# The Resist Tour

The Resist Tour (also referred to as Resist Tour) was a concert tour by Dutch symphonic metal band Within Temptation, in support of their seventh album Resist which was released on 1 February 2019. The tour began on 11 October 2018 in Krasnoyarsk, Russia, and visited seventeen countries in Europe. The supporting acts for the first leg were bands Beyond the Black and Ego Kill Talent. For 2019, the band toured North America alongside In Flames and performed at both select European summer festivals and special open air shows with selected guests. The band was scheduled to perform a second round of summer festivals in 2020, but due to the COVID-19 pandemic the festivals had to be cancelled.

## Background

At the end of 2017, without any news of a sooner studio release, the band announced that they would be embarking on a new tour on the second half of the following year, with a possible new studio album in sight. Even before the arrival of the new year, a few concerts were already sold out. The tour had been labelled "MMXVIII" at that time, as a reference to the year of 2018 and, only after the announcement of their seventh album Resist, the name was changed to "The Resist Tour" in support of the album. Initially, only club and arena dates throughout Europe were added to the tour, before the band started scheduling dates for some 2019 summer festivals. As lead vocalist Sharon den Adel had been facing personal problems and a writer's block before officially start writing for the album, the band's fate was uncertain at the point and she was unsure to even get back touring after all. When later revealed that the vocalist has also decided to stay more time at home to be more present on her children's life, the touring schedule was elaborated with normally two weeks on tour and two weeks off. At the end of 2018, it was announced a new leg of the tour in North America at the beginning of the following year, with In Flames as special guests and Smash into Pieces as the opening act. The leg will consist of 15 dates, with 12 of them passing through the United States and 3 in Canada. After the North American leg, the band commenced another round of concerts throughout Europe, this time consisting of festival presentations and special concerts at palace gardens. During the 2019 festival season, the band was scheduled for the first time as one of the headliners for the Graspop Metal Meeting, one of the biggest European heavy metal festivals.
Although the album would only be released after the start of the tour, den Adel stated in an interview that some then-unreleased songs were going to be played by the band, allowing people to have a first contact with the record on a live form. The first ones to be played were the single "The Reckoning", "Raise Your Banner", "Endless War", "Supernova", and "Mercy Mirror". After the album was released, the band maintained the five aforementioned songs on the setlist. At a certain point of the North American leg, they started playing the track "In Vain". "Firelight", whilst having not yet been played during the tour, was played by den Adel and guitarist Stefan Helleblad alongside Jasper Steverlinck at a special event in Belgium.
A special stage design and specific costumes were elaborated by the band for the tour. The stage was ornamented with a futuristic metallic design with special stage lighting effects, projection screens, and fog machines, to intensify the exact atmosphere of the songs, especially the ones from the recurrent album. The band male members made use of special futuristic uniforms, and den Adel of a futuristic black dress, a white cloak, and a special flag for the song "Raise Your Banner". For the closing song "Stairway to the Skies", the vocalist has a change of clothing to a sparkly blue dress before being elevated on the stage by a harness in front of special white lightning and sky projections, as an allegory for the lyrics of the song. The level of special stage effects, however, changed according to the capacity of each venue of comporting them.
By the end of 2018, it was reported by the Dutch media that the first European leg of the tour had an attendance of 125,000 people.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, the band took part at the Together at Home movement, where artists made online live performances to encourage people to stay home and prevent more infection cases.

## Reception

Keld Broksø from Danish magazine Gaffa was positive about the tour. In his 4 star review of the concert at the Valby-Hallen, in Copenhagen, Broksø pointed a great improvement from the band's latest concert on the country back in 2014. The reviewer pointed lead vocalist Sharon den Adel's vocal abilities as the main attraction of the concert, and considered the performances of "Faster", "The Reckoning" and "Shot in the Dark" as the highest points of the show. While stating that the more intimate songs may not work on a heavy metal festival audience, he stated that in a proper venue it can become "beautiful and atmospheric".
Dom Walsh, from English website Louder Than War was also positive in his review about the Manchester concert, praising the band's performance as a whole while also remarking den Adel's vocals and connection with the crowd. While the reviewer noted a lesser interaction from the crowd with the still unreleased songs, as people didn't know them, he pointed out The Heart of Everything songs as the highest points of the concert, as well the closing song "Stairway to the Skies". Walsh concluded his review stating that "the slick and well-choreographed show, along with the stunning visual and light display made for an excellent piece of rock theatre. Whilst there is plenty of variation in Within Temptation’s back catalogue in terms of styles; ultimately, the soaring guitars, swirling choral choirs and Adel’s inimitable style pulse through the veins of every composition."
Mark Shepley, from the also British Flick of the Finger, cited the same qualities in his 5 out of 5 starts review of the London concert, positing the "Forgiven" performance as its highest point and classifying the concert as "rock music at its most brilliant".
Berklee Groove gave a positive review about the concert at the PlayStation Theater in New York City, also praising den Adel's vocals and the blend of styles the band managed to present during the concert, stating that "the end result is a unique blend of rock, pop, industrial, and even opera at times, all of which are what make Within Temptation stand out from a host of other anthemic rock acts."

