Midnight setlist:
Fucking Speed and Darkness
Rebirth of Blasphemy
Szex Witchery
Here Comes Sweet Death
Evil Like a Knife
Lust Filth and Sleeze
You Can't Stop Steel
Kreator setlist:
Violent Revolution
Hate Uber Alles
Satan is Real
Enemy of God
Phantom Antichrist
Strongest of the Strongest
Flag of Hate
Pleasure to Kill
Mercyful Fate setlist:
The Oath
A Corpse Without Soul
The Jackal of Salzburg
Curse of the Pharaohs
A Dangerous Meeting
Doomed By The living Dead
Melissa
Black Funeral
Evil
Come to the Sabbath
Satan's Fall
Ok, Midnight are overrated. There, I said it. I think Bewitcher are better and offer more. Anyway, the stage clothing like when Ghost first started, the three piece in black hooded robes and face coverings. Music is Venom meets Motorhead, speed metal with moments of guitar melodies to break the repetition. Yes, alot of the same thing every song given their style. But they are ok, don't get me wrong I like a couple songs, the energy and spirit. 'Szex Witchery' got a rock n roll riff and purposeful solo, 'Here Comes Sweet Death' slows down the tempo. Even a trashy girl comes out half dressed during one song to gyrate on the band members.
Kreator played about fifty minutes, two songs off the latest album from 2022 "Hate Uber Alles" the title track and catchy video single melodic 'Strongest Of The Strong'. And albums post 2000, title track to "Phantom Antichrist', "Enemy Of God', and 'Violent Revolution'. Stage set included a backdrop with the new album's artwork and a few bodies tied up hanging like corpses, two impaled front of the stage and lots of red lighting. Disappointing guitarist/singer Mille Petrozza and drummer Jurgen Reil (the lone two original members) only played two classics from the 80s, 'Flag of Hate' and 'Pleasure To Kill'. Sound was a bit too loud too at times sounded fuzzy and muddy amongst the twin guitars and bass.
Been 23 years, yes twenty three since I saw Mercyful Fate in 1999 for the "9" album. Actually saw them a several times for those great 90's albums, including the reunion in 1993 Today the lineup is of course the king King Diamond, guitarist Hank Shermann joined by alumni Mike Weed on second guitar from the albums "Dead Again" and "9", and the King Diamond band. Bjarne T Holm back on drums from the 90s, and Becky Baldwin on bass filling in for Joey Vera (out with Armored Saint) who replaced Timi Hansen who passed away from cancer.
Picture this, well you don't have to, you can see plenty pictures online because everyone is a photographer via their phones. As the evil bells chime and the organ plays 'The Oath' intro the curtain drops and the stage looks like a satanic church. Two archways atop steps centering the drums, complete with a lit up pentagram and inverted cross. Simplistic yet clean, sharp and effective. And the sound is perfect, so well balanced you can hear everyone on the band, and King's vocals pierce the air. Oh yeah, King still has the voice, actually think he sounds better than ever, easily moving around from his mid range to different keys and his unique falsetto.
Setlist was understandably focused on the first three albums. But the new song, 'The Jackal of Salzburg', fit in well and really could have been on anyone of those five 90's albums. Good creepy guitar melody and riffs that distinctly are Shermann/Denner or Shermann/Weed. Wow, that riff in 'Curse Of The Pharaohs' and 'A Dangerous Meeting' is just deadly, perfectly heavy yet melodic and packs a punch. 'A Corpse Without Soul' and 'Doomed By The Living Dead' off the 1982 E.p. "Nuns Have No Fun" just shows how primitive Fate were early on. Savage riffs weaved around well composed melodic guitar parts for the chorus. 'Melissa' haunting break no less dark or progressive. Love the New Wave of British Heavy Metal gallop in "Black Funeral" and the line "now hail Satan, oh yes hail Satan", 'Evil' and 'Come To The Sabbath' got the crowd singing loud. And closing with the epic 'Satan's Fall' is icing on the satanic theatrical cake. I hope they are professionally recording shows fro a DVD release.
Can't wait to see Fate again and hopefully the setlist will include a few from the 90's too.
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