Hi,
I've read a review saying that nowadays Arena live sounds more metal than prog, with Clive's keyboards and Rob's voice buried under tons of heavy riffs. Is that true? The last time I saw them was the Visitor tour introducing Rob and it was definitely a prog gig then. Much as I enjoy their following albums, I am a bit scared of the sound and volume of this stuff played live. Do I really have to fear or is this still the same Arena that I saw 5 years ago?
Rafal
More metal than prog? I wonder which planet the reviewer was one?!!
Our sound depends very much upon the venue and the sound engineer. It is his job to make the vocals and keyboards an audible part of the mix. I believe (for example) the guy in Germany did a great job with that. For festivals and one off gigs we tend to use the 'house engineer'... for the main tour we have our own guy (who gets it the way we want).
We have an edgier sound nowadays, but you only have to listen to the albums, to know roughly how we should be on stage... :)
I discovered the band by a gig and I didn't fin it "heavy" at all ;)
Don't be afraid, Rafal, go to the gig if you have the opportunity... and you'll enjoy, I'm sure!! ;D
Great thankyou Clive,
That's exactly what I wanted to be told !
And if the last studio albums are to be an indicator of my joy on September 27th (Poland, Warsaw, Proxima), I will be truly delighted.
However, I must mention that my favourite album ever is not Arena, but Nolan-Wakeman: 'The Hound of The Baskervilles'.
I am lost for words on this one. But of course it is closely followed by Arena's albums on my top list and it was actually 'Contagion' that made me buy 'The Hound'.
If Beethoven lived these days and you and Oliver showed him 'The Hound' pieces on paper, he would probably cut your throats, buried you under his floor and claimed this stuff to be his own... And frankly - he could hardly be blamed.
See you in Warsaw.
Rafal
I'm glad you like 'Hound'... you'll want to look out for a project which I will be involved in fairly soon. It has some Polish connections as well... I think you'll like the music!
Look forward to seeing you at the Arena gig.
And there was me thinking this was a "guess the weight of the band" thread and with an estimate all lined up too!!
Ah well, just goes to show ;)
In pounds or kilos?
Hehe... people afraid of Arena beiing "heavy"???? Progressive rock or Progressive Metal???? who cares??? good music is always good music!!! and "loud" good music is even better...hehe! I think some people is already dead and nobody told them!
Well...for people with "delicate" ears I have one advice: Listen in stage to the band Goth Minister ( http://www.gothminister.com ) from Norway, and after you will find how "smooth" Arena sound in stage can be...hehe! ;D
I wnet to a lot of concerts and i think the sound is to loud sice Rob joined the band. It's not metal but the volume is set wide open and that is not doing such a great band good.
And can someone tell me why Arena plays the Boerderij in Zoetermeer? For me it's to far to visit a concert so i have to miss this years tour.
:'(
Yeah, I was kinda disappointed that they do not appear at Lucky or Tivoli this year, but well, sometimes a fan's gotta do what a fan's gotta do....and this year I did :-)
Concerning the sound, I agree with The Beard about the sound tending to bury keyboards and vocals a little bit during the gigs. I am a big supporter of the heavier edge Arena developed in the last years, but indeed, one should cut down on the bass and guitar volume with this development.
Great remark about 'Hound' and Beethoven, Rafal. You almost made me fall from me chair!
I don't think we'll be getting any more clues concerning Clive's new 'Polish Connection' on short notice now will we??
Lucky&co would suit me better too. But then other fans would have to travel a "long" way...
Still I think Lucky is bigger than De Boerderij...
Well, of course one concert in each of these venues would be great. Otherwise Tivoli, Utrecht, always makes for a nice compromise! Easily accessable by public transport and in the centre of the country. Well, I am greatful for being able to see Arena twice even when it is on the other side of the country.
Arena is far more heavy these days,and yes really, sometimes a little metal :).But thats also because Mick uses his double bass more and more. But you don't hear me complain!
Quote from: The Vision Bleak on Sat, 2005-09-17, 16:07:22
Arena is far more heavy these days,and yes really, sometimes a little metal :).But thats also because Mick uses his double bass more and more. But you don't hear me complain!
It's got to be said: double kick drums sound great! :)
On one of the tracks I recorded last year, (called "Sea Of Revenge"), I just told my drummer "Load it with double pedal!" He loved it! So did I! *ola*