2020 saw AMORPHIS celebrating their 30th anniversary. Originally, the band had planned to have three special of consecutive concerts at Tavastia in Helsinki, each of the nights dedicated to a decade of the band’s history. Unfortunately, these events were postponed due to COVID-19. Luckily for us, the band showed resilience in organizing two shows for a virtual audience despite the current pandemic, called “Stream from the North” on 3 August 2020 and 4 August 2020. Naturally, we gathered around our screens to watch the European show.
As soon as the streaming concert started, we were confronted with great camera work and lighting. The band had chosen a different setup than when they’d perform for an audience, as they were facing each other. This made it a bit more intimate than these streams where bands fake playing in front of an audience. The show started with the intro from “The Bee” off their latest album, “Queen of Time.” Normally, I would find myself in the photo pit during this song, so it was the first time that I could see this song performed live without having to worry about capturing every moment. The song really serves as an excellent opener, with great captivating energy and a sweet combination between heavy and mellow.
AMORPHIS continued with the title track of their 2015 full-length album, “Under the Red Could.” Next, the band seemed to explore their own history by performing songs that they hadn’t played in years, which some of them I had never even seen live. “Sky is Mine,” “Towards and Against,” and “The Wanderer” each represented a different time from AMORPHIS‘ career, but I was mostly impressed by the powerful “Sign from the North Side,” a song that is often added to their setlists but has somehow been omitted in every show I had attended. It was then that the stream started lagging a little bit from my end, which is always a risk during these streaming concerts. During “Silver Bride,” the connection seemed lost for many of the fans, but luckily SemiLive was able to solve the issues within the next couple of minutes – a swift response that was highly appreciated. Luckily, the recording of the show would still be there for 48 hours after the concert, so fans could still enjoy any moments they perhaps missed due to connectivity issues.
Altogether, SemiLive once again produced an outstanding show with a lot of thought put into the camera work, lighting, and the setup, making this one hell of a production. The setlist was varied and differed from the previous show, making for two special events for fans. An AMORPHIS gig is always impeccable as they play with a lot of dynamics and have never really dropped the ball when it comes to performing. The sound was also outstanding, with each instrument feeling crisp and everything seemed well-balanced.
I can’t say anything about the previous streaming concert, but for its European variant, over 3000 viewers had gathered in front of their screens to enjoy the show and positive comments soon filled the chatbox. At some point, a fan suggested that if ever concerts would be back on the table again, it would be great to still have these streaming concerts. I couldn’t agree more; hopefully they become part of the future alongside live shows and can exist next to one another.
[adrotate banner=”3″]
Setlist
- The Bee
- Under the Red Cloud
- Sky Is Mine
- Towards and Against
- The Wanderer
- Hopeless Days
- Karelia
- Sign From the North Side
- Into Hiding
- Against Widows
- Black Winter Day
- Death of a King
- Silver Bride
- Wrong Direction
- House of Sleep
- My Kantele