## Set list
### Songs performed throughout the tour
#### Mother Earth (2000)

* "Mother Earth"
* "Ice Queen"
* "The Promise"

#### The Silent Force (2004)

* "Stand My Ground"
* "Angels"
* "Somewhere"

#### The Heart of Everything (2007)

* "What Have You Done"
* "Our Solemn Hour"
* "The Heart of Everything"
* "The Cross"
* "All I Need"
* "Forgiven"

#### The Unforgiving (2011)

* "Shot in the Dark"
* "In the Middle of the Night"
* "Faster"
* "Stairway to the Skies"
* "The Last Dance" (B-side)

#### Hydra (2014)

* "Paradise (What About Us?)"
* "Covered by Roses"

#### Resist (2019)

* "The Reckoning"
* "Endless War"
* "Raise Your Banner"
* "Supernova"
* "In Vain"
* "Mad World"
* "Mercy Mirror"

#### Other

* "Sanctuary" (Intro only)

### First European Leg set list

* "Raise Your Banner"
* "The Reckoning"
* "Endless War"
* "In the Middle of the Night"
* "Stand My Ground"
* "All I Need"
* "Supernova"
* "Shot in the Dark"
* "The Promise"
* "Faster"
* "Mercy Mirror"
* "Paradise (What About Us?)"
* "The Heart of Everything"
* "Forgiven"
* "What Have You Done"
Encore
* "Mother Earth"
* "Stairway to the Skies"
* Set list slightly varied between shows
** "What Have You Done" and "Mother Earth" switched places from the second concert onwards.
** An acoustic version of "Ice Queen" started being performed after "The Promise" from 16 November onwards.
** "The Cross" was played instead of "Shot in the Dark" at selected dates.

### North American Leg set list

* "Raise Your Banner"
* "The Reckoning"
* "Endless War"
* "In the Middle of the Night"
* "Stand My Ground"
* "All I Need"
* "Supernova"
* "The Promise"
* "The Cross"
* "Ice Queen" (acoustic)
* "Faster"
* "Mercy Mirror"
* "Paradise (What About Us?)"
* "The Heart of Everything"
* "Forgiven"
* "What Have You Done"
Encore
* "Mother Earth"
* Set list slightly varied between shows
** "Forgiven" was absent from the setlist on 2 and 3 March, replaced by "In Vain" from 5 March onwards.
** "Mercy Mirror" was absent from the setlist from 6 March onwards.
** "The Promise" was replaced by "Covered By Roses" from 14 March onwards.
** Anders Fridén of In Flames joined the band to perform "Raise Your Banner" on 19 March.
* Order of the songs also slightly varied between shows

### Europe / Summer Festivals 2019

* "Raise Your Banner"
* "The Reckoning"
* "Endless War"
* "In the Middle of the Night"
* "Stand My Ground"
* "The Heart of Everything"
* "Ice Queen" (acoustic)
* "Faster"
* "Paradise (What About Us?)"
* "In Vain"
* "Supernova"
* "What Have You Done"
* "Mother Earth"
* Set list slightly varied between shows
** "Endless War" was replaced by "Mad World" at selected dates.
** "Our Solemn Hour" was added to the setlist at selected dates.
** "Angels" was added to the setlist at selected dates.
** "Covered By Roses" was added to the setlist at selected dates.
** "The Last Dance" was played on 11 July.
** "Somewhere" was played alongside Anneke van Giersbergen on 11 July.
** Tarja Turunen joined the band to perform "Paradise (What About Us?)" on 13 July.
** Sharon had invited a fan on stage to join the band as they performed "Covered By Roses" on 13 July.
* Order of the songs also slightly varied between shows

