Fugazi

No setlist from Buenos Aires yet, but still something to enjoy in the meantime: Shoemaker - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dDX7YJPrADo

Here's a (mostly) full show recording from Sao Paulo, but be warned that there's a lot of self-filming involved! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=juQSTLaMCZk

Unsurprisingly, Nightwish played the same set tonight in Sao Paulo: Sao Paulo 2022-10-14: Music/Noise Planet Hell https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aNDcQdjaRc4 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u0-wcDk-hCo Tribal Élan Storytime https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LojNn5fWmWc She Is My Sin Sleeping Sun 7 Days to the Wolves Dark Chest of Wonders I Want My Tears Back Ever Dream Nemo How's The Heart (acoustic) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vogas0wz6hk Shoemaker Last Ride of the Day Ghost Love Score The Greatest Show on Earth Ad Astra Playlist: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLaX-JP-lohRXrJa_LK0SPx2N6tTXXzIlJ

Ok I'm updating the above post with some of the videos that are popping up now from Rio de Janeiro... One think I'm noticing is that there's a new stage background setup, with screens but no neon lights. It's different from what they had in Europe, but also in North America (no screens at all). And tonight it's Sao Paulo, a sold out gig!

I wonder if Floor will be a part of this... September 2023, I suppose the NW summer camp will be over by then? https://www.arjenlucassen.com/live/

They do mention the overwhelming demand, so it bodes well for a return to North America eventually. 👀 This is the extent of my knowledge of Powerwolf: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lDZ7p7WAG2o&t=11s ...which I understand is a remake of one of their songs, and I thought was great. 😁

Oops sorry! 😁 It would appear that any changes will have to wait until the European leg. I think there's a recent interview where someone in the band implies that there will be a surprising addition to the setlist in November, but I can't find the exact interview right now. 🤔 I think it's about time they play Nymphomaniac Fantasia, we've been waiting all these years! 😁

According to setlist.fm, no surprises tonight: Rio de Janeiro 2022-10-13: Music/Noise https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iZhI-uNxaKA Planet Hell Tribal Élan Storytime https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6C1t43nFEQY https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p2lG7rmYWsc She Is My Sin Sleeping Sun https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8v4E7-Cr4YM 7 Days to the Wolves Dark Chest of Wonders https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ydjC4cuR_TE I Want My Tears Back https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M1sKdGQLfZw Ever Dream https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pEu8ikAeEOk Nemo How's The Heart (acoustic) Shoemaker Last Ride of the Day https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9y_pIV6uB8s Ghost Love Score https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TE2HvxjVm2k The Greatest Show on Earth Ad Astra Playlist: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLaX-JP-lohRVH8v5Yjn9pPIdCkfA38gLB Edit: There's a full length recording too: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lsPtW9ia460

A new release from the Alchemy Project album, 'The Great Tribulation' featuring Fleshgod Apocalypse (an Italian death metal band). I'm not a big fan of the death metal contributions, but it's an interesting experiment nonetheless. --- Another new song arises from the smoke of ‘The Alchemy Project’ – our new mini-album that releases November 11 through Atomic Fire Records and that we co-wrote and performed together with 13 bands and musicians. “The Great Tribulation” is at hand! For this new single, that once again thematically dives into apocalyptic realms, we teamed up with none other than Italy’s Symphonic Tech Death pioneers, Fleshgod Apocalypse – a collaboration that some of you have been waiting for since we shared the stage with them on our North American Tour in 2016. Get ready for some symphonic extravaganza! MARK JANSEN EXPLAINS HOW THE NEW SONG CAME TO LIFE: “We know the guys and girl from Fleshgod Apocalypse already for quite a long time and toured together. There’s a lot of mutual respect for each other’s music, so when we approached them to work together on a track, they were right away enthusiastic. I did send them some very basic ideas I had for two songs, so they could pick what they liked the most. They ended up using all the ideas and combining them into one song. That was already very promising. From there on, we organized several sessions where we worked on the song together. The process was very smooth and very inspiring. I think the result is a perfect blend between both bands!” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HOwBTqWMhE8

