AVANTASIA AT SALA SANTANA 27 IN BILBAO, SPAIN

A Wednesday may not be the best day to have a concert in Bilbao but against all the elements Avantasia sold-out all the tickets for the night. I reached the venue about an hour before the show and it was already half-full.

Ten minutes after the starting hour, Tobias Sammet entered the stage and the crowd went crazy. The first song alone lasted ten minutes - and that was only one of several extra-large themes in the three hour concert. For the photographers in the pit that was a blessing - the first three songs seeming to give us infinite time to shoot the band.

After we were out from the photo pit I saw that the stairs to the second floor was the only place free of people. The stairs were clear for security purposes but I managed to get there and take some shots above the crowd before finding a comfortable place to enjoy the show for the next two hours.

Avantasia is the mother of all power-metal shows. It is a metal opera created by Tobias Sammet that gives the people everything they could ask for. The key to their success may be the continuous entrance of different vocalists during the show or maybe the chorus in the back of the stage. Whatever it is, it makes the three hours seem shorter and everyone always asks for more.

I highly recommend Avantasia for anyone who likes classic metal.