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Overland Metalhead

QUEENSRŸCHE Manning Bar 15th Oct 2016

16/10/2016

 
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If you read my gig review of the Queensryche/Armoured Saint/ Death Angel concert in London August 2015, you will know that I first saw Queensryche in Sydney 31st August 2009. Queensryche had only been to Australia on two occasions.

The first occasion was to perform Operation Mindcrime 1&2 in 2006 and the 2nd occasion was for the bands to perform 3 suites of music: “Rage for Order”, “American Soldiers” and “Empire”. I remember buying an “Empire” shirt when I was 23.

Australian QUEENSRŸCHE fans had waited patiently for 7 years for the band to return to the Southern Shores. Some of us couldn’t wait that long, so that’s why I lived in Birmingham to see QUEENSRŸCHE in 2015.

While I was abroad, Queensryche announced this very tour in April 2016. If I was a good boy, I would have stayed in the UK until August and I would have got to see QUEENSRŸCHE near Birmingham. But I was bad ass and nobody gave me a job & I forgot to claim UK benefits

So I got to see QUEENSRŸCHE again for the 3rd time in my life. But I had to live in Australia for 3 months.

I left home around 3pm and I got to the Manning Bar around 5pm. I saw the band drive in after 6pm to do their Meet & Greet with VIP FANS.  I snuck in a few photos of Todd and Scott walking by.
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Scott & Todd
I spent most of the afternoon telling people how I wish QUEENSRŸCHE would sing “Gonna Get Close To You”, because they last performed it back in 2011.

I marched on in at 8pm to take my spot on the very front of the barrier. I love being the first to the barrier but I am used to standing on my feet for hours.

Hemina

First up was Hemina. I had never heard of seen this band before. But on first looks it was so beautiful to see Jessica Martin up there in a black dress and black boots on the bass.

Hemina are in the same Prog Metal genre as QUEENSRŸCHE. They are a 4 piece band from Sydney and their influences even go back to Genesis, Dream Theater, Queen and Symphony X. The band played 6 songs and they were well received.

Even though this was my first time seeing them. I might have seen them at a gig some years ago. But Hemina have been around since 2008.

LORD

Lord was up next. I have been a fan of Lord since 2008 when I saw them support Saxon. I have seen Lord many times during 2008-2012 and I even saw them in Germany during July 2012 for Headbangers Open Air.

For the first time in 10 years. Andy Dowling was absent from the band. He has been standing on stage left since Lord formed in 2006.  Andy was in Prague on his Honeymoon. But we had Rob Giles of Carbon Black on bass tonight.

Lord went over to America recently for PowerProg fest near Atlanta Georgia. I was so happy that band got to play in America, the same year Hellbringer did.
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It was very cool to see Lord again after 4 long years.

QUEENSRŸCHE

QUEENSRŸCHE hit the stage later on in the night. With music blaring all over the PA the band launched into “GUARDIAN” off their new album “Condition Human”.
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Todd La Torre walks on stage wearing his trademark black jackets and pants. Later on Todd would unvield that he is wearing a MOTORHEAD ENGLAND T-Shirt. This made me feel proudly British.
Todd welcomed us to the show and he even apologies for taking so long for the band to get back to Australia. Well truth be told during the whole Todd QUEENSRŸCHE VS Geoff QUEENSRŸCHE, there was no point for either band to come to Australia during this court battle.

 I sincerely apologise QUEENSRŸCHE that our dickhead Immigration Minister (Peter Dutton) has now increase the price for Entertainment visa (for bands that want to tour Australia). In Europe (excluding UK/Ireland) they don’t really care what your band is doing in Europe because it’s an open border.

In the past 7 years, QUEENSRŸCHE has played in the London 4 times. So it must be cheaper to get UK entertainment visa. But after all guys, it’s only a 9 hour flight from Seattle to London.
 
“Operation: Mindcrime” It took 24 years for QUEENSRŸCHE to come to Australia. 10 years after that first tour the band is finally playing the song “Operation:Mindcrime” again.  Hundreds of people in the audience are excited to hear this song with its memorable rift.

I did my best  to take some good photos without flash even if it mean putting my finger over the stupid flash and feeling the hotness of the bulb.

During O.M good old Parker Lundgren started point at me as he remembered me from London 2015 & Sydney 2009. Parker is the coolest guitarist I’ve seen. He is the baby of the group, but Parker is younger than me.

“Best I Can” This song was performed in Sydney in 2009 and it was played again last night. It one of the best opening songs off any QUEENSRŸCHE album.  Todd was running around the stage.  I don’t think I said this in my London review, but Todd has a better stage personality that Geoff Taint.

I was surprised that QUEENSRŸCHE played “Damaged” as it was off “Promised Land” I have never bought that album or given a listen as my interest in Queensryche does stop after Empire then it resumed with Operation: Mindcrime 2, American Soldier. But my love of QUEENSRŸCHE was absent between September 2009-July 2012 until Todd came in.
 