Charlotte Wessels returns to the stage in Utrecht NL on October 23, with a band of mostly ex-Delain musicians and some special guests. Timo Somers (guitars), Otto Schimmelpenninck van der Oije (bass), Joey Marin de Boer (drums) and Sophia Vernikov (keyboards) will be on stage with her, as well Elianne Anemaat (cello), guest singer Alissa White-Gluz (Arch Enemy), and support act Marcela Bovio (MaYaN). Charlotte will play a selection of new solo songs -- I don't expect any Delain material, but who knows? https://www.tivolivredenburg.nl/agenda/charlotte-wessels-23-10-2022/

She sounds pretty fluent -- but that's all I can say about it! 😁

I'm pretty stoked that this old Santiago audio bootleg has resurfaced on YouTube... Not only it's the full show, but it's that very show where Crownless was played for the second and last time! There's no other known recording of Crownless live to my knowledge. The song is dedicated by Tarja to someone named Gustavo (?) I knew the bootleg existed, but I had no way to find a copy. The sound is not perfect, the drums sound bad, but it doesn't detract too much. Turn up the volume and enjoy! Chile-Santiago de Chile-Teatro Providencia-July 19, 2000

The pending release of Human :II: Nature 'Tour Edition' reminded me that for some time every Nightwish album has been followed closely by an upgraded version called 'Tour Edition' -- which was generally a misnomer because it had no relation to the tour promoting the album except perhaps that it was released during the tour. 😁 So let's see what the previous 'Tour Edition' albums had to offer. As far as I know, there were no 'Tour Editions' before Dark Passion Play. Of course there were a number of special releases and re-releases but they were just not called 'Tour Edition'. So the story begins with Dark Passion Play Tour Edition. This was released in February 2008, five months after the normal album. Next to the full album CD was included a DVD with the following: Bye Bye Beautiful (video) In Between The Bye Byes - Making Of "Bye Bye Beautiful" (video) Amaranth (video) While Your Lips Are Still Red (video) Bye Bye Beautiful (audio) The Poet And The Pendulum (audio; demo version sung by Marko) Escapist (audio) Bye Bye Beautiful (audio; DJ Orkidea remix) Interestingly, this supplementary DVD was also released as a stand-alone by Nuclear Blast on the same day as the 'Tour Edition', packaged as a Bye Bye Beautiful maxi-single, which goes to explain why there are so many versions of Bye Bye Beautiful on it. References: https://www.discogs.com/release/2474297-Nightwish-Dark-Passion-Play-Tour-Edition https://www.discogs.com/release/1728957-Nightwish-Bye-Bye-Beautiful Moving on to Imaginaerum -- the 'Tour Edition' was released in April 2012, again five months after the release of the original album. This digibook edition added a full album orchestral CD (all the tracks except 'I Want My Tears Back' presumably because there was no orchestra on that song). Also included was a DVD containing two tracks: Making Of 'Imaginaerum' documentary Storytime (video) This is how the documentary was described on the official Webshop: So all in all an interesting package, I don't think that the orchestral album has been released as a CD elsewhere (it has been available on vinyl though) and the documentary appears to be exclusive as well. Of course, again the 'Tour Edition' name is confusing because there's nothing even remotely related to the tour here. Reference: https://www.discogs.com/release/3534211-Nightwish-Imaginaerum-Tour-Edition This brings us to the Endless Forms Most Beautiful Tour Edition, released in October 2015 and therefore seven months after the original album. This package included an extra DVD with plenty of material, including live music for a change! The track list is copied from the EMFB album page: Yours Is An Empty Hope (live at Masters of Rock Festival, Vizovice Czech Republic July 12 2015) Stargazers (live at Baltic Princess Cruise June 8-9 2015) Planet Hell 🎞️ (special documentary live clip) (Note 1) Last Of The Wilds 🎞️ (special documentary live clip) (Note 2) Storytime 🎞️ (special documentary live clip) (Note 3) Arabesque 🎞️ (special documentary live clip) (Note 4) Last Ride Of The Day 🎞️ (special documentary live clip) (Note 5) Making of Endless Forms Most Beautiful documentary Élan 🎞️ (official video) Endless Forms Most Beautiful 🎞️ (official lyrical video) Photo gallery Notes: Planet Hell special clip: touring footage from the "Please Learn The Setlist in 48 Hours" documentary (released in 2013 on Showtime, Storytime DVD) combined with live footage from Floor's first show (Showbox SODO Seattle USA Oct 1st 2012) and audio track from an unidentified later performance on the Imaginaerum tour. Last Of The Wilds special clip: live footage from various locations during the Imaginaerum tour (2012-13) combined with audio track from an unidentified performance on the Imaginaerum tour. Storytime special clip: touring footage from the "Please Learn The Setlist in 48 Hours" documentary (released in 2013 on Showtime, Storytime DVD) combined with live footage of Floor Jansen from various locations during the Imaginaerum tour (2012-13) and audio track from an unidentified performance on the Imaginaerum tour. Arabesque special clip: live footage of Polte's artistic performance filmed November 10 2012 at Hartwall Arena Helsinki. Last Ride Of The Day special clip: live footage from an unidentified performance on the Imaginaerum tour. So we actually have two exclusive live tracks recorded during the EMFB tour! The five 'special clips' are from the previous tour, and were released on YouTube in 2014 -- therefore well before this album. From the label: Reference: https://www.discogs.com/release/7658326-Nightwish-Endless-Forms-Most-Beautiful Finally, we have the upcoming Human :II: Nature Tour Edition scheduled for a November 2022 release, a full two years and a half after the original album -- thanks to the pandemic. This one includes the previously released 'Virtual Live Show From The Islanders Arms 2021' (it's a mouthful) on Blu-ray. The Blu-ray was a Japan exclusive while global markets only had access to a DVD. There's no other extra material unfortunately. From the band website: https://www.nightwish.com/news/nightwish-announce-human-ii-nature-tour-edition Have you got any of those albums? Which ones do you think are worth the expense? I have EMFB Tour Edition and I find it convenient to have all those making-of capsules and special clips in a tidy package instead of YouTube. The Human :II: Nature Tour Edition will be of interest to those who haven't bought the virtual show DVD, but it's a harder sell otherwise.

