https://bit.ly/2JkzrlL

Rough translation below, for English speaking fans:

MANOWAR’s “Battle Hymn” and “Mila Rodino” rocked Sofia

There are concerts that people go to because it’s fashionable to make their own selfies and check in on Facebook. There are concerts that people go to because the singer or band is currently trendy.

But there are also concerts at which you do not meet the above two types of people. Such was MANOWAR’s show last night in Arena Armeec.

About 10,000 people aged from 6 to 60 headbanged to one of the cult metal bands that once again proved that no matter how many concerts they would do in Bulgaria, fans would always be there.

The concert was not like all the traditional ones. After the intro, Joey DeMaio, Eric Adams, Anders Johansson, Evandro Moraes and Joe Rozler went on stage and for more than two hours shook the audience with sound, video and fireworks. There were almost no pauses between the songs. After the last chords of one, the next one was beginning. For the time of the concert, Manowar let the fans stop only during the speech of Joey DeMaio, who did not fail to praise the Bulgarians, the rakija, the shopska salad, the mayors Yordanka Fandakova and Tsonko Tsonev from Kavarna. DeMaio promised that this is not the end, and that MANOWAR will come back again.

The sound was shattering. Perhaps never before Arena Armeec has heard such a loud sound. Even if you yelled – the chance that the person you hear would be almost zero, but no one had come to talk anyways, we were all there only to enjoy true heavy metal.

Besides the sound, the other impressive thing was the screen above the stage. Successfully competing animations with those of Pink Floyd’s concerts flowed throughout the show. Vikings, chariots, swords and fire in the midst of mountain ranges took the fans into the tales of Manowar’s lyrics. And all against the background of fireworks.

When the first chords of the Bulgarian anthem began, it was as if everyone was expecting it. After the first time Eric Adams sang it in Kavarna, “Mila Rodino” was the most expected song by the fans.

After two encores, the concert was over, but there no one was disappointed, because MANOWAR had done 20 of their hits for two hours and took the fans from the 80’s to the present day.

While MANOWAR’s crushing “The Final Battle World Tour 2019” will soon celebrate its face-melting finale in Istanbul, Turkey on July 20, 2019 there is also great news for the fans in Denmark!

Joey DeMaio will bring his Spoken Word Tour, “The Blood Of The Kings”, for an exclusive evening to Odense, Denmark. The event will take place on Sunday, November 17, 2019 @ Posten.

For the first time ever MANOWAR will open their vast archives and give their fans the chance to hear the official history of MANOWAR, straight from the source!

The glory and the battles; the secrets, and the triumph of steel; life on the road and in the studio – witness Joey DeMaio in an intimate setting unfold “The Blood Of The Kings” chapter by chapter; live, onstage and in person, in this captivating one-man multimedia show.

“The Blood Of The Kings” Spoken Word Tour is a rare, personal look inside the exceptional career of one of the most iconic, most enduring bands in Heavy Metal.

General Admission tickets for this event are now on sale on postenlive.dk

Ultimate Fan Experience (UFE) Upgrades that provide an even more in-depth experience will be made available soon, in limited quantities per event. Ultimate Fan Experience Upgrades will only be valid in connection with a General Admission ticket. Fans should secure their General Admission tickets immediately.

For ticket info and more go to www.manowar.com/tour

Joey DeMaio: “The Blood of The Kings” Spoken Word Tour 2019 – Confirmed Dates:

NOV 01, 2019 – Technikum – Munich, Germany
NOV 02, 2019 – Kleine Meistersingerhalle – Nuremberg, Germany
NOV 03, 2019 – Liederhalle (Silchersaal) – Stuttgart, Germany
NOV 04, 2019 – Batschkapp – Frankfurt, Germany
NOV 05, 2019 – Savoy Theater Dusseldorf, Germany
NOV 07, 2019 – Christuskirche – Bochum, Germany
NOV 08, 2019 – Kleine Laeiszhalle – Hamburg, Germany
NOV 09, 2019 – Tempodrom (Kleine Arena) – Berlin, Germany
NOV 10, 2019 – Haus Leipzig – Leipzig, Germany
NOV 12, 2019 – Kulturfabrik – Esch/Alzette, Luxembourg
NOV 13, 2019 – Palladium – Malmö, Sweden
NOV 14, 2019 – Södra Teatern – Stockholm, Sweden
NOV 17, 2019 – Posten – Odense, Denmark

For more info follow MANOWAR on manowar.com , Facebook, Instagram  and Twitter

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Our performance at Hellfest scheduled for June 21, 2019, was NOT cancelled by the band; it was cancelled by the Hellfest organizers in their announcement that appeared on their websites.

In the days prior to Hellfest, Switzerland, Greece, and Bulgaria all witnessed our massive production that brought The Kingdom Of Steel to life. We brought it to Hellfest because we came to play.

We fought to give our fans the performance we promised last year at Hellfest, but we will not be pushed around by the Hellfest promoters who chose not to honor their contractual obligations and think they can do wrong to us and to our fans.

Those of you who have requested information regarding ticket refunds should contact the outlet where you purchased your ticket or the Hellfest organizers directly, as they are responsible.

