Live Report - Nightwish and Paradise Lost - November 10, 2007 - San Antonio, Texas
Roadrunner Records

Release year: 2007
Roadrunner Records
Reviewed by Ben

Somewhere along the line Nightwish blew up exponentially. I have never seen such a rabid crowd here in San Antonio with the exception of maybe Children Of Bodom two years ago. I did notice that there were a large number of young people at the show. The average age seemed to be close to twenty. What was even more surprising is that the make up of the crowd was varied, you had the chicks in the big goth dresses, biker dudes, dudes with long hair and black band shirts, and a good sized college crowd that looked like they got lost on the way to see Pat Green. But, some of these “normal” college looking people were singing the loudest and going the craziest. It had been four years since I’ve witnessed Nightwish at Prog Power IV and to say that I was excited about seeing them in a small club like The White Rabbit is like saying I would be "sort of" excited if Keira Knightly called me up and said she wanted to elope to Australia. The pre show festivities were pretty sweet, I met up with Manager Man Ewo to do my interview with Marco at five thirty. Afterwards, I hung out and talked shop with BWBK scribe Mark Gromen and caught up with Nick, merch man for Paradise Lost and tour driver who I met when he was slinging wares for Arsis. This was cool due to the fact that since Paradise Lost didn’t hit the stage until almost two hours after doors opened, I had plenty to occupy myself during the wait.

When Paradise Lost did get up to play they performed for a crowd that was largely unfamiliar yet still interested and eager to listen. A few scattered song titles were shouted out during the in between song speeches to let the band know that while they might be going over the uninformed ears of many, there were still some hardcore fans in attendance. Having twenty years worth of material to pick from Paradise Lost came through with a solid set that managed to get people’s heads bobbing and feet tapping. Highlights included As I Die (this one was shouted multiple times), Requiem, and the finale, Say Just Words. Paradise Lost showed that they are seasoned live performers and highly skilled musicians and songwriters during their fifty minute set. Too bad there weren’t any cds available to purchase.

A lengthy intermission for Nightwish’s set change over had me grabbing a bite to eat and catching up with some old friends to kill the time. Refueled by pizza and energized by the prospect of getting our ovaries rocked by Nightwish we journeyed back inside the tightly packed sardine can that was the venue right as the intro tape began to play. Dark Pasion Play material comprised the core of the set and the band pulled out their two most recent singles Bye Bye Beautiful and Amaranth right away. From the onset of the show it was obvious to everyone there that despite being international stars, Nightwish still love to play their music for the fans. I’ve seen countless shows and have witnessed several where its pretty damn obvious the people up on that stage would rather be anywhere but there. Not in this case. When the guys and Annette weren’t smiling the entire time they were interacting with each other in a carefree, playful manner. Emppu, as usual, struck some cool Guitar Hero poses and during his solos he would plant his foot on the monitor and play with his strings and fingers inches away from the crowd. Jukka reminds me of an arena rock drummer from the eighties. His movements across his kit, most noticable with the way he hits his cymbals, show enthusiasm and genuine pleasure at playing his instrument. Tuomas was often lost in the song but when he did raise his head out of the musical bubble he was in he would always beam to someone in the crowd and I noticed him mouthing “thank you” to fans on more than one instance. Century Child material was a bit sparse, we only got Ever Dream from their 2002 release. Annette did this, perhaps my favorite Nightwish song, the justice it deserved. In fact, her rendition of this is superior to the one that I hold near and dear to me. The way she carried the melody, the power in her voice during the chorus, and her irresistible charisma came close to abolishing my memories of Tarja Turunen. Annette is a pillar of inspiration on how to act as the face of an institution such as Nightwish. She covers both aspects of her position, being a terrific front woman and an immaculate singer. I’ve read that her and Tuomas were a bit anxious on how she would be accepted by the fans when she was announced, but I honestly cannot see how anyone with ears and eyes can be anything but warm to her and welcome her fully into the band. Once was represented well with Dark Chest Of Wonders, Higher Than Hope, Nemo, Wish I Had An Angel and Creek Mary’s Blood. For Creek Mary’s Blood John Two Hawks came out on stage with multiple wooden instruments and performed with the band as well as did his narration from the album. This was only one of two shows that would feature him as a special guest. I suppose his being there that night is also the reason why Annette chose to wear her hair in pigtail braids and the headband. She looked like a pretty, smiling, Swedish Pocahontas. Little touches like that are perfect examples of the spontaneity of the band. It seems that Nightwish keep their finger on the pulse of the fans interests seeing as how the songs off Dark Passion Play that were performed are unanimously the fan favorites. The Poet And The Pendulum, Sahara, Whoever Brings The Night, and the beautiful The Islander all were greeted with a crowd eager to sing along. The Islander was a show highlight for me. Emppu on the right, Marco on the left, both strapped with acoustic guitars, coupled with a sprinkling of piano by Tuomas and lilting choirs from Annette brought this modern folk song to life in a vibrant way. A dash of Wishmaster was thrown in the mix, Come Cover Me and the title track represented the album that broke this band out seven years ago. Over The Hills And Far Away looks like its been cut from the set and Wish I Had An Angel has taken its place as the encore song for the band. When the dust settled and the smoke cleared as the last cymbal crash faded into the night Nightwish came out and bowed before making haste to their bus.

I went around back to go say goodbye to everyone and shoot the shit one last time before I went home. I thanked Marco again for the interview and Ewo for making sure everything went like it should have. For whoever takes notice of this, every single aspect of Nightwish is run on a professional and honest level. From the merch guy who graciously let fans try on shirts to check their size (yes it sounds like a little detail but those are what get noticed by people like myself), to Ewo who is one of the coolest tour managers I’ve dealt with that answers his phone and doesn’t brush me off like I’m some chode with a digital recorder, to the band members themselves who stayed afterwards and signed every scrap of paper and took pictures with all the people that wanted one. This leads me to another point I feel I must make. While I was talking to Marco, Ewo, and Annette, I turned around and saw a mob storm the area. I ducked back a bit to give the band some breathing room but within seconds they were literally mobbed by people who thrusted shit in their faces to sign and pushed others out the way in the rudest of manners. Coming from someone who has been on a tour bus after signing sessions I want to tell whoever is reading this some advice. Don’t be a dick after the show. These musicians are people just like you and me and would you like it if you were tired, sweaty, and in dire need of a shower and have about a hundred people close in on you so tight you can’t even turn around in a circle? I know that you think shoving your way to the front to get your stuff signed might seem cool but in doing so you do nothing more than make yourself seem like an asshole. An impatient, and ungrateful one at that too, especially if they see you just basically cut in front of a whole lot of people just because you’re short and fat and can move folks aside with your girth. Despite the total lack of manners by a lot of those around back, (not everyone mind you, but many nonetheless) Nightwish still smiled for pictures and made sure no one left the bus area wanting. Getting off my soapbox, I just want to reiterate that everything about this band is total class and honesty. This incarnation of the band has the potential to become bigger than anyone in our scene has in over a decade. I’m talking about Iron Maiden big. Their star has been rising for a long time now and has reached an apex. Instead of climbing it is shining brighter than ever and will soon blind the world.

Killing Songs :
Ben quoted
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