The weird thing is “DAMAGED” wasn’t a single at all. But “Promised Land” was a successful album that peaked at #3 in their native U.S,A and even two of its singles reached the top 40 in the UK charts. Maybe I should buy this album someday?
 
“The Killing Words”. It was nice to hear something off “Rage for Order” as this year is the LP’s 30th Birthday. Last year I heard “Walk in the Shadows” and “The Whisper”. This year, I hear this song and it reminds me of the good days when I would go to bed listening to the whole “Rage for Order” record on my turntable.
 
“The Mission” another great track of “Operation: Mindcrime”. Yes Geoff Tate is the only person who can play both Mindcrime albums (in full) but nobody cares! When you go to see QUEENSRŸCHE in the present day you are here to hear great classic off the first 6 albums/EP and the first two Todd fronted records.

“Silent Lucidity” This was QUEENSRŸCHE only Top 40 hit in the Billboard hot 100. So it’s now become a staple to hear this song at every QUEENSRŸCHE gig. Michael Wilton does justice to Chris Degarmo work. It was the power ballad of the night as everyone in manning bar was singing along to it.
 
When the song “Empire” came on it made me think about this chick I follow on Instagram as some of her photos are to inspire people to build empires.  Overland Metalhead is my empire and I got to build it!

“Eye9” was an interesting song to hear for the first time. It starts off with an amazing bass licks by Eddie before Todd powerful voice soared up and down with rifts from Parker and Michael that have made me allot more interested in QUEENSRŸCHE new album and less interested in that long new Dream Theater album.

Going home on Sunday Morning to watch the music video was awesome. Man this band has put allot of effort into their music videos. Unless that piece of shit video of “Get It Started” where you had to buy the CD if you wanted to watch the video before it was released. But that was all TAINTS ideas.

Allot of people in Australia have been dying to hear “Queen of the Ryche” live. Geoff Taint would never sing it live for like 15 years, so when Todd took old of the reigns he did it justice.

This is a man who grew up on the Ryche!

We were all grateful to hear that song live as allot of people were singing along with Todd! I felt like a SMARTASS as I already saw QUEENSRŸCHE before they came back to Sydney.

“Jet City Woman” was played in 2009 and it was on the set list tonight. It’s one of my favourite songs off “Empire” but it’s brilliant to keep hearing it every time I see QUEENSRŸCHE in Australia.

“Take Hold of the Flame” the band played this as their Encore in London. Now they are playing it at the end of the set list
 
QUEENSRŸCHE went off stage for 5 minutes before heading back on to do their ENCORE. As we were all asking for it?

“Screaming in Digital” off the band “Rage for Order” album. By playing this song live, it really did give R.F.O a happy 30th birthday. I would have jizzed (in my pants) with excitement if Queensryche had played “Gonna Get Close to You” live, as I have never heard Todd sing this song.

I was thinking of that song (“Gonna Get Close to You” ) when I lost my virginity with Carol in 2010 and I used to listen to whole “Rage For Order” album before I would go out and get laid with women 20 years older than me.

To end the night QUEENSRŸCHE performed “Eye of a Stranger” this song was performed in London and yet again it was played in Sydney. I don’t think you can have a Queensryche gig without playing: “Eye of a Stranger”, “Silent Lucidity” or “Walk in the Shadows”
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I actually cried when Todd La Torre was standing in front of me and gave me a fist bump!  Geoff Tate made me shake for a few days after I met him 2009, Todd La Torre fronted Queensryche can make a grown man cry
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SEEING QUEENSRYCHE LIVE MAKES A GROWN MAN CRY!
It was a fitting end to an amazing night. For allot of us concert goers, it was worth the weight.
 
I shook hands with Todd at the end of the song and he knew that I was the Overland Metalhead. I think I do remember shaking hands with Parker.
 
The excitement of the night was when I picked up Michael Wilton’s Guitar pick  It was a fitting end to an amazing night. For allot of us concert goers, it was worth the weight.

 
I shook hands with Todd at the end of the song and he knew that I was the Overland Metalhead. I think I do remember shaking hands with Parker.
 

The excitement of the night was when I picked up Michael Wilton’s Guitar pick off the ground after he tossed it at me. Thanks Michael
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I look forward to seeing ​QUEENSRŸCHE  again, someday in South America, Asia, North America or Africa.
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ABOUT OVERLAND METALHEAD

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HI EVERYONE!

I'm Martin Anthony AKA the Overland Metalhead!

I'm a British Metalhead (Born in Sydney) who enjoys the way of overlanding.


 I have been travelling solo since April 2010 when I spent 6 weeks in North America. Since then I have visited 72 nations and 100+ cities.

I have lived in Sydney, New York, Birmingham, Melbourne, London and Stockholm!

I have visited Parliament Haus in Port Moresby , spent a week on the Trans Siberian Railway,  visited Commonwealth War Graves around the world, met Joanna Lumley in Melbourne, swapped a European phrasebook for a Jackie Collins novel in Bangkok and I travelled 15,000km from Vladivostok to London without flying

I am the proud Author of "Journal of a Metalhead" Vol I & II that are out now 



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