Fugazi

Indeed, and let's hope it stays that way. There's a stint in China in January but I have a feeling that might get postponed too.

Dates have now been set for the postponed Russian tour. Russia-Sankt-Petersburg-Yubileyny Sports Palace-November 9, 2022 Russia-Moscow-Crocus City Hall-Sun, November 10, 2022 Ukraine-Kiev-Stereoplaza-November 12, 2022 Belarus-Minsk-Falcon Club-November 13, 2022 Also, a new group picture:

I can't even hold my breath that long, let alone holding a note! 😁 In the short clip we can see Timo Isoaho sneaking behind the band to take the picture published on the band's FB page: I cannot help but wonder if he's preparing a book about the Human Nature tour, similar to We Were Here ?

Impressive! 🤘 What kind of DAW are you using?

I just noticed you even have the lyrics included in the videos. Good job! 👍

If I understand correctly, original virtual show ticket owners can watch it again for free during the Holidays. 👍

So do I. I mean, it's her book and she's entitled to write about whatever she feels like, and she probably doesn't feel like pouring salt on the old wound again. And I can understand if she wanted to make a book only about her and the people she liked/loved. But I still wish she would have told some stories from her time in the band.

Another little extra from the Imaginaerum tour, this is a pyro test for The Poet And The Pendulum, possibly in preparation for a show in Budapest (April 2012).

There's now an "European Tour 2022" planned, with the postponed 2021 shows, now also including Budapest, Vienna and Prague. Left in the 2021 tour for the time being are only Antwerp, London, Tampere and Helsinki. Details here.

There's now an "European Tour 2022" planned, with the postponed 2021 shows, now also including Budapest, Vienna and Prague. Left in the 2021 tour for the time being are only Antwerp, London, Tampere and Helsinki. 22.11.22 BIRMINGHAM - Resorts World Arena 23.11.22 DUBLIN - 3Arena 25.11.22 BERLIN - Max-Schmeling-Halle 27.11.22 AMSTERDAM - Ziggo Dome 28.11.22 AMSTERDAM - Ziggo Dome 30.11.22 PARIS - Accor Arena 01.12.22 DUSSELDORF - PSD Bank Dome 02.12.22 LUXEMBOURG - Rockhal 04.12.22 VIENNA - Stadthalle 05.12.22 MUNICH - Olympiahalle 06.12.22 MILAN - Lorenzini District 09.12.22 FRANKFURT - Festhalle 10.12.22 BAMBERG - Brose Arena 12.12.22 HAMBURG - Barclays Arena 13.12.22 LEIPZIG - Quarterback Immobilien Arena 14.12.22 GLIWICE - Arena 16.12.22 ZURICH - Hallenstadion 18.12.22 STUTTGART - Hannis-Martin-Schleyer-Halle 20.12.22 BUDAPEST - Sportarena 21.12.22 PRAGUE - O2 Arena Floor posted this on YouTube:

I'm in the process of adding more Youtube links to the Imaginaerum tour list, but there's this fun vlog I found that didn't belong with the shows -- Floor reporting on the 2013 Japan mini-tour. 🤘 It's worth a look if you haven't seen it before, it's not on any of the official releases. It even includes some live clips from the Tokyo show. Floor has been Youtubing way before she started her fanclub, before the Floor Finds and One Minute Fan Fridays and Storytimes we're used to by now! 🔥

I'm on page 22 and she's already left Nightwish. 🙄😁 Not that there's any significant mention of the band until the page she tells us she's been fired.

I read a few pages of Tarja's book, I'm sure I'll know everything about her solo career when I'm done, but if I read too quickly I might not catch that she was in a metal band for 8 years. 😁

First single from the Outlanders project is out soon (November 26): CLOSER TO THE SKY This song was meant for one of my rock releases one day, when I sat down to write the first ideas with Erik Nyholm in Finland many years ago. Erik had been involved on my rock albums as a song writer before and after, but here was something in this particular song that made me think I must leave it for other time. The song changed name at least 3 times during its creative process and had different lyrics and moods. Only recently I finished writing the dark, but hopeful lyrics and rest of the music for it. It fits perfectly as an opener for Outlanders, because of its catchy melody, wishful lyrics and the mood it captures. We knew that we needed an extraordinary guitar player. A rock soul with a progressive mind that could imagine the song being part of a movie soundtrack. We had only one name in mind: Trevor Rabin did just an outstanding job with his edgy, incredible guitar sound. He made the song reach another level and for that I am deeply grateful. It only happens when the players soul is involved and that really was the case here. Trevor is unique and truly a gentleman.

