NIGHTWISH - Magic Kingdom: Wonderful World Of Dizzy!
Hot Flashes
Posted on Monday, January 23, 2012 at 09:33:27 EST
Images and words by Mark Gromen
To kick off the the Imaginaerum world tour, with an exclusive one-off concert on American soil seems a far cry from a pair of back-to-back nights in Montreal a dozen years ago. Then, the Finns brought their unique orchestral-tinged metal to these shores for the first time. While the faces have changed and grown a bit older, in a business ravaged by shrinking war chests (of wonder), NIGHTWISH remain one of the few artists who sell millions of albums. Despite a none too secret club show (wink, wink), under the pseudonym of Rubber Band Of Wolves, two nights before, Universal Studio's Gibson Theater was packed with fans and well wishers from around the globe.
Odd, that in the flashbulb popping paparazzi world of LA that photographers can't shoot a live performance with a flash, as scores of kids, just two feet behind the rail, use their I Phones for just that purpose, if not bootleg the entire show outright. WTF? The industry needs to abolish these archaic rule, for the betterment (better quality representation) of the artists. To the Sibelius classical piece 'Finlandia', the band enters the stage one-by-one, beginning with mastermind Tuomas Holopainen, drummer Jukka Nevalainen and seated guest piper Troy Donockley. A bottle of red wine (perhaps from the previous day's tastings in the Napa Valley) is concealed beneath Holopainen's triple bank of keyboards. Guitarist Emppu Vuorinen appears next, followed by the bearded wonder, bassist Marco Hietala. Only when they launch into the opening 'Storytime' does singer Anette Olzon make her entrance, to a rapturous roar. The song not only signifies a new chapter in the ongoing NIGHTWISH saga, but surely solidifies the validity of Holopainen's latest creation.
While the 6000 seat theater is by far the Finns' largest North American concert, by metal standards, this is a safe crowd, largely composed of couples: dates or married, as well as a fair share of moms/dads with their/neighborhood children. That said, there was still an awfully long line for the men's room! A good portion of the audience was from outside California, including many from overseas. One of the reasons NIGHTWISH opted to kick off their world tour here was the ability to use their full production, which includes flame throwers, a rarity on US soil. The initial pair of 'Storytime' and 'Wish I Had An Angel' were peppered with enough fire to be mistaken for one of the Universal Studios attractions: eight canisters across the front of the stage and smaller ones atop the stacks of amplifiers.
With the keyboardist stationary to the audience's left, it was up to Marco and Emppu to interact with each other and the paying customers. Both wandered in front of the monitors, to the edge of the semi-circle, to get closer to the fans, the closest of whom were still 15-20 feet away. Olzon danced around, expressively waving her arms and her face alternating between Cheshire grin and playful mugging to the crowd. Hietala still does most of the between song banter, at one point addressing the “Ladies, gentlemen and multi-sexual alien beings.” I know it was only night #1, but this might be the only area where NIGHTWISH needs improvement, especially with American audiences, who like chatty frontmen.
'Scaretale' is Olzon's new calling card, seemingly handmade for her voice. Marco and Emppu continue to play off each other, but the diminutive blond guitarist is the center of activity, even visiting the Mt. Olympus of synthesizers with a gleam in his eye. The guitarist plays with legs splayed to a distance that rivals his height. Minus the big budget effects, this is essentially the same set as that secret gig at the Key Club, two days earlier. The slow jazz groove of 'Slow, Love, Slow' spontaneously breaks into an audience clap along. Pink and white lights shine down as Jumbotrons flanking the stage offer close-ups of each musician. Ending with the telltale ticking of a clock, upon completion, it received one of the largest ovations of the evening. Case closed on any lingering hints of controversy.
'The Crow, The Owl And The Dove' leads into 'The Islander', the band, apart from Holopainen, seated once more. They remain so for a like minded (albeit newly unveiled) acoustic rendition of 'Nemo', Olzon donning a plumed hat fit for a Bourbon St. funeral procession. After her ingenue moment, she gets a chance to rest, as it's boys only for the lively instrumental jig, 'Call Of the Wilds', Donockley's pipes lending the authentic Gaelic touch. As 'Planet Hell' begins, under a rain of fire, Holopainen is obscured in hues (shades?) of deep purple, flames all around him. Bits of 'Gethsemane' can be heard within.
Newbie 'Song Of Myself' is another standout moment for Olzon, then followed by 'Last Ride Of the Day', which fittingly closes the main set, showers of confetti launched from cannons on both sides of the stage. The band returns for an encore of 'The Poet And the Pendulum' and the always welcome Gary Moore cover of 'Over The Hills And Far Away'.
That was it, for most people, but you ain't really seen anything like a bunch of Finns (band, crew and visiting countrymen/women) wandering around, looking for alcohol, after the hotel bar closes at 1:30am. They simply set up their own, in the lobby, complete with vodka, beer and other leftovers from the evening's rider, much to the chagrin of the nervously onlooking hotel personnel/security.
The band is tentatively scheduled to return to these shores next year. Hurry back!
More photos can be found in a gallery
here.
