Nightwish - CD Review
Showtime, Storytime 

DVD Info:
Showtime, Storytime
Artist: Nightwish
Genre: Symphonic metal
Label: Nuclear Blast
Director: Ville Lipiäinen
Language: English/Finnish (with English subtitles)
Rating: 10 of 10

From the beginning, Nightwish’s Imaginaerum tour was unlike any other they’d ever had before: while their stage shows never lacked in stunning displays, this was an extravaganza like no other. For the first time, the music matched the visuals and it was an exhibition for the senses. Staying true to their reputation of growing bigger and grander with each new turn in their career, Nightwish kicked off the tour for the album that beget a movie in what seemed to be the most appropriate location: at the Gibson Amphitheater inside the famed Universal Studios. It was just a few freeway exits away from Hollywood, the home of movie magic and the place where dreams either come true in fairy-tale fashion, or fall hard from dizzying heights into the destitute gutters of Sunset Strip. It seemed to be for Nightwish just as much a “make-or-break” situation, and that certain special luck that has followed them throughout their career carried them all the way to Los Angeles. The show at Gibson went off without a hitch and appeared to set a precedent for what the rest of the tour would be.

However, the same “magic touch” that Nightwish has, it’s also been a double-edged sword; for all the good fortune they’ve had in certain respects, they also seem to be the unluckiest band in the world in others. It seems that the early days of innocence that Tuomas often writes longingly about in his lyrics can also apply to Nightwish tours. Longtime fans can be hard-pressed to remember the last time the band has had a tour where some incident didn’t occur to somehow put a damper on things; where some inner band turmoil or some unforeseen circumstance didn’t rear its ugly head in some way, shape, or form. As the Imaginaerum tour made its way back through North America nearly 8 months later, these personal conflicts would reach an all-time low; ultimately resulting in the very sudden departure of vocalist Anette Olzon. Nightwish had lost yet another vocalist in a controversial fashion.

No explanation was given besides the same old “fundamental differences” excuse that every band uses; that we have all come to translate as, “we can’t stand each other anymore!”. Other than an incident that resulted in Anette’s being rushed to the hospital before a show in Denver, there appeared to be no outward indication that there was anything so wrong that she needed to leave Nightwish; but we don’t always see what goes on behind the stage curtains. While fans tried to make sense of what was going on, there was still another matter at hand: Anette was leaving the band right in the middle of a U.S. tour. There was still at least 2 weeks’ worth of shows to be played, not to mention the rest of the tour, which was still scheduled to go on for at least another year. Would the shows be cancelled? Would the tour come to a complete stop? What was going to happen?

Nightwish fans in the U.S. seemed to always get the short end of the stick when it came to tours being cancelled on them. There were the two tours in 2005 that were postponed and then ultimately never happened. Then the last week of the 2008 tour was compromised by the double-whammy of Hurricane Ike (forcing the shows in the Midwest to be cancelled). Illness plagued Anette even then, and the remaining gigs on the East Coast were also cancelled. The band made up those shows in 2009, but the fact remained that when it came to the bad luck that often plagued Nightwish, much of that was visited upon their U.S. fans. So while fans were shocked and surprised by Anette’s departure, there was also the feeling of “here we go again!” among American fans; feeling that yet another tour would be cut short.

However, that worry was short-lived just a few sentences into the press statement announcing Anette’s departure. Exit Anette; enter Floor Jansen—former vocalist of the band After Forever—to save the day. Without missing a beat, as Anette played her final show in Salt Lake City, Floor was on her way to the United States to take over the following night in Seattle. The tour would go on without any snags or delays. Floor’s appearance was almost like a miracle; she sang the songs as if she’d always known them, one could hardly tell that she had only learned the setlist during her flight from the Netherlands to the States. The remaining shows were a success, and fans were indebted to the tall Dutchwoman for saving the tour.

This same feeling of gratitude was not just limited to the fans in the States; it traveled all the way across the pond as the band made its way to the UK and back to its home country of Finland, where the much-anticipated Imaginaerum movie premiere awaited. Floor won over the loyal Finnish audience as well. As the tour made its rounds through South America at year’s end, then Australia and Japan in early 2013, and then hit the European festival circuit in the late spring and all through the summer; Nightwish fans everywhere were “Floored”. Long-retired classics started making their way back into the setlist. The onstage chemistry between the band and their newest frontwoman was friendly and playful. Nightwish looked like they were having fun onstage again.

