Pain of Salvation/ Vangough – Center Theater, Whittier , CA 9/14
By John Knowles & Kevin Broersma
After over a decade of non-touring activity in the States, Pain of Salvation finally returned for a brief, yet welcomed 12-date tour of North America. The tour saw the band make brief stops in Canada and Mexico following their first stop: Two different shows on two different days in Atlanta, both as part of the renowned ProgPower festival. The second show was particularly special, as the band performed 2002's Remedy Lane in its entirety. Considering 2000’s The Perfect Element Pt. 1 and Remedy Lane did not quite see the tour support in the States as they could have, this tour definitely gave the band that opportunity. For the final mainland stop in downtown Whittier, CA the band pulled out all the stops, and delivered a show that primarily supported The Perfect Element, but also paid a proud tribute to their first release on InsideOut records, 1997’s Entropia. CalProg, who did an amazing job, presented the show. From what I can tell from setlists posted of the previous dates, the Whittier set was quite a bit longer, and the band played through material that had not been touched on previous shows. The night was a powerful and moving experience. The band executed all the material absolutely flawlessly, and for those few individuals lucky enough to have witnessed the show, the night will be a night none are bound to forget.
One of the best experiences of this show was the venue! The intimate, 400-seat Center Theater hosts local theater productions for the city, and is quite the unexpected venue for a metal show. But this place ended up being the perfect venue to showcase a band like Pain of Salvation, where their attention to detail, dynamics and syncopation can be fully appreciated when sitting back and witnessing in awe. It was clear to me that the venue reached maybe 50% occupancy, and that almost seems like a generous assumption. I am not aware of what the band’s appeal may have looked like in 2002, but years of avoiding the American market has almost certainly been to the band’s detriment. Band leader and visionary Daniel Gildenlöw had his reasons for avoiding this country for so long, and you have to respect a man who holds so faithful to his principles, though it is disappointing that fans had to wait so long. Gildenlöw and co. must be fully aware of this fact, as they seem to have made each night on this exclusive tour very special, and supported albums that fans have waited a long time to see performed live.
Support from the tour came from Oklahoma’s premiere progressive power metal act, Vangough. The title is self-proclaimed, but I can honestly say the band lives up to such a lofty claim. Very much in a similar vein to Pain of Salvation, Vangough was the perfect band to serve as support. The 4-piece demonstrated a strong aptitude to writing and performing complex arrangements, and very dynamic passages. The band accomplished a successful crowd-funding campaign to be able to do the tour, and I’m sure this was a chance of a lifetime for them. CD Baby writes of the band as, “Brave, eccentric and chemically unstable - Vangough is a Pandora's Box of exotic flavors mixed with harsh textures and tempestuous vocals.” This was clear with each song of the band’s impressive hour-long set. Lead vocalist/guitarist Clay Withrow is the epitome of front man. My one bit of feedback for this band is that they could not keep up with the charisma and stage presence of this guy. He’s clearly the Gildenlöw of this project, and it was evident to a fault. The band showed a more than apt ability to perform the material so for them to raise their game to his level is something that can be achieved over time.
The band performed songs from each of their three album’s, demonstrating a consistent artistic vision throughout. As always with the end of a tour (while PoS went on to perform the final Mexico date, this was Vangough’s last show) the usual end-of-tour high jinks were present. Since this was a theater after all, members of Pain of Salvation’s tour crew brought a King Lear-worthy throne on stage along with a sword and broomstick. They managed to wheel it behind Withrow, and sit him down while lowering the mic to keep the song going. This would be repaid later. The band made regular use of backing tracks to perform keys, backing vocals, and other textures. These tracks may have been a bit too loud for much of the show, but they really allowed for the band to fully showcase the arrangements from their albums. Overall, the band sounded amazing, and were one of the most enjoyable support acts I’ve seen in a long time. The crowd responded well to them, and I’d say these guys were a very worthy support choice, and gave this tour a very successful go.
