In Granada, Spain, the concert venue was called “Sala Copera” and could hold 900 people, one of the smaller venues King Diamond has played during this tour. The support bands took turns playing first, and in Granada, Thunderbolt started the show.
Thunderbolt are mainly from the Oslo, Norway area, and most recently played as backing for the original Iron Maiden singer, Paul Di’Anno, at the mini festival Rock the Boat on the seas between Norway and Denmark. Thunderbolt are very influenced by Iron Maiden, so an obvious choice for Di’Anno. Tony Johannessen is without a doubt the jewel in Thunderbolt. During their eight songs, Tony went out into the audience several times and got them to sing along. Even though there was just like 4 rows of people in attendance this early, Tony did a hell of a job warming them up.
In addition to Tony on vocals, the band includes Frank Johannessen and Geir Marius Helleland on lead guitars, Vegard Waske on drums, and Morten Eriksen on bass.
Thunderbolt Played:
1. Days of Confusion
2. Call out the Lions
3. Demons & Diamonds
4. Love & Destruction
5. Hi Fi
6. We Will Survive
7. Lidless Eye
8. Crucified
Griffin came on 10 minutes later, with guitar player Kai Nergaard shouting “Viva Espana!” to the crowd, who at this point had doubled in numbers. Singer Rolf Bakken (a.k.a. Jack Byron) doesn’t have the same characteristics in his voice as Thunderbolts’ singer, but nevertheless a strong and sturdy voice that fits well with Griffin’s music… a real good replacement for Griffin’s old singer.
Another newcomer to the band is Roar “Emperoar” Naustvoll. Only 18 years old, he has the potential to become one of Norway’s finest, so Kai Nergård and bass player Johnny Wangberg should really hold their tongues straight in their mouth and do more than throw t-shirts at fans if they want to keep Roar in their shadow for years to come.
Griffin’s regular drummer, Marius Karlsen, had a new baby girl while the rest of the band went on tour without him, so as a replacement, they got Alessandro Elide instead. This half Norwegian/half Sicilian is usually found behind the drum kit for the Norwegian band Manifest.
The best song this evening was “Utopia” from their latest album Lifeforce and “The Sentence” where Roar really got to show his full potential. Ending it all off with an old Judas Priest cover “Hell Bent for Leather,” the crowd was finally really for the King.
Griffin Played:
1.Fleet Street Superstars
2.Rest
3.Praise the Rain
4.Dungeon
5.New Boss
6.Utopia
7.Lifeforce
8.The Sentence
9.Hell Bent for Leather
As always, King Diamond brings on a musical theater more than a typical concert, and like a ghost, the man himself arrived just as the band went on stage and left after the last encore. Behind huge bars, monk-like men carried Abigail’s coffin on stage to a scary funeral intro. King Diamond wore his usual black and white make up and spared no one; he stabbed baby dolls, haunted pregnant women, and harassed the infamous “Grandma.”
King was backed by guitar virtuoso Andy La Rocque, who amazed with fantastic guitar solos, alongside Hal Patino, still going strong on his bass. Second guitar player, Mike Wead, got a bit lost next to these strong characters. American Matt Thompson impressed with a short drum solo between “Eye of the Witch” and the beautiful “Sleepless Nights.” Other highlights were, of course, hits like “Halloween” and the old Mercyful Fate song “Evil,” which rounded up the evening.
King Diamond Played:
1. Arrival
2. Mansion In Darkness
3. The Family Ghost
4. Black Horsemen
5. Spare This Life
6. Mansion In Sorrow
7. Sorry Dear 9. Eye of the Witch
10. Sleepless Nights
11. Blood to Walk
12. So Sad
13. Living Dead
14. Welcome Home
Encores:
15.Invisible Guest
16.Halloween
17.Evil
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