LIVE REPORT . NIGHTWISH
T
he greatest show on earth. I’ve used these words before, in 2018 to be more precise, but I use them again for a very plausible reason that will be explained throughout this Live Report. Rock Meeting was invited to watch “An Evening With Nightwish a Virtual World”, a livestream that would present the band’s new album, “Human. :||: Nature.”. In 2020, many bands released new albums and were unable to tour for promotion due to the pandemic. From that, a new presentation movement with livestreams began. Many bands have done this, and with Nightwish it would be no different.
The visit to Brazil was scheduled for May 2020, starting the tour of “Human. :||: Nature.” for South America. There was a huge expectation with the new album, besides, of course, having the privilege of seeing the tour first. But we all know that the plans were modified and, now, if all goes well, only in the second half of 2022. At the end of 2020, Nightwish announced a livestream, a virtual experience never done before. However, in January 2021, bassist Marko Hietala, a striking figure both in voice and on stage, left the band
LIVE REPORT . NIGHTWISH
and this took everyone by surprise. Pointing out numerous reasons for their departure from the group and public life, the pandemic calls for a reflection on the musicians’ perspective on everything and on the music industry. Hence, a quest for a new bass player started. A difficult task, because Marko had played an important role in the musicality since he joined Nightwish in 2001. The live, which was for March, was res-
cheduled for May and generated a lot of expectations. On May 28th, just before the first streaming, the new bass player was introduced. Jukka Koskinen, from Wintersun, the same band as drummer Kai Hahto, joined Nightwish. Tuomas Holopainen (keyboard player) and Emppu Vuorinen (guitarist) remain from the original line-up.
LIVE REPORT . NIGHTWISH
AN EVENING WITH NIGHTWISH A VIRTUAL WORLD It was two days of a unique experience that deserves applauses. Two distinct setlists that rescued songs that hadn’t been played for years. Not to mention the adaptations made, since there was no longer Marko’s voice, like “Planet Hell”. On the set, images of a large interactive hall that changed according to the music. The band made use of chroma key technology, very common in cinema, and now at the service of music. What was projected gave the feeling that everything there was real, that they were in fact in that place. Very well done and not cheap
at all. There was an investment for this live to happen and it completely left the stage environment. They innovated in livestreaming. A point that deserves full emphasis is the sound. It was the best sound I’ve ever heard at lives. Congratulations to everyone who worked to deliver something clean and crystal clear. Let’s get to the show. It started with the intro of “Music”, showing Kai Hahto’s skills on drums and then comes “Noise”, the first single that introduced “Human. :||: Nature.”. The song works very well live and left that feeling of wan-
ting to see it with an audience present, with the human warmth we miss so much. Then, “Planet Hell”, the first song in fact to know who would take over Marko’s vocals. Well, Floor played that role, as neither Troy Donockley nor the new bass player would be able to perform. She did her best, it’s true, but I confess I miss Marko, he made his mark and it’s a song that was made to have two vocals. To make it short, I will stick to the differences in the setlists. Overall, in addition to those
LIVE REPORT . NIGHTWISH
already mentioned, the songs played were “Élan”, “Storytime”, “Harvest”, “I Want My Tears Back”, “Nemo”, “How’s The Heart?” (album and acoustic versions), “Last Ride of the Day”, “Ghost Love Score” and “The Greatest Show on Earth”. Needless to say, how wonderful these songs are played live. Just an addendum to “Harvest”, which is part of “Human. :||: Nature.”. It was the second single released, it has a calm atmosphere, and it was a good opportunity to see her live. From the songs played on the first day, “Tribal” is part of the new album and it works very well live, the vibe is really good. It’s supposed to be on the setlist forever. “She is my sin”, classic of the classics, could not be missing. And already seen during the Decades tour, success whenever it plays. “7 Day To The Wolves”, for me it was a pleasant surpri-
LIVE REPORT . NIGHTWISH
se. I didn’t think it could be played again. I loved it! “Bless The Child” requires no introduction. Another classic played was the acoustic version of “How’s the Heart?”, which was very beautiful. Whoever follows the band has already seen this version. “Shoemaker” was perhaps the most anticipated song by the fans. It rescues what Nightwish once was, lyrical. But we know it’s just a pass and Nightwish won’t go back to the way it was. That needs to be said. About “Shoemaker”, it’s beautiful, it has to be on the setlist and it will always cause wide eyes, contemplative smile and goose bumps. Applause! On the second day of the live, we had “Alpenglow”, a song that has already performed very well live. The
album version for “How’s the Heart?” it’s also another one that should always be on the setlist. The acclaimed “Dark Chest of Wonders” and “Ever Dream” were present. Both need no introduction, are striking, impressive and will always feature in Nightwish’s repertoire. “Sleeping Sun” was a total surprise on this second day of live. I don’t even remember if I’ve heard this song in the Nightwish shows I’ve watched. A treat to watch this song again. “Pan”, a song from the new album, is another one that I never imagined would be played. It surprised me with its strength and I believe it will continue to fight for a place in the setlists. In the two days of live, “The Greatest Show on Earth” finishes the work. Needless to say how great it was and only reinforces the title of this special Live Report. At the end of it all, when we were already regretting that it was over,
LIVE REPORT . NIGHTWISH
the band formed a semicircle, toasted that unique moment, to life and, suddenly, came a little more Floor, for our delight. Floor sings the final part of “All the Works of Nature Which Adorn the World: Ⅷ. Ad Astra”. She doesn’t sing, she enchants. Truth be told. And we wait for everything to go back to normal, safely,
so that experiences like this can be done in person, sharing the same joy and passion with the person next to you, celebrating that moment. For the rest, it’s about taking care and continuing to hope that everything gets better. Until then, for more livestreams like this from Nightwish.