Article by Jessica Ball
Well, we started out at 1pm, got the car filled up with petrol, blah blah, ended up following the AA route finder and going around the Yorkshire Dales for 2 and a half hours. Was fun though. Stopped for a few mins in the middle of nowhere, and about a mile off, there were sheep, and we could hear them from the car..that made me laugh..Passed some funny places as well, for example, Giggleswick and Wigglesworth...gave some entertainment.
We finally got to Rios at about 5:30pm. Got out the car, walked over to the fence and watched as the unloaded NW stuff and as Marco walked around a bit. We went for a walk around the front and, to my suprise, I became very, very, very shy so we walked around Rios and found a shop and got a bottle of coke. Walked back around and at by the wall on the other side of the door, and that's where Stuart came and joined us.
After a little talk by the car, and some free-food give a way, we walked around and joined the queue, which had grown rapidly in about 30 minutes. That was about..oo..6:30pm?
2 hours later, an hour after we were supposedly supposed to be shouting our heads off and rocking out to Nightwish, we finally got to go in, where we faced another hours wait of naff music and, in my case, two guys next to you who won't stop moving about and shouting three miles across the other side of the room.
947586298769 chants later and the sound techs were still bustling about, checking things they'd already checked half an hour ago. Then the bulb in one of the lights went. One of the guys had to climb up onto the lighting thingy and replace the bulb. That caused some distraction for a few seconds.
At 9:30, the lights went out, and the intro began to play. Screaming, yelling, chanting, jumping, you name it, we done it. If my memory serves me right, Marco came out first. Then..was it..Emppu? *swoon swoon swoon* Then Tuomas. Crowd went bloody mad. Then Jukka, and lastly, Tarja.
They opened with Dark Chest Of Wonders, one damn fine track to open with, i must say. That first blast, the one that hits your face like a brick wall, it was like no other experience. And I don't think the shock of standing a few feet away from my idols had passed over yet. It was only the start of the show and because we'd been standing in the same room for like, an hour, the heat was almost unbearable. But like hell was i moving. Well, only to jump and headbang. Lots. And wave my arms madly, and sing.
Then onto Planet hell, another song i'd been waiting to hear live. This was where Jukka really started beating those drums. All I can say is.. wow. The drumming on the tracks on the CD sounds so great on my fantastic stereo, infact, they sound great on any stereo (Even the little crappy ones in my IBook). But hearing those intro drums live, with the choirs, it was like being in my very own battle. As I've explained before, I see Planet Hell as being a very war-sounding song, especially the intro. Marcos voice was top notch. A powerful voice as well as a very talented bass player - every bands dreams. Just lucky our band has that player, eh?
She Is My Sin next, and wow. I don't really like this song, but live..It's..wow. That one really got the crowd going. Really really. I must say the fans do like the older songs more, though I personally don't. However, hearing Tarja singing these high notes in the chorus live, as well as the guitar. It's over-whelming.
Then Phantom Of The Opera, I was suprised at how much the crowd liked this one. It was about this time that the crowd started shoving. Marcos voice was great as ever, It all sounded just like the album. I was quite happily singing my head off, rather badly (sorry if you were any of the guys around me).
End Of All Hope, the crowd weren't too excited by this one, but we all gave it our best all the same. I loved it personally. At this time I actually had some space so I was jumping about like..something that jumps an awful lot. I love this song a lot, it was this song that actually got me well and trully into Nightwish. I love the first verse with just Jukka hitting the snare and Tarja singing. Then when the whole band come in, it's fantastically powerful. Needless to say, it was 100x more powerful live.
Then Nemo. I was close to tears here, I've been waiting to hear this live ever since I first heard it. Tuomas's keyboarding here was beautiful as always, and emppu was really going for it. So close to tears. Tarjas voice, her face, they were both full of that same sadness we see in the Nemo video. It's beautiful how Nightwish can show their feelings while singing. Though poor Tarja did get her words mixed up here, but like a pro, she didn't flinch, just kept singing.