With each stop on the tour, public opinion became more and more unanimous: people wanted Floor to stay. She had brought back new life into Nightwish and was the best of both worlds; she had the operatic abilities of Tarja and the rock/pop sensibility of Anette, so fans of either vocalist found something to like about her. But it was clear from that very first press statement that Floor was just going to fill in during the tour. Tuomas said in several interviews that a decision about a new singer would not be made until at least 2014 at the earliest. It was pointless to speculate, but fans did anyway. Floor seemed like a perfect match for Nightwish; many fans had hoped as far back as 2007 that she would have been the singer to take Tarja’s place, so for it to happen now was like a dream come true. But it wasn’t enough. Fans wanted this to be a reality.

So when it was announced that there would be a DVD to encapsulate the moment in time that was the latter half of the Imaginaerum tour, the ever-running Nightwish rumor mill kicked into high gear. Fans were certain that this was the band’s way of saying that Floor was in the group; why would they go through all the trouble of shooting promo photos and making DVDs if she wasn’t going to stay?

The band hadn’t made a proper live DVD since 2006’s End of an Era, so some fans were disappointed that while there would be something new, that there had never been an official live DVD release with Anette. The most they got was the live album Made in Hong Kong (And Various Other Places), yet there was nothing on film to chronicle her time with the band other than the bonus DVD from that album, and of course, the Imaginaerum movie itself. But there was no live concert DVD that chronicled the Anette Olzon era.

The fact that Anette vehemently refused to be seen on the documentary of the new DVD only seemed to further perpetuate the idea that she was slowly but surely being erased from Nightwish history. At the very least, if you were only documenting the band’s history through their live DVDs, there was no evidence that Anette Olzon had ever existed. However, considering the circumstances surrounding Floor’s appearance in the band, and the fact that Anette had made the decision to be excluded from the DVD, some fans felt that Anette was shooting herself in the foot by allowing her history with Nightwish to become nothing more than a blip on the screen.

The past 10 months with Floor was like a revisit to the glory days with Tarja, and fans were happy to breathe in the fresh air that Floor had brought to the band. From the moment she stepped onto a stage in Seattle to the show at Wacken that would be filmed for this DVD; Showtime, Storytime was set to capture all the magic and excitement that the union of Nightwish and Floor Jansen had now bestowed upon their audience.

Part One: Wacken 2013

A fade-in shot of the Imaginaerum carousel, in sync with a cheering crowd, comes into focus. The text on-screen informs us that the tour began in Los Angeles, as the list of all the shows to come after rushes across the screen at lightning-fast speed. Facts and figures about the tour flash across the screen as the tour dates roll like movie credits in the background. Then the screen fades to black and when the picture fades back in, we are introduced to the Wacken audience of over 82,000 people; their fists raised, and even one of them with a Nightwish tattoo across their arm. There is a sea of hands giving the “universal metal greeting” of the horns, and then we see Jukka take to his drum kit, as he counts off the intro to “Dark Chest of Wonders”, and gets this show started!

Flashing lights and pyro serve to feed the frenzy of the crowd frantically headbanging in unison under a summer night sky. Then Floor appears, decked out in proper metal attire of black leather, and the already-enthusiastic crowd goes wild. Floor proceeds to do some serious headbanging, grabbing the crowd by the jugular and never letting go until the song reaches its explosive end.

Marco ushers in the Once favorite, “Wish I Had an Angel”, performed under creepy crimson-colored lights. Tuomas is headbanging behind his massive keyboard setup, and fans in the crowd are singing along to every word. Floor provides some lovely vocalizations during Marco’s singing parts in the chorus. Floor takes this song to a sinister place with her interpretation of the song’s naughty lyrics. The audience is so into it; there is crowd-surfing galore as Floor and Marco trade off vocal duties.

Once the song is over, Marco formally introduces Floor as “the new girl”, and Marco decides that because they have a new face, that they should play an old song. The opening notes of “She is my Sin” hit, and the audience is chanting along as Floor rouses them to clap their hands. Floor rocks it all the way to the end, and keeps this momentum going on the next song, “Ghost River”. Her vocals are strong and aggressive enough to match Marco’s, making for a wicked little duet. Floor does some slinky dances and headbangs like a champ as Marco chants the infectiously catchy chorus. At one point everyone is headbanging onstage as the crowd-surfing ensues. Then Floor brings us all to our knees with her gorgeous vocals in the bridge.

