Original Portuguese version here: http://www.backstageforum.com/t4931-reportagem-paradise-lost-soen-hard-club-2012-10-04

» I’ve been a fan of PARADISE LOST for many years now and in the last 15 this was the 8th time that I’ve seen them live. In all this time I’ve learnt that it’s all about Nick Holmes‘ mood for the band to perform a good show. And Nick was in an extremely good mood.

While the intro echoed, the musicians took their places – first Adrian Erlandsson, last Nick – to begin for real with “Widow”.

Nick asked the crowd countless times “are you guys doing okay?” and every time they replied back a “YEAH!” that was probably heard around the whole block.

Among the first rows someone was holding a banner where, if I’m not mistaken, he was asking for a pick. At least that’s what it seemed to me that the singer, after picking up and reading the banner, got for the boy. “That’s 10 Euros”, he said, making everybody laugh.

In the end of “In This We Dwell”, Nick hit the mic stand on the floor as strongly as he sang the last verse. And “a song with bells” was how he introduced “Praised Lamented Shade” next.

“Pity The Sadness” and “As I Die” were the oldest songs, Nick saying “not THAT old”. In fact, the oldest songs in their discography are from 1990 and “Shades Of God”, the album which features both these songs, was released two years after that. But what Nick meant was that the band doesn’t feel old: more ahead, while talking about the album they’re currently promoting being their 13th already, he said that “it doesn’t look like it” but those guys up there on stage have been around for about 25 years.

“As you can see, my Portuguese hasn’t improved since we started playing here”, which means Nick doesn’t speak a single word , not even “obrigado” (thank you). But we heard a lot of thank you’s in English.

The good spirits went on when he said they would play the title-track of “Tragic Idol”, so the song was called… ? While some repeated “Tragic Idol”, other laughed heartfully. “The Enemy” came next and they left the stage, “the new Hard Club” screaming for them.

The encore started with an oldie, “Embers Fire”, followed by a brand new one, “Fear Of Impeding Hell”. Nick complained about the smoke in the room and if we could not smoke for the next 15 minutes. He would give 10 Euros each, but added he was joking. Those remaining 15 minutes were for “Faith Divides Us, Death Unites Us” and “Say Just Words”.

For one hour and a half the crowd sang along the lyrics through and through, several times alone in some choruses and verses as Nick would turn his mic to the audience for that purpose. An unforgettable concert where I only disapprove the way too loud guitar of Greg Mackintosh, which often smothered the other instruments and voice. Apart from that, even the lack of “Forever Failure” (replaced by “Enchantment”) was compensated. «

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