Photo by Seanen Middleton / @seanenmiddleton
There are many things you expect when going to an Evanescence concert, the striking and powerful voice of Amy Lee, who sounds every bit as commanding as fans have come to know over the last twenty years since the band’s debut album. However, what you perhaps wouldn’t expect is how much attention is drawn away from the band, and onto the incredible stage design.
I have seen many gigs at Co-Op Live, and the stage is different every time, from the standard raised platforms of those such as Liam Gallagher, to the catwalk-Esque of Charli XCX. For me, Evanescence has taken the win by far and going to require something magnificent to top it.
Opening with the title track from their latest album ‘Sanctuary’, Lee has this Manchester crowd in the palm of her hand, stood on the sloped portion of the stage, as fog emerges, as the rest of the band take their positions, what strikes me is the engagement from the crowd. Opening your sold-out show with a song that has only been out since June takes a certain level of confidence in your music, and to the band’s delight, fans belt back every word.
As the show goes on, Amy Lee brings out special guests, metaphorically handing the torch on to the next generation of alt rock voices. K. Flay for ‘Fight Like a Girl’ and Poppy to sing their collaborative track ‘End of You’. Poppy looks every bit like the polished pop star we see often today, with an outfit that wouldn’t look out of place in an Olivia Rodrigo wardrobe change, it is when she takes the microphone you realise, she is anything but, an almost possessed voice fills the Manchester arena, it is a terrifying and impressive juxtaposition to her aesthetic.
Of course, it wouldn’t be an Evanescence show without some of the classics, tracks like ‘Going Under’ and ‘Bring Me To Life’ get the best reception of the evening. As Pyro surrounds the stage and pigeon shaped confetti flutters down from the 80-foot arena, it’s almost hard to hear Lee’s iconic voice that has been going strong for over twenty years. this sold-out crowd scream out every lyric.
Photo by Seanen Middleton / @seanenmiddleton
Towards the end of the stage, there’s a small platform that perplexes me all night, trying to figure out exactly what it is. The lights are off, this crowd of nearly 24,000 are dead silent, and rising through the stage is Lee sat with a grand Piano for the most heartbreaking and delicate moment of the evening. Lee by herself plays ‘Forever Without You’ this tour is the first time the track has ever been played live and is welcomed by an incredible ovation, and I can imagine many tears shed across the arena.
As a white tarp blocks off the stage, fans know it is time for the final song, much to their dismay. My Immortal and Wide Open Heart are the last songs, and at the end of My Immortal the curtain drops to reveal the band at the far back of the stage high in the air on scissor lifts surrounded by more pyro and streamers shooting out of the stage.
Evanescence’s return to Manchester was a show that treated fans new and old, over twenty years after they were first showed off to the world, their older tracks are met with the same reception, whilst the new material is welcomed in by fans, what I can only take from this show, is Amy Lee’s voice continues to strike through the hearts of fans, and they are rightfully confident in their music and eager to show the world they are more than just the nostalgia.