## Tour dates

List of 2018 concerts :
| Date | City | Country | Venue | Opening act(s) |
| 11 October 2018 | Krasnoyarsk | Russia | Grand Hall Sibir | — |
| 13 October 2018 | Novosibirsk | Russia | DK Zheleznodorozhnikov | — |
| 15 October 2018 | Yekaterinburg | Russia | Concert Hall Kosmos | — |
| 17 October 2018 | Nizhniy Novgorod | Russia | Milo Concert Hall | — |
| 18 October 2018 | Moscow | Russia | Adrenaline Stadium Club | — |
| 19 October 2018 | Saint Petersburg | Russia | A2 Green Concert | — |
| 20 October 2018 | Espoo | Finland | Espoo Metro Areena | Smash into Pieces |
| 22 October 2018 | Stockholm | Sweden | Annexet | Beyond the Black |
| 23 October 2018 | Oslo | Norway | Sentrum Scene | Beyond the Black |
| 24 October 2018 | Copenhagen | Denmark | Valby-Hallen | Beyond the Black |
| 26 October 2018 | Poznań | Poland | Sala Ziemi | Beyond the Black |
| 27 October 2018 | Warsaw | Poland | Torwar Hall | Beyond the Black |
| 9 November 2018 | Birmingham | England | O2 Academy Birmingham | Ego Kill Talent |
| 10 November 2018 | Manchester | England | O2 Apollo Manchester | Ego Kill Talent |
| 11 November 2018 | Glasgow | Scotland | O2 Academy Glasgow | Ego Kill Talent |
| 13 November 2018 | London | England | O2 Brixton Academy | Ego Kill Talent |
| 14 November 2018 | Southampton | England | Southampton Guildhall | Ego Kill Talent |
| 16 November 2018 | Paris | France | Zénith Paris | Ego Kill Talent |
| 17 November 2018 | Antwerp | Belgium | Lotto Arena | Ego Kill Talent |
| 19 November 2018 | Cologne | Germany | Palladium | Ego Kill Talent |
| 20 November 2018 | Esch-Sur-Alzette | Luxembourg | Rockhal | Ego Kill Talent |
| 21 November 2018 | Zürich | Switzerland | Samsung Hall | Ego Kill Talent |
| 23 November 2018 | Amsterdam | Netherlands | AFAS Live | Ego Kill Talent |
| 24 November 2018 | Amsterdam | Netherlands | AFAS Live | Ego Kill Talent |
| 25 November 2018 | Groningen | Netherlands | MartiniPlaza | Ego Kill Talent |
| 8 December 2018 | Berlin | Germany | Columbiahalle | Beyond the Black |
| 9 December 2018 | Hamburg | Germany | Mehr! Theater | Beyond the Black |
| 11 December 2018 | Prague | Czech Republic | Forum Karlin | Beyond the Black |
| 12 December 2018 | Budapest | Hungary | Tüskecsarnok | Beyond the Black |
| 13 December 2018 | Vienna | Austria | Gasometer | Beyond the Black |
| 15 December 2018 | Milan | Italy | Milan La Fabrique | Beyond the Black |
| 16 December 2018 | Ludwigsburg | Germany | MHP Arena | Beyond the Black |
| 17 December 2018 | Munich | Germany | Kulturhalle Zenith | Beyond the Black |
| 18 December 2018 | Frankfurt | Germany | Jahrhunderthalle | Beyond the Black |
| 20 December 2018 | Tilburg | Netherlands | 013 | Beyond the Black |
| 21 December 2018 | Tilburg | Netherlands | 013 | Beyond the Black |
| 22 December 2018 | Tilburg | Netherlands | 013 | Beyond the Black |
List of 2019 concerts :
| Date | City | Country | Venue | Opening act(s) |
| 18 January 2019 | Oulu | Finland | Club Teatria | Dark Sarah |
| 28 February 2019 | Baltimore | United States | Rams Head Live! | In Flames Smash into Pieces |
| 1 March 2019 | Philadelphia | United States | The Filmore | In Flames Smash into Pieces |
| 2 March 2019 | New York City | United States | PlayStation Theater | In Flames Smash into Pieces |
| 3 March 2019 | Boston | United States | House of Blues | In Flames Smash into Pieces |
