Ok, I'm sufficiently recovered 2 days later to post this...
I was in Providence for the last stop on the US tour... I went as a massive In Flames fan who owned Damage Done and Projector and love both (especially DD), and had heard some of Gallery, Haven and The Mind's I...
From the second DT hit the stage, I was blown the fuck away. I haven't ever gone from waiting for a band to come out to such a complete sense of awe and adrenaline ever in my entire life. Mikael Stanne is a fucking God. Every pair of eyes in that building were on him constantly and every larynx was being punished by screaming along with him.
I was on the far right up front, leaning against the big amp stack. Shaved head, grey shirt, 6'2" if anyone saw me. In his rampant crowd interactions, Mikael kept coming over to perch on that amp. During Monochromatic Stains he leaned down, got about 3 inches from my face, and we looked each other in the eye as we both belted out "WHAT WILL GIVE IN FIRST....". It was an experience I shall never forget.
I spoke with him after the show was over outside, and as drunk (by then) as he was he remembered me from being up front and thanked me for it. Signed my ticket (whole thing, not a stub, since Bjorn got me and my boy in on the guestlist, hehe.)
I'm more of a DT fan now than ever before, and will not hesitate to see them when they come back here, as Mikael said they were - opening or headlining, I'll be there.
My Heaven has been Punished - and I loved every second of it.
NP - Darkane - Imaginary Entity