By: Chris McGarel
Photos: Andy Hall |
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The Garage, London | April 23, 2015
At the epicentre of The Gentle Storm is the duo of Arjen Lucassen and Anneke van Giersbergen. Health issues prevent Lucassen from touring so tonight it is up to the singer and the remainder of the recording band to tell the story of their sea-faring opus, The Diary. Oxymorons and duality surround the project, from its name to the terrible beauty of this tale of tragic love between an officer of the Dutch East India Company and his wife who keeps a journal while awaiting his return.
After an atmospheric intro of ocean sounds and ship’s bells the symphonic bombast of ‘Endless Sea’ gains in intensity through ascending key changes, the excitement mounting as van Giersbergen’s vocals pierce through the growing squall. On record that famed voice is powerful enough but being in the presence of it causes the hairs on the back of the neck to tingle. That, coupled with her evident joy at being on stage, are a delight to the senses.
Her lyrics so self-consciously wearing their heart on their sleeve and Lucassen’s compositions being so full of Sturm und Drang, tonight could easily have been sucked into a whirlpool of cheese and Lloyd Webber kitsch melodrama. Anneke makes you believe in it though and we are being swept along on her wave. It’s becoming clear very early that this is going to be a hell of a show.
‘The Storm’ brings the first mini-suite from The Diary to a breathtaking prog metal aphelion and The Gentle Storm steer a course into different territory picking up some bountiful jetsam from the singer’s career along the way. The Gathering’s ‘Eléanor’ gets the full band workout but soon van Giersbergen is left alone with only an acoustic guitar, buoyed up by the love of everyone in the room. That old busker’s stalwart, Pink Floyd’s ‘Wish You Were Here’, is given the kiss of life and rejuvenated with spine-tingling passion. The other, gentler side of the doubloon is shown with two Ayreon songs, ‘Valley of the Queens’ and ‘Comatose’.
The gathering clouds take form once more and, with the full septet on stage again, ’Cape of Storms’ and ‘The Greatest Love’ pull us back into the story of ill-fated lovers. The main set is completed by some more Ayreon and The Gathering tracks. For a band with one album it was always going to be a necessity to play tracks from outside the project but what a treasure chest to be able to choose from!
The inevitable encores begin with Devin Townsend Project’s ‘Fallout’, backing vocalist Marcela Bovio singing Devin’s parts. They are having an absolute blast on stage and so are we. The single ‘Shores of India’ rounds off a fantastic evening. The band are exceptional but there is no doubting whose star shone brightest tonight. Anneke van Giersbergen is not only an incredible live vocalist but an infectious spirit. I fell a little more under her benign spell tonight and I know I’m not the only one.
