Article by Dave
Arriving at the Astoria mid-afternoon, the Nightwish fan tradition of getting to the venue ludicrously early has certainly struck again! With the queue already beginning to threaten Soho Square at three o clock, some fans had been waiting for seven hours already. Twenty minutes before doors, the Astoria must have seemed about as reachable as Timbuktu for those standing in a queue which was now snaking its way up Oxford Street .
As the fans continue to filter into the auditorium, the lights dim and support act Tristania take to the stage. It hasn't been an easy week for the Norwegians, arguably the most influential Gothic Metal band currently on the scene. Indifferent crowds and sound troubles have hindered their promotional drive with many negative comments being made by the less open minded members of the Nightwish fanbase. While the band has performed well on the three previous nights, tonight their luck seemed to run out. Dropping crowd pleaser ‘Tender Trip on Earth' disappointed a number of those present exclusively for Tristania while horrendous sound troubles plagued the first half of their set. However, the show did indeed go on and the band managed to recoup some lost ground, with the second half quartet of ‘ The Wretched', ‘Sequel of Decay', ‘Circus' and ‘Angellore' ringing out as if nothing had happened.
Seeing Nightwish five times in one week may seem excessive, but considering the bands current form it is something this reviewer sincerely does not regret. From their first night in London precisely a week ago to Manchester last night, every note the band has strummed on this current UK tour has been note perfect and filled with energy. As Tuomas and company walk onto the stage and launch into ‘Dark Chest of Wonders', tonight thankfully carries on this welcome tradition.
The noise from the crowd in between, and even during, songs is quite simply deafening, a sure sign that Nightwish's time in the UK is finally here. A stunning rendition of ‘Planet Hell' leads into the first ‘old' track of the evening, ‘Come Cover Me'. What a pleasant surprise it is to see the entire venue sing along, especially considering the bands appearance at this same venue in 2004 saw the most embarrassingly muted responses to anything not from current album ‘Once'. It is perhaps just as well that the crowd is familiar with the older material also, as the song that follows is live classic ‘The Kinslayer'.
After a high octane first four songs, things slow down just slightly with a brace of covers, the first of these being ‘Century Child' favourite ‘The Phantom of the Opera', it's popularity in the live setting enhanced by the recent film of the same time. The second cover is played during Tarja's break and is an unusual choice, the prog classic ‘High Hopes' by Pink Floyd. While not quite achieving the technical supremacy of the original, the rendition played tonight is surely one of the highlights of the current Nightwish setlist.
The pace picks up again as Tarja returns to the stage for ‘Bless the Child' and a mid-set ‘Wishmaster', before we are treated to an unusual occurrence. While all Nightwish fans are now accustomed to Tarja leaving the stage for a few minutes at each show, this time it's the male members turn to head backstage for a rest while Tarja performs a solo version of ‘Kuolema Tekee Taiteilijan'. Admittedly this does work as an interlude in what is currently quite a relatively high speed set, however it has to be considered that the band could use this slot to play one of the many ‘Oceanborn' and ‘Angels Fall First' classics missed off the setlist.
As the band return to the stage for ‘Slaying the Dreamer', the crowd erupts and in an unusual sight for a Nightwish concert, hardly a single soul can be seen standing still. Several circle pits break out with a healthy dose of pogo-ing occurring in between. Finally, as the piano begins to ring through the speakers, ‘Nemo', an undoubted live classic, closes the set.
With shouts for a number of different songs emanating from the sold out crowd, it is perhaps a shame that the band choose to begin their encore with a slower number, ‘Sleeping Sun'. It is only after this that the encore really begins, as the band launch into the epic ‘Ghost Love Score'. Surprisingly, this is a song which works exceptionally well in the live setting, despite the obvious reliance on backing tapes and it gets perhaps the best reception of the evening. It may seem a risk to play such a long song in what is a relatively short set, however there really can be no complaints when something sounds as good as this. Finally, as Marco steps up to the microphone, Smirnoff in hand, we know the evening is about to wind up. There's just time for a thank you to the UK Fanclub (cheers Marco) before the band fire up one final time for set closer, ‘Wish I Had An Angel'. The crowd erupts one final time, with movement seen from all corners of the floor, even the balcony is finding it hard to stay still!
This UK tour has unquestionably been the bands most successful to date and proves that Nightwish are now a genuinely popular and well respected band, rather than the curiosity many once considered them to be. Next time round they shall surely be playing larger venues, so it is now time to look back and remind ourselves of what a privilege it has been to see the band play in clubs for the final time.
Setlist:
Dark Chest of Wonders
Planet Hell
Come Cover Me
The Kinslayer
The Siren
The Phantom of the Opera
High Hopes (Pink Floyd cover)
Bless the Child
Wishmaster
Kuolema Tekee Taiteilijan
Slaying the Dreamer
Nemo
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Sleeping Sun
Ghost Love Score
Wish I Had An Angel
