An idiots guide to an idiot: The Epica gig

Wow! What a fantastic gig Kevin & I went to at the Kentish Town Forum. We made our way up there by train and were settled in the Bull & Gate pub a good while before the gig to enjoy a couple of well earned pints (believe me our the past couple of weeks I've earned them!). Young's Bitter was one of the few beers ready to drink and very nice it was too. I also tried the Hop Pale Ale which was lovely. A very citrusy flavour and ,yes Alec, yet another refreshing golden ale! The Bull & Gate is a old Victorian pub & alot bigger than you'd think when you walk in. there's an upstairs full of sofa's that we found too late to bother about. Definitely the sort of pub you could meet in and settle for the evening.
Not so tonight though as the Forum beckoned, and as its more or less next door we didn't have far to walk.
The Kentish Town Forum was built in 1934 as an Art deco cinema. Alot of the decoration still harks to that era & you can see the photo I took of the huge chandelier of that period. It became the London Forum for Irish dancing and then the Town and Country Club and now the Kentish Town Forum, its a grade II listed building and has the capacity of 2300 people. No seats downstairs and bench seating in the balcony, its a really good venue.
Three bands on the gig list tonight all of a similar vein that is a bit progy abit rocky and all with female vocalists.
'Oceans of Slumber' were first up, and have come all the way from Houston. Not bad but for me typical support fodder although Kevin liked them more than I did. What I mean is that they were trying their best for their half an hour or so set, it must be hard enough being the first band on knowing that everyone wants you to do your stuff then bugger off so we're abit nearer the main event. I guess the best way to sum them up for me is that I won't be buying their CD......or will I!?
Second support definitely better as far as I was concerned. Called 'Myrkur' they hail from Denmark so we had alot of fierce Viking like drum banging and the singer Amalie Bruun gave as a Viking poem set to drums as their finale, sounds crap but was very good. I enjoyed them far more that the first band and yes, I could well purchase a CD from them. Strangely our opinions were reversed over this band and the first support!
A very mixed bag of music was played inbetween the bands everything from Gary Numan to AC/DC, Buddha alone know who chose it!! A very good mix of ages in the audience tonight as Epica were only formed in 2002 so obviously have attracted alot of young things to their rallying cry..............including Kevin & I of course ( don't laugh!). They hail from the Netherlands and fronted by Simone Simon who's vocals are sublime. She has a real operatic voice that transcends both rock and prog genre's. I suppose you'd call them symphonic rock (or metal?) I haven't been to a gig like this before but it was truly a great experience. There as a nice link between the band & punters as well, the bands English of course impeccable. The keyboardist Coen Jannssen had his keys on wheels to push around behind the drums and later on appeared with a keyboard on a sort of mounting so he could carry them around the stage. I think it's something the late great Keith Emerson would have approved of.
The music just knocked your socks off. Powerful, beautiful, soulful, it resonates on so many levels and Simone's voice, just a joy to hear. Loud as well! My ears don't usually ring after a gig but tonight they did! Well they finished as they have to these days on their curfew time ( no bad thing, I've missed the end of many a gig because they've run on & we have trains to catch!)and off we went. A brilliant gig & I'd see Epica again without fail.
Here's the set lists followed by a few piccys.
Oceans of Slumber