First of all, I'm now a proud owner of a DVD of Imaginaerum the movie. I also watched it the same day. I've never seen anything quite like it before. It was full of magic, mystery, dreams and good music, but the storyline was clearly there too, and most surprisingly, it all made perfect sense in the end. And it's nothing like the usual Hollywood movie we're used to. It's also very deep - to me it seemed like in that one little story, all the world's problems are somehow pointed out. If there is anything I'd complain about, it's the fact that the movie only lasted an hour and 20 minutes. They could've, and should've made it longer, because I was always staring at the screen, excited about what is going to happen next. I'd give it 9 points out of 10.
But now for the biggest of the big deals - earlier today I had the honour to see Nightwish live for the 2nd time in my life.
To those 99% of you who haven't read my text about my first Nightwish gig - here's a brief summary: I really enjoyed the gig, although I was sitting very high up on the side. It was hot like in a sauna there, and I could hardly see the band. The people around me were sitting like potato sacks, completely emotionless, which made me hold back my emotions too. It was a sold out show though, and one of the greatest in the early months of the tour. Back then, Anette Olzon was still in the band and seeing her skip around on high heels for two hours in a row while singing quite difficult songs impressed me a lot, and my great respect for her grew even more. Anette still has a special spot in my heart as the Nightwish frontwoman.
Well... Today, everything that could possibly go right, actually did go right. I went there well prepared, and made it in time to be one of the very first in the Meet & Greet line. It involved standing still and waiting for over an hour, but I didn't really mind it, and it was totally worth it. Shortly before I was let near the band, Marco Hietala smiled and waved to me. During the meeting, Tuomas Holopainen asked me where I'm from, when he heard me speak english. I mentioned that I'm estonian, but I don't remember his reaction. I think I tried to say something to him afterwards, but all that came out was senseless gibberish. After hearing his confused "Okay..?", I just told him to keep up the good work. In the meanwhile, my buddy Samuli, who was with me, managed to exchange hats with Tuomas and take pictures. I also remember telling Troy Donockley how much I liked his part in Imaginaerum, and asking Marco Hietala how he's doing - in Finnish. According to Samuli, he replied that he's doing well, and that he's glad that there's no bad music to be heard on that festival.
 |
| The band as I went in |
 |
| Tuomas wearing Samuli's hat, and Emppu |
 |
| Marco Hietala signing my bag |
I scored three sets of autographs from that m&g: on my bag, on my Imaginaerum DVD cover, and a Sauna Open Air card. Samuli also collected one set on a random piece of paper.
 |
| Imaginaerum DVD cover |
 |
| Sauna Open Air card |
 |
| My bag |
 |
| Tuomas' keyboards, the screen and Jukka's drums in the background |
Although my camera battery got empty just as the band got on stage, I was very happy. In the beginning of the show, large Radio Rock gloves were given to fans in the front rows, and during the first few songs I took some pictures with my phone. The following hour and a half, I dare to say, was one of the best in my life. Since we were at a heavy metal festival, no ballads or slower songs were played. And honestly, I didn't miss them. The setlist was perfect. I don't remember every single song nor the correct order, but here's some of it: Dark Chest of Wonders, Wish I had an Angel, She is my Sin (or Vintage Nightwish, as Marco called it), Ghost River, Storytime, I Want My Tears Back, Romanticide, Over the Hills and Far Away, Last of the Wilds, Bless the Child, Amaranth, Nemo, and what really got me close to tearing up was the final - Ghost Love Score - Song of Myself - Last Ride of the Day - Imaginaerum. Hearing Ghost Love Score live was a dream come true for me. And before I got out of the euphoria, I already heard the intro of another epic, Song of Myself. At that moment I felt so good and happy that I actually found it hard to handle.
About my impression of Floor Jansen - yeah, she's okay. She's a good substitute for both Tarja and Anette. I'm not overly impressed, but she did the job. I'm quite neutral about her. When it comes to the future of Nightwish, I'd prefer if they kept her simply because then they wouldn't need to look for a new singer, which would save time and hopefully mean that the new album will be out sooner.
Honestly, during the gig I hardly cared who was singing, because the show was just that great and I was standing there, right in front of Tuomas. He looked straight at me several times during the gig and even smiled to me. During the whole gig I was always either shouting, squealing or singing along, so there isn't much left of my voice now.
If I really had to complain about anything, I simply wouldn't. The whole festival (although I was only there for Nightwish) went really well and was perfect for me. If I lived for Nightwish, I could go and die in peace after this (but fortunately there's much more in my life ☺). Although I'm a very lucky person, such a perfect row of events is rare. But there's one thing I can say for sure - if you want a full dose of a band you love, go to a festival. Worked for me. ☺
 |
| Happy and satisfied beyond words. |
No comments:
Post a Comment