The Unforgiving World Tour was a concert tour by the Dutch symphonic metal band Within Temptation in support of their fifth studio album, The Unforgiving, released by Roadrunner Records on 25 March 2011. It was their seventh major tour and their second to see them playing worldwide. The tour commenced on 10 August 2011, at the Sziget Festival, Hungary, and finished on 8 September 2013, at the Rock'n Coke Festival, in Turkey, passing mainly over Europe, with selected concerts in North America and South America. The tour helped on solidifying the band as one of mainland Europe's most successful symphonic metal acts, as it marked a major transition from club and theater to arena concerts on the continent than the previous one. On the North and South American concerts, however, the band still opted to play at smaller capacity venues. For the band's fifteenth anniversary, they held their biggest concert to date with a special presentation at the Sportpaleis, Belgium, featuring some of the band's ex-members on older songs and other special guests. The concert was later released as part of the Let Us Burn – Elements & Hydra Live in Concert live album.
Background The tour was scheduled to start immediately following The Unforgiving's release, however, due to Sharon den Adel's third pregnancy, the originally planned dates were rescheduled to begin in August 2011. The band did, however, play 7 days at the Vrienden Van Amstel Dutch Festival in January 2011, although they only performed 3 songs at each show (Ice Queen, Faster and Mother Earth), and also made several promotional appearances on European radio stations. On 10 August 2011, the band presented at the Sziget Festival, but The Unforgiving Tour officially started 12 August, at the Huntenpop Festival, in Ulft. This show as unique as the band performed The Unforgiving in its entirety, whilst enacting the album's concept through a new stage design, including lights, videos and other illusions. During August, the band performed at several Summer Festivals as M'era Luna and Lowlands and started an indoor tour in September, first in the North America and then crossing Europe. On early September, during their passage over Poland the album The Unforgiving reached Gold status there.
Later that month, it was announced that Guitarist Robert Westerholt would step down from touring with the band (with the exception of occasional shows) as there was no-one to look after his and vocalist Sharon den Adel's three children. Westerholt will continue to contribute on production and songwriting and will play guitar in the studio, while Stefan Helleblad will play guitar live.
In February 2012, the band brought the tour to South America, playing shows in Brazil, Mexico, Peru, Argentina and Chile. Following their March–April theatre tour, entitled Sanctuary, the band resumed The Unforgiving Tour with shows in some of the biggest European festivals in the summer of 2012, such as Sonisphere, Masters of Rock, Rock Werchter, Summerbreeze and Gods of Metal.
On 9 May 2012, the band officially announced a one-off show called "Elements" at the Sportpaleis in Antwerp in celebration of Within Temptation's 15-year anniversary. The band were accompanied by the Il Novecentro Orchestra and other special guests, including ex-band members and former Orphanage vocalist George Oosthoek. The show was sold out with fans from over 50 reported countries in attendance. The show would later appear on the Let Us Burn – Elements & Hydra Live in Concert live album.
Reception The tour was well received worldwide. PureGrainAudio, reviewing the band's concert in Baltimore, praised "Sharon's top-notch vocals and Martijn Spierenburg's keyboarding", as well as stating that, "aside from musical embellishments, the band came across as really simple and down-to-earth", ultimately deeming it "not just a concert, but an experience." This is Not a Scene, writing about the band's Manchester show, were also positive, commenting that "it was a gig deserving to be sold out and a beautiful night for all to witness." MetalConcerts reviewed their show in São Paulo, stating that "Within Temptation exhaled technique and talent, not to mention the charisma and respect they had with those that were there."
