Edguy / Voodoo 6

Although unfamiliar to most people interested in hard rock, Voodoo Six have been highly acclaimed by Iron Maiden bassist Steve Harris, not to mention they supported the almighty Maiden back in 2005 before they had even released a full-length album. Sporting a modern hard rock sound with distortion overload, England's own rock 'n' rollers are certainly listenable but, only after a few tracks in, the music becomes limp and lethargic, empty of any real variation and essentially no innovation to make them memorable.



The enthusiasm of the audience notably wanes too, having been strong when they first took the stage. It is apparent that they are not fully comfortable with the larger stage and they appear rather amateur. Singer Luke Perdie and bassist Tony Newton appear to be the only ones with a confident stage presence or any kind of interaction among their fellow band mates, marking the group as a poor primer for one of power metal's biggest names.

German power metal rocker clowns Edguy's return to London is loyally attended with a packed venue. The set opens with new song 'Nobody's Hero' from the new 'Age of the Joker' full-length. Despite mixed reviews, Edguy's first live tune is met with laudation and a choir of voices during the chorus. Frontman Tobias Sammet retains the charisma and dress sense to turn a concert into a true spectacle with a Bruce Dickenson-esque voice rammed with power. The only complaint the attendee can raise about Sammet is his excessive stage banter, which is more frustrating given the venue's unrelenting curfew, a problem Edguy expressed the last time they played the same venue two years ago. The other members of Edguy live up to the fun-loving persona of the band with smiles and funny expressions pulled throughout the show.



Nonetheless, musically the tongue-in-cheek quintet is once again on top form with their beloved favourites still in place alongside obligatory airings of 'Age of the Joker' material, including the homage to Ireland – 'Rock of Cashel' and England's own 'Robin Hood'. The crowd turns into a party with hard rock-edged 'Lavatory Love Machine', certainly one of Edguy’s most known tracks, evidenced by the vitality of the fans increasing twice-fold. However, as is the norm for all Edguy shows, this track is prefaced by a tedious and lengthy audience participation section.

Although not classics, the Germans are sure not to omit work from their recent records before 'Age of the Joker', namely 'Ministry of Saints' from 'Tinnitus Sanctus' and straight-forward hard rock ballad 'Save Me', complete with lighters hovering over the audience. However, 'Tears of a Mandrake' and 'Babylon' are on hand not only to test the range of Sammet's voice but to satisfy those eager for Edguy's wholly power metal sound that established them in the melodic metal consciousness. The tail end of 'Babylon' is spliced with literally half of Iron Maiden's 'The Trooper', a gimmick that Edguy did the last time they were here. The mandatory drum kit is cut from the set because of the curfew, Sammet informs the congregation. However, given the lacklustre solos usually spun out by drummer Felix Bohnke this is no great loss.



Closing number 'Superheros' is described as the group's closer but the omission of Edguy staples suggests this is not. The encore consists of tight performances of - in Sammet's own words – Edguy's Europe rip-off, 'Vain Glory Opera' and the feisty 'King of Fools'. Audience excitement is depicted at its peak with the presence of a somewhat half-hearted mosh pit but the anthem quality of the encore punctuates the end of the concert perfectly. Sammet wholly thanks everyone for attending but appears to have poor estimation skills as he thinks there are 6,000 people present in a venue that holds less that 1,000.

Nonetheless, Edguy put on a vivid show that will surely guarantee attendance for their next tour (and hopefully the London date will not be on a Friday or Saturday night, as to avoid a curfew), not to mention disqualifies the claim that Germans have no sense of humour.

FUTURE GIGS

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