Live | The Night Flight Orchestra [& Tragedy] – 013 – Tilburg [NL]

30 January 2025

Opening night for their ‘Moon over Europe’ – tour, Björn Strid’s The Night Flight Orchestra sends shivers of nostalgia through the Dutch venue. Packed solid, the crowd is enticed by the perfect blend of melody and stacked harmonies, going over the top. Going beyond, the evening is kicked into gear by NYC’s best kept secret Tragedy, meshing up disco and Bee Gees-pop with heavy metal and hardrock. Tacky as hell, their stage presence is a great teaser towards TNFO’s sublime performance.

TRAGEDY – THE SUPPORT ACT

Tragedy, the New York City-based glam metal tribute band to the Bee Gees and beyond, delivers a wonderful performance that blends the glitter of disco with the raw power of hardrock and metal.

The band takes the stage transforming the venue into a headbanging, booty-shaking extravaganza of flabbergasted rock fans unwillingly participating in the show and spectacle. The girls frontstage immediately get caught by the flaming enthusiasm of the band led by Disco Mountain Man on lead vocals and keyboards. Tragedy storms through a setlist that reimagined disco and soft-rock classics cooked up as thunderous rocking anthems.

Opening with a cringing flute version of the majestic intro to ,,The Final Countdown”, the band dives headfirst into their name giving Bee Gees classic ,,Tragedy”. With towel boy Lance as an over-the-top asset for the show, the audience doesn’t yet know how to value the band, but from ,,Grease” and ,,Summer Nights” onwards, the crowd embraces the cringing stage presence of Lance, especially when he joins the band with inflatable sex dolls and later masked like King Diamond for the King Neil Diamond version of ,,Sweet Caroline”.

OPENING RIFF SPECTACLE

Highlights include their viral hit cover of that other Grease hit ,,You’re the One That I Want” with its double bass fired and riff spawning chorus, and the opening riff spectacle of Slayer’s ,,Raining Blood” introducing the Weather Girls’ ,,Raining Men”. It sees the crowd dancing and swinging in their flares and banging their hair.

The band’s commitment to their aesthetic is on full display, with members donning over-the-top 80s metal attire that makes Mötley Crüe blush. Mo’Royce Peterson‘s and Gibbon Ass Freehly’s blistering guitar solos and thunderous shreds, and Andy Gibbous Waning‘s pulsating bass lines provide the perfect backdrop for the band’s soaring vocal harmonies. Face paint, spandex and shiny glitter make-up add to the experience.  When the band commits to a doom-walk on stage the crowd anticipates. Strong is their vocal interaction with all musicians adding to the harmonies. Each with their own tone, the interaction adds to the sheer pleasure of tonight’s set.

TRAGEDY – THE CONCLUSION

Tragedy’s ability to maintain the soul of the original songs while cranking the intensity to eleven was truly impressive. Their renditions of Bee Gees classics like ,,Stayin’ Alive” and Abba’s ,,Gimme Gimme Gimme (a man after midnight)” have the audience simultaneously laughing and throwing up devil horns.

The concert reaches its peak with the energetic mesh of disco classic ,,Stayin’ Alive,” showcasing the band’s evolution and their dedication to celebrating womanhood through the lens of heavy metal.

Tragedy’s live show is more than just a novelty act; it’s a testament to their creative musicianship and their ability to bridge the gap between two seemingly disparate genres. Whether you love ‘em or hate them, Tragedy is the perfect opening team for tonight’s melodic mayhem of The Night Flight Orchestra!

As Bruce Dickinson of Iron Maiden aptly put it, “Tragedy rocks sweet balls and can do no wrong!”

THE NIGHT FLIGHT OPERA – THE HEADLINER

The Night Flight Orchestra delivers an electrifying live performance that transports the audience back to the golden era of melodic rock and its arena-packing heydays.

,,Final Call” roars from the speakers announcing the final call for boarding and bringing tonight’s heroes to the stage. From the moment they take the stage, the band’s commitment to their retro aesthetic is evident, with members donning suits, sunglasses, and even the slick stewardess costumes for the backup singers, they revitalize everything that was so great and captivating of the era. It all falls in line with their ‘Give us the Moon’ album which is released worldwide the following day.

Led by the charismatic Björn “Speed” Strid, whose clean vocals shine in this non-metal setting, the band captivates the crowd with their energetic stage presence and impressive musicianship. Strid is in his element rousing the crowd and his interaction is pristine, contrasting from his regular appearance with Soilwork (obviously). His glimmering metallic trenchcoat, the shining serpentine strings, medallions and his beret, al contrast deeply with his usual presence as metal’s dominant grunting force.