Jukka takes a beer break while Floor compliments the crowd and segues into the Century Child classic “Ever Dream”. Her vocals are pure and sweet as the crowd is stunned into awed silence. People are air-guitaring in the audience as Emppu throws out guitar picks. The mood is both playful and intense all the way through and into the next song, “Storytime”; where Floor is headbanging so much that her hair whips like a windmill! The audience claps all the way through the instrumental break, and Floor gives us a taste of her operatic chops. Would it be inappropriate for me to mention that the camera shows a really hot guy in the crowd that resembles the late Peter Steele? ;)

Marco urges the crowd to “keep their eyes wet” as “I Want my Tears Back” kicks in. Troy Donockley makes his first appearance onstage, where the notes of his Uilleann pipes gently blow in the summer breeze. Floor jumps around joyously during the middle of the song.

There is a moment of silence, and then Floor asks the crowd to scream as loud as possible. This goes on for a few minutes before kicking into “Nemo”, which has returned to its heavy roots after taking an acoustic turn earlier in the tour. Troy’s pipes add an extra layer of depth and texture to this fan-favorite. Even Tuomas cracks a smile! A fan sums up their feelings by flashing a sign thanking him “for the emotions”. Couldn’t have said it better myself! And just when you think your heart couldn’t burst any more with love, Floor gives us some beautiful vocalizations towards the song’s end that could just make you cry.

Floor leaves the stage for her break, and then the stage goes dark. All you can hear are the cry of Troy’s pipes and the gentle lilt of Tuomas’ keyboards. Soon the guys in the band return for the instrumental “Last of the Wilds”, where the sounds of Emppu’s guitars, Tuomas’ keyboards, and Troy’s pipes duel in an epic battle where everyone is a winner! The crowd claps along enthusiastically; a sea of hands in unison.

All is silent for a moment as the crowd chants “Nightwish!” over and over. Then Tuomas’ keyboards usher in the “Bless the Child” intro, and it can barely be heard above the enthusiastic clapping of the audience. A flaming heart appears on the big onstage screen, and there is more crowd-surfing to be had. Floor returns to the stage to belt out those lovely operatic notes we all know and love, and have missed dearly! Her onstage outfit has changed too; she’s still rocking the black leather, but this time she’s got on a short skirt with a very long train. Emppu drinks a beer while Floor dances to the groove. Floor alternates between operatic high notes and belting it out with gusto. More gorgeous vocalizations from Floor bring this song to its stunning climax.

Marco takes the mic and announces that this show is being filmed for DVD. He makes a goofy attempt at a joke as he introduces the Once song “Romanticide”. This is probably one of my least-favorite Nightwish songs, so I am neither here nor there about it, or which singer does it. But Floor does a great job by bringing back the operatic parts; her voice is impassioned and strong in the verses where the original version has always come off a little cold and sterile to me. The pyro abounds as Marco’s thundering version of rap-rock towards the end of the song takes center stage; showing why he is one of the strongest male voices on the metal scene today. Then to show that Floor can keep up with him, she joins in with a vocal part of her own that will leave you begging for more!

Floor urges the crowd to sing louder as the Dark Passion Play hit “Amaranth” starts up, accompanied by clouds of smoke. The crowd sings along, and Floor shows her approval. Floor gets the crowd to chant along during the middle part, but there are no “hep-heps” here. Her voice is almost sinister as she sings the “reaching, searching” part. Marco shows off some nice vocalizations of his own!

The crowd goes absolutely nuts when the tap of Jukka’s drums tell us only one thing: that “Ghost Love Score” is about to play! Floor has said that this is her favorite Nightwish song to sing, and the one song she wishes she’d written; it’s clear that the song loves her too, because they sound so extraordinary together. I only hope that now she is staying on, this tune will make a full-time return to the setlist on the next tour, so that the U.S. fans can finally get their chance to hear it! Even the crowd is stunned into silence during the song’s softer part, as they slowly get out their lighters and cheer. Hands are waving in the air and the flames shoot up into the sky as the song reaches its pinnacle. Fans are singing along, some of them even look as if they are moved to tears.

