Charlotte Wessels: All is good in the world of Delain. We just landed in Canada to kick off our first-ever U.S./Canada co-headline tour, and the first show was a blast.
I definitely was a big fan before becoming a touring musician, and I still enjoy going to concerts and singing along to every word, though I’ve exchanged the front row for more comfortable places in the venue. This makes me sound old, right? As for performing, we have the absolute best fans in the world, and it's a great feeling getting up on stage and having a party with everyone in the hall.
We surely are very spoiled in Europe, especially when it comes to the facilities and luxury in our new and fancy music venues. It does have two sides, though: There are so many metal bands operating in our surroundings that in certain cities, competition is very rough when you plan a concert. When we come to the U.S., however, I feel like many people get their tickets straight away because they know we don’t play the other side of the globe every week, and it might be a year before we return.
Delain concerts have a real upbeat vibe. The music is very heavy, but we always aim to make everybody leave with a smile on their face.
Music has been a great support for me through some rough spots in life, and the biggest compliment to me is when people say our music has been helpful for them. Makes me feel like I’m not just making a living through music for myself, but that we’re doing something meaningful.
We’ve got festival season coming up, a special run of European shows with Marco Hietala from Nightwish, dubbed the Danse Macabre tour, and we'll start the writing process for our next album as soon as we come home from this tour. No rest for the wicked!
Delain, with Hammerfall, Immortan Synn, 7 p.m. Monday, May 1, Gothic Theatre, 3263 South Broadway, Englewood, $30, 303-789-9206.