Thanks to ianacd for sharing his recording on Dime.
Original Info File:
RECORDING:
Type: Audience master, recorded from seat in dead centre of row 10,
approximately 15 metres from the suspended PA.
Source: Factory-matched pair of Schoeps CCM 41V microphones (DINa mounted) ->
Marantz PMD661 recorder with Oade Concert Mod
(-18 dB gain/44.1 kHz/24 bit WAV)
Lineage: Audacity 2.0.3
* Applied variable amplification across recording for consistent
listening experience.
* Attenuated audience.
* Added fades.
* Split tracks.
* Converted to 16 bit.
-> FLAC (compression level 8) [libFLAC 1.2.1 20070917]
Taper: ianmacd
SET LIST:
01. [07:42] Children Of The Sun
02. [05:59] Agape
03. [06:01] Rakim
04. [08:05] Kiko
05. [06:13] Amnesia
06. [05:10] Sanvean
07. [05:11] Black Sun
08. [04:53] Nierika
09. [05:37] Opium
10. [06:24] The Host Of Seraphim
11. [04:04] Ime Prezakias
12. [04:51] Cantara
13. [06:33] All In Good Time
14. [03:19] [encore break]
15. [05:25] The Ubiquitous Mr. Lovegrove
16. [04:16] Dreams Made Flesh
17. [07:04] Return Of The She-King
Total running time: 96:56
NOTES:
I very nearly didn't go to this. With my morale for the band at an all-time
low, the prospect of having to turn up early enough to vie for a decent seat
at a 3,500 capacity gig with unassigned seating filled me with dread.
In fact, I had more or less made up my mind not to go on Sunday night, but
somehow drifted around to the idea of going again in the course of Monday
morning.
From the moment the gig was announced, people had questioned the band's
decision to play at this venue. Sandwiched between much more illustrious
open-air amphitheatres and classic concert halls, the crassly named, soulless,
American-style corporate arena they call the Heineken Music Hall had stuck out
like a sore thumb on the band's 2013 itinerary.
True, there are few other venues of this size in the area, but if that was the
main reason that this venue was picked, we can say in hindsight that it was a
wildly optimistic gambit. Whilst the Leidsche Rijn's 1,500 capacity Vredenburg
had sold out in mere minutes last year, tickets for the 3,500 capacity (in its
rarely employed seated configuration) Heineken Music Hall were still available
on the night some eight months after they had first gone on sale.
Walking a fine line between foolhardiness and shrewdness, those who waited
until the day of the gig could pick up their tickets that morning on
Marktplaats for an €18 steal, a third of the face value.
So, somewhere between the figures of 1,500 and 3,500 lies the answer to the
question 'How many fans do Dead Can Dance have in the Netherlands?'
The choice of unassigned seating is also a peculiar one. Never before have I
been to such a large seated concert without being in possession of a
preassigned seat.
We arrive at the venue around 17:45, 45 minutes before doors and a good 2¼
hours before David Kuckhermann is due to work his magic on the audience.
As the doors are opened, the predictable mad dash for the auditorium takes
place. I have come early to secure an optimal position from which to record
the gig, so I sprint, too.
As I expected, everyone else is hell-bent on securing the front row, a
location with anything but optimal sound. Either they are labouring under the
misapprehension that the sound gets better the closer you sit to the stage, or
they are willing to sacrifice sound quality for a magnified visual experience.
Either way, I am more than happy not to disabuse them of the notion that the
front is the place to be.
Once inside the auditorium, I am thus able to stroll down to a completely
empty 10th row and saunter along it take up position in the centre seat.
I don't like unassigned seating, because it defers the stress of securing a
good seat from the day that the tickets go on sale to the day of the actual
gig, and is much more time-consuming, because one must typically queue well in
advance of the doors opening, quite possibly in the pouring rain.
On the other hand, since I can't change the nature of the seating, I may as
well take advantage of the opportunity to hand-pick my location and give
myself every chance of coming away with a superb indoor recording of the 2013
leg of the tour.
David Kuckhermann comes on promptly at 20:00. You could set your watch by his
arrival on stage.
As in Brussels, he has a surprise up his sleeve this evening. He's joined on
the last number of his set by a tabla player.
Again, Kuckhermann's riq solo garners a huge and well-deserved response from
the audience. Visually more impressive than anything Dead Can Dance have to
offer, I'm once again faced with the very real prospect that the evening has
already peaked.
The headliners make their appearance at the usual nine o'clock and it's
immediately evident that they are louder than usual this evening. It's not an
issue, however, because the sound is crystal clear from my position in the
hall.
Perry becomes increasingly more irritated in the course of the evening, but
it's unclear why. I suspect that it's due to the large numbers of people
leaving their seat and wandering along the front row to take photographs of
the band.
Unusually, many people are stupid and inconsiderate enough to attempt to use
flash photography this evening. Even more unusually, the pleasantly low-key
security staff are doing absolutely nothing to keep it in check.
It will later emerge that not the amateur photographers, but the stage
monitors were the source of Perry's mounting aggravation. Apparently, he
couldn't hear himself. I have no idea whether it was only Perry who was
afflicted, but if others in the band experienced the same issue, they
certainly weathered it more stoically.
Listen to the ending of 'Amnesia', for example. Perry intones the penultimate
phrase of "Sweet Mnemosyne", then gives up completely.
His irritation becomes palpable again with 'Ime Prezakias', which is performed
tonight without the customary introduction and ends without the vocal
gymnastics that have characterised the song on this leg of the tour.
When, after 'Dreams Made Flesh', Perry grips Gerrard's arm as she turns to
leave the stage for his performance of 'Song To The Siren', it's clear that
he has had enough. The band skip straight to 'Return Of The She-King',
omitting even the usual introduction of the band.
Ironically, from my perspective, there seems to be a little more fire on stage
tonight, particularly from Gerrard's corner. I ultimately enjoy this show more
than any of the others on this leg thus far.
I regard the band's cover of 'Song To The Siren' as disposable and I know both
the background to 'Ime Prezakias' and who is in the band, so rather than
finding this abbreviated 96 minute version of the show to be lacking, I
experience it as leaner and more vivacious.
On the way out of the car-park, the machine spits out my credit-card without
charging me and the barrier rises to allow me to drive out. Things are looking
up!
To my considerable surprise, I actually enjoyed this evening's concert, the
only one of the four I have so far witnessed in 2013 about which I can say
that. Combined with the fact that the recording has turned out beautifully,
just as hoped, and I am pleased that I ultimately made the decision to attend.
Samples are provided to help you determine whether this is one for you.
High quality photographs of the concert can be found here:
http://www.heineken-music-hall.nl/gallery/dead-can-dance
