I woke up in the morning and
realized that this was THE DAY. Long waited Nightwish gig on Hartwall
arena, perfect. The day as cloudy, very windy, and it rained few times.
Me and my family arrived to Hartwall arena at 12.30. There were about
twenty people already waiting.
When came out from the parking hall the
two massive pictures of Nightwish greeted us, from the walls of
Hartwall arena. The Finnish bank Sampo had released a credit card with
Nightwish picture. Its available only from Sampo to Visa, Visa Electron
and Mastercart credit cards. (Waiting my piece for coming).
We went
to upstairs of Hartwall arena to Hesburger to have some lunch. Eating
that hamburger was quite hard because Nightwish was doing their sound
check at the hall, and heard it all. The songs we heard were Phantom of
the Opera, The Siren, Sleeping sun and the beginning of Bless the
child.
It was still too many hours to the gig, so we went to the centre
on Helsinki to shopping. I felt great because there were many people
wearing Nightwish shirts and we all smiled to each other.
Coming back
to Arena was fun. And as soon as I arrived there and met my friends
from school. We sang together Nightwish and opened our voices bu
singing the names of Nightwish players. We saw many cameras out there.
And those camera interviewed some people.
Finally the clock came to
18.30 and doors opened. In the same moment the doors opened started
chaos. Safety guards shouted that if we don't stop pushing they won't
let us in. It didn't help much. Luckily everybody survived in without
dying.
In the Arena I saw at least three Nightwish -shop stalls.
Unfortunately I lost myself there too. They were selling many things.
Different kind of shirts, the best was that one where read HARTWALL
ARENA 21.10 NIGHTWISH ONCE MORE, I think that shirt was available only
there. Then there were Nightwish Once Off Tourbook, and the other tour
books from this tour too. Posters from this gig. Nightwish has also
released a notebook about the sings of Once. It will come on public
sale later. It fascinating that there were also on sale the records of
John Two-Hawks. Here in Finland there is no his records on sale (Nobody
haven't even heard about him, before Nightwish made him known). It was
good to get that record from there, because buying it from internet
doesn't sound good.
Sonata Arctica didn't feel at all as the 'second
band'. Audience was shouting to them and they even know their songs by
heart. Which was great, because it would have been boring to sing along
alone. Their monitors were beautiful. They looked as an ice, but I'd
say they should be an extremely well imitated plastic. They played for
us songs from each of their albums, the songs I remember are Misplaced,
Blinded no more, Don't say a word, Fullmoon, Replica, Black Sheep, Last
Drop Falls, Victoria's secret, and the last song which Tony dedicated
to his 'very good friend, for whom he and the whole band is so much owe
to, Mr Tuomas Holopainen'.
During the time between Nightwish and
Sonata Arctica, I went to the corridor and got some new friends. Saara
was from Kotka, and she had came with her boy friend, she is not the
'true Nightwish fan', but founds the music ok. Next to sat a couple,
who think that seeing the band as Nightwish is the part of all-round
education. Everybody I talked to seemed to be very proud of that that
Nightwish is from Finland and wants to end their tour to Helsinki.
Few minutes before the gig, two boys in front of may wondered it would
nice to got a wave motion to go around the hall. So we tree stood up
and started to create it. We got twenty people with us, and it took
about twenty times to make it move but we did it. Wave run through the
hall with rising hands and cheering. It was wonderful. Also those who
stood on the floor cheered when the wave crossed the stage. Then the
gig started.
Lights went of and the audience cheered. I've never
shouted like that in my life. Tarjas voice said: 'Once I had a dream,
and this is it!' Players came to the stage, and finally also Tarja
arrived. First song was Dark Chest Of wonders. They continued to Planet
hell. The atmosphere was so tight that I don't have words for it. They
used bombs a lot and it looked great. Tarja told us, how thankful the
whole group was about that, that they have a possibility to end their
tour here in Finland. After Phantom of The Opera the back screen with
ist angel fell down. Everybody were shocked what happened, oh no not in
this gig, that can not happened. Answer came when we saw the waves of
the ocean reflected to the five 'new' back black screens, so began The
Siren. During Sleeping sun, they reflected to the screen a northern
night sky with its stars and northern lights. It felt like being at
home. After that came their cover song from Pink Floyd Higher than
Hope. When it came to Tarja to stand alone in the stage by singing
Kuolema Tekee Taitelijan (Death creates an artist) It was so full of
emotions that I and many other people around me cried. I don't know
exactly why. Maybe, because the song is in Finnish. It touches also
those people who doesn't understand English well. It's a poet from so
deep from one mans heart that you can't do anything else but listen
when Tarja sings it. I think that the most waited song on that concert
was Creek Mary's blood. Not only because of John Two-Hawks but also
'cause it means for Tuomas so much. And that he now has a chance to
perform that song with a real Native American Indian felt good. John
played us one song I didn't reckon and then he sang to us. Everybody
stood stil. Felt like the whole 14000 people wouldn't breath when John
played. I've never seen similar behaviour from rock audience. The way
they performed the Creek Mary's blood was unbelievable. And the
respect from the audience to John was so special. He felt like a Holy
man when he uttered the poem. The last song was Wish I had An Angel.
The air was full of happiness, joy but also sadness about the break
that would tear us apart from Nightwish for two years. When the
Nightwish has left the stage on the back screen was written 'I Had a
dream (in the middle of it was the picture from Once with Nightwish
text) and this is it'. It summed up the whole Nightwish career from the
very beginning to this day. Its time to create something new. Because
this was the end of this part.
The whole set list is here on the right
order:
Dark Chest Of Wonders
Planet Hell
Ever Dream
The Kinslayer
The
Phantom Of The Opera
The Siren
Sleeping Sun
Highest Hopes
Bless The
Child
Wishmaster
Slaying the Dreamer
Kuolema Tekee Taiteilijan
Nemo
Ghost Love Score
Creek Mary's Blood
Over The Hills and Far Away
Wish I
had An Angel
This is very embarrassing that I can't tell you what
kind of the concert was. If I say good, unbelievable, spectacular,
amazing, the best ever, I can found my self in the ocean of words who
means' nothing. There is now word how good that concert was, how well
they played, how great songs Tuomas has composed. All words are
meaningless, they can't tell it. I have seen many good concerts, but I
have always had a word for them. When I left from Hartwall Arena I
couldn't speak anything for the half an hour. Everybody asked what's
wrong. Nothing was wrong, I just couldn't speak. And then I just cried
for another half an hour. Still when I think about it I start to cry.
They're tears of joy and pain of letting go for two years. According to
the www.nightwish.fr the DVD and CD from this gig should be released on
June 2006. Now we can only wait for that.
What I've told about the
gig is only my view, and there is 14 000 different kind of feeling
about that gig. For me it was the best experience during my whole life.
And I can say, that it must be a great miracle if there's anything that
can go forward of this experience.
During this two years, I want you
all to come to visit to Finland.
With Love Sinisiipi

