Leeds, First Direct Arena, Tuesday, September 08
23 years ago, Amy Lee’s defiant awakening changed the face of modern rock forever. While record labels and critics doubted Evanescence’s promise, ‘Bring Me To Life’, the lead single of debut album ‘Fallen’, not only allowed the band’s outrageously gifted frontwoman to rise from obscurity, but it also gatecrash rock’s testosterone-addled boys’ club. Even now, Lee’s staggering mezzo-soprano talents continue to dazzle, to the same degree that, two decades on, they continue to sell out venues the whole world over. Tonight that venue is Leeds’ First Direct Arena.
Of course, Lee is acutely aware that the world once underrated her potential. As a result, an Evanescence line-up platforms female voices, and the ‘Sanctuary’ Tour be no different. K.Flay is the first to grace tonight’s stage, at times rocking out behind a jagged lightning-bolt of a white Gibson 80s Explorer before throwing it aside to stomp around and rap. From the bounce of ‘Blood In The Cut’ to the attitude-doused ‘Ants’, it’s a fabulous helping of the rapper’s alt swagger, and a great nod to Evanescence’s diverse, rap-aligned musical palette.
The enigmatic Poppy is up next, and, under the 13,000 watchful eyes of the arena, her butter-wouldn’t-melt guise and soft vocals on ‘have you had enough?’ feel rather timid – that is, until she erupts into a burning, climactic growl. That’s the winning formula here; saccharine sweetness turned brutally sour. As her band rages on behind masks (of which Poppy whips out her own during ‘Scary Mask’), it feels like watching a doll’s tea party orchestrated by a very disturbed Barbie. From the glittering ‘crystallized’ to Poppy calling for a pit for her rumbling Bad Omens collab, ‘V.A.N’, it’s a respectable and rousing effort from metal’s quirkiest.
Though no act can quite compare to an evening with Evanescence. As a small mash-up of tracks across the years teases the masses, it’s a sharp reminder of just how consistent the band has always been – before opener ‘Sanctuary’ absolutely knocks everyone out of their seats. Not only does it cement the strength of the band’s sixth record, but it breathes even more life into it. By the time the track’s rippling, riffy breakdown hits, the fans are fully eating it up like it’s an old classic.
While the set leans heavily into a technologically dystopian future, with its apocalyptic cityscape backdrop, Evanescence haven’t lost themselves in their push to evolve. The chugs and industrial crunches of ‘Sanctuary’ cuts feel utterly at home within an Evanescence setlist, and the might of Lee is fully intact. Not only does Lee look exactly the same as she always has – draped in head-to-toe black, complete with flowing sleeves, a choker and her signature dark eyeliner – but the gothic enchantress has never declined in vocal talent. In fact, she’s only gotten better.
As we ride through ‘Afterlife’ and ‘Rapture’, Lee sounds remarkable, belting with a precision and power worthy of a West End musical, and her power is further confirmed when ‘Going Under’ kicks into gear, performed with such heart and belted with a ferocity that practically sets a new benchmark for the timeless classic.
When the night is in full swing, moving through the effortlessly cool of ‘Self Destruct’ and the Nine Inch Nails-tinged ‘Calm Down’, Evanescence begin to knock out the devastating tear-jerkers. Throughout the emotional ‘Call Me When You’re Sober’, Lee’s voice hits you in the gut, but nothing prepares you for the goosebump-inducing pain of ‘Forever Without You’. Sat at her grand piano, classically trained fingers poised to carry punters through a tale of traumatic loss and ultimate sense of peace, Lee takes a second to share some wise words:
“If this next song resonates with you, if the words hit you in the heart… Please know, you’re not alone. Please know that you deserve to discover your true potential. The world deserves to find out about your true potential. So, as terrifying and impossible as it may seem, to take the first step out of the door of a bad situation.. I promise you, it’s better on the other side.”
Throughout, she sounds a second away from breaking. But the crowd is there to support her. Midway through, Lee notices the crowd responding to her emotional outpouring with a sea of lighters and glowing phone torches. As she looks out, eyes sparkling from all the light, she lets out a small smile.
Eventually, Lee utters the final line: “You didn’t know that I could fly – well, neither did I”. And that line is exactly what tonight is about. When she first forged those words, Lee had no idea whether she would succeed. But, over twenty years on, the answer is there, in the form of a packed-out arena erupting in applause. It’s there in the tearful fans cheering her on. It’s even shown through the supporting female artists who run out to feature on tracks, both Poppy and K.Flay desperate to share the stage with an enduring legend. Lee has not only flown – she has soared.
Of course, the show still has plenty of punch left. ‘Bring Me To Life’ is an instant, anthemic mood booster, but Evanescence haven’t quite rinsed their catalogue of gut-wrenching sorrow just yet – we’ve still got ‘Better Without You’ and ‘My Immortal’ in store. But when we do eventually make it through the smoke, flames, and heartbreak, closer ’Wide Open Heart’ reminds everyone that, despite ‘the weight of the world’, opening your heart is the only way to truly stay strong, persevere, and stay true to yourself.
