Author: Rok Klemše
Photos: Aleš Podbrežnik
Venue: All Kart Halle / Kaufbeuren / Germany
Concert date: December 22, 2007
Attendance: 3500
Ticket price: €32.00
For you to really want to see the same concert a second time, it has to be a standout in every respect. One of those is without a doubt this year’s Helloween and Gamma Ray show in Belgrade, part of the historic Hellish Rock tour. On it, two interlinked, intertwined bands shared the stage together for the first time. Gamma Ray are the band of the legendary little screamer Kai Hansen, one of the two founders of Helloween (the other is Michael “I smoke like a Turk” Weikath). With Helloween, Kai recorded the cult classic Walls of Jericho, which he also sang, and both parts of the even more cult keys saga The Keeper of the Seven Keys Part I & II, on which he handed the vocal duties over to Michael Kiske. After the tour for part two he left Helloween over differing views on the musical direction. As for the legendary Pumpkins, just one sentence: a band with a career of more than twenty years that catapulted them onto the throne of European power metal, where they still sit… totally firmly and carefree, since nobody has managed to catch up with them yet. In Belgrade the guys put on such a spectacular show that you simply had to see it again, and the closest they came to us this time was the German town of Kaufbeuren. The ride, in excellent company of metalheads from the Littoral/Inner Carniola region (I still don’t know what you Postojna folks are, he he), flew by, and before we knew it we were standing in the All Kart hall, where rubber usually burns, since the place is built for go-kart racing.
On the German leg of the tour, Helloween and Gamma Ray were joined by Axxis, a German hard rock/heavy metal band with a long career going all the way back to 1988. They’d just released their twelfth studio album Doom of Destiny, and the title track kicked off their 40 minutes. Axxis warmed up the nicely packed hall properly, the Germans knew the lyrics well and sang the choruses along with Bernhard Weiss. For a few songs the guys were joined on stage by the singer of the Romanian band Magica, Ana Mladinovici. Personally, I think Axxis work quite a bit better without female vocals, since with them they sound like pretty generic pop/power metal of the Nightwish type. Classics like Little War and especially the hits Living in a World and Kingdom of the Night sounded much better. The German perfectionists got the sound to the optimum, Marc’s solos and the solid rhythm section came through totally clearly. They could have pushed Bernhard’s vocals up a bit at times, though, and those were more than excellent… vocally, that is, because on stage he pulls the most idiotic moves I’ve ever seen, looking like he was being hit by a severe epileptic fit (altitude epilepsy, he he) mixed with modern “dancing”. I assume he didn’t practice them in front of a mirror, and if he did… there are special institutions for people like that. Axxis played their set solidly but sadly without any standout moments, they could have fit more older songs into the setlist, and Bernhard, for God’s sake, next time just stand still!
AXXIS:
1. Doom Of Destiny
2. Tales Of Glory Islands
3. Little War
4. Take My Hand
5. Bloodangel
6. Angel Of Death
7. Living In A World
8. Little Look Back
9. Kingdom Of The Night
German punctuality proved true once again, because right on the announced time Gamma Ray were already saying hello with Welcome, and the hall was up in the air at the first notes of the classic Heaven Can Wait. The band was wound up to the max in front of the home crowd, Kai was pulling real gymnastic stunts on stage, guitarist Henjo Richter cracked me up again with his ever-present “Dave Murray” smile and John Lennon glasses, but also floored me with his always tight, precise solos that he and Kai trade off like it’s nothing. The rhythm section was once again ruled by Joey DeMaio… ahem… Dirk “love carpet” Schlächter with his ultra badass leather vest, and drummer Dan Zimmerman, who, with a microphone he uses for just a few random “Dankeschön”s over the entire show, sends you into roaring laughter. But Gamma Ray aren’t just funny, they also knock you out in passing with the incredible tightness of the whole crew and an energy that mostly hides in the big frontman Kai. In a good hour and a quarter they lined up hits like New World Order, Valley of the Kings, Rebellion in a Dreamland, the once again dragged-out Heavy Metal Universe with crowd participation and the once again brutally cut-short, only partly played eternal Helloween classic Ride the Sky. The excellent The Silence they played in Belgrade was sadly replaced here by the rather mediocre Empress from the new album, Land of the Free II, the start of the story with Land of the Free, was luckily swapped for the excellent Somewhere Out in Space. Of course the obligatory killer opener of the new record Into the Storm was there too, a true concert storm, and Gamma Ray left for two hours of rest with the gorgeous Send Me a Sign. Once more: Gamma Ray to Slovenia!