And to celebrate Troy's 9th anniversary as an official band member, here are some YouTube recordings from that first night with NW back in 2008 (yes, it took them 5 years to make him official). The Islander (excerpt) Astoria March 25, 2008 - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OoGuSIOEn3o Last Of The Wilds (complete) Astoria March 25, 2008 - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=de5pfRUjE34

I'm just re-posting here the complete list of videos from the September 3, 2021 Amsterdam show. Ever Dream (Nightwish) Storm In A Glass (Northward) Nemo (Nightwish) Mama (cover, Beste Zangers) Sweet Curse (ReVamp) *with Henk Poort Dangerous Game (cover, YouTube) *with Henk Poort Euphoria (cover, YouTube/Beste Zangers) Face Your Demons (After Forever) Winner (cover, Beste Zangers) Slow, Love, Slow (Nightwish) Shallow (cover, Beste Zangers) Strong (After Forever) Élan (Nightwish) Energize Me (After Forever) Qué Se Siente (cover, Beste Zangers) Bridle Passion (Northward) Our Decades In The Sun (Nightwish) Let It Go (cover, YouTube) Wolf And Dog (ReVamp) The Phantom Of The Opera (cover, Beste Zangers) *with Henk Poort Also the short documentary: The Road To Amsterdam If a link to a complete performance appears I will make sure to add it here. Full concert

The last video from the Amsterdam show is about to be released - Phantom Of The Opera. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v_tlVUZ7mEk The full show is bound to be released shortly.

As mentioned elsewhere, 'The Islander' and 'Last Of The Wilds' were apparently recorded in London in March 2008. This was also Troy's first performance on stage with the band. As for the other live tracks, I'm still looking for clues about their origin.

Ok I have found some answers... According to notes on Troy's own website (which hasn't been updated in years): http://www.troydonockley.co.uk/news.htm According to setlist.fm the two tracks Troy plays on are 'The Islander' and 'Last Of The Wilds'. Also: If all this is accurate, Troy's first show on stage with Nightwish would have been on March 25, 2008 at the Astoria in London. Here are for the record two reviews from those London shows. March 25, 2008: http://web.archive.org/web/20080611151755/http://www.jukeboxmetal.com/2008/nightwish-astoria-2008/ March 27, 2008: https://www.rockersdigest.com/Article/228/Nightwish+_+Pain

The first song from the new Crewish album is now out on YouTube. Eva: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JJeOVswzNK0 It's a nice instrumental, western style.

