One of these days I’ll remember to get right in front of the stage at Bradford Rio’s. Only when you get out from under the peripheral bar area in this top venue, do you manage to hear an act properly. Suffice to say, special guests this evening were the mighty Power Quest and even from where we were stood, I’m convinced they didn’t get much of a poke at the P.A., as is usually the case unfortunately. Bloody awful sound quality aside the band Powered (sorry) their way through a similar set I’d been fortunate enough to see at Firefest II less than three months ago. Their infectious blend of symphonic and power metal certainly ignited the swelling crowd, the band whipped through a sadly short half hour or so and again as I’ve said before, the Bradford crowd know their Metal, thankfully adding vocal weight to the raft of choruses. From our vantage point we’d lost 70% of the onstage vocal and a fair wedge of the keyboard, which takes away a good deal of the PQ dynamic, but selfishly I’m a bit of a fan of guitarist Andrea Martongelli, so being able to focus on his playing was no hardship.

The key to PQ’s increasing success is their overall attitude, tight, professional and above all they look like their enjoying themselves. Add to that a couple of albums worth of quality music and you have a band worth watching. From the opening tape of “Ascension” to the closing chant-along of “Neverworld” the band were focused, visual and impressive (again). I’d driven down with a couple of guys who hadn’t heard the band before and both were instantly into it and that’s the point, they’re building their fan base and by the looks of it, at a fairly rapid pace. I’m on a mission in 2006 to see the band on their own stage and in control of their own sound and am convinced that it will be one of the gigs of the year.

Thinking back it was somewhat of a surprise to realize that it was well over fifteen years since Helloween and myself had last crossed paths in a live situation. At the time, with 'Keeper of The Seven Keys Part II' newly released, the band still featured the long departed vocalist and guitarist pairing of Michael Kiske & Kai Hansen respectively. I guess with the band having returned to the Keeper cupboard with their latest album, bearing 'The Legacy' as its pseudonym, it was high time to acquaint myself with what Helloween are in 2006.

One thing that was obvious from the first bars of set opener 'King For A 1000 Days' was that Helloween had attracted a large and very partisan crowd to Bradford Rio's who were all intent on having a very, 'happy happy Helloween' experience and to be fair to the band they didn't put a foot wrong throughout the two hour show. 

It was perhaps fitting that, having once again returned to the 'Keeper' legacy with their latest album, the majority of the set was culled from the trilogy of albums bearing that name and of the opening quintet of tracks only 'Hell Was Made In Heaven'' from the 2003 album 'Rabbit Don't Come Easy' broke the stranglehold on Keeper era material with  'Eagle Fly Free', 'A Tale That Wasn't Right' and Keeper Of The Seven Keys' itself all making early appearances. Of the newer material 'Mrs. God', Occasion Avenue & 'The Invisible Man' all fitted seamlessly into the set alongside other Deris era songs such as 'Mr. Torture' and the excellent 'If I Could Fly'.

Of course there that the obligatory drum and guitar solos. First up was new(ish) sticksman Dani Loeble showing his prowess in the tub thumping, stick twirling stakes and to be honest at least by throwing out Frisbees mid way through and the stand up call and response section it was a little different to how these things normally go. Likewise  Sascha Gerstner's guitar interlude was also slightly left of centre being as he was joined front and centre by Loeble, who had strapped on a mini-me axe for the occasion, to partake(?) in a crossroads-style guitar duel with the regular axeman.

Of course whether the band like it or not a Helloween show is built around the classic Keeper I & II songs so the inclusion of 'Future World', a song made for an audience participation section, was exactly what was demanded and exactly what the band delivered, playing left side against right in time honoured metal fashion and generally having a larf. Of course guiding an audience through a show and making them feel a part of the whole experience is the job of a bands frontman and, having only seen frontman Andi Deris many moons ago in his pre-Helloween outfit Pink Cream 69, I was surprised at how expressive and passionate he is as a live vocalist, interacting effortlessly with both fellow band members and audience alike and acting as a perfect foil for the more studied, chain smoking stage persona of guitarist Michael Weikath and the almost manic like gurning of bassist Markus Grosskopf.

It has been said before on this site that 'power metal' is probably the most vibrant sub genre in the whole echelon of heavy metal at this time. Recent successful tours by the likes of Dragonforce with Edguy, Children of Bodom and of course festivals such as Bloodstock shows that there is a strong underground, and young, audience for this type of music with Helloween, it could be argued in many respects being one of the initiators and trend setters over the years. Well if that is the case, with a closing blast of encore selections, the aforementioned 'Mrs. God' as well as 'I Want Out' and the glorious 'Dr. Stein'  Helloween proved that, despite having been doing this for over twenty years, the old dog can certainly teach the young pups on the block a thing or two about the whole 'metal' business. Truly excellent!

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