Music has always been the Tower of Strength!
Finally, the long-awaited day of THE MISSION concert arrived, as it was cancelled two times which brought upon some uncertainty and a level of uneasiness, but the third time was the charm and The Mission dominated the stage in full glory as expected!
British dark rock legends The Mission have returned to Zagreb after fifteen years! They came with a line-up that has recorded all the best The Mission albums and marked their best periods as a band. This tour and their fourth appearance in Zagreb were one of the most interesting events of the year, as true fans of the band finally had the experience of seeing Wayne Hussy, Craig Adams and Simmon Hinkler together on stage, in the lineup that marked the absolute peak of their careers!
As special guests, the well-known, cult dark rock band from Zagreb: PHANTASMAGORIA performed. Phantasmagoria was founded in 1988 and quickly gained a status of a cult band known for being one of the leaders of a very popular dark scene in the former Yugoslavia in the 80s. One of the music models of Phantasmagoria was The Mission and the band dedicated one song to them and performed it yesterday with emphasis on the fact that the song has been created as a dedication to their musical style and influence.
Phantasmagoria prepared a very special set list for this occasion, composed mostly of songs from the early phase which was an incredible experience for the older die-hard fans. It was an instant flashback to the days of our youth and some, maybe not happier and brighter times, but definitely those times look extremely good from today’s perspective. We all actually didn’t know how good the situation was, at least for all those that were not troubled by health, family and/or employment problems. Now, the only regret I might have is that the most beautiful years of my life were clouded over by depression, but at least I learned a lot and came out stronger than ever. Why do I even write about it? Because, I share one common denominator with the majority of the crowd present at the concert yesterday: we survived a lot and sometimes MUSIC was all we had to get us through the roughest times!
All in all, Phantasmagoria gave an excellent performance which was greeted warmly by the audience and provided an excellent and heart worming flashback to the past and many life events and precious memories that were marked by Phantasmagoria playing in the background! Simply said: great!
THE MISSION opened the concert with magical and mystical “Beyond the Pale”, which was followed by “Hands Across the Ocean” which threw the audience into ecstasy! The setlist was impressive as it included 17 songs from the very rich career of the band and the selection of songs stretched from overall 8 albums, which also proves the consistent quality of the band which stayed as a permanent denominator. Middle of the concert was the first highlight of the concert as it included the incredible hits: “Severina”, “Like a Child Again” and “(Slave to) Lust”, one after the other. Performance of “Butterfly on a Wheel” was great, but I expected a bit more, probably my expectations were too high. But having high expectations paid off as “Deliverance” was performed magnificently and the audience melted and sang along all the way through the song.
The second Encore included: “Tower of Strength” and “You’ll Never Walk Alone” (Rodgers & Hammerstein cover), which provided a beautiful message for all the fans of the band and the genre. I wasn’t expecting it, but “Tower of Strength” proved to be the absolute highlight of the concert, beautiful and pure perfection! I felt privileged to be able to see The Mission live and all of my expectations were realized big time.
The Mission definitely proved why they are considered the biggest gothic rock band in the world and legends of dark rock as their army of fans stayed solid and grew with members from younger generations!
THE MISSION, Phantasmagoria, Boogaloo, Zagreb, 09.05.2023
