There is a reason Doro Pesch, also simply known as Doro, is referenced to as the “Queen of Metal.” Hailing from Düsseldorf, Germany, Doro has spent the last three plus decades of her career creating successful Rock and Heavy Metal music while touring the world. Starting her musical journey as the singer of the band Warlock, in 1989, Doro made her solo debut with Force Majeure. The start of something special, she has since put out twelve epic studio records under the name Doro, lastly being 2012’s acclaimed Raise Your First. Selling approximately ten million records, toured over sixty countries, recorded sixteen studio albums between her solo and Warlock career, Doro showed no signs that she has any plans of slowing down.
Celebrating her thirtieth anniversary since her first ever live show with a special tour in 2014, Doro continued to rock stages throughout 2015, and now, in 2016, she is back again. With select shows in North America, beginning with the Monsters Of Rock Cruise East out of Miami, FL in February, Doro made a visit to Revolution Bar & Music Hall in Amityville, New York on Friday, March 4th, with direct support from Madame Mayhem. Familiar with the Long Island area, it was somewhat of a homecoming for Metal royalty since Doro holds residence in Long Beach. An exciting event indeed, the room was packed with fans ready for a night that they would not forget.
The night started with two local supporting bands, EXM and To The Pain. Hard Rock/Heavy Metal act EXM, hailing from Queens, New York, put on a very solid musical performance proving, that after ten years of being a band, they can deliver some great live music. They were highly driven by the fans and got them involved with their music and set. Long Island, New York Metal band To The Pain provided a true, heavy-sounding musical set. With solid guitar riffs, strong rhythmic section, and versatile vocals, the band seemed to connect with the fans. Both were welcomed warm-up acts prior to the national support of Madame Mayhem.
As a black curtain closed across the stage to get prepared for Madame Mayhem’s set, a larger crowd started moving forward. Excited to see the rising New York City born singer-songwriter perform, a lot has transpired for Madame Mayhem in recent years. Becoming a national act some five years ago, she released her debut album, White Noise, in 2012. Building a strong following throughout the city she began in, her reach is going beyond state-lines as she tours all over the country in support of her latest album, 2015’s Now You Know. Working with a list of respected Rock musicians including Bassist/Guitarist Billy Sheehan (Winery Dogs/Mr. Big), Guitarist Ron “Bumblefoot” Thal (formerly of Guns N’ Roses), Bassist Corey Lowery (Saint Ansonia/Stuck Mojo), Guitarist Russ “Satchel” Parrish (Steel Panther), and Drummer Ray Luzier (Korn/KXM), Madame Mayhem put together an album everyone is going to want to check out.
With that in mind, as the curtain opened, an instrumental opening played while Madame Mayhem’s band slowly made their way on the stage. The singer’s microphone stand had a small silvery/black oval piece near the top of it, and on the lower part, leaves and thorns. To match, her dress was short black with a long stripe going down the middle. With her black boots on and her famous finger-less gloves with long silver and gold spikes on the knuckle area, her long black hair was down and she was ready to rock. With the band made up of Virus (lead guitar/backing vocals), Percy Trayanov (bass), Joey Regalbuto (rhythm guitar, backing vocals), and Paul Amorese (drums), the set kicked off with “Perfect Nightmare.” From her Now You Know album, the song showed off Mayhem’s in-your-face rocker attitude and unique vocal style.
Before entering into her second song, Madame Mayhem asked the crowd how they were doing, then told them it was great to be back home. Kicking into “Something Better,” the Hard Rock song showered the audience with Madame Mayhem singing with a no-back-down attitude. Next came the song “Monster” as the singer told the audience it was about not letting people tell you who to be and to screw what people think. Seeming very personal to her, the performance showed a vulnerable side of Madame Mayhem, one which was enduring to all.
Her slower Pop Rock song “Left For Dead,” which is also her latest music video, showed up next in the set as her voice continued to shine live. Vocalizing notes that soar from high to low, during the chorus, Virus and Regalbuto harmonized with Mayhem, which provided some beautiful dynamics. As the track ended, Mayhem stated, “You guys are freakin’ awesome,” then segued into the sensual and seductive “Witchcraft ” as she invested every ounce of herself into the song. The last track of her performance was the Punk Pop-Rock “More Than Misery.” At this point, Virus, Trayanov, Regalbuto, and Madame Mayhem were on the risers at the front of the stage clapping their hands. While the band provided a steady beat, Virus’ soloing adding some layering and richness. Concluding with Amorese doing a short breakdown on drums, Madame Mayhem thanked everyone for their support and exited the stage.
