Live Review: Within Temptation @ Wembley Arena, London 12.04.2014

WITHIN TEMPTATION

DELAIN

WEMBLEY ARENA, LONDON 12.04.2014

Words by Charlotte Whittingham

One of the most anticipated metal shows of 2014 occurred this weekend that left many individuals blown away from the word go! This event I am speaking about is when Dutch symphonic metallers Within Temptation and Delain conquered Wembley Arena for the very first time.

It was definitely one of the most awaited shows of 2014 as many dedicated fans queued up at least five hours before opening time so they could secure the perfect spot to watch their idols. My friends and I arrived just after the doors opened and I could feel excitement from all corners of the venue; from the crowded merchandise stand where you had to think fast or you’d loose your place in the queue to the packed arena where fans eagerly awaited for the show to start, it was an amazing atmosphere to be part of. Between a couple of friends and I, it was our first time seeing both bands live where we all shared our feelings of excitement and anticipation.

Suddenly the lights went down and the venue echoed with excited cheers as support band Delain took to the stage quite naturally. Opening up with Go Away and Get The Devil Out Of Me had the crowds jumping up and down, clapping and head banging from the word go. There was a very eclectic selection of songs from across their albums including new songs Army Of Dolls and single Stardust from their latest album The Human Contradiction. The highlight of their set for me was when they performed my personal favourite song The Gathering, this I think was their arena anthem which was welcomed by the whole venue with open arms. Closing with We Are The Others marked the end of a fantastic set. Speaking to some fans after the show they enjoyed Delain’s set very much, the only criticism I heard was they would have liked to have heard Delain perform more songs.

After Delain thanked their fans and left the stage roadies started getting the stage ready for headliners Within Temptation. It was all kept in secret however when a huge flag with the cover of their latest album Hydra was displayed and the cheers indicated the fan's love for it. Leading up to the show, my friends and I all spoke about what we thought the set would consist of.  Questions included how they were going to fit the dragon on stage, whether there was going to be pyrotechnics and what songs we wanted to hear. All of that was going to be answered in a matter of minutes and as the set up was being completed the venue got fuller and more packed.

The lights started to slowly dim, the intro music was heard on the system and the flag dropped to reveal a grand set featuring dragons, a huge video screen and the instruments. Starting the set with new song Let Us Burn the cheers got louder as the band made their way onto the stage with lead vocalist Sharon den Adel in tow, during the dramatic chorus we got our first taste of the pyrotechnics which the crowd were blown away by. There was a balanced selection of songs from all their different albums, which I admired; from the up-tempo In The Middle Of The Night to a soft acoustic rendition of Whole World Is Watching this set contained excellent arena type songs to suit every mood under the sun. What I really loved about their set was that included those sort of songs you sing along to as loud as you can. Those songs for me were Paradise (What About Us?), Angels, Mother Earth and What Have You Done.

As well as the fantastic live performances of the songs you also got great visuals to go with a live show. These included the videos going on behind them, pyrotechnics, Sharon’s costume changes and the lighting. The videos were very effective; particularly during songs that featured guest singers such as Paradise (What About Us?) and What Have You Done where you could see the guest singer in the video singing their part.

Closing with classic anthem Ice Queen allowed the fans one more sing along and mosh before marking the end of a spectacular show.

So as you could tell from this review, I thought their live show was absolutely phenomenal from start to finish. You don’t just get a live show from Within Temptatiion, you get a theatrical masterpiece that I hope will return to London soon.

Find Within Temptation on Facebook, Twitter and their official website

Find Delain on Facebook, Twitter and their official website