NIGHTWISH 2007 USA TOUR

[freakchylde]

we also showed up right behind the Glenntourage, but because Patrick wasn't 21 we could not enter. Kathy tried sweet-talking the ogre at the door but he would not relent. James offered to go start a fight with the guy just so we can sneak by during the tumult, but we declined. Thanks James & Kathy for your efforts. You are some true friends!

ah well, we tried. Maybe next time.

but here's the clencher... The Highlander does not allow anyone under 21 because of no other reason than the smoking ordinance. So help me understand this - an 18 year old can buy and smoke cigarettes legally in GA, but not so in your establishment due to the very same smoking ordinance?

*scratches head* something isn't right with that picture.

Oh, ok. My friend was out there and relayed that one to me, didn't realize it was you guys. Blame the city council on that one, they think it will discourage underage drinking. Basically, every bar and restaurant had the option to allow smoking all the time, but it had to turn into an 18+ location (to prevent the inhaling of second hand smoke by those poor children under the age of 18). Or, they could do 18+ after 9, like the restaurant next door. I believe the 21+ factor is due to the fact that the Highlander is a bar, and it's primary sales is alcohol based.

 

[7thSaviour]

I was close by to see who started shit up, they were not kids, nor hot topic rejects. They were some huge guys that looked in their late 20's to 30's. You'd think they would have more common sense and courtesy towards others.

I am not pointing my finger at you. I don't mind mosh pits when it's done right, and there is room for it and those involved want to participate. There was no room to breathe last night, it was just an excuse to push people around to get a better view. It was not kids who don't know any better going crazy doing this that I witnessed, it looked like big guys in their mid 20's to 30's.

I don't care about getting pushed around, what irks me most is waiting in the line for 2 hours and just to get a decent view, then standing there for 2 more hours for Nightwish to start without incident, only to have someone think they are clever by using moshing as an excuse to cut into the crowd.

OK, I hear ya. I don't disagree with what you're saying here at all. Most of the time, I was among those being pushed instead of those doing the pushing. I had no choice but to brace myself as well as those bracing up against me. If anything, I helped more people than I hindered, in that respect. I even had one of my NW shirts ripped from my arms. I later found it a few feet ahead of where I'd been previously standing. Those big guys play rough, but they're honest. One was even holding up stray shoes that people had lost during the melee in hopes of finding their rightful respective owners. It was quite the fracas at times, I tell ya.

 

[7thSaviour]

No need to apologize, didn't do anything to me, as I wasn't close enough for it to bug me much. Besides, if I was, and something happened, I'm more than equipped to deal with it.

Well good for you, then. Besides, who'd wanna mess with a nice person such as yourself, right? You sound like a person to be friends with, and one who'd rather not be bothered, and deservedly so. Believe me, I do know the types. Leave the nice guys alone, eh?

 

[Cheiron]

I don't see how you'd give Nightwish a 6/10 and PL a "very good" response. If NW was a 6, PL was a 0.

One of the worst live opening bands on a major tour I have ever seen. I love midtempo, but damn...they take it to the next level. Repeating a riff over and over. No excitement in their music. The band seriously needs some new songwriters. They were soooooooo boring.

NW was amazing IMO. If they come back, I hope they play in a bigger place and not the Masq again. Killer deals at the merch stand. Anette sounded great on the DPP stuff. Some of the older things I kind of missed Tarja's voice, but I think she did pretty good. Her hair-do for this last show though...

Easily. I like the band. I'm guessing you aren't familiar with them, and not a fan of their albums? Its not like I'm going to a show and seeing a band I don't like and then saying 'they sucked.'

I'm a fan of old -Nightwish. Was listening to "over the hills and far away" today, and its just not even close to the same. I prefer Tarja's voice and she was an important part of my enjoyment of that band. Without a comparable singer, I just can't enjoy it as much. That's all.

 

[Magius]

I'm sure one reason why the show sounded 'better than usual' is that the venue was packed, therefore reducing 'slapback' from the walls, etc. I'd like to thank all of my fellow concertgoers for absorbing all of that sound for me.

I have to agree with RiffDaemon that it sounded better because the volume and mix was done right. More bodies may have helped keep some of the reverb down, but neither Lacuna Coil nor DragonForce sounded as good with as many people.

Yep, even though I never place your forum name with your face.

Next time I see you I'll have my black cowl on and my gold contacts with hourglass pupils in.

 

[Exploding Ned]

Wow, to a certain degree I actually agree with Cheiron. That's almost spooky. No wait, that's my black cat's name. But yeah Paradise Lost flat out cooked IMO. Derek mentioned them and Katatonia on a U.S. tour. That would be amazing. Maybe even bring My Dying Bride along too. All goth metal, all the time.