If there is anything that can be said about a Madame Mayhem is that she has her own unique style and stands out as a gift singer and performer. With a tight band of well-known musicians hailing from numerous bands, it adds to the richness of her live sound. The whole band seemed to be in unison and totally invested, ready to put on an amazing set. There is no doubt Madame Mayhem has a bright future in the industry.
At this point in the night, the floor was packed with fans eagerly awaiting Doro to arrive. Last visiting Revolution Bar & Music Hall back in 2014, it was an overwhelming welcomed return for Doro. As a heavy drum intro began, Doro’s band – made up of Nick Douglas (bass), Johnny Dee (drums), Bas Maas (guitars), and Luca Princiotta (guitars, keyboards) – approached the stage. Then Doro herself enters with a huge smile on her face. Dressed in a black vest and shirt with silver rhinestones, she sported black armbands and fingerless black gloves. Enthusiastically, she said, “Hey Hey,” as she put her hands out to the fans, who all screamed in reply. This led into the first song of the show, “Earthshaker Rock,” where Doro stood on the risers right up front, singing right to all her fans, while banging her head back and forth.
With an exhilarating start, Doro moved on, and her voice displayed her classic style that can turn melodic within seconds. As “Burn the Witches” began, Doro stated it was the song that started her career. Expressing how excited she was to be back at Revolution, the song rocked hard as many were going wild screaming and singing along. Like a well-oiled machine, Doro and her band truly fed off each other, musically, as well as with playful stage antics. Next came “I Rule the Ruins,” bringing about a true Metal experience as Doro unleashed a growling beginning. Maas and Douglas provided for some exciting entertainment as they kicked their legs up, while Princiotta was on the riser rocking out. Meanwhile, Dee provided a steady Metal performance on drums.
As the set continued, Doro addressed the crowd before and after each song, thanking them and telling stories. She even took note of other band t-shirts that fans were wearing, going on to mention her fond memories of playing with some of them. Going into a balance of songs such as “Raise Your Fist In The Air,” “Metal Racer,” and “Für Immer,” the audience was in heaven and it was easy to see the passion and love in Doro’s performance. She was invested in every note she sang and it showed vividly in the emotion on her face.
A turning point came when Doro spoke of the late, great Motörhead leader Mr. Lemmy Kilmister. A dear friend who she missed greatly, Doro dedicated “Without You” to him, and the ballad truly exposed a raw sensitivity in her voice. Doro also went on to dedicated Dio’s “Egypt” to her friend, the late legend Ronnie James Dio. As the smoke rose from the stage, an instrumental beginning with chimes set the stage for the track as Doro had the fans saying, “Hey, Hey” as she worked the room. Moving along, “Evil” came next, a song which Doro swore her true die-hard Warlock fans would know. She was right, and the fan-favorite had many spectators singing along as they headbanged to Dee’s double bass. During the track’s break, the band and Doro left the stage. This gave the spotlight to Dee to partake in a drum solo which showcased his skills and personality. An exciting moment, the rest of the band returned to finish the song to a roaring ovation.
Proud of her friends and bandmates, Doro introduced each of them to the audience. In exchange, Douglas introduced Doro, and the crowd went wild. After the introductions, the mood turned a bit softer as they played on into “Love me in Black.” Princiotta stroked his keys, provided an almost symphonic sound while the rest of the band provided a steady beat to match Doro’s singing. They then went into Raise Your Fist song “Revenge” as Doro mentioned that a new record was in the works and would be out soon. During the song, Dee and Douglass added a strong heavy percussion sound as Doro screamed for everyone to bang their heads. As it was getting closer to the end of the evening, Doro asked everyone what they wanted to hear. In unison, everyone shouted “East Meets West.” With that, Doro delivered as it ignited a huge sing along. Wrapping things up, Doro graciously thanked the crowd shaking hands, as the rest of the band said goodbye.
If one thing is for certain, even after thirty years in the music business, Doro has not taken a fan or her love of music for granted. With a gracious and ready-to-rock attitude, Doro took the Revolution Bar & Music Hall by storm and proved why she is still the Queen of Metal. While the US leg of the tour is concluded, Doro will be heading over to Europe for extensive touring beginning March 30th. As for new music, Doro will drop her newest single “Love’s Gone To Hell” April 1st, so be prepared.
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