Stratovarius Community

Maybe is too much that I'm making a thread just for this, but what the hell... it's serious stuff for me, and it's music related and I really trust you guys here in Stratoforum, so here it goes.

Yesterday I went to a concert from (as you might guess) my favorite band, Sonata Arctica.

I had so much expectations for it. I really love The Days of Grays, so I had no problem with them playing a lot of new stuff. Henkka said in a blog he has, that the setlist would be a balanced setlist, and that they had "new songs" to play.

So, they started with Flag in the Ground, predictable... but nice I guess, but I think Deathaura would work as an excelent opener, but well, I liked it.

Then, right away Black Sheep, and I was like "Meh... what, this song again?".

After that, Juliet. Tony was talking about Shakespeare, and some guy keept shouting "Julieeet!!" as a power metal scream on the other side from where I was (I was on Henkka's side). Good song.

Then, as they did on previous shows, 8th Commandment, and well... I'm tired of it, but it's the song that got me into Sonata, so I allways try to have a good time with that one.

Then, slowing donw a little bit, As if the World wasn't Ending. Tony said something about the song being about frienship... I allways though it was about love, but that was a nice twist... I'll dedicate it to my best friend now xD... and I think it's the only song that suprised me.

After that, I think it was The Last Amazing Grays, which I swear: The song is screaming at times "ELIAS, PLAY A SOLO HERE". But Tony likes to play with the audience, so it works.

Then, I think it was Talullah... ahm, I preefer Shamandalie, but it's a cute song.

After that, I think it was In Black and White they played earlier than they had been doing it, and well, I also like that song, and it was the only song where I sortta was able to listen to Elias's solo.

Now I know I'm not following the correct order, because they played Paid in Full but I'm sure it was not right after In Black and White.

I think that in between those two UNIA songs it was The Dead Skin. I didn't like that song at first, but after a while I really got into it. I think is very interesting to listen to all what is going on with the keys and the guitar in the song. Well... all of that wasn't here. I'm sure it's because the audio mix was so HORRIBLE.

Then I think it was the Guitar & Keyboard duel , and that was the only time where the guitar was a bit clearer... a little.

After that one, they gave us The Cage that... well, I don't know.. Tony can't sing it that well anymore, where he is supposed to sing high, but it was just good enough... I also think the outro for Wrecking the Sphere is better than The Cage's intro... seriously, and this one also was composed by Jens... the one in Wrecking the Spehre is Henkka. Sounds a lot more to him, and I just love that outro... yeah I'm a bit weird I know...

After that, it was the little break, and when Tony came back, the audience was screaming Wolf and Raven, so he sang it a little... like "tururururu"... anybody who was there understands what I mean, but they didn't play it, and started with FullMoon, and I swear that I've become SO tired of that song. I don't think it's the best one they have at all, nor do I understand how it is more popular than Kingdomf for a Heart, that I think it's better... but well, FullMoon.

I'm very sure I'm forgeting about some songs, because after FullMoon it was only Don't Say a Word, and that was the last song, along with Vodka and Everything Fades to Gray. People didn't know the lyrics for Don't Say a Word, nor for Everything Fades to Gray... meh... I was singing that last one alone like an idiot, with my tiny voice but... that outro was a funny little cute... "gray" experience to me... With everyone else screaming like if they didn't even cared about what song was being played, and I singing... "Some things are needless to say, we dive into the darkness, when everything fades to gray"... alone.

In the end, my overall feel was a feel of dissapointment. The 4 times I've seen them played live, they've played Black Sheep, 8th Commandment, FullMoon and The Cage.

Henkka said this would be a balanced setlist, but it was like 6 songs from The Days of Grays and the same old songs again. They just play them again and again and again. People arround me didn't even know the lyrics for most of the songs. All they knew to sing was "Stay for a whileee stay forever.." and "Runaway runaway runaway..." And all they keept screaming was "WOLF AND RAVEN WOLF AND RAVEN WOLF AND RAVEN WOLF AND RAVEN" and I was just thinking... "SHUT UP!!!!"
I want some Deathaura, some Misplaced, some UnOpened, some Kingdom for a Hear, some Blank File... ANYTHING BUT THE SAME OLD SONGS AGAIN AND AGAIN...

Elias broke his hand like one month and a half ago... so I think the band wasn't playing at it's 100%... but even when I did have a good time at times, I really got dissapointed by the setlist. When they started playing FullMoon, I just stood there, without moving or singing... I'm bored and tired of the same songs again and again...

