THRESHOLD on tour next week

[Threshold]

Hope you don't mind the shameless plug...

British progressive metallers Threshold are on tour next week across Europe, supported by fellow prog metallers Serenity and Spheric Universe Experience. Threshold's keyboard player Richard West recently checked in from rehearsals:

"Greetings from all of us down here in Windsor! We're off on the road one final time to promote Dead Reckoning and celebrate 20 years of Threshold. As most of you know Damian Wilson recently confirmed he's officially back with the band, he's been touring with us for the last two years and it's amazing to work with him again, he's such a good front man. The new set's coming together really well, Fighting For Breath and The Art Of Reason sound absolutely huge! There are loads of classics on the list: Slipstream, Pilot In The Sky Of Dreams, Mission Profile, Long Way Home, Consume To Live, even Paradox is on there! These should be our best live shows ever and our last tour for a while, so I hope you'll come down and spend an evening with us."

The tour dates are as follows:

29 Oct 2009: Zeche Carl, Essen, Germany
30 Oct 2009: Colos Saal, Aschaffenburg, Germany
31 Oct 2009: Movie, Bielefeld, Germany
01 Nov 2009: Z7, Pratteln, Switzerland
02 Nov 2009: Backstage, Munich, Germany
04 Nov 2009: Firlej, Wroclaw, Poland
05 Nov 2009: Bergkeller, Reichenbach, Germany
06 Nov 2009: Spirit of 66, Verviers, Belgium
07 Nov 2009: Boerderij, Zoetermeer, Netherlands
08 Nov 2009: Relentless Garage, London, England

For more information see www.thresh.net

 

[ich bin besser]

I'll be in Bielefeld.

 

[The Stormbringer]

Depending on short-term circumstances, I'm going to be in either Essen or Verviers... it's going to be a party extraordinaire!

 

[The Stormbringer]

Going to Essen tomorrow and very much looking forward to it.

 

[The Stormbringer]

Hands down, that was the best concert I've been to all year. Everybody, go see those guys when you're in the mood for METAL.

 

[slowhand]

Yesterday at the backstage in munich...
It was the hell of a gig - in a positive and a negative way.
First the good one: Damian Wilson was simply stunning - he IS the man. "the art of reason" was simply unbelievable. he's got such a powerfull unique voice and his stageacting is lots better than mac's.
The band overall played very well - but,

and now for the negative aspects: it was way to toud, especially both guitars - the result was that richards keys sometimes were just not there. Just for the record - there's no wimp speaking.

Only around 100 people were there and the two openers, especially the first one (Spheric Universe Experience) had a bad sound and there songs sounded simply "unfinished". "Serenity" from our neighbours in Austria were better in all concerns, but I didn't like their material - it was this typical melodic metal with some medieval melodies and those -pardon me- very simple refrains and lyrics.

After the show I had a little chat with Damian Wilson - he is a really nice guy!

 

[ich bin besser]

I'll post my review of the Bielefeld gig soon. One thing already now: it resulted in the fact that there won't be any more prog gigs in this venue...

(How's that for a beginning? )

 

[slowhand]

this sounds not too promising...

 

[ich bin besser]

Okay, here's the short version of a long story:
The gig took place in a club with a curfew (a disco starting at 22.45 o'clock). The promoter already got some great prog bands to play there, but mostly with a bad turnout (this Threshold gig: about 80 people, The Tangent/Ritual/Beardfish: 80 people, Karmakanic/Agents of Mercy: 45 people - just to mention a few gigs. These gigs all were on a Saturday.)
Back to this gig: it started 45 minutes late due to a long soundcheck. The soundman was not from the promoter.
Spheric Universe Experience then had a crappy sound (with only the stage monitors working). Serenity was okay, as well as Threshold (maybe except for the vocals).
Anyway, due to the late start, Threshold only could play for 75 minutes. The promoter got on stage then and tried to explain why they had to stop now (because of the curfew and because the beamer which was used for the show hung directly over the dancing area and had to be removed). Well, massive boos from the audience.

Serenity's comments on their website:
"Bielefeld/Germany was some kind of strange.... A lot of problems during the whole day for really everybody included into this tour package. No local crew, no stagehands, no lighning tech (I did lights for Threshold ;-)), no backstage room (ther was a bar where we had dinner and everything - but needed to get out there at around 6 p.m., and much much more.... This is really strange for such a tour - however, though only about 100 people the concert was great as always."

Damian Wilson could fully understand the situation, though.

Anyway, the promoter told me that he's sick of that curfew and that he had to explain that to the audience. And of course, he lost money again.
I can understand him. There were some circumstances beyond his control and it was just a chaotic day, as it seems.
The promoter decided to cancel the concerts he booked in that venue and now tries to find another one.

 

[StandBuilder]

DAMN.......... I missed them....

But, how did Damian sound on "Mac" his songs?
Damian has a great voice, but Mac ROCKS!!!!

Now, I'm crawling back under my rock... Feeling ashamed...

stained......

 

[The Stormbringer]

In a live setting, you won't be missing Mac for a second when there's Damian on stage. One of the best front men I have ever seen, his energy and crowd interaction are something else... just ask the women in the first row.

 

[DrX2112]

Only 100 people for Threshold in Europe? That's a damn shame.