Nightwish Metal Hammer styczeń 2008

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NIGHTWISH, 944 Hall, Turku, Finland

As the clock ticks towards Nightwish's final gig before a well earned festive break- their 39th concert since signing what appeared to be a suicide note by sacking vocalist Tarja Turunen- keyboard player/songwriter/band leader Tuomas Holopainen dozes on a backstage sofa, exhausted but smiling. And so he might. Marco Hietala talks of profound relief at exiting the "black hole" of existence with Turunen, a new lease of life that successor Anette Olzon has injected as obvious as the bassist's pointy beard. The quartet's Finland-only single, "Eramaan Viimeinen" sits atop the national chart while their Dark Passion Play album is already halfway to repeating the million-selling success of Once, the album that made them stars.

The petite Swede Anette does an admirable job of disguising her newness to performing in arenas. With a less operatic voice than Tarja, it was inevitable that she interprets certain songs differently. But the setlist is well tailored to her more melodic inclinations, and Marco is singing more than ever before. Put simply, if you enjoyed "Dark Passion Play", you'll adore Nightwish's current show. Tarja die-hards, on the other hand, might prefer to stick with the group's former figurehead.

"Bye Bye Beautiful", a furious tirade at Tarja, opens the proceedings, but it's sourness quickly subsides. Eschewing her predecessor's posh frocks and aloofness, the casually attired Olzon favours a low cut T-shirt and ties her hair back, acting like one of the lads. The 100-minute set trawls through most of the new album's highlights, "The Poet and the Pendulum" fulfilling it's epic, cinematic live potential. Of the limited older material that's aired, "She Is My Sin" is treated with sensitivity, a new slant being added to "Dark Chest of Wonders". Meanwhile, the encore choice of "Wishmaster" sounds as superb as ever, a rampaging "Wish I Had An Angel" bringing the curtain down in dramatic style. [8]

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Road Warrior: Tuomas Holopainen (Nightwish)

NIGHTWISH MADE THEIR FIRST VISIT TO THE UK IN 2003. NOW WITH A NEW SINGER, THEY'LL BE BACK IN MARCH AND AFTER THAT, THEY PLAN ON CONQUERING THE REST OF THE WORLD

Q: How brutal was your first tour?
I wouldn't say it was brutal, because I have some good memories of it. Our first tour consisted of seven shows in Finland in 1998. We had no idea how the business worked or anything.

Q: So you travelled in a van?
No, in my car with all the equipment in a trailer. We didn't even take any money. The whole band stayed in the same hotel room. It felt good that someone was paying for us to be in a hotel. It was so exciting that first time, nobody minded squeezing in together.

Q: You were soon playing bigger and better halls, though?
In 1997, we did our first demo, six months later we had an album [Angels Fall First]. A few months later we were on tour..

Q: Nightwish debuted in the UK in 2003- how come it took so long to get here?
I wish I knew! Nobody mentioned the UK at the start. It was probably decided that we would concentrate on other countries; take Finland and Germany first, then South America. After we had success in Scandinavia, it was time to give it a try.

Q: Horns up to Bloodstock's organizers for not giving a damn about fashion.
Exactly. After they booked us, we never looked back. Going to a new country was like that first ever tour- we had n idea what to expect, but it was a great show. The audience was so loud, it summed up why you play in a band.

Q: Which territories do Nightwish want to play in next?
In March, we go to Ireland for the first time. We're also going to Iceland in the next fall. We're going to China in about a month- the more exotic, the better.

Q: How do British audiences compare to the rest of the world?
Your crowds can apparently be reserved, but I haven't experienced that. Except in South America, heavy metal crowds are alike pretty much wherever you go. That said, the only time we've ever had things thrown at us onstage is in the UK.

Q: Motley Crue's Tommy Lee was hit by a flying eyeball at 1991's Donnington Festival.
Really? We've only had beer cans. I think it's in your culture. I was at Metal Hammer's Golden Gods Awards [in 2005, picking up an award for Best Newcomer] and was shocked to see Ville Valo get booed and have things thrown at him. I thought that was pretty disgraceful.

Q: Bands talk about how difficult it is to break America, but you don't realise it's scale until you get there.
Absolutely, it's insane. To find success there, you must tour non-stop and play gigs in the smallest places. That's how Guns N' Roses and Metallica started out, and it's what we're trying to do.

Q: Which was the best ever Nightwish show?
It's pretty hard to beat the final one with Tarja [Turunen, former vocalist], in 2005 at Helsinki's Hartwall Arena. It's not every day that you get to play before 11,500 people. But the one we did with Anette [Olzon, current singer] in Finland a few days ago was as magical. There were human waves going around this enormous ice hall, and the band played better than ever.

Q: And the worst?
In Munich, at the start of a tour in 2004. There had been some big arguments in the band, and I had just broken up with my long term girlfriend. It was the only Nightwish show at which I didn't smile or headbang. I just wanted to get it done. The fans were happy, but I wanted to be somewhere else.

Carla

Ja to mam kurde, szczęście - kupię metal hammera zawsze wtedy, kiedy nie ma w nim nic, co mnie interesuje. :/