Well this week-end I kept postponing chores and work and I read Marko's biography instead, which had been waiting for me for quite some time. I wish I had more free time for reading, but I'm digressing. First thing that surprised me is that I was expecting a solid text but the book is actually filled with photos so the 192 pages translate to some 100 pages of text. The pictures are neat though, and the book design is modern and professional. There are lots of salty details about Marko's youth, his time in Tarot and in various other bands. However the Nightwish period gets glossed over, with few words even about the Anette and Floor years (which haven't been covered in the official biography). Marko is quite honest about his difficult musical and personal journey, and it's sad to think that despite the book ending on a positive note with Marko doing well musically and being serene about his then-recent divorce, a few years later he would be tormented by his mental health issues again. The book was released in 2017, so obviously stuff happened since. But it's a great read, sometimes brutally honest but always entertaining. And it gives some background to Marko's decision to leave Nightwish and take care of his mental health. You can also read a professional review of the book here. Now who will be the next to release a biography? Tuomas? Anette? Floor? Tarja just did, so more on that later because it's next on my reading list! 😁

All right, I just had a listen to the whole of Anette's last album, and I thought of writing down a few comments. I had heard a few singles before but not the rest of the album. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kp77LMrQvhM Bye Bye Bye: I sort of like this one overall, I found myself thinking of James LaBrie singing in the verse here and there. The male vocals are rather forgettable though. The energy and the title seem to have been inspired by Bye Bye Beautiful, and therefore it's hard to take the lyrics as anything else than a criticism of her time in Nightwish but perhaps with the added angle of the ecosystem surrounding the band (label, promoters, fans...) It would be interesting to find out what Anette considers a betrayal here... Asking Floor to replace her in South America, playing Denver without her, disregarding her physical/mental health, something else? Anyway, I think it's way past the time for this sort of song, but I suppose she wanted to get it out of her system. Sick of You: I said before this sounded like metal ABBA, and I must admit the song has efficient pop hooks combined with honest heavier metal riffs. This "pop-metal" niche is in my opinion Anette's musical sweet spot, a style that suits her well and where she is comfortable as a singer. I Need to Stay: A more generic track that didn't do much for me, especially that by track #3 I already find the male growls repetitive. Strong: At least on studio tracks, Anette voice seems more powerful than it used to be. On Dark Passion Play I noticed that she often had to be multi-layered to death in order to give some impression of strength, which is not the case here on this song. Parasite: This attempt at harder, faster metal doesn't do it for me, but I think it's only because the song writing is lacking. Sad Lullaby: This track started with some Queen vibes but quickly turned to a conventional power ballad... Well sung, but nothing special. Fantastic Fanatic: I can't get past how bad the song title is. But the lyrics aren't that great either. I'm not sure what the song is about (social media critics?) but it's definitely not her best single. Who Can Save Them: The growls are back. This song lacks a good hook. Catcher of My Dreams: Blabbermouth describes this track as a "the album's balls-out heavy metal anthem, with power-thrash riffing as its driving force and a chorus that would have graced any '80s old-school classic." I couldn't come up with anything positive to say myself. Hear Them Roar: By this point we're deep in the filler tracks zone. Roll the Dice: This track is somewhat more creative, with slower and faster sections and a bit of electronic spice. However I think the second half of the album was definitely less interesting than the first tracks.

I found this early interview with Annette from the day DPP was released, and of her second show with Nightwish (September 26 2007).

Is there a reason why the background in the thumbnail for Forever Yours is black instead of textured white? I'm not really bothered, just curious! 😉

Yikes! 😲 Have you been reading Tarja's new book? 😁

This week's quiz looks like quite a challenge!

Yes, what they went through was traumatic for everyone involved, and it's a wonder how they managed to tour for months and months while everything was going south with Tarja and Marcelo. And while many consider the End Of An Era concert to be their defining moment, it's crazy to think they were on the verge of implosion.

You're welcome! Lots of this stuff is now only found in archived pages so not readily found using search engines. The shutdown of various forums over the years hasn't helped either. So I'm always on the lookout for interesting bits of band history moments like these!

Oh? I didn't even know there was a limit on reactions. I'll have to have a look under the hood and fix that. 😁

😁 I think that back then pretty much every female singer in Finland applied for the position, so there was a wide range of... talents.

You're welcome! While we're at it, there's a fantastic series of drumcam videos of Kai during EMFB-era Nightwish shows... Worth a look for the weird perspective and to get a better feel of the exhausting solitary work of a metal drummer during a live show. Espoo Finland 2015-11-13 Shudder Before The Beautiful https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xK1EJ1fAKa4 Stargazers https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Euvf6MgcBY Ghost Love Score https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RI67HtPjWuk Himos Finland 2016-08-20 playlist https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLepW1B3Rsiu2IS1rbSskrpRYw9oSfoyOo Edit: While Jukka played drums on Last Ride Of The Day during the Himos concerts, that recording was never released for reasons mentioned here.