Remember Ben Robson ? You know, this Internet guy with an exquisite dress sense, who came out of nowhere and got famous in a competition organised by Metal Sucks. The aim of this competition was to write vocals for a Nevermore song and to film yourself singing them. The winner would win the right to play his version with the band, on stage. What a present ! Because we can’t have enough, and because seeing is better than describing here is, once again, the video that allowed this Devin Townsend and Pittsburgh Pinguins fan to crush his opponents.
Since then, Ben had his present, and even more ! Here is a short footage that follows him during this memorable day with the band. As promised, he did not forget his famous sweat-shirt and dance for his moment of glory, on stage.
Ben was kind enough to share his impressions in a small report :
« I met Nevermore outside the venue in the afternoon before the show, while they were just coming off their bus. I got to do soundcheck with the band, which was a cool experience. My friends came for a meet-and-greet with the band before the show started, and we talked with them for a while about Nevermore’s music and other stuff. After that, we went right toward the stage so we could stand in the front row for the whole show.
The opening bands (Hatesphere, Blackguard, and Warbringer) all put on really good shows, but once Nevermore came onstage, that’s when the fun really started. Nevermore are amazing live – they have so much energy and they play some very complicated music without mistakes. Jeff Loomis is amazing, of course, but the new guitarist (Attila) played some really cool solos too. I was really surprised to see how good he was, since I was unfamiliar with him before I heard he had joined the band.
After Nevermore played a few songs, Warrel [Dane] pulled me up out of the audience and introduced me to the crowd. I was pretty nervous to be performing onstage with such an awesome band, but once the song started, I just forgot about being nervous and had as much fun as possible. The crowd really seemed to enjoy it, and once the song was finished, I got a lot of congratulations from the people standing near me in the audience. I didn’t expect to be pulled back up onstage after that, but once the band started playing the last song, « Enemies of Reality », Warrel signaled for me to come onstage again. I was totally surprised! Warrel and I sang the whole song together, and we got a huge ovation from the crowd afterward. It was an incredible feeling.
After the show, Jim Sheppard [the bass player] gave me some free vinyl discs of the band’s first few albums. Some of my friends stayed around for a while, and we talked to Jim for a while. He told us a lot of interesting stories about life on the road, his experiences playing in the Seattle music scene of the 1980s, and what it was like in Nevermore’s early days. Finally, I got to go inside the band’s tour bus, and I hung out with Warrel, Jim, and Dagna (the band’s bass technician) at a nearby restaurant. I thanked the band for giving me this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, and Warrel had a lot of kind words for me.
It was truly an amazing experience, and one of the best days I’ve had in a long time. I’m still honored to have met and performed with a band as skilled as Nevermore!
Ben Robson »