Alright folkens! HammerFall and Serious Black and all was epic, but after sleeping waaay to short, it was time for us to prepare for Tour Force One! We started the day off real lazily, sleeping in as much as we could and took a quick shopping trip before getting ready for tonights show.
Paula and Michelle decided to crash my outfit picture this time, and it’s good enough. Not a whole lot has changed but the shirt and the necklaces, hahaha.
So, first we stopped by at the station to pick up some crepes before heading for the subway, or UBAHN that would take us to Batschkapp. We arrived a little later than we had for HammerFall, and at first we ended up completely off, but after some help we found the right destination. And then began the waiting.
We arrived around 17, and…. seriously. IT WAS FREEZING. Like ok, what did I expect, it’s winter time and everything, BUT JESUS CHRIST? I almost froze to death? I even ended up bothering a friend so much because I was close to freezing to death. God. A few more fans came and after a while we started a little penguin farm. About half an hour before doors, they opened the gates and we RAN.
And like, I couldn’t feel my legs. I know I was moving, but I didn’t feel my legs. I was practically flying. Must have looked like it, considering that my Swedish Lordi flag was flying in the air on the same time. After half an hour or so they opened the door and we ran for our lives inside the arena. We managed to score spots on Amen’s side, which I never really complain about!
We started off to take turns at the merchtable and the bathroom, and I end up buying one of the new Scare Force One shirts. I had some starting plans for the shirt that I have now ditched, so I’m not sitting with an oversized shirt. But I think I know what I want to do with it. Gladly.
After waiting for a little while, SinHerseY entered the stage. I hadn’t checked out any of the support bands for this part of the tour, since I wasn’t really planning to catch any of the gigs, but I must say I really liked this one!
Uh yeah. My camera doesn’t work with me. I’m sorry about all the sloppy pictures, but I really don’t know what to do about it for now! Right after Sinheresy got off stage we hit the merchstand to pick up one of their albums. Had to wait a little for the band, or, the singer to come down and we had a short chat with her and got the CD signed before dashing back to the front row.
Or well… dashing and dashing… Just as on HammerFall, it wasn’t ANY pressure! All people stood pretty casually a little here and there, so no troubles getting in and out. We even took an extra bathroom break, just because we could, you know.
While waiting for Palace we decided to do an upgraded version of The Mumblers and recorded our first song, which is “Nailed by the Hammer of Frankenstein”. If this recording ever will surface, I do not know, but we had fun. Until Michelle put her cold hands on Paulas neck. Uuughhhh.
So, without further notice, I might just say that Palace started playing. It’s kinda fun, Daniel told me when we were waiting for them that he recognized them from somewhere but didn’t know where, and I felt the same. I am certain I haven’t seen this band before, yet I too recognized them from somewhere.
This was also a band I was fairly unfamiliar with, and I was maybe not AS impressed as I was with Sinheresy, but it was a good show nonetheless!
So, interesting thing number two. Daniel was the only one seemingly to go hardcore for Palace, so naturally, the singer/guitarist came and gave him a pick, and then gave him a second one which Daniel passed onto me. He then leaned in and told me that the vocalist had said “give this one to your girlfriend”.
Uh. What? Hahahahaha. Love it! (Before hate: This is nothing against Daniel, he’s amazing as hell. It’s just fun considering I had known him for less than 24 hours) Oh. Well, okay sure why not. Still curios as to how he thought we were a couple, as far as I’m concerned he hadn’t even seen us talking to each other… Oh well!
——- SPOILER ALERT. SPOILERS FROM LORDIS SHOW WILL FOLLOW——–
So. With Palace leaving the stage, the anticipation in the room rose. Like, real high. Even for me. Now, soon, soon, soon! And sure enough, a little after 22 “God of Thunder” started echoing in the speakers. And ALL Lordi fans knows what this means.
Next thing we know, a flight attendant comes out and “Estimated Time of Arrival” starts playing as she demonstrates the safety routines. Or perhaps the killing routines. I really didn’t know how to interpret it.
She leaves the stage, the band enters and fires everything off with “Nailed By the Hammer of Frankenstein”. This song really cuts it as an opener! The band was on fire, we were on fire, crowd…. not so much to my surprise! A little better than HammerFall, but far from approved.
They continued on with “This is Heavy Metal”, WITH THE RETURN OF THE METAL DUDE, and “Hard Rock Hallelujah” before it was time for one of the highlights of the whole show.
“Deadache“.
So, as most of you people may or may not know, “Deadache” is my number one Lordi song of all times. I cannot tell you how much I love this song, or why I love this song, but if you go through my archive, I have written about this particular song many, many times stating how much I love it.
And they haven’t played this song since the “Deadache” tour. And I never really thought it would make a return. Like ever. Because it felt like I was the only one who actually wanted it back. But when I saw that tour teasing video… I just lost it. Just as much as I lost it when they played the song live. It was BEYOND amazing. Although my eyes hurt a bit when Mr L pointed the flashlights RIGHT INTO your eyes…
After “Deadache” it was time for Hella to have her little moment, and not only did she play her beautiful little song, but she also had some effects. There was a baby trolly (?) rolling out and a clueless woman strolling about, checking on the little baby that OF COURSE was haunted and started to pull her into the wagon. I remember I actually hesitated to look, because I figured there’d pop up SOMETHING yet I didn’t know what, when or how. But there it was.
“Hell Sent in The Clowns” was next, with those amazingly cute clowns who just ruin about everything. “Blood Red Sandman” made it’s entrance before it was time for Mana to have his little moment.
