Dragonforce

Upon arriving into the room, there was a heavy aroma of sweat and alcohol from drinks brought before the show and the first thing my eyes lay upon was the over priced merch which i still wanted to buy badly but couldn't afford. I went in planning the most reasonable area to stand which i thought was a good idea at first. When it came to the Line Up it was all go, i thought yes i got lucky and i'm close and comfortable, dun dun dur... a group of wild hooligans twice the size of me stood in-front of me blocking my view. See, theirs this one corner in the venue which i thought would be the most appropriate place to stand because the only people who would be going past will be the people going to the toilet as the toilet is literally round the corner and theirs the back door for the bar where the people attending the bar come out. I went in with a mind set thinking hmm, people will be courteous and not stand near the door behind me, and the only people in front of me are people with the same mind set, finding a spot or going to the toilet and therefore there will not be a lot of people in front of me because there needs to be room for people to go towards the loo and the bar. No. I was so wrong. I think i forgot i was at a concert and not a wedding reception. Both me and my Uncle got bombarded and pushed back to the very backs of the wall as it got crowded with giants. I remember thinking boy, i know what i want for Christmas.. to be tall. And that is okay, i went into the venue later than expected, i chose that spot and i have been to bigger venues with more people. For me that just standard concert going you know. I had to attend College and that's the only date near me that they were playing. Had it have been a day off i would've lined up all day long just to attempt to be near the front.

The Line up Power Quest played well, it really got me going to the point where i wanted to run home and buy all their albums over again. The band got my fist in the air and my head banging it was a real in the moment experience. I loved how the band worked the crowd and made us all feel like family, i only wish we had shown them more affection and been louder because they really deserved it. Each of the members were on there toes and smiling at everyone in the crowd like they were really appreciative. There were some minor difficulties with both the guitar and the microphone which were prominent which made me feel rather flighty because they were giving it there all and i really wanted to just jump up on the stage and fix it for them as soon as possible despite knowing its not my job and i don't want to get kicked out. I have a lot of regrets in my life one of those i have to add to the list now is not shouting at the top of my lungs 'You guys are the best, i love you all' or something like that when there were many moments of the crowed and band being silent for breath seconds between talking. I held the words down and talked myself out of it really quickly as i didn't want to draw attention to myself nor put off the band from what they were doing. If i ever see that band again, i will defiantly have to, and i mean have to jump on the opportunity without looking back.

Once the set was over and each member made there way off the stage, the lights lit up again and the room filled with both applause and commotion. It took a while for the bands to switch rigs and get everything sorted out which was yet again both bad and good as i got to swap conversations with my uncle who i dragged along but also we both physically now had our backs to the wall. The tall people left the area and over came even taller people and some ladies who were separate from the group but still managed to be within millimetres from me. The band got an applause which filled the venue as Dragon force entered the stage. Theirs moments in peoples lives you know which make there lives you know be that as it giving birth or getting married. For me, it was seeing the guitarist who inspired me to play guitar and listen to that type of music. That was 8 years ago, and man as they took to the stage was it magical. There is something about seeing a face on a screen but its so much more mind blowing to see them in front of your very eyes.

They played through there first few songs with perfection i tell you. They had the same sort of contact feeling with the crowed just like Power Quest has and it felt guilty cheering louder at Dragon force than i did for Power Quest but that was only because for a weird reason i was trying to loose my voice to try and get out of College the next day and because the crowd was louder i could shout louder without hearing my own voice which is so embarrassing. It was really special i tell you watching them live, and they played some really good songs along with it. Well boy have i got more things to ramble on about.. Get ready.. first of all, i looked like a right muffin when everyone was clapping with there hands above there heads and i was slapping the wall as i was so close to the wall that i couldn't relieve my other hand from the side of the wall. Secondly, there were way more technical difficulties than Power Quest which really made me want to slap a chair because they were really simple things that i could've fixed and i'm not even a Sound Technician. Now get ready for these two juicy riles.. Remember the two women i spoke about that joined along with the really tall men, the one of them was leaned up against the wall PLAYING CANDY CRUSH!!! i couldn't believe it i really couldn't. It's like one of those moments that is like, you've seen it all. I once went to see Slipknot live, and on one side of me there was a women who was bragging about how much sex she had and the other women brought her kids along with them and took up half my chair.
Herman was a real magician because i blinked and suddenly he's shirt changed colour. Not only that but when he was shredding hes whole guitar lit up like a Christmas tree which was epic and filled me with jealously as i was trying to keep up my head banging to the speed of the guitar but also darting my eyes left and right to the pattern of the arpeggio sweeping like a tennis match. It's safe to say, the venue was a sauna mid way into the night and i was trying my best to make sure my sweat was not getting on the floor or anyone else. P.s. i have never seen so many guitar swaps in my life. He traded he's guitar out so many times, it was like a new guitar each song. The band was really engaging and yet again i felt like family, as each band member smiled and gestured to individuals in the crowd. I have to admit, and i know this is so very selfish of me and i am really sorry, i wish that one of the members would've seen me in the crowed, but i like to imagine they did.

There was one part towards the end, where the band asked the bar for a few drinks which was funny when they made jokes about not getting the drinks and even funnier when someone offered to get them drinks in the crowed to only actually go and buy them each a drink in the end. It was a good evening, a really good evening and each of the bands gave it there all and that was truly special and i really appreciate that they came to this city. At the end the band threw there plectrums and there drum stick into the crowd which boy, i wish i could've caught but its one of those things which is like i don't entirely mind because there were lucky people in the crowed who did get them and that's a okay. It i did ever catch a plectrum or something like that from the band i would easily hand it over to someone next to me anyway.

