MOONSPELL frontman Fernando Ribeiro has issued the following update:

"Summer is up.…and running. From the heavy rains of Norway to the abrasing sun of Greece, yours truly have been enjoying it to the full. The Slottjfest in Norway has nothing but an experience! We played one of the smallest stages we played in years amidst breathtaking atmospheres and Viking legacy. Scandinavian fests have their way in mixing the odd, the cool and the pagan and even though work has to be done, the fans there, especially the ones who stood firmly by the unexpected yet mystical rains, had a great time. Talk about returning for a 3 leg date somewhere in early 2009 has the best result we could take from this experience, not to mention the great atmosphere and response under extreme Summer conditions:

Hitting the stage under 36 degrees could kill any hope. The Sun was that one that is not a shadow but a round torch punishing heads and bodies. But our return to Athens was glorious: the show, the raised fists, the commotion, the other heat than just that of the Sun, the song with Maxi Nil, the farewell. And then the night out, meeting up with our brothers in ROTTING CHRIST and SEPTIC FLESH. Seeing our friends in LACUNA again, Mas from SAMAEL and so many others. We had a great time, once again we will secure some longer club gigs in early 2009 (which were, to our contentment, very asked for). It was great!

This week we return to Portugal, yes! MaiaAct will be our first gig after the great Rock in Rio and it will be a full length one! With a headliner stage and setlist, with Carmen from AVA INFERI joining us on stage for a couple of songs and with a great, great hunger to play again in the region of Porto to one of the best crowds in the world!!! See you tomorrow! Até amanhã!

Then we go and play a showcase in the great Parque da Cidade, in Loures, in the outskirts of Lisbon. This festival is held by the biggest Rock radio in Lisbon and surroundings and it comes in the right time as Scorpion Flower is number 1 (!!!) in the listeners' charts!!! We will play for a mere half an hour but joining us will be the Crystal Mountain Singers (Carmen, Sophia, Patricia and Silvia), just like Rock in Rio and despite short timed it will be intense and a great warm up for the forthcoming Alliance Festival in the 8th of August which we will be headlining.

Some PT words: Ambos os festivais, Maia e Best Rock, tem entrada livre. O set em Loures terá a duração de 30 minutos.

Saturday we will return to Holland and headline Zwarte Cross festival, sharing the stage with such great bands as OBITUARY or EXODUS. Anneke (van Giersbergen; AGUA DE ANNIQUE singer) can not be singing 'Scorpion' with us as she has a gig herself but we are trying to secure a worth replacement.

On the forthcoming week there will be more from us (Ukraine, Portugal and Germany) and so far we are happy to announce that Anneke will join us on stage in the great Mera Luna Festival.

Until then stay away from the Sun! It burns, it burns, it burns."