Back in 2018 Perth missed out on Evanescence’s last visit for the ‘Synthesis’ Tour which sadly only hit Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne but this time around we are lucky enough to get the final date of the hugely anticipated ’20 Years of Fallen’ Tour.
“It’s been a long time Perth”, as Amy mentions later in the set indeed the last and only two visits to Perth were back in 2004 and 2007 both in the Summer heat and both at the old Challenge Stadium. Tonight we’re outdoors at Red Hill on the second day of Spring and the weather has reverted back to winter just for the occasion and we get rain throughout the show that fails to dampen the spirits of the sell out crowd. We may all be wet but this is Evanescence and we’ve been waiting 16 years for this – ‘Fallen’ was only four years old when we last saw them.
With a spirited and pacey set to open Melbourne’s angsty ‘The Beautiful Monument’ win over more than a few in the crowd and hit the ground running and full of energy, and whilst things are a little one-paced there’s a lot to commend them and they fit well with the Nu-Emo aesthetic.
Undeterred by the rain, which hits its heaviest just before Evanescence takes the stage and surges intermittently through the set, the sell out crowd is here for one thing: to hear the band some in the crowd must have been in diapers last time they hit the West Coast. ‘Fallen’ the album that started it all is, after all, one of those records that has more than stood the test of time and one which can claim to be one of the most influential albums of the turn of the century. Tonight though is not just about that record but also the highlights of a wonderful career so far, including tracks from 2021’s ‘Bitter Truth’ record .
With the wind whipping up the rain the stage goes dark as the band enter the stage as Artifact/The Turn plays them on. It’s all dark blues and purples onstage before the bright backlights burst and the stage burns red. The most impressive thing about it is that first sound of Amy Lee’s powerful voice against the cascade of drums and guitars that make up Broken Pieces Shine – the perfect opener from the new record.
Since last time Evanescence visited us, aside from Amy the band has almost completely changed, with old bassist Tim McCord now taking second guitar making way for newest member – Australian Emma Anzai to take on the bass duties. The most well-lit man on stage Will Hunt has been filling the drum stool since 2007, the same length of services as guitarist Troy McLawhorn. Tonight all are mightily impressive in converting the complexities of Evanescence’s studio magic to the power and bluster of a live Rock and Roll show. The audience is pretty diverse too with a lot in the crowd not old enough to have been here last time, but also plenty of old stagers belting out the songs.
Half way in the grand piano makes it’s first appearance for Lithium and it’s a wonderful moment when the rain stops dead and the emotions just flow: showcasing that other ‘power’ Evanescence has – that emotional connection that has the crowd mesmerized.
It’s a set of constant highs that doesn’t have a weak spot – the familiar brushes up against the new wonderfully well, it’s a setlist that has been perfectly curated full of light and shade, packed with emotion, with menace and power perfectly counterbalanced by subtlety and shade. There’s also a great mix and its great that most around us know the words to Better with You and Far From Heaven from the latest record as they do Imaginary from ‘Fallen’.
It’s the second medley that defies a new rush of rain: Haunted / My Last Breath / Cloud Nine / Everybody’s Fool / Weight of the World / Whisper is wonderfully done and whilst we go out heavy on new material adding two more from ‘The Bitter Truth’ with Amy telling us to stand together and that things can get better, it’s proof that live on stage these newer songs are equally as powerful as their mighty predecessors.
After thanking Perth for 20 years of support and connection it’s time to get to the two songs that probably define ‘Fallen’ if not the band itself. My Immortal is dedicated to the fans and lifts the very wet crowd to new highs partly I’m sure in anticipation of what comes next. It’s beautiful, it’s heart-wrenching and oh so worth the wait. We of course close with Bring Me To Life which sees Amy handle the ‘Rap’ portion herself and lifts everything to an impossible new high. This is part of why ‘Fallen’ was so special twenty years ago when it came out and why is still resonates so now. It’s sheer joy to see a sell out crowd of 5000 all stay till the very last second despite the elements conspiring against them! And as the cannon fires out purple streamers we all know there was no other place we’d rather be. Forget your winter firesides – we saw Evanescence end their tour in Perth in the rain and told a thousand stories on the way home…
EVANESCENCE
THE BEAUTIFUL MONUMENT
