Concert Report Helloween March 18,2018 Japan

In the beginning

I’m here, Pumpkins United World Tour 2018!

The Sapporo show!

I had the flu a week ago, so I was not sure if I would be able to attend the show, but I braved my illness and went to see the show!

I was wearing a “Helloween” T-shirt and a “Slayer” hoodie.

The doors opened at 17:00, but I arrived a little late, at 17:30, and there was a line of metal heads in front of Zepp Sapporo.

As expected, the age of the audience was high.

There was no way that a circle pit would be formed.

The line for the sales was long.

I decided that if I got in line now, I might not make it in time for the show, so I quietly changed my drink ticket for a beer and waited for the show to start.

Oh, I found a guy wearing a “Slayer” shirt.

In front of the stage was a big banner with a picture of a pumpkin on it.

The lights go down, and an image slips through the curtain and appears on the big screen.

Cheers!

That’s right, the fans of “Keeper of the Seven Keys” have been dreaming of this moment over and over again, waiting impatiently for more than 20 years.

Halloween

The band members appeared on stage, and when the disturbing intro was heard, it was time for this song!

It is the 13-minute epic from the first chapter of “Keeper of the Seven Keys”.

It was a perfect opening to this tour.

The vocal interplay between Michael Kiske and Andi Deris is a joy to watch.

Kiske’s vocals are not as good as in his heyday, but his high notes are still there.

Andi’s vocals also came out well.

As I remember writing in a past article, the compositional power of this song is so amazing that we don’t feel the length of 13 minutes at all.

The catchiness of the chorus melody is truly “Helloween.

However, I never thought I would see Kai Hansen and Michael Weikath playing a solo side by side.

I thank God that I was blessed with this unique opportunity.

I think this might be my favorite solo Kai has ever made!

Dr. Stein

As this was also the opening, Kiske and Andi sang together.

When they sing together, it creates a gorgeous atmosphere and gives a very special impression.

The song is of course a superb masterpiece.

The pop melody brought into metal music was so swept to the extreme that I remember being blown away the first time I heard this song when I was in junior high school.

What people who have gone all out make, no matter what genre it is, is always extremely interesting.

March of Time

This is one of my favorite songs, and I somehow thought it wouldn’t be played, so when I heard the intro, I shouted, “Wow”!

I took the whole car on the ferry from Aomori, and my iPod played it for me on the way from Hakodate to Sapporo.

It must be one of Kai’s masterpieces.

The melody is agonizing, isn’t it?

Well, Kiske, you can still hit the high notes!

How about doing something permanent with this lineup?

Yes, Sapporo didn’t sell out, but I know that Tokyo is getting additional extra shows. Please do permanent activities!

And release more new songs, too.

If I Could Fly

It’s a song from the album “The Dark Ride,” which I don’t own.

I guess the audience was like, “Let’s play the song from “Keeper of the Seven Keys”” so they didn’t get that excited.

I am sorry to say, though, that Andi worked hard in spite of his poor health.

Still, the song was quite good, especially with the video in the background.

Are You Metal?

This one got the crowd going!

Yes, we are metal!

I have no choice but to bow down.

The metal spirit of “Helloween” exploded!

I love songs that unashamedly shout “Heavy Metal!

I love songs like this one, “Heavy Metal is The Law,” which will be played later, and “German Power” by “Sex Machineguns,” although the band is different.

Rise And Fall

A fun metal series in the style of “Helloween”.

I was really surprised when I heard this for the first time when I was in junior high school.

I was amazed at the fact that such metal music existed, and that it was even allowed to exist.

It is an ambitious work by Weikath, as good as “Dr. Stein”.

Kiske, who retreated into the sleeve after the first number, did not come out for the second number.

The vocalist never came out even though he was in the second verse.

The band members continue to play with a wry smile.

Kai sang in place of Kiske in a panic.

Kudos to the Pumpkin Army for getting through such happenings while enjoying themselves.

It was a great atmosphere.

Starlight

From this point on, it seemed to be Kai’s corner.

A medley of classic songs from the early days of the band!

First up was “Starlight”!

Of course, Kai’s vocals were not very high pitched, but he still had the same kinetic shouts that lifted the listener’s spirits!

I really like the thrash metal-leaning music of this time.

Headbang all the way!

Ride The Sky

The medley of songs leads into a superb masterpiece.

The high pitched shouts at the beginning of the song blew me away!

Fans who didn’t know the early days of the band must have been surprised.

I heard this song when I was in junior high school, and I was so astonished by the high pitched vocals.

Yes, I heard it for the first time on a cassette tape edited by a friend.

Raizassukai!

Judas

Another great song from the early days.

This is the last song from the period when Kai was on vocals.

In terms of the setlist, the songs with Kai’s vocals felt strangely intense, and the crowd got a great kick out of them.

