Nothing gets the blood pumping like a Sabaton show! I’ve had the privilege of seeing them seven times already, including their impromptu last-minute replacement of Manowar at Hellfest in 2019. With each show, everything has become more grandiose and theatrical. I’m glad that they decided to grace our shores with three shows in three different venues, as it would have been far easier, due to the sheer complex nature of their stage show, to stay in London. But Sabaton aren’t that kind of band; they truly are there for their fans.
Before I discuss the show, firstly a bit about the Co-op Arena itself. It’s a relatively new venue, just over 18 months old, but their levels of organisation and planning should be the envy of all other venues. I can only speak for our level (Level 1) but despite it being relatively full, there were no queues to get in or for food and drink. The prices are relatively cheap put up against the Hydro and the O2, and the food is of a far better standard. You can also use your Co-op card to get food cheaper, and there’s even a Co-op store in the venue too. No meal deals, but there’s no venue in the UK where you can get a sandwich for £4.00, so if you’re on a budget, it’s a great one to know.
Opening up for Sabaton on The Legendary Tour are… The Legendary Orchestra! They give us orchestral arrangements of Sabaton songs that hit with nearly as much power as Sabaton themselves as they open up with “Ghost Division”. Careful not to play any of the tracks that Sabaton themselves played, they offer a theatrical show that is second to none. The orchestra consists of the traditional percussion, woodwind, strings and brass, topped off with the Legendary Choir that also make an appearance during the main set. Due to Sabaton’s set being a recreation of a castle, you feel like you are watching a rock opera rather than a standard opening act. It was a brave choice to use them as opener but it certainly paid off.
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Due to Sabaton’s love of historic conflicts and historical figures, it’s hardly surprising to see the show opened up from a satellite stage by a particularly witty monologue from Napoleon Bonaparte, then Genghis Khan and finally Julius Caesar that turns into them jibing at each other like something you used to see in The Young Ones. They are eventually joined through the crowd on the floor by several Knights Templar who, again after a monologue, introduce Sabaton. However, it’s not as you expect, as the four hooded templars behind remove their hoods and turn out to be four-fifths of the band themselves and are handed their instruments before launching into “Templars”, the opening track from their latest Legends album that gives its name to the tour.
To fit with the monumental nature of the show, a giant walkway descends from the ceiling that allows them to walk from their mini “turret” to their main castle built on the stage. The set itself relies heavily on their new Legends album with five out of the 18 tracks played coming from it. “Templars”, “Hordes of Khan” (complete with an appearance from Genghis Khan), “I, Emperor” (Napoleon baiting the crowd), “Crossing the Rubicon” (Caesar waving triumphantly to the crowd) and “A Tiger Amongst Dragons” all get a run out and all stand out on the evening.
That meant that they had 13 tracks to split between the band’s remaining 11 albums. This was always going to be a difficult choice, meaning that favourites such as “Ghost Division” and “Winged Hussars” didn’t make the cut. We did get older songs such as “The Art of War” and the show closer “Masters of the World”, that saw singer Joakim Brodén waxing lyrical on their age whilst taking the mickey out of the youngest member of the band, drummer Hannes Van Dahl, over his age and youthful looks.
There are several things that really stand out about this show. Firstly the stage set up; it is massive and is set up to look like a medieval castle, which is something you don’t really see every day. The band (along with the Legendary Choir) seem to use every inch of it, including the turrets at the front of the stage that are used to hang over and serenade the crowd that are loving every minute of the show.
Secondly, PYRO! I have never seen as much and as frequently used as it was tonight, and I saw Parkway Drive on their last tour. There’s not one song that doesn’t have it in and it makes for a real spectacle. Throw in the firing cannons in “I, Emperor” and the TNT boxes in “Stormtroopers” and you have something to behold. Finally, the walkway that came down from the roof that linked the main stage and sub stage was massive and probably explains the sizes of the venues used as it certainly was a new one for me, and I’ve never seen anything like that before.
There is some great interaction with the crowd, including Brodén implying that the band were sponsored by Ikea and that the stage set will be available at the store to buy and build after the tour. Bassist Pär Sundström reflected on their first ever gig in Manchester back in 2006, looking at how far they have come with the help of all their fans.
The Legendary Choir make a return halfway through the set beside the raised drum riser and remain till the end, giving even more substance to the performance with the choir really getting into it and moving around just as much as the rest of the band. “Masters of the World” closes the show and there’s even more pyro coupled with what seems like a forest of confetti that covers the lucky ones close to the stage. The whole place rises to see the band reluctantly leave the stage as the show ends, giving the impression that they wanted to do more, and the crowd would certainly have taken it.
Sabaton are a power metal phenomenon and I hope that this run of shows is a precursor to them getting the levels of success in the UK that they have maintained in mainland Europe for some time now.
Long live Sabaton!
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Photos by Sean Larkin
