Last Thursday [Hemelvaartdag], the moment had finally arrived. Raven was in popodium Nieuwe Nor Heerlen to make up for their September 2025 show. Back then, the band had to postpone their summer/fall 2025 European tour because frontman John Gallagher had to undergo emergency brain surgery.
But as the saying goes, “What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger.” And that seems to be the case with John.
Lord Volture
The venue is nicely packed with just under 200 people this evening, and the guys from the Dutch band Lord Volture have the honor of kicking off the night with their heavy metal. Metal with a big nod to heroes like Iron Maiden and Judas Priest, with a touch of Manowar.
Tight, hard, and razor-sharp. Bassist Simon Geurts took that “hard” part quite literally, as the amp on stage was overwhelmingly loud in the first four or five rows in front of the stage during the whole gig.
Singer and band leader David Marcelis has a great vocal range and knows how to get the audience fired up with his enthusiasm. Lord Vulture left a great impression and, in my opinion, did well in Heerlen.
like a hurricane
After the changeover, the lights go out a second time and the three members of Raven storm the stage with an energy you rarely see in men of the Gallagher brothers’ respectable age (66 & 67)—no, not the ones from that British pop band!! These are the gentlemen who, since Raven’s founding in 1974, were THE cradle for bands like Metallica, Slayer, Anthrax, etc. Raven was already playing Speed Metal/Thrash Metal before the genre had even been invented.
Imagine going to a Raven concert in 1983 and being introduced to a new opening act from California called Metallica. Despite extensive touring and releasing albums, Raven never managed to achieve the status of the bands they influenced. What they do have, however, is the appreciation of all these bands. To this day, they are still held in high esteem by them and fans all over the world.
room for improvement
Anyway, back to the show. Bolstered by drummer Mike Heller, who has been the band’s regular drummer since 2017, the Gallagher brothers make it clear that they certainly haven’t lost any of their energy. Many young artists stand on stage like a dead bird performing their act, but John and Mark race back and forth across the stage like madmen. Let’s just say for sure that John’s brain surgery was a success!
In terms of sound and especially lighting, there was definitely room for improvement. It felt like a disco show, with mostly flashy lights. It was terrible, and even Mark commented on it during the show. The music may be fast and flashy, but that doesn’t mean people who buy tickets want to stare at a mess of miserable lighting.
That didn’t stop the crowd from going wild during songs like “Hell Patrol,” “All For One,” “Rock Until You Drop,” or “All Hell’s Breaking Loose.”
A deep bow
If, after a show with this kind of energy, you then rush straight to the merch stand to chat with the fans and take photos together, then as far as I’m concerned, you’re unbeatable. Nothing but respect for these gentlemen, who are still doing their thing like a hurricane.
A deep bow for Raven.
Setlist:
Can’t Take Away The Fire
Hell Patrol
The Power
Top Of The Mountain
Surf The Tsunami
All For One
Rock Until You Drop
Guitar Solo
Faster Than The Speed Of Light
Pick Your Window
For The Future
Bass Solo
All Hell’s Breaking Loose
On And On
Break The Chain
Chainsaw
Report & Images by Raymond Helebrand
