Savatage - Vicious Rumors

10.13.1991

The Savatage/Vicious Rumors package-tour took off in Utrecht tonight.
However, both bands played the night before as well: Vicious Rumors in Brunssum (Netherlands), and Savatage, opening for the Alice Cooper show, in Brussel (Belgium).
Both bands just released a new album, so the package-tour started just in time.

Vicious Rumors opened this evening with "Abandoned" and "Raise Your Hands", two songs off their new album "Welcome To The Ball". The audience of approximately 600 people didn't really seem to know these songs very well. No, the audience really got going when the songs of the self-titled third album ("Don't Wait For Me", "Ship Of Fools", "Hellraiser", "On The Edge" and "Down To The Temple") and songs off "Digital Dictator" ("Digital Dictator" and "Worlds And Machines") were played.

Each time when the atmosphere inside the hall got boiling, it cooled off when a new song like "Strange Behaviour" and "Children" was played.
Lead guitarist Geoff Thorpe's men did a good job, but still they didn't manage to reach the heights of the Aardschokdag and Dynamo Open Air.

After the concert, Geoff Thorpe asked me if it would have been wiser to have played more "Digital Dictator"-songs. My reply: "You should have played everything off that album!"

After the break tonight it was Savatage's turn to raise the temperature in the hall. They opened with "Hall Of The Mountain King" followed by "Power Of The Night", then the third title track "Streets". Guitarist Criss Oliva was supported on stage by John Zonder on keyboard, who visited Europe in the past as a back-up musician for Crimson Glory, but now appears to be a part of the permanent Savatage line-up. Half of the "Streets" album was played tonight. Besides the title track, they played "Jesus Saves", "Tonight He Grins Again/Strange Reality" (although not played as one! ), "Sammy & Tex" (with adapted, rather frank lyrics ), and "Agony & Ecstasy".

Vocalist Jon Oliva didn't have his best vocal cords tonight -- probably left them behind in some coffee-shop (oh, oh, those tourists....).
The two-plus hours during the show of course contained a lot of oldies. Although the much-requested "Believe" wasn't played (again), we were able to enjoy "Sirens", "The Dungeons Are Calling", and the ancient "City Beneath
The Surface" (written in a time when the band was going through life by the name Avatar)

From the previous album they played  "Gutter Ballet", "Hounds", "Of Rage And War", "She's In Love", and "Mentally Yours".
Strangely enough, the best track, "When The Crowds Are Gone", wasn't played. "24 Hours Ago" closed the second set of encores.

All in all, another performance as strong as iron!
Despite Jon Oliva not having his best vocal day, his excellent work as front man and his unbridled energy made up for it a lot.

Metal Mike