Tarja performing nightwish songs: "thoughts?"

[teamventure]

tarja has covered some of the main nightwish songs in her latest touring this year. she covered wishmaster, end of all hope, the siren, over the hills, among others.
what are you peoples thoughts about this? is it good or a bad idea? what other songs has she covered from nightwish?

 

[St Enigma]

As a founding member of Nightwish, why would she refrain from performing the old Nightwish songs? I wouldn't even talk about 'covering' since those songs are originally performed by her.

Wether it's good or bad idea isn't much of a relevant question at all. If her fans wish to hear her sing some of the Nightwish-era songs, then by all means she can do it. Many ex-singers have made a new career out of performing "the oldies" of their bands, but this isn't the case with Tarja, she has plenty of her own material to make proper setlists for her concerts if she would prefer to stop performing Nightwish songs.

 

[teamventure]

i agree. and maybe i used the word cover a little loosley. the croud in the videos i saw went wild when she sang these nightwish songs. it is apparent they still prefer nightwish songs over her material.
does anyone know other nightwish songs she has performed?

 

[amylewis143]

I read in Metal Hammer a few months back, that when she played, it was pretty ok, but the songs lacked power without the Nightwish boys behind her. I'm not sure what i think other than that id rather see her 'cover' songs, than Anette do them, because she ruins the old era songs. I'm not saying the new ones are bad, just she cant sing like Tarja and doesnt give a good effect on these songs.

 

[Melisan]

Listen, as someone who thinks Tarja earned her firing and that she and Marcello got off easy, she still has every right to fill out her set list with Nightwish songs. She sang on them.

This is a common thing among musicians. Slash has been on a solo career forever and he STILL plays GnR songs. As her career progresses and she gets more albums out and more material, Nightwish will fall away. For now, it's totally fine with me that she uses it to fill out her set.

 

[C.]

I don't consider Tarja to be "covering" Nightwish songs, even though Tuomas wrote them. Those songs are identified with her as much as they are with Tuomas. So of course I have no problem with her singing the old songs at her shows.

This isn't the first time the topic has come up in discussion at various Nightwish forums, and really, I have never understood why some people freak out about this. I mean, every other singer who has gone solo from a band continues to sing the songs from their respective band when they go solo, so why are some people offended by the idea that Tarja does the same? Should she not sing Nightwish songs for some reason? Would people ask this question if she had split with Nightwish on friendly terms?

Bottom line for me: Tuomas doesn't appear to have a problem with it, and they're his songs. So why should I?

 

[Stingray11214]

As much as I understand that she would perform the old Nightwish material, I am surprised that she would after she said, "I don't need Nightwish anymore." Those were confirmed to be HER words. So, if you don't need them, why perform the material? Simple question. Can you say, "hypocrite"?

 

[C.]

Well, David Lee Roth thought he was bigger than Van Halen too and what did he do during all those years before VH finally took him back?

And while I agree that the Nightwish material will become less and less as she goes on as a solo artist, I doubt that they will ever completely disappear from her setlists. I mean, she will always have those fans who remember her from Nightwish and who will always want to hear those songs; especially those fans who never had a chance to see her perform with Nightwish when she was in the band, that will be the closest they will ever come to it, so they will always have a desire to hear her sing those songs.

I do somewhat agree with Ray that if she said she didn't need Nightwish, she shouldn't be singing the songs, but let's face it, when it comes down to it, those songs generate money. I really doubt a lot of people are going to her shows to hear her only her solo stuff. Most of her fans have been her fans either since she was with Nightwish, or because of Nightwish. So if she wants to sell some tickets, she's going to sing those songs, even if she may not want to. Sure, it's not exactly true to the heart, but like I said before, every other solo artist does the same, so this is why I personally don't have a problem with it. I have more of a problem with her band trying to play Tuomas' compositions than I do with Tarja singing the song itself.

 

[teamventure]

i think you make a good point. what about tarja's band playing nightwish songs?

 

[WellfearJoe]

Ozzy still does Black Sabbath songs, don't hear anyone calling out him or zakk wylde on it.

 

[C.]

^Exactly!

what about tarja's band playing nightwish songs?

Well, I don't have a problem with it, per se, as that is what they are getting paid to do. I just think that the original band does it better.

 

[Bianca74]

I have to admit at first I was surprised that she performed NW songs in concert. Somewhere I think I read that some fan had asked the management if she has a right to perfrom NW songs and they replied that she has a right to do so. But it's not the same, of course it's not. Wishmaster is a NW song and without the rest of NW it doesn't sound the same, and by that I mean it doesn't sound as good.
Some fan pointed out that why would she WANT to sing NW songs, and I can see what he meant by that. That surprised me too.
But I think I get it now...

Michèle

 

[Vikingjoe]

Didn't Toumas write the songs that she sang. It would seem that they would be copy written or something you know. But your right, why would she want to. You expect to hear that Kick ass sound behind her and its not there.

 

[C.]

Welcome to the board!

I think as far as copyrights go, any band can perform "covers" of any song without permission, but if they are going to release it domestically and make money from it, then they do need to get the band's permission. So if Tarja ever wanted to release a live album/DVD with Nightwish songs, she might have to get permission from Tuomas to put those songs on it. I believe a similar reason was why no "old-era" songs were included on the band's last live album, because there is an issue with the copyright issues in some way.

 

[-Rivfader-]

I don't see the big deal if it is at a live show. Bands do that all the time.

 

[C.]

Yep, even Nightwish.

 

[pyjujiop]

The original composer of a song gets paid every time another musician covers his work. It's not usually all that much, but it's something. I always figured that Tarja was so mad at Tuomas that she would refuse to perform anything he wrote, and I was surprised that she was actually performing NW songs. As far as Tuomas goes, he probably laughs all the way to the bank every time he cashes a royalty check. Especially if it comes from Marcelo's management operation.

 

[C.]

Indeed!

Thanks for clarifying this for us.

 

[SheisMySin]

The more I read about Tarja's Divaness, the more I like Annette.

And that is saying something, because I REALLY loved Tarja's voice, and hated Annette.

She thought she could go solo, but Tumous and the band just confirmed THEY are the heart and soul of Nightwish.

X

 

[C.]

Pretty much; Tarja's solo stuff is OK, some of it even really good, but it definitely lacks the spirit that the music of Nightwish brought to her voice.

I think if anything, the band has proven once and for all that it was not all Tarja.