Lordi / Silver Dust / Follow the Cipher @ Z7

23.11.2018 Lordi – Live DVD Recording @ Z7 Pratteln

For the fans it has always been clear that Lordi are much more than a Eurovision sensation, and it’s 12 years ago that they became known world-wide with their hit Hard Rock Hallelujah. And this monsters are still very welcome on live stages. Which other Eurovision act has pulled that off except ABBA?

And these monsters are still up for surprises, after filming a horror movie, releasing books, candy, a hot sauce and even a Lordi dildo. Yet what has never happened in the band history was creating a live DVD – which should be recorded this very evening at Z7. Why here in Switzerland? Because the band has been playing on this stage a lot, and – except once – I have been watching the show, as this band is always entertaining.

As the film crew needs the space, there is no photo pit tonight but we are allowed to shoot from the audience for the whole show. Which is not easy when so many “Ineedtorecordthewholeshowonmycell” people block your view. I simply cannot understand why so many prefer to stare at a tiny screen when they could enjoy the show on stage right there! Especially the show of this band, you’d definitely miss a lot.

Despite the DVD recording, Lordi have invited two support acts, the first are Swedish  Follow the Cipher. This band released their debut this year and will also tour with Amaranthe next year. Maybe because besides being an awesome live act, they have several Ex-Sabaton members in the line-up. Front woman Linda Toni Grahn does a great job, her voice matches nicely with git/voc Victor Carlsson’s, a trademark of this band. A new discovery, I am looking forward to hearing more from and of them.

After a short break a Swiss band continues I have not heard of before: Silver Dust. Those guys from Porrentruy in their costumes fit nicely to the headliner and they had also supported Lordi on tour back then in 2016. Their CD features a  «Bette Davis Eyes» cover with Mr. Lordi as guest singer, and he will indeed join them on stage on this European tour, yet tonight it’s only a video projection. Perhaps he needs to save some energy for the extensive DVD shooting tonight. But  Silver Dust do deliver a great show with female guests to warm up the impressive crowd for the main attraction …

… LORDI!

They are touring with the material of their new album «Sexorcism» but also will play older songs from their nine previous albums because of this LIVE DVD recording. And this show was indeed so impressive that sometimes I forgot to take photos.

First there’s a priest performing an exorcism on a woman tied to a chair, which does not work so Mr. Lordi has to take his place. A lot of fire and pyro effects is part of this monster show, but there’s also snow when it’s time for «It Snows in Hell» – quite a nice X-mas feeling, maybe more bands should go for this effect as it’s really beautiful.

As usual, everybody in the band receives his/her 90 seconds of fame:  Mana his drum solo, Mr. Ox a dance-inducing Techno Bass Show, Ms. Hella with her Keyboard Solo and vocals even gets the bull head on the door to sing along, finally Amen brings Egypt’s sand storms to the stage and vanishes in a cloud of smoke during his guitar solo. Fantastic!

Mr. Lordi is constantly changing his costumes and appears with his old «Blood Red Sandman» costume, fetching Lordi candy from the sandman bag and throwing it into the audience. His statements are fun, too. Once he insists that the audience be careful not to step on his  liquified balls – otherwise he’d step on them (and then he shows his massive boots). Or stating, after asking which song people would like to hear, that he cannot hear them anyway. People really enjoy that, and Lordi are not talking much anyway but deliver a great show.

For «Naked in my Cellar» Mr. Lordi fetches a woman wrapped into a cape by a leash, and she unwraps during the chorus, dancing totally naked to the music. The guys in the audience definitely enjoyed this part of the show, which was quite new for this band (nothing new for other bands, though). We have to cover it up a bit with stars on this photo. But naked or not, it all ends for Lady Santana on a torture bench and being butchered by Mr. Lordi. My personal highlight of the show – there is so much blood and gore and (fake) guts that the first rows of the audience get their share of it too.

It’s not easy to make it through 2 hours of show in those costumes, chapeau, there must have been blood sweat and tears, but those 5 gave it all, and there was not a minute of boredom. This upcoming DVD is a must-have for all Lordi fans. For me those Finnish monsters have not lost any of their appeal ever since I saw them first 15 years ago.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/stalkermagazinerocks/albums/72157673887675327/with/46045595851/

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