It was also werid that many times I was the only one singing the lyrics... people didn't even knew how to sing Don't Say a Word...

Well... that was my sad experience, but only someone who loves Sonata this much could fully understand how I felt.

Oh, and I got to buy this cool item in a store there at the concert:

Ecliptica LP Edition







inb4 tl;dr

I love you Stratoforum guys ~
Bye bye

I understand it may be boring if you'd seen them live so many times. For me it sounds insanely cool. Tomorrow's the day

a

There are people that go to every show on a bands tour and don’t get tired of it after 60 listens in 3 months, seems weird that 4 listens in however many years would be too much for people. for me, ill see a band once a year or once every 3 years when they come to my area, maybe twice if its on a weekend and I can travel to the next show, but I certainly don't get tired on hearing something once or twice a year.

every performance of the same song is different. the mix, the vocal, the solos, where one is in the venue, all sorts of things will be different from performance to performance

So will you change your username to HumbletAArcitca?

I am unmoved by your diatribe.

I want some Deathaura, some Misplaced, some UnOpened, some Kingdom for a Hear, some Blank File... ANYTHING BUT THE SAME OLD SONGS AGAIN AND AGAIN...

This isn't Phish or Dream Theater. They are not targeting an audience that sees the band every week.

Its like watching the same movie over and over again and complaining that the ending is the same every time.

I know maybe I'm exagerating... I just felt bad yesterday. Maybe it was my fault, because I shouldn't have made my expectations... but the same song in a setlist for over 10 years? I just wonder, don't they get tired of playing it?

Some might say FullMoon is their Black Diamond, but I just never got to much into that song...

Maybe also because the audio mix was so bad... the audio engenier for the show should do something else in his life. The guitar was almost not there.

did they play victorias Dirty little secret, did they play...phallusland

AAAAAAAAAAAA 3.0 wrote:did they play victorias Dirty little secret, did they play...phallusland

Did they play BLACK PHALLUS, WHITE OCEANS too?!?


ARE YOU READY FOR SOME UNDERWEAR MUSIC?!?

AGAG wrote:I understand it may be boring if you'd seen them live so many times. For me it sounds insanely cool. Tomorrow's the day

GOOD LUCK! GET A PICTURE OF HENRIKS MIDGET SEX!

I'm passionately looking forward to grabbing kakko's dick and just don't let go, no matter what he does. I'll be a legend.

being picky about a setlist is a great way to not enjoy a show. i also see people complaining about set lists to shows that they did not even attend, a even better way to have a bad time

AGAG wrote:I'm passionately looking forward to grabbing kakko's dick and just don't let go, no matter what he does. I'll be a legend.

I'll dispatch ten shrews to chew his scrotum like a stick of bubble gum.

Do you imagine if you were at a Strato show, and it happens that they want to play Forever Free, and nobody arround you sings it because they don't know the lyric.

Isn't that a like fail?...

Whatever, I got out all I wanted to say...
Does anybody else has like a bad experience of a concert similar to this one?
Just curious

HinatAArcticA wrote: Does anybody else has like a bad experience of a concert similar to this one?
Just curious

I once went to a Sonata Arctica show, and they played a bunch of weird songs I had never heard of! :crazy2:

So I started yelling "Black Sheep! Black Sheep! Black Sheep!".
I awoke some hours later in a deserted warehouse covered in drool, with Tommy Portimo's drumstick jammed in my left ear.

WOOOOOOOOO
OOOOOOAHHHHHHHHHHHH
HHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
!!!!!!!!!!!!! :pissed3: :pissed3: :pissed3: :pissed3: :pissed3: :pissed3: :pissed3: :pissed3: :pissed3: :pissed3: :pissed3: :pissed3: :pissed3: :pissed3: :pissed3: :pissed3:

HinatAArcticA wrote:Do you imagine if you were at a Strato show, and it happens that they want to play Forever Free, and nobody arround you sings it because they don't know the lyric.

Isn't that a like fail?...

Whatever, I got out all I wanted to say...
Does anybody else has like a bad experience of a concert similar to this one?
Just curious

Well, I think everybody will have his/her own opinion and feelings towards a show of a band one loves.

In my case, I love Stratovarius and I think I'd never get tired of whatever song they play, not even if I'd attended 5 shows in a row in 2005 where they played the same songs and made the same jokes I still loved it

Of course I also think it would be extremely cool if they do a not-hits-only show, or as Iron Maiden and other bands are doing now, play a whole album per show (maybe in 2012 they can do a Visions: 15 Anniversary tour ) but we must accept it, I think only 30% of people at shows are real die hard fans as we are, the others are just "average metal fans who likes Stratovarius among other bands". And I don't mean that's wrong, it's just the way it is and it applies to myself when I go to other bands' gigs where I expect a Hits-only show.

