On June 7, Joy Station once again brought Kamelot and their Bulgarian audience together. The concert was part of the band’s European tour and drew a crowd for whom this was not simply another date on the calendar, but a long-awaited reunion.

From the very first songs, it became clear that this was not a performance in front of an unfamiliar audience. The choruses rose from the venue almost as loudly as they did from the stage, while every new composition received its natural response. For a few hours, Joy Station became a place where the musicians and the people in front of them spoke the same language — the language of the songs.

Without unnecessary spectacle, Kamelot created an evening in which the music remained at the centre from the first minute to the last. Melissa Bonny’s presence added another layer to the band’s distinctive sound, while the stage and lighting followed the music without ever trying to overpower it.

The value of a concert like this is difficult to measure by the number of songs performed. It remains in the way people leave the venue — smiling, their voices hoarse from singing, and with the feeling that they had been part of something that can only happen live.

And if this was your first encounter with Kamelot, it is unlikely to be your last.