Visit the OFFICIAL Vangough page here.
Purchase Between the Madness and hear samples here.
Anticipation loomed in the air as the crowd waited patiently for Pain of Salvation to hit the stage. When the curtains opened the stage was set up with presumably more props from the theater’s storerooms. Two trees stood on either side of the stage, and a prop oven sat visibly to back of the stage. It was clear the band had fun with this gig. “Of Two Beginnings” kicked things off, followed by “Ending Theme,” serving as the initial support for Remedy Lane. The show started out a bit quiet and the instruments weren’t as balanced as they could be (keyboards not loud enough), but as the show progressed the music got louder, more powerful and balanced. Always the clever and enigmatic frontman, Daniel Gildenlöw walked back to the oven and turned the dial to symbolize a shift to the next album suite. The Perfect Element was next, and the band did far more than the expected “Used” and “Ashes.” The band ripped through 5 consecutive tracks from the album, and more followed later. Touring guitarist Ragnar ZSolberg did an amazing job with the material, especially vocally – executing the high harmonies with perfection. His guitar work was beautifully executed as well, showcasing a bluesier approach than former guitarist Johan Hallgren, but managing to stay perfectly true to the original parts. If you’re familiar with the band’s masterful 2009 live DVD release, Ending Themes: On the Two Deaths of this is a completely different band supporting Gildenlöw, but each current member has found a comfortable and fitting home with the band. All of the vocal harmonies, instrumental nuances, and complexity of the original songs were brilliantly executed by each band member, and as the songs went on the sound signature of each member became more and more distinct.
Entropia was the next album to receive the live treatment. The band ripped through “! (forward),” “Nightmist,” and “People Passing By” following a synchronized chant by certain crowd members who screamed, “I’m not afraid – I’m not afraid of you...” I’m not certain if the decision to move on to Entropia was just off the cuff based on the crowd’s feedback, but it was impressive nonetheless. I noticed that multiple fans mentioned how unique this setlist was as we were exiting, further highlighting how special and unique this performance was, and the ability of the band to pull off complex material on short notice. “1979” was then performed, and served as the only Road Salt material for the evening. The song was so perfectly executed it gave the audience chills. The 4-part harmony that closes out the song was a moving thing to experience. It was around this time that a member of Vangough found a bunny costume in the theater storehouse, and he proceeded to hop on stage to repay the favor of the earlier prank.
Remedy Lane was then revisited, and was met with an amazing crowd response. On “Rope Ends” keyboardist Daniel Karlsson experienced some technical issues during the intro. Kudos to Gildenlöw who stopped the song to wait for the fix so the song could be restarted and performed to perfection. This may have been one of the best performances of the night, and showcased the heavier side of the band. The Perfect Element was once again visited before the band left the stage. Of course an encore was demanded and the band came back on stage to deliver in a big way. First, though, a surprise. Gildenlöw found his place behind the drum kit, while Ragnar took over on lead vocals to perform a cover of Kiss’ “She.” Another cover followed featuring each band member on a different instrument, and this time lead vocal duties were handled by drummer Léo Margarit who sang through Chicago’s classic “25 or 6 to 4.” The band then picked up their own instruments and played through an amazing medley featuring more cuts from the previously performed albums, and even adding a nod to One Hour By the Concrete Lake with a section of “Handful of Nothing.” Most unfortunately for the night, Daniel’s mic had a major technical fallout during the final song, “Beyond the Pale.” The tragedy ran deeper as this song was performed instrumentally with unmatched stunning perfection.
All in all the band performed a very rewarding 2.5 hour set for a small group of very lucky fans, many of whom have been waiting over a decade for this special night. This was truly one of the most amazing concert experiences of my life, and I’m sure there were many others who’d agree. One thing’s for sure, the band are likely not going to wait as long to return again, and when they do you will not want to miss out on such an opportunity.
Visit the OFFICIAL Pain of Salvation page here.
Buy Pain of Salvation albums here.
