Evanescence are one of those bands you come to expect a great show from. I’ve seen them several times over the years at different moments of their career (the orchestra tour for Synthesis and their last Download Festival appearance in 2023 are particular stand-outs for me), and yet they never fail to disappoint. Armed with two killer support acts in the form of K Flay and Poppy, Amy Lee and the rest of the Evanescence gang arrived in Leeds on Tuesday to kick off their UK tour in style. Both artists actually joined Amy and co live during their set – such collaboration was fantastic to experience in the flesh.
Review by Jane Howkins and Stuart Duthie. Photos by Stuart Duthie.
Unfortunately we missed part of K Flay’s set due to roadworks (a road was closed on us as we were driving onto it and we lost half an hour to a diversion). She was a fitting opening act for the female power of the evening, flinging herself around the stage with plenty of energy. Blood In The Cut was a particular highlight, but I couldn’t help but feel the show might have been better in a more intimate venue. Still, K Flay is a fantastic artist and one that really deserves some more recognition, so go check her music out if you haven’t listened to her before.
However, we did manage to catch all of Poppy’s set – interestingly enough, Poppy seemed to be the main draw of the show for some people (no dissing Evanescence here either), showing just how big her fanbase is getting. I don’t think it will be long until Poppy is selling out arenas off her own back, if this tour is anything to go by. The songs were great but something seemed to be going on at the start of the set which Poppy didn’t seem so pleased about, which did put a slight dampener on things at times.
And then it was on to Evanescence, the main stars of the evening. And what a spectacle of a show they put on for us – Amy Lee is one of the strongest singers I have ever heard in my life and I was extremely impressed with her showing in Leeds. Her voice soared throughout, as she jumped around the stage, still managing to hit every high note despite the heavy activity of the evening. Occasionally it did feel a little like Amy Lee and her backing band (although it should be noted that her bandmates are fully fledged band members who contribute to the songwriting), but when you’ve got a voice like that and you’re as beautiful as she is, why not flaunt it in such a classy way?
One of the strangest moments of the evening was the fixation on the band’s new album, Sanctuary. Obviously it was expected that Evanescence would perform a few choice cuts from the record, but playing four new songs in a row as an opener and proceeding to play the majority of songs from Sanctuary throughout the night was an interesting decision. However, whilst casual fans might have been disappointed by this, the songs really grew on me hearing them live, and I love the way Evanescence seem to want to do things in their own way.
There were a few choice hits thrown in such as fan favourites Lithium, Imaginary, Bring Me To Life, Going Under and Wasted On You (among others), which were placed perfectly to keep the crowd from feeling pummelled by the new material. The piano songs were a particular delight too, with Amy using the piano for a beautiful rendition of My Immortal, and a standing keyboard for a rousing rendition of Call Me When You’re Sober. The only real downside of the gig was the fact that the crowd were so dead – this is something that was also observed at the Manchester and Birmingham concerts. This attitude may have been a result of the set being so Sanctuary heavy, but even the big hitters from Fallen managed to stir little more life from the audience.
However, with a band as beloved as Evanescence and a vocalist as beautiful and awe-inspiring as Amy Lee, perhaps its more that people were watching, appreciating and enjoying the show, rather than using it as an excuse to jump around and mosh into each other. That’s the thing with Evanescence – there’s no denying their talent and they’re the sort of band that make performing look effortless. Make sure you catch them live next time around if you haven’t already!
