Mark Jansen, guitarist / vocalist for Dutch symphonic rockers EPICA, has issued the following tour update from Canada:

January 31: Club Soda - Montreal

"During the night we crossed the border and fortunately we didn't have to get out of our bus during the bordercrossing so we could keep on sleeping. This show is definitely one of the highlights of this tour. The club is sold out (900 seater) and both of our supprt bands touring with us are Canadian so they play at home. The atmosphere is great and BLACKGUARD had a great show tonight, they overwhelmed the crowd with their great melodies. THREAT SIGNAL did a good job as well and after that it was our turn. The crowd went wild and we played for like 1 hour and 45 minutes.

As I didn't eat that much before the show (the chicken was very dry and the fries old) and I have the flu on top I noticed during 'Seif al Din' that I almost feinted. Luckily it didn't happen, I took it easy for 20 seconds and after that it was ok again. Don't wanna wake up in a hospital and get the advise to take a week off (wouldn't do that anyway ;-) . After the show we got some pizza and I eat a lot from it to regain energies. Some of our guys went to a club to party, I stayed at the bus."

February 1: Mod Club - Toronto

"Our second show in Canada. A smaller but cozy venue also packed till the roof. Again we had a great time on stage and the Canadian crowd is the way we like it, hot and steamy! The bus was parked like 30 seconds walk from the venue but as it's so cold these days it feels like a huge trip. In the backstage we had a fridge which was a 'bit' smelly. You can describe this smell as a mixture of dead hamster, piss and a unwashed armpit for about one week. So I didn't want to eat anything from that fridge.

Before the show we went out looking for a steakhouse. But everywhere we could see there were only Italian restaurants! Every time we thought there was a different kind of restaurant, it showed a sign: pizza and pasta etc. Finally we found a steakhouse (which apparently was the only one around) and got in. We met some fans in there who we saw earlier at the VIP meeting so that was a funny coincidence. We sat down with them and had dinner with them. Back at the club there were some fans (who were waiting in the line to get in) running towards us. When they grabbed us they asked us why they were the only ones running towards us 'Don't they recognise you???'. I responded, 'No, the reason is because we're in Canada and not in Mexico.' The answer of the guy was 'Yeah, we are actually Mexican' ;-) . During the VIP meeting there was a very funny moment when a guy showed up and got everyone's signature. At the end of the line he looked at Arien and asked 'And what are you doing here little fella?' So Arien told him that he is, since 3 years, the drummer of the band. The guy was a bit ashamed and he apologised but we laughed our asses of and tease Arien a bit. Since that day he's called 'lill' fella.'"

Go to this location for more.

As previously reported Epica's sound engineer, Raymond, is posting behind-the-scenes video clips from the band's current North American tour and updates his YouTube channel regularly. His latest post features a single camera soundboard recording of Epica performing 'Consign To Oblivion' in Montreal, Quebec on January 31st. Check it out below, go to this location for updates.

Epica's tour schedule is now as follows:

February

10 - Starlite Room - Edmonton, AB
11 - Warehouse - Calgary, AB
13 - Sugar Nightclub - Victoria, BC
14 - El Corazon - Seattle, WA
15 - Hawthorne Theater - Portland, OR
17 - Slims - San Francisco, CA
18 - The Key Club - Hollywood, CA
19 - U.B’s Bar - Mesa, AZ
20 - The Rock - Tucson, AZ
22 - Bluebird Theater - Denver, CO
23 - Marquee - Tulsa, OK
24 - Scout Bar - Houston, TX
25 - Scout Bar - San Antonio, TX
27 - Volume 11 - Raleigh, NC
28 - The Masquerade - Atlanta, GA

Blackguard and Threat Sigal are on the bill as support for the duration of the tour