Two-time GRAMMY award-winners EVANESCENCE are concluding their epic Australian East Coast tour at Melbourne’s Rod Laver Arena tonight supported by the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra. Tonight’s show is in celebration of their triumphant fourth studio album, SYNTHESIS which Amy Lee has said that “the recording is very much tied to the live experience we want to create.”
I have never seen a symphony orchestra in my live music going life, so sitting here in my chair in the dark I wasn’t sure what to expect from the warm-up act of the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra. Whilst I am no stranger to classical music, I must be honest and confess the only piece I recognised was their mash-up of Bach and ACDC’s Back in Black, which was pretty freaking rocking.
Now our ears are all warmed up for the night ahead it is time for the main event to take centre court. The band walk out to a massive applause and as things quieten down Amy takes her place behind the piano and the orchestra begin into a slow build. Once the overture ends and we move into the opening track Never Go Back, Amy moves out from behind the keys to take centre stage and as she begins to sing the whole arena is captured by her voice and anchored in their seats.
Synthesis as an album is really an amalgamation of Amy Lee’s masterful singing and piano playing alongside an array of electronic music programming and effects and when played live is nothing short of mesmerising. And whilst quite often in tonight’s set Amy absolutely steals the spotlight, full credit goes to the band along with the orchestra who help shape this sensory feast of indulgence. Synthesis was an album meant to be played from start to finish as it is on the record, and the album contains many great tracks, but tonight you know the ones that blew us away were Bring Me to Life and the oh so haunting, My Immortal. A track Amy now confesses she has found a new love for after all these years.
As the album set closes I begin to wonder to myself, how do encores work at this type of gig. My question is answered straight away as a rain of applause erupts and cheers bring the band back on to deliver three songs not on the album. Speak to Me, one of Amy’s solo works followed by Good Enough and Swimming Home.
When you think about how as a band they hand themselves over to different musicians every night this tour is quite a feat. The fact the execution of it is so flawless, it just goes to show the quality of musicians of not only of our countries’ orchestra but the excellence of a band like Evanescence. I have no idea if the band ever intend on recreating such a tour ever again so tonight was truly a transcendent experience.
Review – Chad
Photo Galleries – Christian Ross
Read our pre-tour interview with guitarist Jen Majura.