Live Review: Evanescence

The Melbourne Symphony Orchestra begins with an instrumental overture to give the crowd a taste of what to expect for this very special show.

They open with a few instrumental covers including Mozart’s classic Lacrimosa and a playful orchestral fusion of Bach mixed with AC/DC’s Back In Black to set the tone for a show that’s all about reimagining and redefining.

The string section strikes up ready for Evanescence to commence Synthesis live as front woman Amy Lee joins in to play the grand piano alongside her band and the talented orchestra.

Her incredible vocals give us chills as she starts off singing Never Go Back. Lee’s range is breathtaking and her delivery is flawless. Many of the band’s popular songs, including Bring Me To Life, are originally performed in a rock and roll style with thrashing guitars and explosive drums, but tonight’s performance is a completely different way to experience their music that’s all about orchestra and electronica. It makes perfect sense for them to perform this way as they’ve always had these strong symphonic elements throughout their music.

“This is an incredibly special and terrifying experience doing these Synthesis shows,” Lee reveals. “We’ve released our songs and trust being on stage with a completely different band each night,” she adds. Tonight the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra do a magnificent job to help breathe new life into Evanescence’s beloved music.

Lee admits that she doesn’t get nervous when she sings but she does get nervous to talk to us because she’s so emotional. “It takes everyone in this room to make this happen and I’m so very grateful to you for sticking with us all these years,” she exclaims.

The band’s had some significant changes since forming over twenty-years-ago; many members have left and new ones have joined, however founding member (Lee) has been the heart and soul that has kept it going strong after all this time. It was never a secret that one of their very oldest songs (My Immortal) was Lee’s least favourite considering all the baggage it comes with, however, she tells us she’s come around and it has a new meaning for her. “It’s about us now, it’s about all the stories we’ve shared together,” she tells us before playing the very beautiful and emotional piano melody.

“If anything, I’ve learnt in this life that you can’t be afraid to feel the feelings. It’s the only thing that matters so tell that person how much you love them because you don’t know how long you have them for,” Lee says. She continues with the new single Imperfection that has a distinct electro-pop vibe, followed by her latest solo release Speak To Me.

Piano-driven track Good Enough is enhanced to epic proportions with the addition of the grand orchestra, while Swimming Home marks their final farewell. This magical live experience is truly a dream come true for any fan of Evanescence and tonight we’ve connected with their music on a whole new level.