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The Gathering: Great Band. Great Set. Great Venue. Great Sound!

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Great Band. Great Set. Great Venue. Great Sound! Need I say more? I will…

We loved the Shepherd's Bush Empire the first time we went in December 2023 for Paradise Lost and My Dying Bride, so we were really excited to be going back. It didn’t disappoint. We had some good seats in the balcony and the sound was so much clearer than a lot of other venues we have been to over the last few years (I’m looking at you, The Roundhouse!)

The openers were a French three-piece metal band called Lizzard, who were completely new to me. They were progressive, heavy enough, and incredibly tight. Their songs were long, with extended instrumental sections, which I really enjoyed. I loved it! I’ll definitely be listening to more.

I’ve been into The Gathering since I heard Nighttime birds. I like all of their albums, but my favorites are the Anneke van Giersbergen era including Mandylion, How to Measure a Planet, If Then Else and Souvenirs. I first saw them around the time of How To Measure a Planet, supporting My Dying Bride at the London Astoria - which is now flats. When the Mandylion gigs were announced in the Netherlands, I was hoping they’d bring it here, so we had to go when they did.

Rather than play the album through, they mixed it in with songs from the other albums, playing Strange Machines last - I must admit, I thought it wasn’t coming. The guitar work is often simple, but always progressive. I hadn’t appreciated it so much before. But, as always, it’s Anneke’s voice which stole the show. It’s incredible, and she makes singing look so effortless, reaches every note flawlessly and just kept going for two hours straight.

All too soon it was over. I really hope they’ll do a How to Measure a Planet tour when that’s thirty years old in a couple of years.

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