Support Guild of Stags (12/08/2011, 21/09/2011–29/09/2011) 3 (07/09/2011–13/09/2011) Triggerfinger (06/10/2011–08/10/2011, 15/10/2011–28/10/2011) The Cannibal Queen (10/10/2011, 14/10/2011) Xandria (11/10/2011–12/10/2011) Anneke Van Giersbergen & Her Band (04/11/2011–25/11/2011)
Tour dates Date City Country Venue Summer Festivals10 August 2011BudapestHungarySziget Festival12 August 2011UlftNetherlandsHuntenpop Festival13 August 2011HildesheimGermanyM'era Luna Festival14 August 2011ZofingenSwitzerlandHeitere Open Air19 August 2011HasseltBelgiumPukkelpop 20 August 2011BiddinghuizenNetherlandsLowlands25 August 2011RaalteStöppelhaene27 August 2011LieshoutBavaria Open Air28 August 2011Târgu MureșRomaniaPeninsula Felsziget North America7 September 2011TorontoCanadaSound Academy8 September 2011MontrealMétropolis9 September 2011WorcesterUnited StatesPalladium10 September 2011New York CityTerminal 512 September 2011BaltimoreRams Head Live!13 September 2011PhiladelphiaElectric Factory Europe21 September 2011HeerhugowaardNetherlandsWaerdse Tempel23 September 2011Tilburg013 25 September 201127 September 2011AmsterdamParadiso28 September 201129 September 2011GroningenOosterpoort6 October 2011LilleFranceL’aéronef7 October 2011NantesLe Zénith8 October 2011LyonLe Transbordeur10 October 2011MadridSpainLa Riviera11 October 2011PortoPortugalColiseum12 October 2011LisbonRecreations Coliseum14 October 2011BarcelonaSpainRazzmatazz15 October 2011ToulouseFranceLe Bikini17 October 2011MilanItalyAlcatraz18 October 2011ZürichSwitzerlandVolkshaus20 October 2011ViennaAustriaGasometer21 October 2011PragueCzech RepublicMalá Sportovní Hala22 October 2011KrakówPolandHala Wisla23 October 2011WarsawStodola Club25 October 2011CopenhagenDenmarkFalkoner Center26 October 2011GothenburgSwedenTrädgårn Club27 October 2011StockholmArena28 October 2011OsloNorwaySentrum Scene4 November 2011Esch-sur-AlzetteLuxembourgRockhal5 November 2011KerkradeNetherlandsRodahal6 November 2011ParisFranceZénith Paris8 November 2011BirminghamEnglandO2 Academy Birmingham9 November 2011ManchesterO2 Academy10 November 2011GlasgowScotlandBarrowland Ballroom11 November 2011LondonEnglandO2 Academy Brixton13 November 2011BrusselsBelgiumAncienne Belgique15 November 2011StuttgartGermanyLonghorn Club16 November 2011CologneE-Werk17 November 201119 November 2011HamburgDocks20 November 201121 November 2011BerlinColumbiahalle23 November 2011DresdenSchlachthof24 November 2011MunichZenith25 November 2011Neu-IsenburgHugenottenhalle26 November 2011SurseeSwitzerlandRocksound Festival10 December 2011HelsinkiFinlandThe Circus12 December 2011Saint PetersburgRussiaKosmonavt13 December 201114 December 2011MoscowClub Milk Latin America2 February 2012Mexico CityMexicoCirco Volador4 February 2012QuitoEcuadorTelefériQo5 February 2012BogotáColombiaTeatro Metropol7 February 2012LimaPeruCentro de Convenciones Scencia8 February 2012SantiagoChileTeatro Caupolicán10 February 2012Buenos AiresArgentinaTeatro Flores11 February 2012São PauloBrazilEspaço Victory12 February 2012Rio de JaneiroCirco Voador Summer Festivals 27 April 2012SchijndelNetherlandsPaaspop17 May 2012HellendoornDauwpop26 May 2012MadridSpainSonisphere Festival1 June 2012OosterhoutNetherlandsParkfeest8 June 2012NickelsdorfAustriaNova Rock Festival 9 June 2012KaarinaFinlandSaaristo