Marco Nightmail -September 2008

Papilon

Miroslav from Serbia:
What part of your body would you chose to be worshiped as an ancient egyptian amulet?

Marco:
What do you think?

Rose from USA:
Do you own any pets?

Marco:
Bowel flora and fauna. My second personality is nice...

Luís C. from Santarém, Portugal:
How does the band chose the different setlists during the tour? Is there any special reason to play some songs in one place and not to play them on another location?

Marco:
We've got some pieces, which we play pretty much every night. Then we just choose from bunch of different songs. Usually just for the hell of it. Of course we pay attention to a good order of songs, and try to leave some spaces to breathe for the vocalists.

Angus from Scotland:
I was listening to my Delain CD earlier and thought to myself "this man's voice sounds an awful lot like Marco's voice", then after a bit of research I realised it was actually you. Which leads me to ask, what is your favourite/least favourite thing about recording with other bands?

Marco:
My favourite thing about recording with other projects is that I can take a fresh perspective. I can learn, do and try out new and different things. You can then take that perspective with you when you come back and freshen things back "at home" too. The evil thing is that I tend to be a workaholic. I should know better and rest too.

Elwa from Norway:
What's the strangest thing you ever had to sign? =)

Marco:
Album and management contracts.

Emma from UK:
Hi, Marco. Firstly, may I just say, you're awesome.

- Are you planning to write any music for the next Nightwish album? Do you have any ideas already?
- You did the vocals for all the Dark Passion Play demos, I presume- were there any songs, or parts of songs, that you felt were particularly hard to sing?
- Have you ever been tempted to try crossdressing?

Thanks!

Marco:
Thankee sai!
- I've got some stuff already. They'll have to go through Tuomas' filter first of course.
- Lot of the stuff is quite high and hard. I guess the worst ones were the first two choruses of "Reach/Amaranth".
- Are you referring to the first two choruses of "Reach/Amaranth" demo? I also think that they sound like I'm wearing some underwear without adequate space. However, the answer is no.

john from UK:
Whats the sound difference between the Vampyre and the Infinity? As far as i am concerned, they got the same pickups.

Marco:
The main differences are that the Infinity has a little bit more compact and wooden sound, which I imagine comes from being partly hollow. Vampyre is a solid body, so it has more low bottom, which I like but it's also a bit more harder to control.

dmLucia from Cluj-Napoca, Romania:
Dear Marco, do you still check out Metallica once in a while? Are you looking forward to their new material to be released? (was just wondering what a European metal god like you thinks hehe Very Happy

Marco:
I did check out the new album. Very nice to see they've got a lot of energy back. Now we just need some of the classic songwriting as well. Just my humble opinion. Feel free to disregard it.

Ferdk from Argentina:
Hi marco, sorry for bad english. My questions :
1. What was first for you? Singing or bass-playing?
2. What made you do the other one?
3. Did you ever forgot a song on stage? (singing or bass-playing , or both Razz

) if so , what did you do?

Thanks for your time , and thanks for making such a great band even greater!

Marco:
1. Singing was the first. I was screaming my head off with my favourite albums already when I was 10.
2. Really a small hometown. Not enough metalfreaks for even a one band.
3. Sure I've done all of that. I just usually swear to the microphone loudly in finnish, so that everybody knows.

Hey! Thanks to you!

Rene from Deutschland:
How loud is the sound on stage compared to where the audience is? Do you always wear ear protection or did you forget it sometimes?

Marco:
That is relative. We have the monitors and amps but the main PA is directed to the audience. Jukka and Anette have ear monitors. Emppu and Tuomas use earplugs. I go with the bare flesh.

Remco from Zaandam, Netherlands:
What brand guitar are you and Emppu playing in "The Islander"?

Marco:
This is a trick question actually. In studio I used Larrivee which I borrowed from Esa Holopainen from Amorphis. On live shows we've been using K.Yairi acoustics. In the video they're not even actual guitars but some fantasy things resembling acoustics, which the prop guys put together.

Emilie from France:
With the French forum, we have a very big existancial question: are you the one who howls at the beginning of Dark Chest of Wonders?

