KARLA TALLAS - REPORTS WITH GOTTHARD IN JAPAN | Page 37

home country of Switzerland and can fill venues with a capacity of 20,000 people or even more, but they don’t underestimate any show. It doesn’t matter if there’s 20,000 or 1,000 people, their attitude is the same – to give the best to anybody who’s supporting the band and who’s coming for a show. From the beginning of their shows, you can feel everybody on stage is just enjoying his part and GOTTHARD shows are more in the party spirit. because they really admire the guitar players a lot. You could hear the fans screaming the name of Leo Leoni very often every night in the audience. The second show in Tokyo was probably the best show on the tour in every way, and also as I heard from the drummer Hena, one of the best shows the band has ever played together. You could really feel a special vibe that night, the great chemistry in the band and overwhelming reactions from the audience. The fans accepted Nic incredibly well and he got lots of amazing reactions immediately after the first show. After the second breakthrough show in Tokyo, the reactions of the audience were the same for the rest of the Japan tour. There’s only one change during the Japanese tour in the setlist. For the first 2 shows in Tokyo, GOTTHARD have 5 minutes less on stage, which means 1 song less to play than the rest of the tour. I would call the first night in Tokyo as the checking night. From the reactions of the audience it’s clear they already know the songs from the new album “Firebirth,” but they needed to check out how the band sounds and how it works out live with a new singer. The fans are listening very carefully to every line Nic is singing and they also pay a big amount of attention when he’s talking in between the songs. Since the beginning of the first show they’re looking at the band with much respect, but they really need a little time to be sure and to get used to a new situation. I would call Japan the land of the strings The party can start and “Dream On” is a great choice to open the show and put the audience right at GOTTHARD’S ease. To keep the tempo and let the great atmosphere just go on, the band continues with the catchy “Gone Too Far” which is from one of the best GOTTHARD albums “Domino Effect” and is also the only song from the album in the set. The time has come to introduce “Firebirth.” The first piece which is also the second video clip called “Starlight” and it’s the first time in the show Nic also plays the guitar. The following 37