Then Sleeping Sun. Don't know if it was just me, but I think the crowd went to sleep here. I loved it though. Beautiful. Not much to say.
Megadeth cover now, and it was excellent. I listened to the song a few times before going to the gig and I can say now, there were no flaws in the music, or in marcos voice. It was a great cover indeed. In fact, I reckon it was much better than the original. More full, where-as the original was kinda empty.
Bless The Child was one I said I'd kill to hear live. The opening was just..it sent shivers through me. Tarja was at her highest here, belting the song out like no tomorrow. Excellent. I love the short orchestral part in this song, and especially the lyrics. The chorus, it was spine-tingling.
Higher Than Hope almost had me in tears as well. When Tarja started singing "Time, it took the most of me" and so on, I couldn't contain myself any longer. I was singing my heart out, and pretty soon, everyone around me was as well. Emppu was fantastic here.
for the past half hour, the crowd had been shouting "WISHMASTER!!!!" In between songs. And now, as the beginning of Wishmaster belted out of the speakers, we all joined in, yelling "MASTER! APPRENTICE!" and so on. Two guys about two rows in front of me were really headbanging now. Hair flying everywhere. I've seen Wishmaster live on the From Wishes To Eternity DVD, but you can't compare a DVD to a live song, and Wishmaster was more than better than what I expected. It was fantastic. I can still remember shouting "MASTER! APPRENTICE! HEARTBORNE! 7TH SEEKER!" Ah it was fantastic.
Over The Hills And Far Away, Jukka was brilliant here. Could really feel the bass drums go through your whole body. Not much to say though, not really a fan of their covers. The highlight of the song was definitely Jukka.
Now, let me point out. This is where big fat ugly guy shoved in next to me. Wailing his head off, screaming, shouting, bashing, pulling, grr. Did anyone else hear him and his "MARCO YOU *£$@£&$@£$ RULE!!!!!!"? Grr. Then, I hit him on accident putting my hand up and I said sorry and he goes "*pats arm* It's okay pet" O_O But yeah, everyone around him wanted to punch him.
"NIGHTWISH! NIGHTWISH! NIGHTWISH! NIGHTWISH! NIGHTWISH!" *Encore*
Dead boys Poem brought out the lighters and the swaying hands. You could see the pain on tuomas's face as he played this, as everyone knows this is his most personal song. As he played that piano tune as Dead Boy spoke, I was nearly in tears just by looking at Tuomas's face.
and then half way through. They stopped.
And on came Slaying The Dreamer.
I went mad. The whole crowd was shoving and pushing but I didn't care. I was just going for it. " I'M A PRIEEEEEST, FOR THE POOREEEEST!!" and so on. I've waited 2 years to hear that song live. Excellent song. You can feel the anger on Century Child, but live? The anger is astounding.
And then they ended with Wish I Had An Angel. The crowd got really rough then. People were nearlly falling over, but all the same there was no way anything was going to stop me belting those words out like no tomorrow. Especially at the end, we all chanted so loud and hard. They couldn't have picked a more perfect ending. You know the ending of Wish I Had An Angel? Every single one of us was screaming it out. "I WISH I HAD AN ANGEL! I WISH I HAD AN ANGEL! I WISH I HAD AN ANGEL! I WISH I HAD AN ANGEEEEL". Perfection at it's highest.
After that, everyone moved out. A few people had fainted during the gig as well. Met up with Stuart again, and Acid. Said our goodbyes, and I got hugs!! anyway, we got a pint of coke (haha) and went to the merch stall and got a Once shirt, then sat down for the first time in 6 hours. Finished our coke and went outside into the refreshing cold air. I tried to look around the back to find Stuart again but there was no way I was going to stop Dad getting to the car to sit down.
All in all, it was fantastic. there's no words really to describe how excellent it was. I will never, ever forget it. No way. One of the few highlights of my life. Perfection.