As for Nightwish, Annette isn't bad, nice person, energetic on stage, seems to enjoy herself, but I guess I'm having a bit of trouble accepting the change now that I've seen them. And of course them playing in the sardine can of mud (Masquerade) instead of maybe Roxy or Tabernackle doesn't help my outlook. Why doesn't the place get demolished like we've been promised for years, I'll never understand. Actually I do understand. It's a money maker. Basically, if Hendrix was raised from the dead and played there, I wouldn't attend. It's that bad. But anyway, I wish Nightwish all the best as always, just still working on accepting the new band direction. The concept of a classically trained operatic singer vs. a pop singer doesn't quite add up to me. I'm sure they could've picked from several singers like Tarja, but they chose not to.

They most assuredly have a master plan for it all, just haveta see how it all comes together in the long run. Financially it probably will work to their advantage. They did seem to go over well with the majority of the crowd.

Great to see alot of familiar faces at the show. PP friends, Record & CD Show friends, tipsy friends.... Good energetic crowd all around.

I'd rate it about a 6/10. The band is good. Tuomas is great. Annette is just an untrained pop singer that has a weak voice. No matter how much they turned her up she has no power behind her voice. Its like she's in a casual conversation up there =(

I was really hoping to like her, and as much as I liked the music she sucked the energy out of me. She really doesn't fit. Some people will continue to like her, but that's okay. She's just not for me. Didn't want a J-pop singer headlining what used to be an awesome band. I don't care if she's a nice person. There's lots of nice people out there. Its more important to be good.

Paradise Lost was very good, and better. They played a good selection of songs and played it well. They got a pretty good crowd reception too. Not as good as Nightwish of course.

One thing I noticed is that I saw the least number of metal shirts at this concert s I've ever seen at a metal show. That should say something about Nightwish's appeal.

 

[Exploding Ned]

I don't see how you'd give Nightwish a 6/10 and PL a "very good" response. If NW was a 6, PL was a 0. One of the worst live opening bands on a major tour I have ever seen. I love midtempo, but damn...they take it to the next level. Repeating a riff over and over. No excitement in their music. The band seriously needs some new songwriters. They were soooooooo boring.

You're just not much of a goth/dark metal fan probably. That's cool, we all have our favorites. Paradise Lost is highly respected in their genre, even with their stupid fit/major label years in the equation. Their music is intense to their fan base.

 

[sh0kr0k]

You're just not much of a goth/dark metal fan probably. That's cool, we all have our favorites. Paradise Lost is highly respected in their genre, even with their stupid fit/major label years in the equation. Their music is intense to their fan base.

Absolutely!! I was going to reply to Nightmare1z's comment as being just as silly as what he/she thought of the previous comment. It's all subjective... Paradise Lost doesn't have the same "goose on the loose" stage presence as Nightwish, but for me their set was powerful and worth the years I had been waiting to see them!

I was more looking forward to Paradise Lost and I wasn't disappointed! I didn't have the new CD yet and when they played the song "Requiem" I was completely amazed and bought the disc at their merch table immediately after the show. It's now one of my favorite CDs of all time, even with it's "boring repeated riffs." :Smug: The intricacies and driving rhythms in each song are finger-lickin' good but barely come across live. Then again, I was in the front row so I couldn't hear much of the piped-in synth parts.

Anyway... not everyone thinks Paradise Lost were boring just because they weren't running around the stage. I'm of the opinion that Paradise Lost does more to progress their genre than Nightwish does, and that to me is big part of my enjoyment in their music, live or recorded.

 

[dcowboys311]

Both me and my friend who attended are pretty big doom fans. I like Paradise Lost quite a bit, but I thought they were flat out awful and my friend agreed. I guess it all comes down to personal taste.

 

[Nightmare1z]

BTW, I was not familiar with Paradise Lost, so I came in open minded. It's not like I'm saying they were boring and I already thought they sucked going into it. I just want to feel some energy on stage.

 

[lee drummond]

Awesome!!
I was the guy with the Finnish and Swedish flags, yea. I also videotaped
'The Islander' and it turned out pretty good i'll post it soon.

 

[crazycamera]

Nightwish was so good at the Masq, but I was disappointed in Paradise Lost! I love their music, but their performance just sucked. After the show at the highlander was OK. It was cool to hang with Marko for awhile, but I will never understand the rock star drunken stupor thing.
Thought..... I really got the sense that the title of the End of an Era CD really meant an End to an Era with the Tarja years. After listening to Bye Bye Beautiful, I think Tarja really burned her bridges with them much worse than I thought. Thus, I think Nightwish is moving on with the new singer and leaving the Tarja years behind them.... Meaning they may not want to play some of their popular songs from the Tarja years... Does this make any sense?

 

[speedy1383]

They definitely picked Annette for a more pop friendly sound which in turn equates to more album sales. It looks like that has worked so far. I do like the new album quite a bit though. Just takes getting used to. I wonder on the next album if Marco will be just as involved in the singing.

IMO From Wishes to Eternity is a much much better live album than End of an Era.

