Live concerts: My top 23 of 2023

Nothng beats live music and 2023 gave us plenty to enjoy. Now that I stopped travelling back and fourth to PortugalI I also missed less gigs throughout the year. Still going to Brazil in November meant missing Insomnium, In Mourning, Ard, Baphomet, Agent Steel, After All to name just a few candidates for my end of year list. My concert year 2022 is not completely done yet, as Friday 22 the best in metal of The Hague plays Radarcafe with Rages of Sin / Defazer and Melting Eyes. Still going back through the year I saw many highlights really. My favorite 23 shows counting down to the best of the year are as follows:

23. Tribulation - Patronaat Haarlem 25/2

Complexity surprised positively. On forehand not lots to love, in reality a great day in Haarlem again. Crown Compass opened in style and Tribulation closed my festival. Strange enough most of the audience did not seem to know them and I was catching my train home. Still what I saw was great again.

22. Crown Compass - Werfpop Leiden 8/7

So I saw them at Complexity, but I knew their songs better in July. A burning sun, made this the hottest show of the year. The only great metal band playing the free summer festivals around The Hague this year (Sneeuwpop had Melting Eyes, but that was in January the coldest show of the year)

21. Vandenberg - Boerderij Zoetermeer 25/8

A comeback with a better vocalist made this a nice trip back to te eighties, even if many songs were of their last two recent albums. Next year Paard, hope Adje switches Different Worlds for a fast rocker.

20. Raven/Vicious Rumors - Musicon The Hague 1/5

Both bands been touring around a lot the last years. Together they made up for one fine evening in Musicon yet again. 

19. O.R,k, - Boerderij Zoetermeer 6/5

I missed them half at Prognosis, but the same tour ended in de Boerderij. One of the best progrock bands around at the moment and live enough of a bite to make Hans also really enjoy them.

18. Space Vacation - Little Devil  Tilburg 22/7

Never heard of them before, but the event text got us interested. Great Heavy Metal set they gave us and a big surprise they were. Warming up by Hidden Intent and Thorium was not bad either.

17. Katatonia - Baroeg Open Air Rotterdam 9/9

Even with two powercuts trying to kill their set, this was a highly enjoyable show by these masters of moody metal.

16. Jag Panzer - Baroeg Rotterdam - 22/1

A day of eighties Heavy Metal opened by Martyr and Killer was finished off by Jag Panzer. I saw them twice this year, but here the setlist was more a best of old, which I loved.

15. Mick Pointer Band - Boerderij Zoetermeer 11/3

Not a huge fan of coverbands, but here Mick Pointer plays the Marillion album he did play on. Script live in full, with the Market Square Heroes EP and thus Grendel as well. Top band, so what an evening. This was the last time they promised and that might just be enough indeed.

14. Voivod - Effenaar Eindhoven 16/4

Day two of Prognosis for me had a clear winner with Voivod. A career spanning setlist in a hall that was getting empty over time as Voivod is not for all at a prog festival. 

13. Persefone - Nobel Leiden 20/5

Ne Obliviscaris were headliners of this day, but Persefone picked the price for best act. Without realizing they had a substitute vocalist I found the voice great this evening. Now he is fulltime with the band and in March with Cynic in Effenaar a show not to miss.

12. Exciter - Musicon The Hague 23/5

Even better than the year before Exciter rocked Musicon in great style. What a beast Dan Beehler is taking care of drums and vocals.Due to my confusion I missed half of Blood Star their set. Luckily hosting them spontaneously made up for that, what a sympathetic band they are.

11.Wilderun - L.A.V. Lisboa 15/2

I did see them play a longer set at Progpower, but this was the first time live for me and due to the heavy package a heavier short set. One fine evening in Lisbon, which  was also due to Kataklysm and Soilwork. 

10. White Spirit - GARF Liege 1/10

White Spirit making their return to the stage after 40 years and I was there. Great set focussed on the new album. They are now asking which songs of their debut should be toured next year. That is a classic, so full album please. Best festival band T-shirt in years.

9. Threshold - Boerderij Zoetermeer 21/4

To me Glynn Morgan seems to be more at ease all the time. While Ton and I commented how good it all sounded I later read people being pissed of by poor sound on the right end of the hall. Weird as Boerderij is not for wild audiences, but good sound they always offer.

8. Ross the Boss - Baroeg Rotterdam 9 May

When Manowar brings along a risk of endless speeches and lots of newer songs, Ross the Boss gives us the good old classics. One evening of fine old Manowar, with Marc Lopes taking care of the difficult vocal duties in style. Love old Manowar

7. Darkwater - Sjiwa Baarlo 8/10

On forehand I did not expect Darkwater to become the best band of ProgPowere 2023. Yet they were as a perfect sound, great songs, good performers and live played keyboards (not a given nowadays at prog festivals) made this a highly enjoyable show.

6. Hellripper - Roosendaal Open Air 2/9

First this festival was one of the great discoveries of the year. Nice small sized, well organized and fair food and drink prices. Musical style extreme metal mostly and Hellripper were for me the highlight of the day. Saw them five weeks before and this is an up and coming band for the decades to come. Blackened speedmetal which is a party live.Next January opening for Abbath, might have to go there.

5. Sorcerer - Ragnarok Bree 25/3

Mario co-organizes several shows in Bree nowadays. Ragnarok is a nice place, but a pretty long drive. If the best doom metal band of the moment comes over though Hans and I felt like a roadtrip. Such a strong band also proven by their new album. Top class performance which should please anyone with a mild interest in Heavy Metal.

4. Obsidious - Effenaar Eindhoven 15 April

Obsidious released a crazy good debut album. Still Prognosis found it smart to let them open their festival. As a result noone could top them the whole weekend, even if Disillusion and Voivod came close. Top class techdeath was brought live in such good form. Hope they start touring more.

3. Flotsam and Jetsam - Musicon The Hague 2 October

I don't care if they tour every year, you can't get enough Flotz till Death. Eric A.K. seems to be getting better by voice all the time and the band is so tight. This was their first show after a year and it all sounded perfect to me. One of the best live bands around nowadays.

2. Legs Diamond - GARF Liege 1/10

This show was one lesson in Classic Rock. What a band they are live on stage and what a great trip through their discography we got. This band never was big in Europe and seeing them for the first time made me ask WHY??? This show deserved a greater crowd shouting along with Woman, but still what a highlight in the year.

1. Riot City - Junkyard Dortmund 

Last year I had all organized for Riot City in Antwerp and than Covid got the better of me. This year there was no holding me back from driving over to Dortmind for these masters of Speed Metal. Ton loved the idea too and what a day we got. Junkyard a venue to definitely return to, with the Biergarten and foodtruck outside. Hellripper opened and Jag Panzer closed this fine package, but Riot City was so good. All the high screams you can ask for over a solid base of speedmetal. Killer set, performance and atmosphere. Only question remaining is how come they never played The Netherlands? For all speedmetal lovers and Heavy Metal fans fond of high screams throughout their metal.