We are currently seeking every legal remedy available to us by law.

https://bit.ly/2N4btAl

Here a rough translation for our English speaking fans:

Almost a decade after their last visit to Bulgaria, the Manowar Metal Kings have once again come to their home scene to bring a titanic concert, to put it mildly. The months before the event, the tour was announced as a farewell and accordingly titled “The Final Battle”. The hearts of the fans were broken … but Joey DeMaio and company did announce that MANOWAR’s tour was not the last, on the contrary, the band is preparing new material, a new album, new concerts … We pray you, do not you scare us like this! 🙂

In recent years, all sorts of rock and metal names have appeared in Bulgaria, but when it comes to world-class stars, this show was on a whole different level. Because MANOWAR is undoubtedly one of the greatest musical luminaries in history – few groups can reach their popularity among different ages, genders and nationalities around the world.

What happened exactly in the evening of June 16 in Arena Armeec Hall?  It is hard to describe in words. The 120-minute fire show of the group began with the song “Manowar” from the band’s debut album “Battle Hymns” from 1982. The sound was murderous, the scene was a forge located amid bloody volcanoes, scattered bones and skeletons (apparently forgotten characters !) around where “Manowar” raged like a whirlwind of steel. One after another, the metal hymns – “Brothers of Metal”, “Blood of My Enemies”, “Warriors of the World”, “Fighting the World”, “Hail & Kill”, songs that made the blood boil, are tense and the audience erupts like a single powerful army.

Hardly anyone doubted that MANOWAR would bring the best of their work to their Bulgarian fans. But they did even more. Twelve years after his cult visit to Kavarna, during which vocalist Erik Adams performed the Bulgarian anthem, the tale was repeated. And with what power and emotion! The audience paused, disbelieving, then stood up and sang in with the Kings of Metal “Gorda Stara Planina …”.

Fire and steel, dragons and warriors leading sacred wars – epic scenes played on a huge screen during each of the songs that performed “Manowar”! The audience wanted more and more, the stage was dying and boiling, and one after another, immortal compositions – “Call to Arms”, “Swords in the Wind”, “The Power of Thy Sword” were shot, until the panting “Black Wind, Fire & Steel” and bitter separation; thankfully, not forever!

Other bands play, MANOWAR kills!

https://bit.ly/2N2wxXT

Here a rough translation for our English speaking fans:

 The Warriors of MANOWAR Conquered Bulgaria 

The Heavy Metal heroes honored the local fans with “Mila Rodino”

The favorites of the local metal scene MANOWAR performed a magnificent show in front of thousands of Bulgarian fans gathered in Arena Armeec on Sunday night. The American band presented the best of its discography. The show was part of The Final Battle World Tour, with album hits over the past 30 years being performed

Traditionally, vocalist Eric Adams performed the Bulgarian anthem, which was highly and loudly appreciated by Bulgarian fans.

Then bass guitarist Joey DeMaio admitted that Bulgaria is one of his favorite destinations. He added that he liked Bulgarian beer and rakia, greeted Sofia Mayor Yordanka Fandakova and dedicated the concert to all heavy metal defenders as well as the deceased Bulgarian translator Nelly. DeMaio even spoke Bulgarian, but that should not surprise us because he is a friend of former Kavarna Mayor Tsonko Tsonev and the first concert of the band in Bulgaria – in 2007, within Kavarna Rock Fest, he already he had learned an enormous amount of Bulgarian words with which he freely worked from the stage by the sea. The show ended with the words: ‘today, on June 16, the Warriors of MANOWAR conquered Bulgaria!’

The show was broadcast live on a huge LED screen behind the stage, and in a set of volcanoes, battle scenes and real Vikings carrying torches that symbolized the transition to Valhalla. The band came with a team of more than 60 people in Sofia.

Photo: Peero Lakanen (c) 2019 Magic Circle Entertainment

After 18 months of tireless work and preparation we arrived at the Hellfest site yesterday, ready to play today.

The Hellfest organizers obstructed our efforts to put on the epic show we had promised.

Despite what you may hear or read, the Hellfest organizers did have control over the circumstances that prevented our performance.

We always have and always will fight to give our fans 100%.

Our French fans and press know, if MANOWAR come to France and are unable to perform, the fault does not lie with us. Remember the Élysée Montmartre.

We are very sorry that you are being made to suffer. We want you to know that everything we do is for our fans. We stand together with all of you as we always have, and we will not allow anyone to lessen the quality of our shows.

Be very sure the truth will come out!

Thank you to the Greatest Fans In The World for your continued loyalty and support.

MANOWAR

Photo: Peero Lakanen (c) 2019 Magic Circle Entertainment

Manowarriors, get your battle gear ready! This is the #CallToArms for #TheFinalBattle #WorldTour

We will soon return for more epic celebrations of True Metal!

Sat, JUN 8, 2019 – Hallenstadion – Zurich, Switzerland

Fri, JUN 14, 2019 – Plateia Nerou – Athens, Greece

Sun, JUN 16, 2019 – Arena Armeec – Sofia, Bulgaria

Fri, JUN 21, 2019 – Hellfest – Clisson, France

Sat, JUL 20, 2019 – Maçka Küçükçiftlik Park – Istanbul, Turkey

Ticket links and more info at www.manowar.com/tour

This video was taken in Birmingham, England on April 19, 2019 during the Final Battle World Tour 2019. Hail To England.

