Avantasia - Tuesday 8th March - Forum, Kentish Town

So, it turns out Tufnell Park is a cheap place to meet for a pre-gig drink at the Forum. £2 a pint in the Boston Arms, although to be fair you are highly unlikely to list this as one of your favourite pubs. Opposite, the slightly more upmarket "Aces & Eights" has Moretti at well below "City" prices and best-of-the-bunch "The Pineapple" had a delightful German Pilsner for well below £4 a pint.

But there wasn't too much time for merriment. German (and associated European) rockers Avantasia had promised a lengthy 3 hour set. I didn't quite know how to take this as a) I have none of their records and b) I know none of their songs. 3 hours of unfamiliar music can test even the most patient of casual fans and basically if it hadn't been for Magnum's Bob Catley being in the number of guest vocalists due to appear then we probably would not have been here.

I gather Avantasia are reasonably popular on the continent, playing to much larger venues than here tonight. Still, it was a slight surprise to find the Forum so crowded with no obvious way through to the lower floor section. Therefore, our evening was spent on the first tier to the right, at bar level. And what do you know? It was a really good night. The music held my attention and the set felt less than the 2hrs 45 or so it actually took and the evening did not drag at all. Bob was on great vocal form as were the guests which include the singer from Mr Big - Eric Martin. I had feared it all may be a bit "prog" or the concept may take over from musical quality. Instead the charismatic Tobias Sammet has produced a decent band with a range of decent music. I still don't know the songs (although "The Story Ain't Over" was instantly catchy) - and to be fair am unlikely to invest in the back catalogue, but this was a shot in the dark well worth taking.

Setlist
Mystery of a Blood Red Rose
Ghostlights (with Michael Kiske)
Invoke the Machine (with Ronnie Atkins)
Unchain the Light (with Ronnie Atkins and Michael Kiske)
A Restless Heart and Obsidian Skies (with Bob Catley)
The Great Mystery (with Bob Catley)
The Scarecrow (with Jørn Lande)
Lucifer (with Jørn Lande)
The Watchmakers' Dream (with Oliver Hartmann)
What's Left of Me (with Eric Martin)
The Wicked Symphony (with Oliver Hartmann, Jørn Lande, Amanda Somerville, Herbie Langhans and Eric Martin - without Tobias Sammet)
Draconian Love (with Herbie Langhans)
Farewell (with Amanda Somerville and Michael Kiske)
Stargazers (with Michael Kiske, Jørn Lande, Ronnie Atkins and Oliver Hartmann - without Tobias Sammet)
Shelter from the Rain (with Michael Kiske and Bob Catley)
The Story Ain't Over (with Bob Catley)
Let the Storm Descend Upon You (with Jørn Lande and Ronnie Atkins)
Promised Land (with Jørn Lande)
Prelude (backing tape)
Reach Out For The Light (with Michael Kiske)
Avantasia (with Michael Kiske)
Twisted Mind (with Eric Martin and Ronnie Atkins - without Tobias Sammet)
Dying for an Angel (with Eric Martin)
+
Lost in Space (with Amanda Somerville)
Sign of the Cross / The Seven Angels (with everyone on stage)

Bob Catley - The Underworld, Camden - Sunday 16th April

Ho hum, Camden again for the 3rd gig running. This time is the compact "Underworld", located, surprisingly enough, under the "World's End" pub. On the journey up, Richard reminded my of the last time we went to a Camden gig on an Easter Sunday. We assumed the last southbound tube would be a bit earlier than normal and so got to the station around 23:45. They had all gone! That had meant a triple night bus disaster getting home. Keen not to repeat that experience, we checked the timetable this time. 23:20 last tube. Very early, but at least we knew! 

As we crossed towards the venue to buy tickets and were a bit surprised to see a queue (it was around 19.15). So, off for a San Miguel in the Camden Tup at a bargain £3.40 a throw! After that, went back to the venue (which had now opened) to buy tickets. The £12 advance had become £15 "on the door" - that's a fair old markup really, but probably no worse that paying the booking fees if you booked early. Came to the conclusion we didn't fancy seeing the support, so set off on a mini pub crawl instead. Average price of a pint stayed well over the £3 mark - Camden residents must be rich! Cheapest was the exactly £3 pint of Becks in the Dublin Castle - another music venue where I'm yet to see a show. 

We were just too late to enter the "Easter egg painting competition" in another pub - damn! Anyway - into the venue just before nine to be surprised by how quiet it was. I guess the numbers "56" and "57" on our tickets should have been a clue. I don't know if it was because it was an Easter Sunday or people just couldn't be bothered, but Mr Catley deserves much better support than the 100 or so souls here. Also, I think he'd be better off playing somewhere else in London (Barfly, 100 Club, Borderline, Half Moon Putney ?)

Anyway, enough of that. As we know from past experience, it doesn't matter if Bob is playing to 100 or 30,000 - he always gives his all and has one of the best voices in rock. Tonight we got a selection of highlights from his solo albums (including the new "Spirit of Man") and a couple of Magnum songs (Days of No Trust - done acoustically and Lonely Night). Some of the new songs are quite catchy (I've only played the album a couple of times) and there were a few favourites. 

Richard and I had a bet whereby we had to neck a quantity of beer if Bob uttered the word "Gandolf" - thankfully only 2 large swigs needed! (don't ask about this strange betting thing we do!). All over by 22:25 and off to the Halfway House for a final pint and to watch some excellent VH2 videos leaving plenty of time for a relaxed tube journey home. Bob always puts on a great show - hopefully a few more people will make it next time.

Setlist

Moment of Truth

Blinded by a Lie

Dreams

Scream

Spirit of Man

Return of the Mountain King

Stormcrow and Pilgrim

Days of No Trust

Lonely Night

My America

+

The Pain