I can't thank both bands enough, and if they ever come to Birmingham again i will defiantly be attending both there events. If i ever met them, i would love to give each of the band a giant cuddle to show appreciation and nothing less. Well, you asked for a review but i gave you an experience and i'm sorry that i couldn't give you anymore.. what a night to remember.

As with the last album, Dragonforce are treating fans to a series of intimate, small-scale shows around the time of release of Maximum Overload. I’d expect them to come back around in a few months playing larger venues, but in the meantime it’s nice to catch them somewhere where you can almost feel the heat from Herman’s wrist muscles as he pummels that guitar. They strode on stage – led by new drummer Gee Anzalone – and launched into opener “Defenders” from the recently released Maximum Overload. Indeed, half the set was tracks from the new album with the rest of their back-catalogue being represented by a single song from each album. As a result, if you hadn’t already heard Maximum Overload – and I confess I hadn’t – then it took the edge off things a little. The band seemed to take a little while to get going, as did the crowd, but this could partly be put down to the stifling heat which Marc Hudson did mention at one point during the set. There was little motion amongst the faithful (a couple of minor pits broke out maybe twice), but the fists in the air and roars of approval should have been enough to convince the lad on stage that they were very much welcome to continue with each song. From what was my first experience of four or five of the songs, the new stuff sounds a bit heavier than their older material and Marc’s vocals have something to do with that. I’m going to put the album on in the car later to see how my initial impression matches up with the recorded version, but if so then it’s good to see/hear that new blood is influencing the sound somewhat. That’s what keeps bands going and not just regurgitating the same material album after album. There’s no doubt that the older material was more well-received, but that’s almost always the case at a gig until everyone gets more familiar with it. Fury of the Storm, Cry Thunder and Through the Fire and Flames will never lose their appeal. I guess, with time, we’ll find out which of the newer songs get to take their long-term place alongside them. A typically energetic encore saw us through to the end of the gig where Marc invited fans to meet the band at the merch stall for a beer and the like – something that too many bands are charging a premium price for these days. Unfortunately, due to a baby-daughter-induced 3 hours of sleep the previous night, I had to head home. But don’t think that such a gesture isn’t appreciated.

Dragonforce, what can I say about them? I remember hearing their music years ago online through some random youtube videos and other forum boards. I thought their music was over the top, silly, but freaking awesome all the same! Seeing them live at the Loud Park 2012 just confirmed all of that, in fact even more so.

Marc Hudson, the lead singer, looks like he never left the 80's or 90's with the way he dresses and sings. Listening to Through the Fire and Flames in person makes the song sound even more intense and over the top than you could even imagine. The guitar work is so fast, I swear I saw smoke coming from the guitar. As silly as the lyrics are, it's hard not to try to sing along with the singer and crowd when everyone is getting pumped for them.

I'm really glad I saw them in person because it reminds me that I should expand my collection of them more. The best part was in the middle song when the lead singer got the crowd to join on the song and sang part of the chorus. Dragonforce pretty much exhausted all my energy during that performance but it was totally worth it.

Been a Dragonforce fan for 10 years. They never disappoint me! This concert in the new Tivoli venue in Utrecht was amazing as well. Singer Marc did have some trouble getting into it with the first song, but that's also largely because that was one of the old songs, originally created with the sound of the previous lead singer. After that everything warmed up and they were energetic as always. Dragonforce was support act to Epica, so not a crowd full of fans. But big rounds of applause all around. It's hard not to get excited about their addictive energetic sound! Afterwards part of the band was hanging out in the lounge to interact with fans. Thanks so much guys. You rock!!

Dragonforce was awesome as usual! Really enjoyed the smoke vents , paper cannons, giant arcade games and awesome dragon.
The first band McRocklin & Hutch, gave a chilled and atmosphere performance making a enjoyable warmup act. Wasn’t super keen on the second act Lovebites. I personally felt they were a bit gimmicky and lacked the heart and stage presence that I would have enjoyed seeing.
Dragonforce brought the “A” game and was worth every penny payed for the ticket.

The music was great and Dragonforce put on a great show as they always do. I just wish I could have seen it. The venue was rammed, but it was like only people over 6 foot 5 were allowed to enter. The final 20 yards of the venue was filled with a wall of really tall dudes, meaning anyone under 6"6 couldn't actually see the gig. Plus it was absolutely red hot in Fibbers too.

So it total:

Dragonforce good
Fibbers bad.

Fantastic band, great performances, good showmanship, Fredriq and Gee showing of like bosses. The warm up band Twillight force where great fun as well. The only problem was that during the first ten minutes the bass was blowing out the speakers drowning the rest of the band but it got fixed along the way. I hope Vadim will be there next time but I do respect his reasons for taking 2017 off. Overall a great Experiance

This was my first Dragonforce concert, but it was amazing. I enjoyed it more than the rest of my party though,but everyone had fun. The band is very charismatic, and made the show fun for everyone. They are a wonderfully humble group, and you can tell they truly value their fans. Once Human wasn't bad either. Although I'd never heard of them prior, the band got the crowd rowdy and riled up for Dragonforce.

Dragonforce was amazing!! I didn't think they could pull off what they do live, but they surely did & the sound production was perfect. I would definitely go again. They played their older songs as well as several tracks off newest album including their one cover of Johnny Cash's ring of fire.

An amazing concert. A good mix of new songs and old classics, epic solos and a great stage show. Being the last show on the tour the mid-show got a bit more interesting and wild. Could clearly see that the artists had fun on stage and so did the crowd. Dragonforce still got it!