Delain – New Century Hall, Manchester: Live Review

By Mike Ainscoe on 23rd November 2024 • ( Leave a comment )

Delain, Damian Wilson – New Century Hall, Manchester – Thursday 21st November 2024

A second dose of genre defining Symphonic Metal in three days after a recent bout with Within Temptation in Leeds. Memories are stirred of the days of having both WT and Delain on the same bill at the Apollo a decade ago in 2014. Happy days!

delain

The return of a shiny new Delain with the Dark Waters album and tour in 2023 confirmed that the band is still a force to be reckoned with and fortunate to be driven by the vision of Martijn Westerholt. Not a band to sit on their hands, they’ve recently released their Dance With The Devil EP with two new songs as part of a new/live/instrumental value for money package. Both songs feature in the set as they venture forth on another series of live dates, not relying on dishing out last year’s show again, but with a setlist that’s been give a healthy tweak.

But first, with the new EP art as a striking backdrop, the fabulous five arrive in a swirl of flashing strobes and smoke with the familiar – if it ain’t broken why fix it – volley of The Cold, Suckerpunch and Burning Bridges. All are prime tracks for the start of a gig, making both grandiose and dramatic gestures and with a chance to test the lungs with built in lusty whoa-oh-oh-oh audience participation hooks.

marrying the old and the new

A chance too, to check out what’s happening onstage where those at the barrier and within whipping distance of Diana Leah and Ludo Cioffi’s copious amounts of hair swinging. Diana’s footwear which wouldn’t be out of place in Gene Simmons’ dressing room in particular catches the eye and must take some wearing given her slim frame as she attacks the new The Reaping with the angelic sweetness she brings to Delain. On the front line, guitarist Ronald Lando is also hugely active. He takes on several song intros after enquiring “how the f**k are you!?” whilst joining Ludo in adding the harsh vocal either side of Diana’s crystal clear part in the monstrous The Glory And The Scum before they head back to April Rain with Martijn tinking the slight piano intro.

With The Human Contradiction album a seemingly current favourite source of live songs, the return of Army Of Dolls heralds a lengthy bout of appreciation and before it lulls, they’re into one of their new classics. The Quest And The Curse might well hold a special place for band and fans; the song that lifted the curtain on their return and one that confirmed we were going to be ok. Pounding Metal, contrasting vocal parts with operatic leanings and more monsters. Great stuff and a first half of a set that’s hard to beat.

With Here Come The Vultures and Get The Devil Out Of Me back in the set, there’s a blurring of any possible boundaries between the old and the new. Encouraged to give their dancing shoes a polish, the floor of the New Century hall starts to bounce; a little like toe famous dance floor across town at The Ritz. Pity anyone in the space below…

new classics

Queen Of Shadow has become established as another new classic and is a reminder of having witnessed Paolo Ribaldini joining the band for a mid set series of numbers to sing with Diana on the last tour. This year we have the omnipresent Damian reappearing on Your Body Is A Battleground for a foot on monitor, scene stealing appearance and a chance to belt out some lung busting lines with a full Metal band behind him. There are still the likes of ready made anthems in The Gathering and We Are The Others (streamers included in the ticket price) between which Delain sandwich two heavier (and new) tunes. Songs where the melodies soften the edges of Moth To A Flame and having got the devil of of me, he’s invited to add a demonic presence to Dance With The Devil.

Regular visitors to Manchester, playing venues from the Academies to The Ritz and now the New Century, Delain will always have a welcome in the North West.

damian wilson

Great to see Damian again -we last caught him with Adam Wakeman at Cropredy in 2023 and have a little history with him going back to his stand as singer in Rick Wakeman’s band in what must be a couple of decades ago! He’s done his stints in the realms of heavier music with Arjen Lucassen’s Ayreon, Threshold, Headspace and he’s the current singer in Arena. However, tonight (Matthew) it’s just him, an acoustic guitar and a box of chocolate coins.

With a healthy support slot to fill in the absence of Stone Broken (Rich is poorly) he puts on a full fifty minutes of song, anecdotes and stand up.

Damian Wilson has quite a backstory that’s too log to recount here. Suffice to say he’s a man in a van (“My name’s Damian Wilson and I live in a van” is quite a chat up line), and amidst his tales of relatives and further adventures in a variety of living spaces (sunken boat, house in a cemetery) amongst his songs he can proudly count the Radio 2 playlisted Thrill Me. The full version is a belter too.

in fine form

He’s in fine form, delivering acoustic takes of material from hos own back catalogue and his work with Adam Wakeman. And for all his skill on the acoustic, possibly the only place you’d miss the ‘full’version is Adam Wakeman’s subtle piano on Seek For Adventure. Damian Wilson and acoustic guitar is a rare chance to admire his singing prowess and the voice that’s graced stages from musical theatre to Prog Metal.

His Built For Fighting album – on sale at the merch desk – amazingly eight year sold, yields a clutch of early numbers and he namechecks and pays an eloquent tribute to the recently departed Paul Di’anno (despite singing The Evil That Men Do from his Maiden United work – is there a story he tells of auditioning for Maiden once?). He notes how Paul would be telling tell him to “Metal up your arse!” and in turn his own commanding presence chastises those who are at the bar talking…when they should be drinking. You wouldn’t argue with him especially in his big bearded form although he’s a lovely gent. It’s an indication of his command when he downs the guitar and sings unaccompanied and unamplified mid set. Even the smoke and saturated lighting pays attention and clears.

“A song about God smoking dope,” sees Homegrown follow Seek For Adventure and has the crowd joining in. Perhaps buoyed by his rapport and willful disregard for health & safety as he tosses (gently…) chocolate coins into the front rows. Of course, we wish Stone Broken well, but the extended Wilson set was quite some treat.