GAMMA RAY:
1. Welcome (Intro)
2. Heaven Can Wait
3. New World Order
4. Valley Of The Kings
5. Fight
6. Empress
7. Rebellion In A Dreamland
8. Into The Storm
9. Heavy Metal Universe
10. Ride The Sky
11. Somewhere Out In Space
—encore—
12. Send Me A Sign
Once again we could only marvel at how fast the roadies clear everything away and set up for Helloween, the proverbial German “pünktlichkeit” striking again, and the little voice of Biff Byford (Saxon) was already booming from the speakers with the intro Crack the Riddle. Even at first, quick glance the stage was far more lavish than the one in Belgrade. In Belgrade the figure from the new album cover and the wheel of fortune were only on a banner, but here Helloween treated themselves to a two-meter-tall figure and a real wheel of fortune, which Dani Löble spun, and the show began, once again with a shockingly good opener, the epic thirteen-minute treat Halloween, with which the legendary German Pumpkins took us down the streets of Halloween with no way out. “AAAAAAAA, it’s Halloweeen!!!” Andi Deris proved himself an excellent vocalist yet again right at the start of the show, and what’s more, I think Andi gets better and better with every new release, which he shows more than satisfactorily on stage too. But Helloween aren’t defined only by instrumental and vocal perfection, I dare say this is the band that allows itself the most sparkle, goofing around and pure “trademark Helloween” tomfoolery on stage, which Andi and Markus especially indulge in with each other. Weiki, meanwhile, is as always stone cold, yet “dead” funny with his traditional hand gestures and an ever-present cigarette in his mouth. Helloween of course didn’t let us catch our breath, another crushing classic followed, my beloved Soul Survivor from the excellent album Master of the Rings. With one more killer, March of Time, Helloween proved they know damn well how to put a setlist together and play on the hearts of the fans, which I could hardly say for some other band (yes, I’m aiming at Iron Maiden). Understandably the crowd went wild for the classics, not quite like the passionate Serbs, but the response was perfectly satisfying, and the phenomenal chorus of March of Time had goosebumps wandering over the body all on their own. Time marched unstoppably on and the guys calmed the debauchery down with the ballad As Long As I Fall from the new album, Gambling With the Devil. Probably the most beautiful moment of the show came with the wonderful ballad A Tale That Wasn’t Right, which, with mobile phones and lighters lit, came off even more magical. And then finally the moment I’d been waiting for since Belgrade, where we didn’t get it because the stage was too small – the new Helloween tomfoolery. This time Dani started with a drum solo, interrupted by the rise of a theatrical set at his side, where Andi, Markus and Sacha (ZZ Top, he he) appeared dressed up as gnomes and fired off Smoke on the Water, which Andi sang with a helium voice. They managed two verses, then Terminator Weiki marched onto the stage and, as if to say he sure as hell wasn’t going to listen to that crap, shot them down in cold blood. Yes, the hall was dying with laughter. Dani then understandably treated himself to a spectacular drum solo on his new toy, and then together they fired off the irreplaceable epic King for a Thousand Years, which closes the keys saga. That Eagle Fly Free is a live crusher with crowd participation goes without saying, and the new song The Bells of the Seven Hells works very well too. We Burn from Belgrade was replaced this time by the heavenly If I Could Fly in full, and the main set was closed in typical goofball fashion with the mad scientist, Dr. Stein. After a short break the dapper Andi returned to the stage in a tuxedo, hat and walking stick, and what else could follow but Perfect Gentlemen, which Andi stretched out and used to introduce the band, picking on Weiki and reminding him that soon he won’t be allowed to smoke on stage in Germany anymore. The mix in the medley was really good, as Helloween strung together I Can, Where the Rain Grows, Power and Keeper of the Seven Keys. Then the second encore and of course the moment everyone had been waiting for, and really the reason for the joint tour – Gamma Ray and Helloween all together (with the exception of Zimmerman), with all the members on stage. The classics Future World and I Want Out played in this lineup are truly something unrepeatable, and seeing four guitarists, two bassists and two vocalists on stage is something that stamps itself in your memory forever. Ten whole minutes with your mouth hanging open in amazement and every hair standing on end, right? Before the show I was skeptical whether it could match the fantastic one in Belgrade, but it even topped it, and in Kaufbeuren there was “magic in the air” in the company of Helloween and Gamma Ray. The unforgettable concert highlight of the year, one that will be hard to top next year too. “Super affen geil!”
HELLOWEEN:
1. Crack The Riddle (intro)
2. Halloween
3. Sole Survivor
4. March Of Time
5. As Long As I Fall
6. A Tale That Wasn’t Right
7. Drum solo
8. King For A 1000 Years
9. Eagle Fly Free
10. The Bells Of The 7 Hells
11. If I Could Fly
12. Dr. Stein
—encore 1.—
13 . Medley:
-Perfect Gentleman Pt.1
-I Can
-Where The Rain Grows
-Perfect Gentleman Pt.2
-Power
-Keeper Of The Seven Keys
—encore 2.—
14. Future World (with Gamma Ray)
15. I Want Out (with Gamma Ray)
photos: Aleš Podbrežnik
text: Rok Klemše
Setlist
AXXIS:
1. Doom Of Destiny
2. Tales Of Glory Islands
3. Little War
4. Take My Hand
5. Bloodangel
6. Angel Of Death
7. Living In A World
8. Little Look Back
9. Kingdom Of The Night
GAMMA RAY:
1. Welcome (Intro)
2. Heaven Can Wait
3. New World Order
4. Valley Of The Kings
5. Fight
6. Empress
7. Rebellion In A Dreamland
8. Into The Storm
9. Heavy Metal Universe
10. Ride The Sky
11. Somewhere Out In Space
—encore—
12. Send Me A Sign
HELLOWEEN:
1. Crack The Riddle (intro)
2. Halloween
3. Sole Survivor
4. March Of Time
5. As Long As I Fall
6. A Tale That Wasn’t Right
7. Drum solo
8. King For A 1000 Years
9. Eagle Fly Free
10. The Bells Of The 7 Hells
11. If I Could Fly
12. Dr. Stein
—encore 1.—
13 . Medley:
-Perfect Gentleman Pt.1
-I Can
-Where The Rain Grows
-Perfect Gentleman Pt.2
-Power
-Keeper Of The Seven Keys
—encore 2.—
14. Future World (with Gamma Ray)
15. I Want Out (with Gamma Ray)
Photo Gallery
