To see ANATHEMA playing the • Christ Church Bochum •, Germany, is a familiar sight. In 2012 ANATHEMA was opening here for Opeth, both bands playing kind of an acoustic set. Tonight, the Brits are the main actor, again as a three-piece consisting of Vincent and Daniel Cavanagh, and Lee Douglas. ANATHEMA tour in support of their newest release, the concert film A Sort Of Homecoming, which was recorded on their still ongoing acoustic tour at stunning Liverpool Cathedral. And once more, the Christ Church is sold out.

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The evening got opened by :: CONRAD KEELY ::, writer, composer, singer/songwriter, artist and mostly known for fronting American Post-/Noise Rock Band ...And You Will Know Us By The Trail Of Dead. CONRAD KEELY will release his solo debut Original Machines on January 22 and I suppose that tracks he played tonight, which were no cover songs or from Trail Of Dead will be found on this record. Only with his guitar CONRAD KEELY looked kind of lost on this stage. Also the atmosphere of his songs didn’t work for me, although I really like Trail Of Dead songs and also the first single of his debut (In Words Of A Not So Famous Man). Anyway, tonight’s show left something to be desired.
Setlist: Black Water Falls (The War on Drugs cover), The Dragonfly Queen (TOD song), Cowpoke (Don Walser cover), Bury Me Not On The Lone Prairie (traditional cover), Engines, Anchors, Left Is Land, The Rest Will Follow (TOD song), Let It Dive (TOD song), Awestruck (TOD song), Bells, Shadows And Tall Trees (U2 cover), Another Morning Stoner (TOD song)

This completely changed when :: ANATHEMA :: hit the stage. All expectations got fulfilled. The Liverpool guys and girl started with a few songs from A Sort Of Homecoming the way they appear on DVD and then embedded cover versions of Portishead, Pink Floyd and the Beatles. The set of course was from beginning to the end as impressive as intensive. A stunning and goose bumps causing performance. Especially A Natural Disaster sent chills up and down the spine. The sound was powerful and clear and lights perfectly supported band and music (with Jamie Cavanagh, bass, on knobs). As they did in 2012, it wasn’t a pure acoustic set, especially with Danny easily switching between piano, guitar, loops and delay pedals, adding more variation to the sound. As Mikael Åkerfeldt said back then: “an acoustic set doesn’t necessarily mean to play unplugged”, or words to that effect.
However, Danny Cavanagh didn’t want to see the audience sit on its pews and got them up rocking, as much as the band gained momentum. Only downer was the loud talk of two drunkards in the back. And, instead to kick them out by the security, the Matrix boss (organizing this show tonight) got into their discussions too and so even amplified the bad situation. Damn....
So, all in all, a beautiful evening with a few downers. A cathedral might be the perfect setting for a band like ANATHEMA but it’s about time to play some rock shows again ;)
Setlist: The Lost Song Part 2, Untouchable Part 1, Untouchable Part 2, Thin Air, Dreaming Light, Deep, Ariel, The Beginning And The End, Glory Box (Portishead cover), Anathema, High Hopes (Pink Floyd cover), Tomorrow Never Knows (The Beatles cover), A Natural Disaster, Fragile Dreams // The Goldheart Mountaintop Queen Directory

story & pics © Dajana & Dajana Winkel • Photography