Marco:
That's me.

Bram from In the Netherlands:
Do you have any tatoos Marco?

Marco:
Still have my babyskin.

Elia from Mexico:
Where do you prefer to play? In a huge place (like aa arena) or in a small one (like an auditorium)? Why?

Marco:
I prefer to play. Anyplace, but not anytime.

Sabine Müller from Balingen:
I would like your honest opinion. Are your concerts suitable for a 7 years old girl (ear protection implied)? My little one really wants to go to your concert in Karlsruhe in march 2009.

Marco:
My boys were 2 when they saw us the first time, so I think you should be safe. I'm taking it for granted that at least one of the parents is accompanying. I just think that with youngsters you should probably have seats further away from the stage. Standing rows are usually a bit wild, besides the little one can't see. Ear protection definetely.

Marco from Germany:
I need your response! How can I make my mother allow me to learn the bass guitar?

Marco:
You need to use this thing I call "parent psychology". Pester, pester, pester until you get it. Be sure to have some breathers, but always come back to it. If she explodes, take a longer breather. When you get it, be a real sweetheart for some time. Mow the lawn, do the homework, go to sunday school. Learning to play one or a few mom´s favourite songs is a great move. That way it'll be easier next time you need something.

Holly from California, USA:
What's your favorite "guilty pleasure" song? You know, the one you listen to when no one else is around because you're a little embarassed by it...

Marco:
There are many good songs out there. I can probably raise the backhairs of the purists of metal by saying that Backstreet Boys have a nice tune in "Incomplete" for example. And I'm not ashamed. It doesn't belong to being a rocker.

vesna from croatia:
how do you nurture your voice, i guess you drink green tea with honey like anette Very Happy

Marco:
Lots of water. Little bit of the harder stuff. No green tea for me. I start to see and hear devilish little monkeys.

Markus from Oberau/Germany:
Do you also listen to music outside of the metal genre? If yes, what kind of music?

Marco:
Occasional pop, country, rock'n'roll, ethnic whatever. If song is a good one, then I like to listen to it.

Katie from Neverland:
whats the first thing you think about in the morning?

Marco:
Get down!

Firefly05 from Freiburg (Germany):
Tuomas mentioned in his Nightmail from July that there is a song that you call "Döddödödöö" - which one is it?

Marco:
Highly cassified information. Everyone we've told the truth, hasn't been able to listen to the song with a straight face afterwards.

Koen | elvenpath.be from Mettekoven, Belgium:
Hi marco, we're wondering if you have a criminal record, and if so, what's on it? Not that we expect anything grave to be on it. Greetings from belgium!

Marco:
Sorry, but I've never been caught. Keep wondering... And greets from Finland!

Focusia from Poland:
Was young Marco a good student? Razz

Marco:
Depending on the subject of study. Before my teens I did pretty well all and all. After that I got good grades only from english and musical subjects, which I had a few in a musical highschool. I was always in my own world and my graduation papers aren't worth much.

Ophelia from Denmark:
Do you ever listen to your own CDs, just for fun?

Marco:
Yeah, but not that much. I tend to know too much what's in them.

Katia from Portugal:
Hello Marco, how are you?
If you could be God for one day, what you will do?

Marco:
Fine, thank you. They've asked me this at least three times on this forum. I'D RULE! ABSOLUTELY!

Alicia from France:
If you could, would you like to be a woman ? Smile

Marco:
Might be nice to try for a day or two. Otherwise I'm just fine the way I am... Except in the head of course.

Richard "Nicke"Boman from Malmö Sweden:
Has the band ever had any pyro accidents??

Marco:
We've had "hot pants" a couple of times, but nothing serious. We were really worried one time when there was a faulty valve in a gas tank. The hose split loose and hit a friend and a fan on the head. Luckily nothing happened. You can never check too many times.

Lori from San Francisco:
Marco,

if you pull each cow's tit, you get milk.. what happens if i pull each of your beard?

Marco:
Depends on how hard you pull. First comes sadistic satisfaction, then a punch in the face.