Neverwinter Tour (Y94-96): the First Ultra Tour
The Coven's fifth world tour was certainly the most challenging one - at least for a long time. Having earned considerable fame worldwide, the band felt ready for the next step, and booked two concerts per day - and for two consecutive years, touring the world twice with no vacations in between.
And so it was done. Between the years 94 and 96, the Coven travelled around the world with barely a rest. The Neverwinter Tour was the one with the most songs played - a total of 24 -, but these songs were only released in singles, since the next album was to feature songs from the Witches' Hammer Tour.
That was certainly an eventful tour. It was during its first half that the album Lost in Cyberworld was awarded the Platinum Disc - and it was also by then that the Coven was awarded its first Platinum Single with Valsharess of the Underdark. a deed repeated by the singles Valindra's Revenge and Song of Aribeth - all from the Neverwinter Tour's songs. Only the tour's last single, Midnight's Fall, that failed to achieve that, though it did receive the Gold Single award.
It was also during this tour (though only around its end) that Rhiannon Stark campaigned to become mayoress of Johannesburg for the first time, and though she failed to win the elections it was still a valuable experience to her.
However, the Neverwinter Tour was not all about new achievements. Around its end, the album Daughters of the Night was finally released; being the Coven's first album to be rated a full 5-stars, and with the band's worldwide fame at an all-time high, expectations were through the roof. However, the Coven had overestimated the popularity of songs that, by then, were already 2 years old; for all the quality of its recording and of its songs, Daughters of the Night failed to win even a Platinum Award.
Furthermore, the Coven failed to break new horizons onstage; though it managed to perform many concerts rated as 'earth-shaking', that was the best they managed - and even then, not many concerts received that rating. Additionally, not all concerts managed to sell out, and quite a few clubs sold less than 10.000 tickets - something that negatively impacted the band's fame in some cities.
As the tour ended, the band decided to abandon the Ultra Tour model until they'd secured high enough fame. As they prepared for the Earthsea Tour - and recovered from the blow of Daughters of the Night's lacklustre sales -, another setback: Zilda Djanikian, who had been the band's keyboard player since the first tour, decided to leave the band to pursue personal goals. Though a new keyboard player was found even before the Neverwinter Tour's end, Zilda's departure was a sad one; now only two of the first tour's original members remained - Kenya and Rhiannon herself.
And so it was done. Between the years 94 and 96, the Coven travelled around the world with barely a rest. The Neverwinter Tour was the one with the most songs played - a total of 24 -, but these songs were only released in singles, since the next album was to feature songs from the Witches' Hammer Tour.
That was certainly an eventful tour. It was during its first half that the album Lost in Cyberworld was awarded the Platinum Disc - and it was also by then that the Coven was awarded its first Platinum Single with Valsharess of the Underdark. a deed repeated by the singles Valindra's Revenge and Song of Aribeth - all from the Neverwinter Tour's songs. Only the tour's last single, Midnight's Fall, that failed to achieve that, though it did receive the Gold Single award.
It was also during this tour (though only around its end) that Rhiannon Stark campaigned to become mayoress of Johannesburg for the first time, and though she failed to win the elections it was still a valuable experience to her.
However, the Neverwinter Tour was not all about new achievements. Around its end, the album Daughters of the Night was finally released; being the Coven's first album to be rated a full 5-stars, and with the band's worldwide fame at an all-time high, expectations were through the roof. However, the Coven had overestimated the popularity of songs that, by then, were already 2 years old; for all the quality of its recording and of its songs, Daughters of the Night failed to win even a Platinum Award.
Furthermore, the Coven failed to break new horizons onstage; though it managed to perform many concerts rated as 'earth-shaking', that was the best they managed - and even then, not many concerts received that rating. Additionally, not all concerts managed to sell out, and quite a few clubs sold less than 10.000 tickets - something that negatively impacted the band's fame in some cities.
As the tour ended, the band decided to abandon the Ultra Tour model until they'd secured high enough fame. As they prepared for the Earthsea Tour - and recovered from the blow of Daughters of the Night's lacklustre sales -, another setback: Zilda Djanikian, who had been the band's keyboard player since the first tour, decided to leave the band to pursue personal goals. Though a new keyboard player was found even before the Neverwinter Tour's end, Zilda's departure was a sad one; now only two of the first tour's original members remained - Kenya and Rhiannon herself.