What a long, strange trip it has been. Melanie Martinez returned to the Netherlands for a show centred around the release of her fourth studio album, HADES, taking over Amsterdam’s Ziggo Dome once again. The last time she graced this European stage was for her massive Trilogy Tour, an ambitious run where she celebrated her entire discography by performing songs from all three of her previous eras. When Melanie Martinez releases a new record, her go-to formula is to perform the entire album front to back in a live capacity, a method designed to tell the narrative of that specific record as perfectly as possible. While this formula undoubtedly works, her previous run with the Trilogy Tour was in extraordinarily high demand. Her debut album Cry Baby still holds a massive, nostalgic grip on fans, meaning listeners flocked in droves for the rare opportunity to hear those classic tracks live once again, many years after their initial release.
Last night, however, was a completely different story. The entire set was dedicated to HADES from front to back. While HADES is an extraordinary and atmospheric album, ticket sales unfortunately lagged behind her previous arena run. This resulted in certain upper sections of the arena remaining unused, leaving a noticeable amount of breathing room along the sides and back of the general admission floor. Still, with thousands of devoted fans packing into the venue, the atmosphere inside the room was charged with eager anticipation for Martinez’s grand return. The dedication of her fanbase was on full display, with many attendees dressed head-to-toe in specific HADES-themed attire, ranging from dark, ceremonial nun outfits to blood-splattered custom garments with the album title boldly displayed. Given how expansive the lore surrounding HADES is, fans clearly took full advantage of the opportunity to get creative with their creations for the night.
Looking back to 2015, surrounding the release of Cry Baby, that was the very first time we ever witnessed Melanie Martinez perform live. Back then, it was an intimate setting at the iconic Melkweg in Amsterdam. Over the past decade, we have watched her steadily take on larger and grander venues, with last night marking our second time witnessing the singer-songwriter command the stage at the massive Ziggo Dome. Stepping away from the concert for a moment, experiencing a show of this scale opens up a lot of potential avenues to chase down as a writer, especially given the current state of the world. With that in mind, I decided to share the following thoughts on the performance:
Production-wise, this was easily Martinez’s biggest and most extravagant setup yet. Packed with bursts of pyrotechnics, fireworks, elaborate props, and an insanely talented dance troupe, the show had everything and more. The backup dancers were utterly remarkable, and the live band, which was positioned cohesively behind impressive backdrop screen visuals, sounded as sharp as ever. On top of that, seeing Melanie Martinez dance her heart out with a broken toe while still not missing a single beat vocally is something that impressed me ten years ago and continues to impress me to this day. The whole formula works effortlessly on stage, largely due to Martinez’s sheer talent for storytelling within the dystopian universe she has constructed, a world she boldly claims is our own reality, translated to the stage. When you step into a Martinez show, you aren’t just watching a gig; you are stepping directly into a story, and that is precisely what I want to touch on briefly.
When I originally wrote the album review for HADES, I made sure to include a critical note regarding the heavy narrative she chooses not to shy away from. Martinez’s music has always possessed political undercurrents, but on HADES, those themes are pushed aggressively to the forefront. I could easily spend a significant chunk of this review picking apart those specific topics or refuting some of the claims made either on stage or throughout her lyrics, but in the grand scheme of live music, that doesn’t matter in the slightest. Melanie Martinez remains entirely unapologetic in her convictions, successfully transforming her worldview into an immersive universe for all to enjoy, question, and reflect upon. After all, isn’t that what true artistry is all about? Her storytelling skills truly exist in a league of their own, and we simply cannot wait to see what story she decides to unfold next.
Eva van den Bosch was also present to capture the show through her lens, and all of her photos can be viewed in the gallery below.
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