His vocals are wonderful and his register perfect for the blend of classic rock and pomp, ‘Speed’ transcends his persona. Clearly ignited by the reception of new songs ,,Stratus” and the slick ,,Satellite” and even slicker ,,Shooting Velvet”, he and the band cheerfully bring the music forward. The enthusiasm of all involved is high and background-singers-standing-frontline Anna Brygård and Åsa Lundman add to the participation. The vocal harmonies dense and stacked, they add the right amount of melodic smoothness to Strid’s vocals, as well as they take part in the celebration of tonight’s opening performance.

A WONDERFUL AND CAREFULLY CURATED MIX

The setlist is a wonderful and carefully curated mix of original compositions that pay homage to the sounds of Journey, Toto, Roxette and Survivor, while maintaining a fresh and modern edge. Wonderful harmonies set the melodies ablaze and lick the fire of the 80s. Highlights of the show include crowd-pleasers like ,,California Morning”, ,,Domino” and ,,Gemini” and the AOR-inspired classic ,,Can’t be that Bad”, strangely enough the only track featured from 2018 ‘Sometimes the World ain’t Enough’ album, the band proves in fine form. 

The band’s ability to seamlessly blend hard rock riffs and jazzy instrumentation, catchy harmonies and melodies, and even disco-slick elements creates a dynamic and engaging performance that keeps the audience dancing and singing along throughout the night. With drummer Jonas Källsbäck and bassist Sharlee D’Angelo, The Night Flight Orchestra features an intrinsic backbone with heavy groove, managing to steer a heavier traject together with guitarist Rasmus Ehrnborn, replacing the late David Andersson.

THE DOMINANT FORCE

Majestic is the great musical interaction of Sebastian Forslund, adding guitar harmonies and rhythmic playing as well as great percussion work to the mix. This all in fine corporation with either Källsbäck or Ehrnborn, as well as in close proximity with keyboard player John Lönnmyr, the dominant force in the stellar sound of the band. His pompous keys take the helm frequently. The interaction of him with the guitars is outstanding and proves a true force. Adding elemental structures as well as techie modern notes, his swirl is dominant at times. On the new ,,Paloma” his work is dominant but shines subtle, adding synths and lush structures, as where he on the progressive tinged ,,Cosmic Tide” pulls the dominance. It also proves the bands varied sound and wide influences, from Kansas to Journey, without ever falling short in creativeness.

A TIME-TRAVELING EXPERIENCE

The Night Flight Orchestra’s live show is more than just a concert; it’s a time-traveling experience that celebrates the timeless appeal of classic rock. Whether you’re a longtime fan or new to their music, this performance is sure to leave you with a smile on your face and a newfound appreciation for the enduring power of rock and roll. The way their craft their set and the interaction with the audience is simply astounding, and the musical craftmanship radiates front to back, with high crowd anticipation.

,,Burn for Me” and ,,Divinyls” impress with their melodic smoothness, and ,,Transatlantic Blues” already falls in place as a benchmark track for the genre. On top of all this melodic mayhem it is however Strid himself who truly shines. His one-liners are short and honest, his appearance is dominant without taking the spotlight away from his ‘co-conspirators’. He is constantly in close interaction with Anna, and their close harmonies are keenly injected with wider slickness by Åsa’s strong midrange. When Björn sends a bone rattling high to the front, the female vocals add a lush line to the bottom, crafting an intense dense harmony that nests immediately.

CREAM OF THE CROP

Putting a strong escalation point to tonight’s performance the encores are cream of the crop. The pulsing of ,,White Jeans” is sent into the venue raising the roof. Ehrnborn revives Andersson’s majestic riffing glance, with D’Angelo’ getting the pulse dancing with parading accolades, as the keys start to rain into the mix. This 70s disco and Kiss reminiscent vide is held when the Bee Gees-like opening of the new ,,Way to Spend the Night” is unleashed, seamlessly blending the band’s past and present. Strid croons heavily as the song struts forward into the classic rocker ,,West Ruth Ave”, closing the show under thunderous applause and appreciation.

THE NIGHT FLIGHT ORCHESTRA – THE CONCLUSION

Tonight’s show displayed the exquisite melodic wonder The Night Flight Orchestra is. Their mix of classic melodic ingredients proves timeless, and the band effortlessly embark on this flight taking off to visit all outskirts of melodic hardrock. With pilot Strid at the wheel, and the members navigating the tumultuous skies, we constantly get reminded of this era’s past. They take the best of all worlds and manage to cook up an intergalactic melodic rock cocktail that is impressive and extremely tasteful.
Next stop: paradise!

All photos by Edwin van Hoof