Review: Dream Theater & Periphery live in concert in Hannover 2012

This was probably my 10th Dream Theater concert, give or take one, and this was in the top 3, along my first ever show back in Rendsburg for the Awake tour and probably one show during my ultimate fanboy-phase. Why? Probably because I was very much looking forward to it, after liking the new album more and more (best album of 2011), plus I had done some peeping at setlist.fm and found out that Awake’s opener 6.00 would be in the set as second song, quasi back to the roots. So I was already having real fun at that time and further on. Surrounded, A Fortune in Lies, The Spirit Carries on plus loads of songs from the new album made for a nice, nice concert night. Personally, I would have liked a different encore and I’m not a fan neither of Dark Eternal Night nor War Inside My Head/Test that Stumped them All, and I would have preferred a track from the last album. But – enough with the knitpicking, I had fun (and took some super pretty pictures of course).

Random observations for the band:

• I have never seen John Myung move so much or seemingly showing so much fun.
• John Myung strangely enough looks the oldest of the group.
• John Petrucci’s biceps is getting bigger every year.
• Don’t worry about Mangini, he can play. And I like the Vai’ish visual performance he adds to the band.
• Jordan Rudess is showing signs of aging. He is counting/conducting along when he’s not playing 😉
• LaBrie looked like a beast freed from restraints, visibly enjoying the limelight as the undisputed frontman.

Random general observations:

• Why Hannover? The AWD-Hall wasn’t sold out, not even close. I was born in Hannover, but please, next time, travel the extra 150 miles to Hamburg and play a full-house.
• Lots of fathers and sons. Some fathers brought their kids, some kids their dads.
• I have never seen so many women at a DT concert that were not obviously metal.

Some observations on Periphery, the support band:

• To quote Mama McFly: “That was very interesting music.”
• Dare I say Wyld Stallyons?
• Three guitars?

In short: The biggest display of talent on a stage without a musical red thread. If anybody should have a musical director, it is Periphery. Big chops, but hardly any melody to hum while driving home. The singer was super able to mix screamo, Killswitch Engage with regular singing in one line – but I couldn’t help but think ‘what’s the point’…

If you have the chance to catch Dream Theater on this tour do, they’re awesome 😉