Alright, so what happened is that this lady comes in with a skull lying on a table with a cloth of some kind. Mana put the piece of fabric over the skull, and then the skull starts acting very haunted and flying around, aalllmost out of control. After getting the skull back into it’s place, he fired off a VERY impressing drumsolo. Yes, for me, it was.
After the drumsolo it was time for “Give Your Life For Rock n Roll” before the big surprise of the night would happen.
Ok, so it wasn’t that much of a surprise for me, since I had read the setlist beforehand, but still.
“Don’t Let My Mother Know”.
A single B-side. WHO HAD EVER THOUGHT WE WOULD HEAR THIS LIVE? I SURE AS HELL DIDN’T. Was epic, BEYOND FUCKING EPIC. Jesus Christ, I could kill someone! Or no, on the contrary, this is what STOPPED ME from killing someone. The epicness, my god.
And it doesn’t stop there. After “Don’t Let My Mother Know”, it was time for OX’s little moment, and he sure as hell got a raise! He used to do Kalma’s old thing, but now he has his own. So what they did is that they brought out this trolley with a guy inside it, called “OX’s Special Soundbox” or something like that, who was tied up. They gave OX a lug wrench, and while he was playing the bass, he stopped every once in a while to beat the dude up. Moans. Moans. And then, after beating him quite a good, he digged into him. Opened him up and dragged out his insides.
The dude kept pulling out his insides as OX kept giving us some fierce basstones.
“How To Slice A Whore” was next on the list, and this one had been upgraded quite the bit too! On the releasegig, he had done the same thing as he had in “Dr Sin”, but this time he actually CHOPPED and SLICED The corpse on the table instead, and of course ate it’s insides. I’m never going to be okay with seeing that. Like. Ever.
Our paradesong was next on the list, “It Snows in Hell”. As usual we turned around and hung upside down. But there was a catch. For this tour, they have started to have white foam dropping from the roof. It was…. “amazing” getting your throat filled with that. But you know – it’s worth it. Considering that Amen seemed to thrive off it. Us hanging upside down, that is.
“The Riff” was next on the list, followed closely by “Sincerely with Love”. You all know my *love* feelings about the latter one, but I can forgive it. Like come one, “Deadache” makes up for everything.
The next surprise, or perhaps, AWESOMENESS that was on the list is “Man Skin Boots”. I fucking love the song, obviously, it’s from Deadache. And this song is like… PERFECT live. And yeah. Sometimes I relate to it a bit. You have been warned.
AFTER Man Skin, it was time for Amen to have his little moment. What started out pretty small, as him standing on the side playing “Amen’s Lament To Ra II” soon escalated to the great Pharaos curse as he stepped up on a Pharao grave and had (fake)fire burning next to him as he kept showing us what a guitar god he can be. For the first time ever I really got that Pharao / ancient Egypt feeling from him. It was like being down in the thombs in The Sims 3, yet this was for real. RAD And EPIC as hell.
This tour is just so fucking amazing. I don’t even get it. I mean, I know “Scare Force One” is an amazing album, but I couldn’t imagine how amazing the tour would turn out. They really, UPGRADED themselves.
Right after Amen’s solo enters what I believe is one of Amen’s favorite songs, “Not The Nicest Guy”. The song was followed by “Sir, Mr Presideath Sir!” which… See.
I didn’t care much for the song on the album. It’s good, it’s decent, but perhaps not the best. HOWEVER – this song is like 200 times better live. And it serves a fucking purpose you know? “WE ALL KNOW WHAT WE’VE BEEN TOLD – OUR LEADERS HEART IS MADE OF GOLD”. It was MADE for live shows. I fucking love it.
Amen came up front and did his normal routine. One devil horn, two devil horn, going up, going to the sides, going down, cross your arms…. “Devil is a Loser”. Seriously, this song gets me going like fucking crazy, yet I had to see a LITTLE more from the rest of the crowd. Seriously, what is the point? Come on people! Energy!
They left the stage, only to allow “SCG7” to start and to fire up the Scare Force One and would later return to fire of “Scare Force One”. The best song on the album with the same title. Jesus christ, this song gets me GOING you don’t even understand. Of course, I think you all can notice the similarities between this one and Deadache, and yes, that’s why I love it. I’m so glad they play this live. It’s AHHH. Can’t even describe the feeling to you!
“Who’s Your Daddy” was next. If I didn’t have a slayer neck already, this is when I got it, My god, why do you always get so pumped in this one? Who the hell knows!
“Would You Love A Monsterman?” was the very very last song of the whole night, and there is something special jumping with your friends and raising the Swedish Lordi flag high with pride. We love our monsters, and we’d go, and HAVE GONE the distance for them. Any time, any day. YES. We do love our monstermen and woman.
They said thanks and good bye and walked off the stage for good. Alright so, look. The band, they were on fire. They were fucking KILLING it. It’s a SHAME that the audience doesn’t pay the same respect. I mean… come on. Show a little appreciation!
And you know.. The concert was awesome. Being there with friends was awesome. But what was even more awesome was the crewmember, who, without hesitation, walked straight up to me and handed me Amen’s setlist. Like, I didn’t even have to ask or whatever, he just went straight up. It’s a bit deja-vuish from Wednesday, haha.
We hung around a little bit to catch our breathes, drink a little and pick up some last minute merchandise before going out in the cold Frankfurt night again and head home to the hotel. We picked up some night food on the way home and then just sat in the hotel room and talked about everything Lordi for hours.
Until Michelle fell asleep of course, because then we obviously put toiletpaper all over her face (what else would we do?) before drifting off to a very fulfilling sleep….
Thanks, Lordi. Thank you so much.
// Sara
Sara Hammerzmith 