and enjoy the comradery that is very special with this fest!

 

[ladyFreyja83]

oh also in the world of metal there are many gods....so replacing a god is tough but as long as it is with another vocal god I am happy....good choice and I am so excited to see kamelot for the 2nd time unfortunatly without Khan.....but as Glenn said the show must go on!

 

[J-Man]

Nice to see everyone being so understanding and all, but there is another side to this coin.

I was to travel 700 miles, purchased VIP tickets for meet & greet, all for the purpose of finally meeting Roy Khan. I've paid not only airlines but VIP tix, hotel, rental car, this trip was going to cost me over $1200 dollars.

So, my response is NOT understanding, supportive, or happy.

My response is, NO NO NO NOO NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!

This sucks more than anything has ever sucked.

I am going to cancel Tickets, Rental Car, Hotel, and Airfare.

A replacement singer for Kamelot? This is NOT acceptable! I'm sorry, you do not replace a god. It's simply NOT DONE.

You purchased your tickets thru enterthevault I take it, so a little insight into their "VIP'/meet and greet, i saw this at a Nightwish show that enterthevault offered VIP passes to. It lasted approxiamtely 15 minutes and there were 100 VIPs so the time with them was like 10 seconds per person, you are not going to get the personal on-on-one time you expect, maybe sign one article say hello, maybe one picture and then out the door, and back in line, yes back in line, you don't get to stay in the venue.
This show with Micheal will nothing short of amazing as Micheal is a true professional, and damn nice guy, and will give you 150%, I imagine that Centerstage floor will filled with everyone that is there including vendors to get a glimpse of this once in a life time show, just my $.02 worth. Another analogy Nightwish Siinger Anette Olsen leaves the band two weeks before a 50 city US tour, Floor Jensen steps in as a last minute replacement.

 

[ladyFreyja83]

To: Kamelot

I look forward to also seeing you in San Fran Sept. 29th....with or without Khan....thank you that is all....

 

[jaimek]

I'm sorry Khan is sick - must be pretty bad if he had to fly home - and I'm glad the CM singer is stepping in to make sure The Show Goes On. However ... not a fan of his voice. Sat through CM last year hoping I'd change my mind and ... nope, not a fan. Kudos for the guy for being an awesome person, and he deserves not to pay for a single drink all weekend.

(I'll give it a chance, but odds are I'm only going to last a couple of songs before bailing, though. Sorry!)

 

[AMBR]

Alright, we don't all have to jump on the bandwagon and tell the lone dissenter what we think. He's upset and unhappy, said his bit, let him go. But, dude, if you registered in this forum just to complain, you're in the wrong place. There are many people here involved in the music industry in many ways as well older, long-time music fans that have more of an appreciation for what goes on besides the obvious in any tour. Your better off on Blabbermouth for a personal vent.

 

[Harvester]

I just have to chuckle at the immature, selfish, narrow-minded, and just plain dumb replies over on Kamelot's facebook. I completely understand their disappointment, but they are not looking at the big picture. I have not seen one post where someone explains that actual benefit of cancelling the tour. Can someone please explain that to me? There is a big difference between cancelling a tour two months in advance to one week week in advance. Let's look beyond Roy's obvious health concerns and the fact that if he does not rest, he may not return.

Kamelot has already spent...

1. At least $10,000 in visas (my personal guess) that are not-refundable nor can you simply switch the dates on.
2. Hired a full crew who are counting on the wages from the tour. I would assume that most folks understand the value of a job and that you simply cannot go get another anytime you want.
3. Collected deposits from promoters and re-allocated those funds towards tour logistics. It's not simply sitting in a bank ready to be refunded instantly. It could set Kamelot back years to try and and recover from that.
4. Paid non-refundable deposits on gear/bus/etc. rentals.
5. The promoters have spent thousands of dollars on promotion. If the band cancels, they DON'T get that money back. They have also held a date at the venue that could have went to another band. The trickle-down financial effect in this should not have to be explained regardless of neanderthal some of the Khan fanboys are. These same promoters will not welcome Kamelot back with open arms the next time they try to book a tour here in the States.
6. The opening bands would have faced very similar circumstances and probably been hurt even more by a cancellation.


The band is literally working their asses to pull this off. It's the heighth of true professionalism and class in my book.

 

[J-Man]

Alright, we don't all have to jump on the bandwagon and tell the lone dissenter what we think. He's upset and unhappy, said his bit, let him go. But, dude, if you registered in this forum just to complain, you're in the wrong place. There are many people here involved in the music industry in many ways as well older, long-time music fans that have more of an appreciation for what goes on besides the obvious in any tour. Your better off on Blabbermouth for a personal vent.

What she said, leave it Ann Marie to point out the obvious, see ya on Wed.

 

[General Zod]

The band is literally working their asses to pull this off. It's the heighth of true professionalism and class in my book.

"Selfish" (with regard to people suggesting they should cancel the tour) is the right word. Most people tend to have a very miopic view of things. There's obviously a cavernous gap between the perception of Kamelot's situation here on this board and everywhere else (Kamelot FB, Blabbermouth, etc.). More to the point, that gap is between people familiar with Circus Maximus and those who are unfamiliar with Mike/CM. Those familiar with Mike's talent's realize they're in for the sort of one off experience we all clamor for here at ProgPower. Granted, there are those who know Mike's voice, and he just isn't their thing. And that's fair, we all have different tastes when it comes to vocalists.

As I've said, I obviously wish Khan well and hope he returns to Kamelot (and to Conception) at 100% strength. However, I'm am 10x more excited for Kamelot's appearance than I was yesterday. Again, this is not a knock on Khan, I would be equally excited to see Urban with Iced Earth, or Lance with Symphony X, even though I love Barlow and Russell. It's just something unique.