Even earlier than usual (4.30pm) Mr A and I set off for Glasgow on Thursday. This time I was accompanying Mr A rather than it being the other way round. This outing was his suggestion. Fighting his way through the delightful rush hour traffic on the M8, we headed towards Glasgow Science Centre before walking the rest of the way to the OVO Hydro for the doors opening at 6pm.

So, who were we braving mile after mile of nose to tail traffic to see?

A co-headliner show with Within Temptation and Evanescence.

Ok…here come the confession… I don’t really go for symphonic metal and don’t listen much to either of them. However, with an open mind, I took up my position for the evening beside Mr A just one row off the rail and off to the side (explains the more panoramic photos that go with this blog)

First out on stage at 7pm were Veridia who hail from Nashville TN. Fronted by Deena Jakoub, these guys played a solid seven-song set. One of the highlights of their half-hour set was Poppies. Loved the eye-ball poppies on their backdrop too. The other highlight moment came a couple of songs later when Amy Lee from Evanescence came out to play piano and to accompany Deena on the emotional I’ll Never Be Ready. Fabulous song. It was also awesome to see the headliner happily playing with the opening act of the night. Well played, Amy Lee.

Check Veridia out. I think you’ll be surprised.

Co-headline shows are always a bit of a lottery for me, especially if you prefer one band over the other. As I mentioned, I wasn’t overly familiar with either headliners, but I had secretly hoped Within Temptation would be last out. It wasn’t to be.

At 7:50 the lights went out, celestial vocals soared out over the crowd as the huge video screen lit up and the lights exploded, Within Temptation took to the stage to open their ninety-minute set with See Who I Am. The clarity of Sharon den Adel’s vocals was spinetingling. I did start to wonder if I was at a rock show or had I strayed into a middle-earth version of Phantom of the Opera. Either way, I was hooked!

See Who I Am (set opener)- Within Temptation @OVO Hydro Glasgow 17/11/22 – YouTube

I’m not usually a fan of video screens but the production on this set was out of this world. From the huge mask/head at the back of the stage, to the dazzling lighting, smaller circular mobile screen/spotlights, to the dazzling lighting effects and the pyro, this all worked to perfection. Very very slick.

It’s nigh on impossible to single out highlight moments from this fourteen-song set. Stand outs, if I have to call out a few, were Angels, Supernova and the dramatic All I Need that saw Sharon soar on a swing high above the stage.

All I Need – Within Temptation @OVO Hydro Glasgow 17/11/22 – YouTube

Mother Earth brought things to a close with a definite Tolkien vibe to the visuals.  Fantastic set.

Now, how to top that?

Turning the stage around took time… well, there was a hell of a lot to do in not a lot of time and the road crew did a stellar job. It’s all too easy to overlook the efforts the crew go to each night to help create the magic. They are a well-orchestrated machine in their own right.

It was 9:45 before the lights went out. Lights pulsed at the back of the stage. A triangle of light pulsed then the soaring vocals of Amy Lee filled the arena as Evanescence took to the stage with a 3,2,1 countdown before opening their ninety-minute set with Broken Pieces Shine. (Yes, I know curfew is meant to be 11pm in the arena -oops)

Broken Pieces Shine (set opener) – Evanescence @OVO Hydro Glasgow 17/11/22 – YouTube

Less symphonic than Within Temptation, Evanescence still fall into this genre but there was something of the spark  missing for me here. Amy Lee has a fantastic voice and is an accomplished pianist but (Evanescence fans, please don’t hate me) everything began to sound very similar. Great similar… but similar all the same.

One key highlight song for me mid-set was the stunning Far From Heaven.

Another highlight moment saw all three vocalists from the show come together to sing Use My Voice. So much talent all in one spot. Brilliant!

Bring Me To Life brought the sixteen-song set to a close a good few minutes after curfew.

(Amy Lee had stopped the show for a few minutes until security reached someone in need of assistance in the heart of the crowd. Fair play to her for making sure her fans were ok rather than pressing on with the set.)

It had been a spectacular evening of incredible vocals but, if I’m being totally honest here, I wish Within Temptation had been last on. Their set and slick production far out-shone Evanescence’s and stole the show for me.

I’d also like to sing the praises of the security staff from the OVO Hydro. Never in all my years of attending gigs have I seen so many folk keel over! (I really hope the young girl who was beside us was ok. She went down very suddenly and was out cold.) There had to be half a dozen people pass out or take ill in our area of the arena. The security guys did an awesome job ensuring everyone got out of the crowd safely and received prompt attention. Great job, folks!