With the prestige of having participated in PPM-Fest, we confidently headed towards London. Our expectations for this show were very high, as many people messaged us on social media saying they would be attending Shadowside's show. The band's last visit to England was very memorable and special. Therefore, those who saw them opening for WASP came to support them this time as well.
The trip to the English capital wasn't as tiring as we expected. The best part was having to wait for the tunnel connecting France to England to open at 5 am, along with the Helloween and Gamma Ray guys. It would be redundant to mention here that we had several funny moments…
We arrived at our hotel right at lunchtime, went out to eat something because we were starving, and afterwards, we took advantage of the free afternoon to explore the famous London streets and, of course, do some shopping. Since the show wasn't until the next day, we were able to stay a little longer and enjoy the evening.
As soon as we woke up, we packed our things and headed to the famous HMV Forum. Incredibly, we managed to get there before the truck carrying all the Hellish Rock tour equipment. This way, we unloaded our gear and gained a few more hours to explore the area.
Our soundcheck went smoothly and without much fuss; the band was already ready for another performance. As soon as they took the stage, it was easy to recognize many people who chat with us or send us messages right in the front row. The coolest thing is that they all knew our songs by heart, and so did the friends they brought. What happened was like a domino effect; before we knew it, the whole venue was enjoying the entire setlist, including the cover of Motörhead's "Ace of Spades." Set finished, and lots of applause from the crowd.
After the shows, the musicians went to meet their fans and fulfill their commitments. To the despair of the German merchandise vendor, the stalls were crammed together, and we ended up making a huge mess with the crowd. It was even worse for the security guards who tried to remove them at all costs, but couldn't, until they resorted to a bit of force…
We are very grateful to the audience from all over the United Kingdom who attended the event and, once again, showered us with affection.
Next stop: Hamburg, Germany.
Check out the complete Shadowside travelogue
Buy tickets for the Shadowside and SupreMa on May 26th at Via Marquês!