Interview with Marko in Ilta-Sanomat, it's a good read and perhaps the best insight so far into Marko's state of mind during the last few years. Marko Hietala reveals what made him leave Nightwish - behind the darkest years of his life Singer-bassist Marko Hietala, 56, returns to the limelight with the Hard Christmas tour. The departure from Nightwish, a sick leave and a move abroad have shaken fans. Soon he will be a father. Niina Enqvist, 7 Oct 2022 https://www.is.fi/viihde/art-2000009109574.html Musician Marko Hietala, 56, retired from the public eye in the spring of 2021 when he announced that he was leaving the band Nightwish. Hietala, known as the band's singer-bassist, cleared his gig calendar, silenced his social media account and decided to focus on something completely different than music. He announced to his fans that he would put his music career on hiatus for the time being. Hietala answers a video call at home in Spain, where he and his wife Camila bought a home last fall. - I'm fine! In three weeks, I should become the father of a little daughter, Hietala muses. If you had asked Marko Hietala about a year and a half ago what was going on with him, the answer would have been completely different than it is now. Hietala says frankly that at that time we were in such deep depressions and anxiety that it seemed impossible to get out. - I had lost all joy in life, all interest had died. I had the impression that I would never come back to the music side, says Hietala. Hietala says she has struggled with depression and anxiety for years. For so long that sometimes it has been difficult to imagine what everyday life would be like without the constant feeling of inadequacy. However, a lot has happened in the last year and a half. There has been a move, happy family news, making new music, rest and therapy. - I was diagnosed with attention deficit disorder this year. It was started to be medicated and a balance was found. Anxiety and worry are gone from daily life. - The diagnosis might explain some things a little, such as why I was already the spaceman in the group as a little boy who told strange stories. I've always been driven by my imagination, for better or for worse. Now Hietala is ready to return to the stage when the Hard Christmas tour starts in November. Or return and return, because Hietala visited already in the summer to get a feel for performing with his solo band and the Northern Kings. - We took a little training. I didn't tell anyone about the gigs in advance. It was a test of how it feels to be back on stage. Hietala tells. He describes the summer gigs as having strengthened the feeling that the blood still draws to the stage. It wasn't quite obvious, because while touring the world with Nightwish, Hietala had been through the bottom mud with his own endurance. - Getting on stage was a fence that had to be crossed. It wasn't like before that the hands were shaking. I got the feeling that maybe I still belong here, he says. Hietala says that therapy and medication have helped with depression. Now, when he leaves for the Hard Christmas tour, his condition is completely different from last year, when he had to withdraw from concerts for health reasons. Heavy Christmas is a favorite project for Hietala, because the creative team is familiar and the audience is always fully involved at the concerts. - Going on the Heavy Christmas tour feels a bit weird. The gig pace is tight, there aren't very many days off. However, I don't have the pressure of being a soloist when there are always four or five other guys singing at the same gig, he says. - The team is familiar and I trust them one hundred percent. This is like a kind of annual meeting run. It's good to go on a tour. When the Hard Christmas gigs start, Hietala and Cami's spouse have a newborn baby. The musician says that without his wife's support, he wouldn't be able to go on tour. - Cami said just go to the gigs. The mother-in-law comes to help with childcare for a month. The wife is aware that the rundi is a commercial success and it will decide what we do for next year. After Christmas, I can stay at home with the little one for a longer time and play new songs on the computer. It's hard to talk about Hietala's career without Nightwish, whose lineup he was part of since 2002. For fans, Hietala's departure from the band came as a news bomb in January 2021. He had spoken openly about his problems to the band members. According to Hietala, the reasons for leaving Nightwish are not clear-cut, but the sum of several factors. Creating an international career and mental health problems are not an easy equation. - If bad things had happened in personal relationships, and there is a so-called congenital susceptibility to feelings of worthlessness and anxiety, then the result is bad, Hietala describes. - At the same time, when you are out in the world, there are quite a lot of worries inside your head. There's simply not always room for them on tour, and you can't take them down. It was far from where the head and heart rest. The corona year was a turning point in Hietala's life. Nightwish's world tour was postponed to the distant future, and when the rest of the world was upset about the corona restrictions, Hietala was grateful for the respite. - For me, the corona year was welcome. Staying at home forced me to sit on things and I realized that I was afraid to go out into the world. The next question was why I'm afraid of it. I didn't want to go out into the world because I was suffering. He understood that the pace had to be slowed down and there would be no going back. - The therapists' remote receptions were not possible before the corona and I would have needed them in the rund. When Nightwish's tour got postponed and I stayed home, I saw my chance and went to therapy. It has continued to this day. The respite also made it possible to move abroad, which he and his spouse had been talking about for a long time. He says they both needed a change of scenery. - At first, everything in Finland seemed exotic to Cam, but he quickly noticed that although the snow is beautiful, it is also damn cold. Living in Savo by the lake is great in the summer, but the social circles were small. There is not the same social circle for those from Brazil as, for example, in the stadium. When a friend suggested a Finnish real estate agency operating in Spain, the couple got excited. - I can't say whether this is our permanent home, but the house is starting to feel like home. Here, lamps have been painted, curtains have been hung and furniture has been piled up. Usually, after moving, things are left lying in corners for a long time, but now I had to get the house ready before my daughter was born. There is a nice spark in the birth of a child, Hietala smiles. After Hietala's departure, Nightwish fans have been constantly asking if he will return to the band's ranks. Hietala says frankly that he does not see it as possible, at least at the moment. - In Nightwish, we go in such a size class that I no longer take such business obligations on my neck. I don't expect anything either. I'm such an old dog that I have no illusions about my own worth or my artistic gift to the world, he laughs. It is certain that new music is coming, but Hietala does not dare to promise what kind of schedule yet. - I have both English and Finnish rough songs for a solo band. We had a strong plan to release a single and maybe a video in the winter, but due to the addition of a family, the release will be later next year. For now, fans will have to wait a little longer for new music. Right now, Hietala is enjoying being able to make songs without pressure and perform when he wants to. - Family is priority number one. We were thinking of leaving by car with the family in May to push slowly towards Finland. Summer in Finland would free you up to do festivals and you could do a club or concert hall tour, Hietala thinks.