| 5 March 2019 | Montreal | Canada | Olympia | In Flames Smash into Pieces |
| 6 March 2019 | Toronto | Canada | Rebel | In Flames Smash into Pieces |
| 8 March 2019 | Chicago | United States | House of Blues | In Flames Smash into Pieces |
| 9 March 2019 | Minneapolis | United States | Skyway Theater | In Flames Smash into Pieces |
| 11 March 2019 | Denver | United States | The Summit | In Flames Smash into Pieces |
| 12 March 2019 | Salt Lake City | United States | The Complex | In Flames Smash into Pieces |
| 14 March 2019 | Portland | United States | Roseland Theater | In Flames Smash into Pieces |
| 15 March 2019 | Vancouver | Canada | The Vogue | In Flames Smash into Pieces |
| 16 March 2019 | Seattle | United States | Showbox SoDo | In Flames Smash into Pieces |
| 18 March 2019 | San Francisco | United States | Warfield Theatre | In Flames Smash into Pieces |
| 19 March 2019 | Los Angeles | United States | Wiltern Theatre | In Flames Smash into Pieces |
| 19 April 2019 | Schijndel | Netherlands | Paaspop Festival | — |
| 8 June 2019 | Hyvinkää | Finland | Rockfest | — |
| 15 June 2019 | Interlaken | Switzerland | Greenfield Festival | — |
| 16 June 2019 | Nickelsdorf | Austria | Nova Rock Festival | — |
| 21 June 2019 | Dessel | Belgium | Graspop Metal Meeting | — |
| 22 June 2019 | Clisson | France | Hellfest | — |
| 26 June 2019 | Kraków | Poland | Mystic Festival | — |
| 28 June 2019 | Trondheim | Norway | Trondheim Rocks | — |
| 29 June 2019 | Parkstad | Netherlands | ParkCity Live | — |
| 6 July 2019 | Viveiro | Spain | Resurrection Fest | — |
| 11 July 2019 | Baarn | Netherlands | Soestdijk Palace | Anneke van Giersbergen |
| 13 July 2019 | Vizovice | Czech Republic | Masters of Rock | — |
| 20 July 2019 | Faro | Portugal | 38th Faro Biker's Rally | — |
| 27 July 2019 | Kemerovo | Russia | Heroes of World Rock | — |
| 2 August 2019 | Wacken | Germany | Wacken Open Air | — |
| 3 August 2019 | Schwetzingen | Germany | Schwetzingen Palace | Scarlet Dorn |
| 7 August 2019 | Byblos | Lebanon | Byblos International Festival | — |
| 9 August 2019 | Dresden | Germany | Junge Garde | Scarlet Dorn |
| 10 August 2019 | Hildesheim | Germany | M'era Luna Festival | — |
| 29 August 2019 | Raalte | Netherlands | Stöppelhaene | — |
| 31 August 2019 | Katwijk aan den Rijn | Netherlands | Oranjerock | — |
| 1 September 2019 | Aarburg | Switzerland | Riverside Open Air | — |
| 14 September 2019 | Tiel | Netherlands | Appelpop | — |
* A^ Canceled due to religious protests against the festival.

### Box office

| Venue | City | Attendance | Revenue |
| Junge Garde | Dresden | 3,857 / 4,000 | $154,360 |

## Personnel
### Within Temptation

* Sharon den Adel – vocals
* Ruud Jolie – lead guitar
* Stefan Helleblad – rhythm guitar, occasional backing vocals
* Martijn Spierenburg – keyboards
* Jeroen van Veen – bass guitar
* Mike Coolen – drums

### Guest musicians

* Anders Fridén – featured vocals on "Raise Your Banner" on 19 March 2019
* Anneke van Giersbergen – featured vocals on "Somewhere" on 11 July 2019
* Jonas Pap – cello on "Ice Queen", "The Last Dance" and "Somewhere" on 11 July 2019
* Camila Van Der Kooij – violins on "Ice Queen", The Last Dance" and "Somewhere" on 11 July 2019
* Tarja Turunen – featured vocals on "Paradise (What About Us?)" on 13 July 2019
* Koen Stokman – rhythm guitar on 14 September 2019