Purchase the band’s proudest releases on vinyl here.
By John Knowles & Kevin Broersma
After over a decade of non-touring activity in the States, Pain of Salvation finally returned for a brief, yet welcomed 12-date tour of North America. The tour saw the band make brief stops in Canada and Mexico following their first stop: Two different shows on two different days in Atlanta, both as part of the renowned ProgPower festival. The second show was particularly special, as the band performed 2002's Remedy Lane in its entirety. Considering 2000’s The Perfect Element Pt. 1 and Remedy Lane did not quite see the tour support in the States as they could have, this tour definitely gave the band that opportunity. For the final mainland stop in downtown Whittier, CA the band pulled out all the stops, and delivered a show that primarily supported The Perfect Element, but also paid a proud tribute to their first release on InsideOut records, 1997’s Entropia. CalProg, who did an amazing job, presented the show. From what I can tell from setlists posted of the previous dates, the Whittier set was quite a bit longer, and the band played through material that had not been touched on previous shows. The night was a powerful and moving experience. The band executed all the material absolutely flawlessly, and for those few individuals lucky enough to have witnessed the show, the night will be a night none are bound to forget.
One of the best experiences of this show was the venue! The intimate, 400-seat Center Theater hosts local theater productions for the city, and is quite the unexpected venue for a metal show. But this place ended up being the perfect venue to showcase a band like Pain of Salvation, where their attention to detail, dynamics and syncopation can be fully appreciated when sitting back and witnessing in awe. It was clear to me that the venue reached maybe 50% occupancy, and that almost seems like a generous assumption. I am not aware of what the band’s appeal may have looked like in 2002, but years of avoiding the American market has almost certainly been to the band’s detriment. Band leader and visionary Daniel Gildenlöw had his reasons for avoiding this country for so long, and you have to respect a man who holds so faithful to his principles, though it is disappointing that fans had to wait so long. Gildenlöw and co. must be fully aware of this fact, as they seem to have made each night on this exclusive tour very special, and supported albums that fans have waited a long time to see performed live.
Support from the tour came from Oklahoma’s premiere progressive power metal act, Vangough. The title is self-proclaimed, but I can honestly say the band lives up to such a lofty claim. Very much in a similar vein to Pain of Salvation, Vangough was the perfect band to serve as support. The 4-piece demonstrated a strong aptitude to writing and performing complex arrangements, and very dynamic passages. The band accomplished a successful crowd-funding campaign to be able to do the tour, and I’m sure this was a chance of a lifetime for them. CD Baby writes of the band as, “Brave, eccentric and chemically unstable - Vangough is a Pandora's Box of exotic flavors mixed with harsh textures and tempestuous vocals.” This was clear with each song of the band’s impressive hour-long set. Lead vocalist/guitarist Clay Withrow is the epitome of front man. My one bit of feedback for this band is that they could not keep up with the charisma and stage presence of this guy. He’s clearly the Gildenlöw of this project, and it was evident to a fault. The band showed a more than apt ability to perform the material so for them to raise their game to his level is something that can be achieved over time.
The band performed songs from each of their three album’s, demonstrating a consistent artistic vision throughout. As always with the end of a tour (while PoS went on to perform the final Mexico date, this was Vangough’s last show) the usual end-of-tour high jinks were present. Since this was a theater after all, members of Pain of Salvation’s tour crew brought a King Lear-worthy throne on stage along with a sword and broomstick. They managed to wheel it behind Withrow, and sit him down while lowering the mic to keep the song going. This would be repaid later. The band made regular use of backing tracks to perform keys, backing vocals, and other textures. These tracks may have been a bit too loud for much of the show, but they really allowed for the band to fully showcase the arrangements from their albums. Overall, the band sounded amazing, and were one of the most enjoyable support acts I’ve seen in a long time. The crowd responded well to them, and I’d say these guys were a very worthy support choice, and gave this tour a very successful go.
Visit the OFFICIAL Vangough page here.