Heavy Metal(Is The Law)

Wow, they’re going to play this?

Heavy Metal!　Oy!

The catchy chorus, which is a budding stage for the “Keeper of the seven Keys” is also wonderful.

There must have been many deep-rooted fans of this period.

There must have been no music like this when it was released, so I wonder how much of a shock it must have been to metal heads at the time.

At the end of this song, one of the audience members on the side collapsed, probably due to lack of oxygen, and was taken out by the attendant.

Yeah, I know exactly how you feel.

A Tale That Wasn’t Right

Yes, yes, yes.

I can’t get enough of this kind of thing.

A “Helloween” style ballad, just like an enka (traditional Japanese ballad).

Weikath’s sense of melody explodes in this song.

Kiske’s high notes in the chorus are perfect!

Pumpkins United

Yeah, they’re playing a new song!

Oh, shit, I hadn’t bought it yet.

So I heard it in concert for the first time, and I love it!

It’s got the Helloween feel, and the vocal interplay between the three of them is a real tearjerker for the old fans.

I’ll order this song.

Drum Solo

Drum solo with a video of the late Ingo Schwichtenberg.

This was so bad, I couldn’t stop crying.

Ingo was calling out, and the fans were probably shedding tears.

Livin’ Ain’t No Crime

Even this maniacal song.

At the time, I thought it was too pop-oriented.

It sounds like a song that could have been included in “Pink Bubble Go Ape” after “Keeper of the seven keys”.

I think Ingo didn’t like this song too much at that time, though it was after his drum solo.

A Little Time

From the previous song, we move on to Kiske’s masterpiece in a medley style.

I believe that Kiske brought this song to Helloween when he joined the band.

Although it was a modest mid-tempo song, I liked it.

The last part of the song was great, as the volume of each part gradually lowered, and the band played the chorus one more time after the complete silence.

It was just like “Kome Kome Club.

Why?

Andi’s masterpiece.

This song doesn’t have the “Keeper of the Seven Keys” feel to it, but I like it very much.

The melody is not too catchy, but sophisticated and beautiful.

Andi’s voice sounds great, but I guess he was still sick.

I’m Alive

This is a great song that was hastily put in due to Andi’s health condition.

Kiske is on top form!

I feel bad for Andi, but I’m sure there were many fans who felt they benefited from hearing this song.

I wonder if they will play it at the Tokyo show.

The song is extremely destructive, as it was written at a time when Kai’s musical sense was at its sharpest.

How Many Tears

Oh, no, they are going to play such a classic!

This song was written before Kiske joined the band, but it is totally keeper metal!

I guess they must have felt a response to this direction.

As an old-time fan, I would have loved to hear Kai’s vocals on this song, but it can’t be helped.

The high-pitched shout in the chorus brought tears to my eyes.

The end of the main part of the album with this song is also very moving for the old-time fans.

Invitation

The encore started almost without a pause.

Eagle Fly Free

Probably the most exciting song in today’s show?

Yes, it was a great song, and Andi’s high tone was too much for him.

Kiske sang it well.

The last part, where Kiske stretched out the notes for a long time, was not as long as on the album, but that’s nothing to worry about.

Keeper of the Seven Keys

I didn’t like this song so much before, but after listening to it live many times, I came to like it.

Compared to “Halloween”, the structure of this song is a bit more scattered, but it still has a lot of great parts.

The way they leave the stage one by one, following the riff of the theme song, is one of the coolest things I’ve ever seen.

Future World

This was the second encore.

Yes, this song was a must.

This happy atmosphere used to be very innovative in the past.

I especially like the bridge melody, and since neither Andi nor Kai can sing in this key, this song is reserved for Kiske.

I Want Out

The last song of the night was this one.

Pumpkin-shaped balloons flew around the venue, creating a very festive atmosphere.

This kind of performance may not be common among metal bands, but it was a perfect match for “Helloween.

I was jumping up and down with my arms raised to the sky, just like a child.

At the end

So, it was a great concert.

When I became a fan, Kai and Kiske were already gone, and I had dreamed of the day when they would perform together, so I am glad that my longtime dream came true this time.

I really want to see them again if possible.

If they have made up with each other, how about a continuous activity instead of a limited time only?

After the show, I lined up in line at the merchandise sales, but all the T-shirts were sold out.

I found a jumper left, so I bought it, but to my surprise, it was the last one.

That was close, I couldn’t buy it if I was one minute late.

March 22,2018　Freakz

(Postscript)

In the text, I wrote ” How about doing something permanent with this lineup?” and that dream has actually come true.

The album “Helloween” was released in June 2021.

Of course, the taste of this album is different from that of “Keeper of the Seven Keys” but many fans must have fainted with its many great songs.

It is a masterpiece album with no filler, and I felt their underlying power very keenly.

The challenge of these hot metal geeks continues!

June 21,2022