 

[Berek2000]

The band were really cool though. I did an interview with Tuomas before the show and he gave me a pack of the Nightwish condoms, lol.

my friends and i met a girl outside that was putting out flyers about her interview with Marco and pictures she would be posting after the show, she too was given a "gift box". it was the coolest little gift! a definite ice breaker.

 

[lady_space]

You're just not much of a goth/dark metal fan probably. That's cool, we all have our favorites. Paradise Lost is highly respected in their genre, even with their stupid fit/major label years in the equation. Their music is intense to their fan base.

I adore their music, and I quite enjoyed the show. However, I can kind of see other people's point--I think they should have picked a couple of more "uptempo" songs. Not that PL is an "uptempo" band by any stretch, but, hey, Soul Courageous would have gone over well.

The sound WAS better than I've eveer heard it there... Paul's explanation makes sense, considering I don't think I've ever been to a sold out show there before.

Nightwish was enjoyable. they're still never going to be my favorite band, but I prefer Annette to Tarja by a long shot.

Shaye

 

[AMBR]

Nightwish was so good at the Masq, but I was disappointed in Paradise Lost! I love their music, but their performance just sucked. After the show at the highlander was OK. It was cool to hang with Marko for awhile, but I will never understand the rock star drunken stupor thing.
Thought..... I really got the sense that the title of the End of an Era CD really meant an End to an Era with the Tarja years. After listening to Bye Bye Beautiful, I think Tarja really burned her bridges with them much worse than I thought. Thus, I think Nightwish is moving on with the new singer and leaving the Tarja years behind them.... Meaning they may not want to play some of their popular songs from the Tarja years... Does this make any sense?

The fact that the Tarja years were over has been spelled out pretty clearly; no guesswork needed. As for the songs, it appears they'll do the ones that Anette has learned well enough and is comfortable with. Doesn't seem to have anything to do with how Tarja did them. I was surprised to hear Anette had done "The Siren" at some gigs, but apparently she did well. The only ones I'm having trouble envisioning with Anette are "Stargazers", "Passion and the Opera" and "Ghost Love Score". Actually, the way Oceanborn was crafted, those will be the harder songs. I know it's many people's favorite CD, but it's my least; much of the vocals sound to strained to me.

As for the "rock star drunken stupor thing" that appears to be Marco's personal MO for after show relaxation, not any particular shtick.

 

[Exploding Ned]

Yeah Paradise Lost must be doing something right judging by their international fan base... and been together what 15 years maybe? Hopefully they'll return to the states before too long.

Absolutely!! I was going to reply to Nightmare1z's comment as being just as silly as what he/she thought of the previous comment. It's all subjective... Paradise Lost doesn't have the same "goose on the loose" stage presence as Nightwish, but for me their set was powerful and worth the years I had been waiting to see them!

I was more looking forward to Paradise Lost and I wasn't disappointed! I didn't have the new CD yet and when they played the song "Requiem" I was completely amazed and bought the disc at their merch table immediately after the show. It's now one of my favorite CDs of all time, even with it's "boring repeated riffs." :Smug: The intricacies and driving rhythms in each song are finger-lickin' good but barely come across live. Then again, I was in the front row so I couldn't hear much of the piped-in synth parts.

Anyway... not everyone thinks Paradise Lost were boring just because they weren't running around the stage. I'm of the opinion that Paradise Lost does more to progress their genre than Nightwish does, and that to me is big part of my enjoyment in their music, live or recorded.

 

[7thSaviour]

I think there is no comparison whatsoever between Anette and Tarja on any level. I still prefer Tarja to Anette in terms of overall presentation and performance, but that is to take nothing at all away from Anette. She did very well onstage and sang and interacted very well with everyone. IMO, it's like comparing an 11 to an 8, with Anette being the latter. I thought NW deserved a solid A grade for their performance. I'd give PL a solid C.

 

[AkiraRose]

I'm sorry but by what I have heard, Tarja would just stand at the mic and sing, maybe bounce around for a bit. But Anette, she's amazing, she looks like she meshes so well with the band and everyone is so relaxed, and she has FUN on stage when she's not singing.
look at tarja on youtube--she doesn't look like she was having fun on any of the live shows--Annette danced more on any one song last week than tarja did her entire career!!

And PL blew. After the first two songs i was looking at my dad and wisihng that they would just get the hell of the stage and get to the good band. And they did, though it too FOREVER!

 

[lady_space]

And PL blew. After the first two songs i was looking at my dad and wisihng that they would just get the hell of the stage and get to the good band. And they did, though it too FOREVER!

I wish everyone who felt that way would have gotten the hell out of my way so I could enjoy the show. And forever? I don't think they played more than 45-50 minutes... the changeover took longer. Oh, well, sorry so few people seemed to dig PL, but I'm not at all surprised.

For anyone saying they "sucked," well, their songs sounded pretty much like they do on disc, so I'm guessing "sucked"="I don't like them" in most cases. *shrug* To each their own, but just wanted to clarify a little.

Shaye