SHOW REVIEW: Delain and Hammerfall - The Orpheum 5/17/2017

My daughter and I had the pleasure of catching the Nightwish tour last year when they came to Ybor City (Tampa), Fl. They had Delain and Sonata Arctica in tow on that tour. Having been a Nightwish fan, I got tickets for my daughter and I to go, but were unfamiliar with Delain at the time. I was pleasantly surprised by Delain then, and instantly became a fan.

When I found out Delain was coming back to the States, this time as a headliner, I had to go show my support. I asked if my daughter was interested in seeing them again, and she stated that she'd like to go with me to see them again as well. She asked who was opening up for them, and I explained that there was a local-ish opening act, and the supporting tour act, Hammerfall.

For me, I listened to Hammerfall years ago when they released their first album or two, but did not listen to anything released after. My daughter had not even heard of Hammerfall before, but it mattered not, we were heading to dinner, then the show.

After dinner, we walked over to The Orpheum and entered in the middle of the local opener's set. The local opening band was a double female fronted power metal band from Orlando, Fl., Armor of God. Their sound was good, and fit well with the main tour acts. Their energy was good, and the guitar playing was solid. They were having fun on stage, and the crowd seemed into their energy.

Armor of God

Hammerfall

After the local opener, Armor of God, Hammerfall took the stage. Not having ever seen Hammerfall before, wasn't sure exactly what to expect, but it didn't take long to get into the typical fist pumping, chanting and sing-along that usually comes with a European power metal band show. These guys know how to get the crowd going, and it didn't take long.

Hammerfall - The Orpheum 5/17/2017

 The Orpheum was packed for this show. We don't typically see the balcony open for shows, let alone all of the bars around the venue, but they were all open this night. The fans definitely showed up for this tour line up, and I certainly now know why. Joacim Cans stated they had no idea why they never hit Florida before, but they vowed to return now knowing the fanbase they have here.

This crowd was certainly into their favorites such as Last Man Standing, Hearts on Fire and Hammer High. Remember my daughter that I brought to see this show? You know, the one that didn't even know who Hammerfall was before the show? Yeah. Even she was fist pumping, singing along, and just downright into the show. She stated that the songs were catchy and that it was hard not to get into it.

Hammerfall - The Orpheum 5/17/2017

Hammerfall has been around since the mid-90's, and being as seasoned as they are, they had plenty of material to choose from. I enjoyed hearing a few tunes that I recall from the early days, as well as getting to experience new material from their latest album, Built to Last.

All in all, it was a great set and I think they've gain a couple of fans out of my daughter and I.

Setlist:

1. Hector's Hymn
2. Riders of the Storm
3. Blood Bound
4. Any Means Necessary
5. Renegade
6. Dethrone and Defy
7. Last Man Standing
8. Let the Hammer Fall
9. Built to Last
10. Medley to the Brave
11. The Dragon Lies Bleeding
12. Hammer High
13. Bushido
14. Hearts on Fire

Delain

Delain

Delain hit the stage and just kept the crowd going. On tour supporting their latest release, Moonbathers, they opened with a pair off that album. They dove way back to play Go Away off their April Rain album from 2009. They played a great set touching on each album from their discography.

Merel and Charlotte

There were a couple of problems with the audio with Merel's guitar. At some points it was hard to hear what she was playing. Shouldn't have really been an issue as both Hammerfall and Delain used Kemper units running direct to the front of house sound, but nevertheless, there was an issue. Regardless, like true professionals, they kept playing. 

Delain's on stage presence is great to watch. They are always engaging the crowd and interacting with each other. They seem genuinely happy to be up there doing what they do. They're always smiling at each other and it just seems that they are having a blast up there. That certainly translated to the crowd, getting into it and singing along to songs such as Suckerpunch, Army of Dolls, and closing it out with We Are the Others.

Delain having fun

Playing through an extended set, as this was their headlining trek through North America, they got through it like champs, though you could tell Charlotte was winding down at the end of the set. Rumor has it that she was fighting the flu or something, so props for giving such a great performance in that state. It's not easy to do when healthy, can't imagine what it's like being sick. 

Delain is another band not to miss if coming through your area. They're genuine, talented, and fun to watch. If you like Nightwish, Epica, and the like, Delain is for you.

Setlist:

1. The Monarch
2. Hands of Gold
3. Go Away
4. The Glory and the Scum
5. Suckerpunch
6. Get the Devil Out of Me
7. Army of Dolls
8. The Hurricane
9. Here Come the Vultures
10. Fire with Fire
11. Pendulum
12. Sleepwalkers Dream
13. Not Enough
14. Mother Machine
15. Don't Let Go
16. We Are the Others