On Friday night Rod Laver Arena played host to the American gothic rock band Evanescence. The band are currently touring Australia with their Synthesis tour named after their new album which was released in late 2017. However this was not a typical Evanescence concert, as the band has branched out musically and are performing with orchestral groups throughout the country. This time it was with the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra.
The Orchestra performed for almost an hour opening with some Mozart and Beethoven before moving onto some less traditional pieces such as AC/DC's "Back in Black." This was somewhat appropriate given the predominant colour of dress code in the audience. But the loudest cheers came when Amy Lee walked onto the stage with her band. Ms Lee looked radiant in her trademark black, rocking a long dress top with flared sleeves.
The Synthesis album and tour sees the band re-vamping their old classics such as "Bring me to Life" and "My Immortal" while adding a couple of new songs to the mix "Hi-Lo" and "Imperfection." Amy's raw and powerful vocals were on display, blending harmoniously with the orchestral sounds of the strings and percussion. She floated effortlessly between the microphone stand at the front of the stage and the piano, an instrument in which she has been classically trained.
The arena was almost at capacity however the atmosphere felt more intimate than what one might expect. Amy thanked the audience several times throughout the night for their continued support of the band, and the crowd seemed to appreciate that they were being treated to something out of the ordinary.
This was the first Australian tour in six years for Evanescence having last played on our shores back in 2012. Melbourne concluded the final leg for this whirlwind tour that began in Brisbane last Sunday before moving to the Sydney Opera house for two shows during the week. The band will now have a few weeks break before heading over to Europe to resume their tour.