Sinner en Savatage * 6 januari 1996, Melkweg - Amsterdam

Setlist Savatage: Nothin' Going On, Jesus Saves, Edge of Thorns, Handful of Rain,
Taunting Cobras, Starlight, Dead Winter Dead, Alone You Breathe,
Chance, Doesn't Matter Anyway, Mozart and Madness, Gutter Ballet,
Sirens, Overture, Sarajevo, This Is the Time en Hall of the Mountain King. 

Wat een concert was dit zeg. Ben natuurlijk bevoordeeld als fanatieke Savatage fan maar het dak ging van de Melkweg. Pure klasse van uitstekende muzikanten en de stemming zat er meteen goed in. Met Nothin' Going On ging het al heerlijk van start en toen daarna Jesus Saves werd ingezet ontplofte de menigte en werd er massaal meegesprongen en gezongen. Verder nog bijzonder is om te vermelden dat het nummer Chance perfect werd uitgevoerd. Voor degenen die dit nummer niet kennen, het heeft wel wat weg van Bohemian Rhapsody. Alleen kan Savatage wat Queen niet kan, een vierstemmig canon live zuiver zingen door vier bandleden. Een prachtig nummer, zeker eens luisteren, staat op de cd Handful of Rain.

Review van http://www.savatage.com/
Ten Years ago he and his band were heading for golden times. Alas in the year 1996 Jon Oliva and Savatage only "live" in the margin. Yet the quality of their music doesn't make the difference, the more so the ruling musical climate. Read this Jon Oliva story, a musical genius who has fallen more than once on account of his own madness. The big question for every-one at the recent European tour of Savatage: will Jon Oliva be a part of it? Within the former leader of classical heavy metal, he nowadays is more or less the mentor. Together with producer and friend Paul O'Neill, he wrote all the music but leaves the performance to the others. As well as on the album "Dead winter dead", the several months ago released rock opera.

To underline his background part, his name in the CD-inlay, no longer appears in the list of permanent musicians. But stands underneath, like an added value. Jon Oliva appeared !! As well in the "Noorderligt" as in the "Melkweg" (Dutch venues/YK). With a big smile behind the keyboards, a joint between his lips and at least a 120 kilos. For all those who came especially for him, the former frontmant, for one song, took over Zak's microphone. The applaus he received on regards of doing so, seemed to overstep the 120 decibels painlevel. Jon Oliva was Savatage, is Savatage and in the minds of the fans always will be, regardless what position in the band.