Open Air15 June 2012GothenburgSwedenMetaltown Festival16 June 2012ClissonFranceHellfest22 June 2012MilanItalyGods of Metal23 June 2012HeerlenNetherlandsPark City Live27 June 2012KyivUkraineGlobal East Rock Festival28 June 2012WerchterBelgiumRock Werchter30 June 2012ArrasFranceMain Square Festival1 July 2012BucharestRomaniaTuborg GreenFest6 July 2012KnebworthEnglandSonisphere7 July 2012IstanbulTurkeyTuborg GoldFest8 July 2012SofiaBulgariaSofia Rocks12 July 2012VizoviceCzech RepublicMasters of Rock20 July 2012LichtenvoordeNetherlandsZwarte Cross21 July 2012JarocinPolandJarocin Festival22 July 2012CuxhavenGermanyDeichbrand5 August 2012ColmarFranceLa Foire aux Vins d'Alsace17 August 2012DinkelsbühlGermanySummerbreeze19 August 2012SachsenHighfield7 September 2012TielNetherlandsAppelpop8 September 2012KyivUkraineGasoline Festival Elements13 November 2012AntwerpBelgiumSportpaleis Summer Festivals 327 April 2013PijnackerNetherlandsOranjefesteen18 May 2013KrakówPolandCzýzynalia13 June 2013InterlakenSwitzerlandGreenfield Festival14 June 2013NickelsdorfAustriaNova Rock Festival15 June 2013Broek op LangedijkNetherlandsIndian Summer Festival28 June 2013Spálené PoříčíCzech RepublicBasinfirefest29 June 2013DesselBelgiumGraspop Metal Meeting30 June 2013MoscowRussiaPark Live Festival14 July 2013WeertNetherlandsBospop25 July 2013TienenBelgiumSuikerrock26 July 2013OuluFinlandQstock2 August 2013LieropNetherlandsTuinfeest Nirwana9 August 2013SibiuRomaniaArtmania Festival10 August 2013GävleSwedenGetaway Rock Festival23 August 2013TrondheimNorwayTrondheim Concerts30 August 2013BilbaoSpainEn Vivo8 September 2013IstanbulTurkeyRock’n Coke A Cancelled due to heavy weather. B Cancelled due to scheduling problems. C Cancelled due to heavy weather. D Cancelled due to scheduling problems. E Cancelled due to scheduling problems.
Extra shows
Date City Country Venue Event21 January 2011RotterdamNetherlandsRotterdam AhoyVrienden Van Amstel Live22 January 201123 January 201126 January 201127 January 201128 January 201129 January 201122 September 2011UtrechtStadsschouwburgDutch Film Festival17 November 2011CologneGermanyHard Rock CafePinktober10 July 2012BeirutLebanonForum de BeyrothExtra club-shows during Summer Festivals18 August 2012SaarbrückenGermanyE-Werk8 November 2012HaarlemNetherlandsPatronaatElements try-out concert9 November 201229 April 2013AmsterdamGrand Hotel KrasnapolskyLive at Q-hotel
Personnel
Within Temptation Sharon den Adel – vocals Robert Westerholt – rhythm guitar (from 10 August to 13 September 2011 and at Elements) Stefan Helleblad – rhythm guitar (21 September onwards) Ruud Jolie – lead guitar Martijn Spierenburg – keyboards Jeroen van Veen – bass guitar Mike Coolen – drums
Guest musicians
Anneke van Giersbergen – featured vocals on "Fire and Ice" on 24 and 25 November 2011 and on "Somewhere" on 10 July 2012. George Oosthoek – featured vocals on "Candles" at Elements Ivar de Graaf – acoustic guitar on "Never-Ending Story" and drums on "Summertime Sadness" at Elements Martijn Westerholt – keyboards on "Candles" at Elements Michiel Papenhove – guitars on "Candles" at Elements Isabella Scholten – featured vocals on "Our Farewell" at Elements
References
External links Within Temptation Official Website Within Temptation Tour Dates Within Temptation Tour Archive