Purchase Between the Madness and hear samples here.
Anticipation loomed in the air as the crowd waited patiently for Pain of Salvation to hit the stage. When the curtains opened the stage was set up with presumably more props from the theater’s storerooms. Two trees stood on either side of the stage, and a prop oven sat visibly to back of the stage. It was clear the band had fun with this gig. “Of Two Beginnings” kicked things off, followed by “Ending Theme,” serving as the initial support for Remedy Lane. The show started out a bit quiet and the instruments weren’t as balanced as they could be (keyboards not loud enough), but as the show progressed the music got louder, more powerful and balanced. Always the clever and enigmatic frontman, Daniel Gildenlöw walked back to the oven and turned the dial to symbolize a shift to the next album suite. The Perfect Element was next, and the band did far more than the expected “Used” and “Ashes.” The band ripped through 5 consecutive tracks from the album, and more followed later. Touring guitarist Ragnar ZSolberg did an amazing job with the material, especially vocally – executing the high harmonies with perfection. His guitar work was beautifully executed as well, showcasing a bluesier approach than former guitarist Johan Hallgren, but managing to stay perfectly true to the original parts. If you’re familiar with the band’s masterful 2009 live DVD release, Ending Themes: On the Two Deaths of this is a completely different band supporting Gildenlöw, but each current member has found a comfortable and fitting home with the band. All of the vocal harmonies, instrumental nuances, and complexity of the original songs were brilliantly executed by each band member, and as the songs went on the sound signature of each member became more and more distinct.
Entropia was the next album to receive the live treatment. The band ripped through “! (forward),” “Nightmist,” and “People Passing By” following a synchronized chant by certain crowd members who screamed, “I’m not afraid – I’m not afraid of you...” I’m not certain if the decision to move on to Entropia was just off the cuff based on the crowd’s feedback, but it was impressive nonetheless. I noticed that multiple fans mentioned how unique this setlist was as we were exiting, further highlighting how special and unique this performance was, and the ability of the band to pull off complex material on short notice. “1979” was then performed, and served as the only Road Salt material for the evening. The song was so perfectly executed it gave the audience chills. The 4-part harmony that closes out the song was a moving thing to experience. It was around this time that a member of Vangough found a bunny costume in the theater storehouse, and he proceeded to hop on stage to repay the favor of the earlier prank.
Remedy Lane was then revisited, and was met with an amazing crowd response. On “Rope Ends” keyboardist Daniel Karlsson experienced some technical issues during the intro. Kudos to Gildenlöw who stopped the song to wait for the fix so the song could be restarted and performed to perfection. This may have been one of the best performances of the night, and showcased the heavier side of the band. The Perfect Element was once again visited before the band left the stage. Of course an encore was demanded and the band came back on stage to deliver in a big way. First, though, a surprise. Gildenlöw found his place behind the drum kit, while Ragnar took over on lead vocals to perform a cover of Kiss’ “She.” Another cover followed featuring each band member on a different instrument, and this time lead vocal duties were handled by drummer Léo Margarit who sang through Chicago’s classic “25 or 6 to 4.” The band then picked up their own instruments and played through an amazing medley featuring more cuts from the previously performed albums, and even adding a nod to One Hour By the Concrete Lake with a section of “Handful of Nothing.” Most unfortunately for the night, Daniel’s mic had a major technical fallout during the final song, “Beyond the Pale.” The tragedy ran deeper as this song was performed instrumentally with unmatched stunning perfection.
All in all the band performed a very rewarding 2.5 hour set for a small group of very lucky fans, many of whom have been waiting over a decade for this special night. This was truly one of the most amazing concert experiences of my life, and I’m sure there were many others who’d agree. One thing’s for sure, the band are likely not going to wait as long to return again, and when they do you will not want to miss out on such an opportunity.
Visit the OFFICIAL Pain of Salvation page here.
Buy Pain of Salvation albums here.
Purchase the band’s proudest releases on vinyl here.