(c) 2019 Magic Circle Entertainment

Joey DeMaio talks about The Final Battle World Tour, MANOWAR’s long awaited return to Greece and new projects the band has in store for the Greatest Fans In The World!

With kind permission by Metal Hammer Greece

Q: MANOWAR just finished Leg I of “The Final Battle” World Tour 2019. How was it?
Joey: It was spectacular!

Q: Can you elaborate?
Joey: Absolutely! Every single aspect of this tour was mind-blowing. The places we went to for the first time – Novosibirsk, Vladivostok, Khabarovsk, Yekaterinburg, Samara and Rostov-On-Don in Russia; Kiev in the Ukraine and then Norwegian’s Longyearbyen, in the arctic circle! We played as close as you can to the North Pole and were joined by fans from over 34 countries! This was one of those once-in-a-lifetime moments. We are grateful and proud that we found great partners with balls of steel who helped bring our music to new places and new fans.

Q: For someone who has been doing this for so long you sound pretty impressed.
Joey: I am! We’ve completed over 35 tours in our career and every single one was great, but the last three months were every artist’s dream. Imagine – you go to a country that no record label has ever promoted you in, you haven’t been on TV or radio and you’re about to play cities you’ve never set foot in. We were excited but didn’t really know what to expect. And then what happened? We played sold out shows and the fans went absolutely berserk! They welcomed us with such passion – and they knew all our songs. It was terrific.

Q:  How do you explain your success in these new places?
Joey: I think it is a combination of reasons: We’ve always won new fans through word of mouth. Either they know someone who has seen us live, or they have seen videos and realized that we are authentic in what we say and do; and that we give our fans the greatest experience we can, in every way and every time. They also see this incredible bond not just between fans and band, but among the fans. It’s family. They meet before the shows, have parties, visit each other in their homes and travel from country to country; not just to see our concerts but also to meet their friends.

Q: You also returned to places you’ve played in the past, among others in the Czech Republic, Germany, and Norway, and you finally returned to England. Was that routine compared to the new places?
Joey: Not at all! Every place we go, every city we play is special to us. For the shows in Eastern Europe logistics didn’t allow us to bring our complete, new production; we were only able to use that starting in the Czech Republic, and then in Germany and forward. Seeing that stage come to life was equally exciting for the band and crew as it was for our fans.

Q: Indeed, you toured with a completely new stage production – a combination of giant set pieces, 4k video screens and a Viking troupe no less! How did the fans respond to that all?
Joey: We’ve received a ton of great feedback. Fans told us on social media, in emails and in person how they loved the new production. This is the result of over a year of preparation, and we are thrilled that the fans got a kick out of it. Of course, we’ll have this production with us on our upcoming summer shows.

Q: You also released three new CDs on this tour, “Hail To England Imperial Edition MMXIX”, “Into Glory Ride Imperial Edition MMXIX” and “The Final Battle I”. What can you tell us about these?
Joey: For the “Hail To England” and “Into Glory Ride” Imperial Editions we took the time and effort and went back to the original master recordings. They were transferred from analog to digital in the highest possible quality and were then completely remixed and remastered. Finally, these songs sound like we always envisioned them. And of course, we had promised our fans new music: “The Final Battle I” is where it begins. It is the first in a trilogy of EPs. It has the same title as the tour since the song writing was inspired by this great adventure: By the places, by the people and by what we associate with the spirit of a Final Battle.

Q: Let’s talk about “final”. Are these upcoming summer shows really going to be the last MANOWAR shows ever?
Joey: OK, let me clarify something. We never announced the end of MANOWAR, we didn’t even plan to never tour again. There are so many places that we constantly get fan requests from… We said it’s time for a break. So that we can work on other projects for our fans: For example, I’ll be traveling with my Spoken Word Tour this winter where I’ll be talking about the history of the band, rare photos and video included. I am working on a metal opera (think “We Will Rock You”, but MANOWAR style). And of course, we’ll continue with Part II and III of our “The Final Battle” trilogy. But I’ll be honest: With the overwhelming feedback from this tour, and fans literally begging us to continue it is really hard to not think of new touring. We’ve had fans tell us that the thought of us retiring or not touring anymore takes the joy out of their lives. Having such an impact is an honor and a responsibility that we take seriously.

Q: Anything else you’d like to say?
Joey: Yes. We want to thank all our loyal fans out there. You are the ones that made this tour such a huge success! Without you none of this would have happened. Special thanks to those who traveled from afar, many from distant countries and other continents even. We made MANOWAR history together on The Final Battle World Tour! These are the memories that will be written about and talked about, now and in the future!

Q: Thank you for taking the time, Joey.
Joey: It’s been a pleasure. We’ll see you in the summer when we continue THE FINAL BATTLE World Tour!

For tour dates and ticket info go to manowar.com/tour
For more info follow MANOWAR on manowar.com , Facebook, Twitter and Instagram