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 still loved it 
) 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.
Shame..
