AVANTASIA leader Tobias Sammet has issued the following update:

"The time has come - we are back on the road! Yesterday the tour started in Switzerland and it was a blast for all of us and I am sure for all of our fans as well.

The band is much tighter than last time, everybody is having a great time and it feels just "right" to be up there. It feels right for everyone of us and right after the show we all came to the conclusion that it was the best thing to happen to go up on that stage again.

Prior to the show I was a bit nervous, Michael said that this was his job, but I think he is happy that there is a chicken like me in the band. As soon as I was up there and the lights went on, the adrenalin-rush ran over the nerves.

A three hour show was a bit of a risk, would we be able to keep it exciting? Well, down the line it was actually just around 2:45. My speeches were planned to be longer, but I felt that I should let the music do the talking, so the duration of the show shrunk a little, and I guess nobody missed the speeches.

It felt great to see Michi and Kai on stage, it felt great to sing those ballads with Bob and of course I am having a ball singing those diabolic duets with Jorn. I am so looking forward to traveling around the world with my fellows, the next three weeks will be amazing for all of us and hopefully for all of you.

For tonight's second show in Pratteln there are few tickets left for the walk up audience. I am so looking forward to 8 o clock! See you somewhere on tour."

As previously reported, rumors keep circulating about a second leg of the Avantasia tour in 2011. According to a band update, after the December world tour there will be no more Avantasia tours or festival appearances, except from the Wacken show in 2011.

Tobias Sammet remarks: "In 2011 we will not play any show except from the Wacken show, due to commitments that we all have with our individual main bands. That's why we are very happy about having found a time frame to bring the show on stage in December. The Metal Opera Comes To Town world tour 2010 will be a special event that will be neither repeated nor continued. That's why we'll play as many songs as possible and make it a special experience for us as much as for our fans. Because we are not naive enough to believe that this line-up will ever get the chance to share the stage again after the forthcoming tour."