DORO / METAL CHURCH

May 9th 2019
The Chance Theater
Poughkeepsie, New York

Photos & Review by Frank Piercy

I realize that I am a bit behind in writing this review and getting these pictures done. Unfortunately (well not really unfortunately), I had my ass kicked earlier in the week by a last minute trip down to Columbia Maryland to cover the 80s metal fest M3 along with 23 bands, 3 days… plus pre parties… and after parties. I barely had time to recuperate before making the drive after work to the Chance Theater in Poughkeepsie. There was no way I was going to miss Metal Church AND Doro on the same stage on the same night!

The night started off like many of my other concerts have lately, meeting up with friends that I just saw at the last couple of shows. Its really cool when you turn around at a show in New York and see people from a show in Baltimore standing behind you and knowing who you are, which is strange, it happened in Maryland too. The music of the night started off with a local metal band, Dark After Dawn

For the last few years, Doro Pesch, Queen of Metal and former singer for German Metal Outfit, Warlock, has done a small tour of the United States, usually about a dozen dates spread between the East and West coasts of America in the spring time, breeding hope that this time, she joins the ranks of the M3 Rock Festival, but to no avail it didn’t happen.

But this is better, a solid set of classic Doro and Warlock tunes, with Tommy Bolan on guitar. And also Chris Caffery from Savatage/Trans Siberian Orchestra fame filling in for her usual guitarist who had issues with his visa, there was also a fill in drummer for Johnny Dee, who was at home with the newest addition to his family!

Doro came out running, horns flying and hair whipping, but then if you have been to a Doro show, you know this is normal, and she shows no sign of slowing down or of aging. Wish I was that lucky… The night started out with a couple of classic tunes, “I Rule the Ruins” and “Earthshaker Rock”, then into her solo territory with “Raise Your Fist In The Air” and “Blood, Sweat, and Rock n Roll” then back to the Warlock catalog, “Burning the Witches”, Hellbound”, “Metal Racer”, and “East Meets West” with some solo material intertwined in there, like “The Night of The Warlock” and “Fur Immer” the night ended with the one song that everyone knows and patiently waits for… ‘All We Are”.

Seeing Doro live is nothing like the videos or watching on YouTube, you don’t get to feel the power of her voice or the energy of the crowd.

DORO Photo Gallery

Then that metal energy carried over to Metal Church. The last time I saw Metal Church, Chris Caffery was filling in for an ailing guitarist. I was looking forward to see their new drummer, Stet Howland in action. That man is a beast behind those drums and a perfect fit into Metal Church. Mike Howe is a great lead singer, constantly all over the stage and interacting with the audience. The night’s setlist was a pretty good mix of tunes from their past and the new disc, Damned if You Do. Songs included were as follows, ”Damned If You Do”, “Needle and Suture”, “Badlands”, “Gods of Second Chance” and “Start The Fire”. The crowd was fantastic, and I was wrong. I thought most of them were there for Doro, but when her set finished, hardly anyone left and the crowd was just as energetic as they were for the Queen of Metal. And their set continued, ‘No Friend of Mine”, “Watch The Children Pray”, “The Black Things”, “Beyond Black” and “By The Numbers” rounded out the set, before the encore of “Fake Healer”

A great night in Poughkeepsie, with a fantastic turn out, especially for a Thursday night.