Sometimes you go to a concert expecting a solid night and it turns out to be so much more. That was the case at Utilita Arena Birmingham on Friday. Evanescence didn’t just put on a good show they delivered something unbelievably good, properly outstanding from start to finish. The new Sanctuary material has clearly given the band fresh momentum.
Doors opened at 6pm and the evening got underway promptly with K.Flay. Her half-hour set (roughly 7:00–7:30pm) was the ideal high-energy opener. She tore through Scratch, Raw Raw, Tomboys Don’t Cry, Blood in the Cut, Rabbit Hole, Blood Cells, High Enough and Ants with sharp delivery and real presence spinning and flailing around the stage for the entire set. The bigger tracks landed hard, especially Blood in the Cut and High Enough, and she looked completely comfortable commanding an arena stage. It was a confident, punchy start that got the crowd properly warmed up.
Poppy followed at around 7:50pm and shifted the atmosphere completely. Her set was precise and at times theatrical which make her so distinctive live. She moved through Have You Had Enough? then The Cost of Giving Up, Bruised Sky, Scary Mask, Crystallized, Vital, Guardian, Public Domain, Time Will Tell, V.A.N (the Bad Omens cover), If We’re Following the Light and New Way Out with total control.
The industrial pop and electronic textures sat nicely against the heavier rock still to come, but what really cut through was her signature screams, those sudden piercing bursts of intensity that snapped the arena to attention every time they landed. She used them sparingly but with perfect timing, turning quieter passages into something far more powerful. The whole performance felt assured and she held the arena’s attention from the first note to the last. By the time she left the stage the place was fully locked in and ready for the main event.
Evanescence took the stage just after 9:15pm and immediately raised the level. They opened with the title track from the new album, Sanctuary, and launched into a set that gave the new material (which I’ve had on repeat in the car since the end of the gig) real space while still delivering the songs everyone wanted to hear. The early stretch of Tell Me When You’ve Had Enough, Afterlife and Rapture hit with power and clarity, the production matching the intensity of the music without ever overpowering it.
Pyrotechnics were used throughout the night with real impact, bursts of flame that punctuated the heavier moments and added extra drama without becoming a distraction. Classic tracks were placed perfectly. Going Under and Lithium brought the first big collective singalongs, while the stage itself added another layer of spectacle. A three-riser setup lifted the drums and guitarist high into the air at key moments, giving the whole band a towering presence and making the bigger songs feel even more imposing. Call Me When You’re Sober and Bring Me to Life later on turned the arena into a proper wall of sound. During Bring Me to Life the confetti cannons fired, sending red, black and white doves cascading over the crowd and turning the whole arena into a celebration. The same confetti returned at the very end, giving the closing moments a proper sense of release.
Amy Lee’s voice remains extraordinary, she still hits those soaring notes with apparent ease and the emotional weight behind the quieter moments is undiminished. At a couple of points a piano rose smoothly up out of the stage floor, giving those more intimate songs an extra sense of occasion. The band sounded tight and locked in all night.
Standout moments came thick and fast. Fight Like a Girl (with K.Flay joining) had genuine fire;
and the collaboration on End of You with Poppy was a real highlight;
both have distinctive voices that locked together in a way that felt special rather than forced. Forever Without You gave Amy a quieter, more personal space in the set; she spoke briefly about the song’s meaning beforehand and it landed with real weight. Imaginary still sounded massive, and My Immortal created that classic arena hush before the final stretch. They closed with Wide Open Heart as the confetti fell again, sending everyone out on a high.
The full Evanescence setlist was:
Sanctuary
Tell Me When You’ve Had Enough
Afterlife
Rapture
Going Under
Lithium
Like You
Self-Destruct
Calm Down
Call Me When You’re Sober
Fight Like a Girl (with K.Flay)
Beautiful Lie
Wasted on You
Forever Without You
Bring Me to Life
Imaginary
Better Without You
About Us
End of You (with Poppy)
Who Will You Follow
My Immortal
Wide Open Heart
What made the night stand out was how well the new Sanctuary songs sat alongside the classics. Nothing felt forced or tokenistic – the newer material held its own and the older tracks still carried the same power. The three-riser stage, the piano rising from the floor, the well-timed pyrotechnics and the dove-shaped confetti all added to the spectacle without ever getting in the way of the music. The three acts complemented each other rather than competing, and the whole performance felt focused and fully committed.
You go into a night like this expecting Evanescence to be good. What you don’t always expect is a show that leaves you buzzing long after the lights come up. This one did exactly that. Unbelievably good. Outstanding.
***** 10/10
Words and images: Roger ‘Mac’ Byrne
