Epica singer Simone Simons to make her return to live stage this week
Dutch symphonic metallers Epica, whose lead singer, Simone Simons, was recently infected with Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus (Mrsa), also known as the hospital bacteria, have issued the following update:"Good news: Simone will perform with Epica again! First show will be this upcoming Thursday [May 15] at Bibelot in Dordrecht (only 30 tickets left). The show at Tivoli in Utrecht (capacity 1,000) on the next day [May 16] is a very special one. As 'The Phantom Agony' [Epica's debut album] [was] released five years ago, this gig will contain all 'The Phantom Agony' songs. 800 tickets have been sold for this one already. See you all next weekend!!!"
Epica utilized the services of singer-songwriter and vocal coach Amanda Somerville as the stand-in vocalist for the band's just-completed North American tour with Symphony X while Simons continued her recovery in Holland.
Epica will take part in a special concert dubbed "Classical Conspiracy" on June 14 at the Miskolc International Opera Festival in Hungary. The band will perform classical pieces from Mozart, Dvorak, Verdi, Orff, Prokofiev, Grieg, Vivaldi as well as symphonic versions of its own songs.
Fan-filmed video footage of Epica performing the song "Sensorium" on January 11, 2008 at the Patronaat in Haarlem, the Netherlands can be viewed below (courtesy of "letthemetalflow").