An Amazing Flight Through Time – Ayreon live in Tilburg

For the fourth time since 2017, Tilburg transformed into Ayreon City for an entire weekend. Once again, Arjen Lucassen and producer Joost van den Broek managed to sell out five shows in record time, drawing fans from all corners of the world to 013. While the previous two editions revolved around anniversaries of specific albums, this year marked a different milestone: the 30th anniversary of Ayreon. At Zware Metalen we do love a good party, so reporter Marco and photographer Kitty headed to Tilburg to witness the spectacle.

The city center of Tilburg was steeped in Ayreon atmosphere. On this first day of the anniversary weekend, flags bearing the logo were waving everywhere, while the streets were filled with fans who easily recognized each other by their band shirts. Local restaurants and bars eagerly joined in, offering special Ayreon menus to welcome the many visitors from both the Netherlands and abroad. As tradition dictates, a long line of fans had already formed in front of 013 well before doors opened. Once the doors did open, however, the audience streamed inside smoothly, ready for an evening of high expectations. Before the concert kicked off, Michael Mills briefly addressed the crowd, urging them not to use their mobile phones during the performance.

The entire stage was turned into one massive screen, with two additional screens on either side projecting the Dream Sequencer. Combined with the hall lights, it created the illusion that the audience was actually stepping into the device and traveling back through the history of Ayreon.

The first act of the evening was dedicated to songs that had not yet been performed at previous Ayreon shows. The celebration opened with the electronic tones of House of Mars. It took a moment to adjust to hearing Wudstik instead of Johan Edlund’s deep voice, but he gave the track a fine personal touch. Tis time each song featured a single vocalist in the spotlight, which made the stage appear less crowded compared to earlier editions.

Next up was Maggy Luijten with Sail Away to Avalon. The visuals in the background, combined with the stage lighting, created a spectacular sight. Musically, however, the power of the song didn’t fully come across. The mix in the venue placed too much emphasis on Joost’s keyboards, while the guitars lacked impact. On top of that, Magaly was audibly struggling with her voice; the high notes didn’t always land, though she visibly gave it her all to carry the audience along with her.

In addition to the Ayreon repertoire, there was also room for other Arjen Lucassen projects. Green and Cream from Guilt Machine was delivered convincingly by Tommy Karevik. After that, the recently knighted Arjen himself took the stage for Days of the Knights, taken from the re-released first solo album. His voice sounded strong, and despite his well-known stage fright, he appeared remarkably at ease this time.

Every vocalist was greeted with enthusiasm, but the loudest ovation erupted when Anneke van Giersbergen entered the stage. Understandably so, as Anneke is clearly in top form — something she had already proven earlier this year during The Gathering’s anniversary shows. Her rendition of Day Six: Childhood was nothing short of beautiful. Meanwhile, Irene Jansen and Marcela Bovio, who had until then mainly served as backing vocalists, stepped into the spotlight for Dragon of the Sea.

Amid all the vocal fireworks, Heather Findlay provided a welcome contrast. Her restrained rendition of Day Thirteen: Sign, performed together with Marcela Bovio, was one of the finest moments of the first act. The sensitive flute playing by Jeroen Goossens also deserved special mention.

For Sea of Machines, a crowd favorite took the stage: Damian Wilson. Though only briefly, as after just a few bars he was already standing in the middle of the audience. The spontaneous move caused plenty of enthousiasm, but proved less than practical. Without in-ears, he had to rely on the stage monitors, so after a quick restart he wisely stayed on stage — where he still managed to completely win over the crowd.

Next, it was time for a new star within the Ayreon universe: Dino Jelusick. His collaboration with Arjen had already begun during the last Star One album, but due to a conflict with his record label, his version of The Year of ’41 was left off the release. That issue has since been resolved, and tonight Dino finally delivered the song live — and what a delivery it was! With seemingly effortless power, he blew the audience away. When Michael Mills joined him in the second half with his unbelievably high notes, it turned into a vocal duel on an entirely different level.

Wudstik returned for Last Man on Earth. After that, the stage grew busier with Unification, the fourth part of The Theory of Everything, featuring Tommy, Michael, and Anneke shining together. Arjen then personally closed the first act with Carried by the Wind, leaving the audience eager for a second half that promised to be just as spectacular.

The second act of the evening was fully dedicated to the classics. This was where the heavier songs came to the forefront, with the first highlight being the ominous Into the Black Hole. Originally sung by Bruce Dickinson, but tonight delivered impressively by Damian Wilson. Equally spectacular was Dino Jelusick, who made Dawn of a Million Souls completely his own. Fortunately, the guitars now sounded much more prominent in the mix, allowing the full power of the song to come through.

An Ayreon set full of classics would of course not be complete without Valley of the Queens. Anneke shared the stage with Maggy Luyten and Heather Findlay, and it became clear that Magaly shines more in Ayreon’s heavier material than in the more melodic pieces.

When Jeroen Goossens pulled out his didgeridoo, everyone in the venue instantly knew what was coming: Day Sixteen: Loser. Michael Mills delivered a theatrical performance, supported by Irene Jansen, who surprised with a powerful grunt. Meanwhile, Joost van den Broek channeled his inner Ken Hensley on the Hammond organ. There are few keyboard players today who can make a Hammond growl and scream with such intensity as Joost.

Peter Daltrey appeared on the screen to introduce The Castle Hall. Robert Soeterboek took on the low vocal part, though he seemed to struggle with it at times. In Amazing Flight, which he performed together with Arjen, he sounded noticeably stronger and managed to win the audience over.

After a blistering performance of Everybody Dies, it was once again time for ‘Sir’ Arjen Lucassen himself. In his thank-you speech, he couldn’t resist pointing out that—unlike ‘Knight’ Damian Wilson and ‘Sir’ Russell Allen—he is the only truly knighted figure within the Ayreon universe. Joost van den Broek also took the microphone to express his gratitude, particularly towards Arjen, with whom he has been collaborating closely for many years.

As encores, Set Your Controls and Day Two: Isolation followed, bringing the evening to a close after nearly two and a half hours of music.

What remained was a lasting impression — not only because of the vocal powerhouses, but equally due to the razor-sharp precision of the band. Instrumentally, Timo Somers on guitar and Joost van den Broek on keyboards stole the show. This fourth Ayreon weekend was once again a grand experience. And as always, the same question lingers afterwards: what surprise will Arjen and Joost have in store for us two years from now?