'Noise' from the virtual show (day 2) is now officially on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LrV-8eXEVd4

There's been a reshuffling of the 2023 Asian shows, so it's now: Jan 15 - Singapore Jan 17 - Manila Jan 19 - Taipei Tapiei has been moved from Jan 13 and and there's no longer any mention of a show in Jakarta on January 17. Also no mention of the China dates, aren't they part of Asia as well? 🤔 Looking at the past tours, it has been Helsinki Tokyo Hildesheim (Germany) Helsinki Helsinki Moscow Nivala (Finland) Ludwigsburg (Germany) Siilinjärvi (Finland) My guess would be some festival like Graspop or Hellfest, but they probably won't do the same festival two years in a row.

Backstage Rock Shop just announced a new release - Human Nature Tour Edition, which basically appears to be the HN album + the Virtual Live Show From The Islanders Arms 2021 (the same May 29, 2021 performance already released on DVD, but this time it's on Blu-ray). 👀 https://www.backstagerockshop.com/collections/nightwish/products/nightwish-human-nature-ltd-tour-edition-digipak-2cd-blu-ray https://www.nightwish.com/news/nightwish-announce-human-ii-nature-tour-edition Release date: November 18th 2022 This is a bit of a disappointment, as it's a release that has no new content at all. Perhaps the quality of the Blu-ray will be better than that of the DVD, but I wouldn't bet on it. As mentioned above, Kai did say that "The production was some reason captured with the quality that would make blu-ray look like shit. Dvd was the only option to put out. " Also, I wish they had released the other performance instead, the May 28, 2021 virtual show that is currently only available on a streaming platform. In my opinion for fans already owning the independently-released virtual show DVD, there's really not a lot of incentive to buy this Tour Edition unless the Blu-ray has better image quality.

I just noticed this one today, an acoustic/orchestral version of The Quest And The Curse.

Looking forward to see what other shows they have planned next summer. I don't expect a return to North America though, probably only a few Finnish festivals? Maybe Pan is in the cards for the South American tour? They have a chance to shuffle the set list a bit now.