MIDNIGHT - A DREAM DANCER BETWEEN MYTH AND STRANGE REALITY

Crimson Glory - Lonely

When I started writing this text I said to myself…” What the hell, what am I doing right now, I cannot believe that I am writing for a tribute to Midnight, I cannot believe that he is not among us”. \r\n

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\r\nI am not writing as a music specialist or any other “guru” of the heavy metal music genre. I am writing just as a pure metal fan. Remember the feeling and the shock when you first listened to Crimson Glory. Unique compositions, unique atmosphere, unique look, magic, timeless diamonds that travel through the years and always remain fresh and astonishing with not even a single speck of dust on their surface. Midnight’s vocals were there to fulfill the masterpiece. Vocals from another planet combining power, emotion, lyricism, “dancing” easily from low to extremely high frequencies.  These two records were more than enough to put him on the top of the metal pantheon forever. \r\n

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\r\nA myth was born. Back in the old days , even during the 90s, I remember rumors from several people. “I have seen his face from a picture taken backstage”, “he finished the tours and then he disappeared”, “I know his real name “, “his face has been burned that’s why all the band was wearing masks”, “ I’ve heard that he used to do 8 hours of practice before the recordings” , “The vocals are not real, Jon Drenning fixed ‘em at the studio (…well…I’m thinking telling him to “fix” mine also…), “Midnight’s real name is Mark Vanderbilt and is singing with a new band called Kamelot” etc etc.  There are no words to describe the quality of his voice. Noone has sung and no one will be able to sing like him. In the past the press used to compare them with Queensryche, which is completely out of question. The only common they had together, was the fact that Midnight and Geoff had the same teacher. \r\n

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\r\nThe band had set extremely difficult tasks for him to do in the records. He managed to accomplish the tasks. But no ordinary vocals, made by – of course- a no ordinary man. Midnight was extremely sensitive as a person, he did not have the character of a snob rockstar and stuff like that. Probably he felt uncomfortable doing such difficult vocals and especially doing it live facing big audiences. Perhaps the alcohol was something like a “shield” for him.  After the “strange and beautiful” gigs he disappeared from the scene. Many other people with his skills could have made a fortune and be big names even with a solo career. But I guess that’s not what he was after, he had his personal demons hunting him, maybe he had never realized that he was such a great artist. \r\n

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\r\nMany things have been said for him the past years about his solo project or his return to Crimson Glory. But he is a so complicated personality that is quite difficult to criticize or judge him. Perhaps the alcohol has altered himself through the years in certain ways. I had the luck to meet him when he visited Greece. Such a sweet guy, you could easily sense a “magical” aura surrounding him, no doubt for that. He left the lights and the photographers and the reporters for a while and came to our table for a glass of beer, saying “I remember you”. We had a little conversation. His myth and legacy is so great but he did not seem to care for that. He was a kind and low profile person. The record company had arranged an acoustic show for him, he was not ready for that and very tired but he did it for the fans. \r\n

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\r\nAs I said before, you cannot criticize him without having in mind that he is a so complicated personality. But everybody has to respect him, respect him as a person and musician, respect what he did in “Crimson Glory”, “Transcendence”, “Strange & Beautiful” a great and unique legacy for everyone in the heavy metal genre. Everyone must respect him as a true legend. Midnight was a dream dancer, dancing between dream, fantasy and reality. Reality of life was hard for his romantic character. His addiction in alcohol brought difficulties and conflicts in his relations with other people and eventually became fatal for him. But we are not talking for a common physical death for this man. He just changes forms. Perhaps you can find him in another dimension or you can see him moving from a star to another during the night, like he did in his lyrics. \r\n

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\r\nNo ordinary man. And you will need no ordinary eyes to see him. \r\n

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\r\nby Angel K.\r\n

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