Anyway, looking forward to Stratovarius Tour: LatinAmerica 2011!

WAAAAAAA
AAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHH
HHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
!!!!!!!!!!!!! :pissed3: :pissed3: :pissed3: :pissed3: :pissed3:
:pissed3: :pissed3:
:pissed3: :pissed3:
:pissed3:
:pissed3: :pissed3: :pissed3: :pissed3: :pissed3: :pissed3:




Goo goo goo gaa! :leapfrog: :leapfrog:

AAAAAAAAAA wrote:

HinatAArcticA wrote: Does anybody else has like a bad experience of a concert similar to this one?
Just curious

I once went to a Sonata Arctica show, and they played a bunch of weird songs I had never heard of! :crazy2:

So I started yelling "Black Sheep! Black Sheep! Black Sheep!".
I awoke some hours later in a deserted warehouse covered in drool, with Tommy Portimo's drumstick jammed in my left ear.

Goo goo goo gah
:bounce2:

a

icecab21 wrote:being picky about a setlist is a great way to not enjoy a show. i also see people complaining about set lists to shows that they did not even attend, a even better way to have a bad time

being picky about choosing to criticize and comment only stupid things is also a great way to not enjoy life itself!

DAMMIT i have been banned from the sonata arcticdork forum!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I haven't visited those forums in a while, they're rather dull and slow. Shame..

HinatAArcticA wrote:Do you imagine if you were at a Strato show, and it happens that they want to play Forever Free, and nobody arround you sings it because they don't know the lyric.

Isn't that a like fail?...

Whatever, I got out all I wanted to say...
Does anybody else has like a bad experience of a concert similar to this one?
Just curious

I know what you mean about setlists. I've seen strato live twice. 1st time here in Venezuela and the 2nd time in Vancouver, Canada. Both setlists shared like 7 songs. It can be annoying, but you need to have in mind that only a tiny percentage of the people that go to concerts are "hardcore" fans of the band (those who would like to hear songs such as "Dreamspace" or "witch hunt" for example, like me )

Sonata Arctica will play here in Ven tomorrow, and I'll go see them. I'm not such a big fan of them, but I like their music. I don't know the lyrics of "Don't say a word" and don't feel bad about it, but I know the song and I can enjoy it.

I don't think you're supposed to "study" lyrics... if you love a band you'll learn their songs eventually, and if people that don't know the lyrics of the songs of some band weren't worthy of going to their shows I'm almost sure venues would be pretty much empty, and we wouldn't have tours I think headbanging is more than enough to prove yourself as an "enjoyer"

A curious fact is that, in contrast to my exp with Stratovarius (1st time here, 2nd in Canada) I saw SA for the first time in Canada, and now I'll see them for the 2nd time here

I remember I was in the line to enter the venue and there were two girls from Seattle who had printed the lyrics of "flag in the ground" and were reading and reading.. trying to learn it :/ it's silly IMO.

Main point: shows are planned to be enjoyed by everyone, there's no treat to "real" fans.

If I were a newbie Stratofan and I went to one of their concerts, I'd be shattered if they didn't play Black Diamond.

Even though I always say I'm tired of it, I'll always sing it out loud and I'll always go to Stratoconcerts I have the chance to attend, It doesn't matter if they just play all their effin' singles



PD: you should be fan of Dream Theater, hahaha. They ALWAYS play ENTIRELY different setlists. They keep a record of what they play in a city, so they never repeat one single song (unless they're playing a festival)

emperor_black wrote: there were two girls from Seattle who had printed the lyrics of "flag in the ground" and were reading and reading.. trying to learn it :/

jaja, not surprising. They are sisters!

Bää.. Just go and watch the guys. And hit people in the face when they throw a drumstick near you.

If Marko would throw his pick at a concert i would burn it and all his other picks so he would start to play the bass with his fingers..I'm just saying i like the tone more.

Well, i guess he plays with a pick since he plays the electric guitar aswell. Wasn't he infact a guitarist for Tricky Beans at first?

One thing I totally agree with you: NO MORE FULL MOON !

Run away run away run away!

Well, i guess he plays with a pick since he plays the electric guitar aswell. Wasn't he infact a guitarist for Tricky Beans at first?

Yes. They started with two.