As if one Nightwish epic isn’t enough, let’s have another! No sooner than the crowd can gather themselves after “Ghost Love Score” do the opening notes of the Imaginaerum opus “Song of Myself” kick in. Floor’s voice is that subtle mix of sweetness and ferocity that the song captures; she and Marco sound so good together. Floor and the crowd headbang together in sync. This is my favorite song from Imaginaerum, so getting to hear it live 4 times on the last tour (twice with each singer) was awesome. Hearing it here reminds me of why it was the highlight of the shows. Floor has added some new flavor since those early shows; singing the orchestra’s parts in her operatic voice as the song abruptly cuts off before what is known as the “spoken word part” on the studio version.

Floor thanks the crowd and is certain that this DVD is going to “kick ass!” because of the amazing crowd. Marco agrees wholeheartedly, but Floor reminds us all that even the best things come to an end, and it’s time for the “Last Ride of the Day”. This is a great show-closer and I hope they will continue to use this as their closer in the future (makes a much better closer than “Wish I Had an Angel”, which they used for years!). The flames fly high and everyone onstage and out in the crowd are headbanging frenetically; giving it all they’ve got now that we all know that the show is reaching the end. The camera captures the hot guy that looks like Peter Steele again (thanks!). Security has their hands full with all the crowd-surfers! The stage is cloaked in smoke and fire, also giving it all it’s got before the end as a burst of fireworks lights up the night.

Credits roll as the “Imaginaerum” song plays on the speakers. The band each comes to the front of the stage to ultimately take their bow. A girl’s sign implores Jukka to toss her a drum stick. Emppu throws out guitar picks. More shots of the audience; can I just say this again? What is it in the water that makes the crowd of European guys good to look at? Why can’t we have eye candy like this in the U.S.? Ahem, anyway...the band takes their bow before the audience, then turns around to pose for the photo that would ultimately end up on the cover of this DVD. Emppu raises his beer bottle as the band disperses, and the last we see is of Floor and Tuomas walking off together with their arms around each other.

Overall opinion (of the concert footage): While it’s a no-brainer for any band to film a DVD at a festival like Wacken, I also think it was a good choice to film this because it so perfectly captures both the energy and the magic of the entire tour, and maximizes it. Getting to hear these songs in the U.S. on a smaller stage is one thing, but to see the same reactions from a crowd a great deal larger than that is another. The audience is an endless sea of faces and a roar of cheers all heard in unison, from the front of the stage all the way back beyond the reach of the camera lens.

For the first time, fans get to hear high-quality live versions of the many songs Floor has done on the tour; from the recent Imaginaerum favorites to the tried-and-true classics that have been off the setlist for so long they seemed almost new again. Another first, is that just by the live performance alone, we can hear that Nightwish finally has a female vocalist who can hold her own side-by-side with Marco. It’s not to say that Tarja or Anette didn’t sound good with Marco, but both lacked the assertive power that Floor so clearly has, and displays here. It’s hard to explain until you hear/see for yourself. The other two vocalists were powerful in a different way. Floor not only complements Marco’s vocal delivery, but she matches it with some aggression of her own on songs like “Romanticide”, “Wish I Had an Angel”, and “Ghost River”; just to name a few. Troy is also a fantastic addition to the band musically; his pipes chime in on songs where you never expected to hear them before, but now that you have, you can’t imagine hearing them any other way again. Both of them add a new dimension of depth and color to the overall Nightwish sound, and if this is how the dynamic has worked with songs written before they were in the band, then I can only imagine what a powerhouse they will be when they get the chance to perform songs that were written for them in mind.

The Wacken show is a stellar example of what the latter half of the Imaginaerum tour came to be, and a solid reference for anyone who wanted to know what those shows were like. If this is your first introduction to Nightwish, or your first Nightwish DVD, it’s not a bad place to start; considering that this officially marks the beginning of the newest chapter of Nightwish.

Part Two: The Documentary (Please Learn the Setlist in 48 Hours)

The video begins immediately with a disclaimer, informing the viewer that due to “circumstances surrounding her departure”, former vocalist Anette Olzon chose not to be featured on this documentary in any way, shape, or form. Her name is not even mentioned; she is just referred to as “the former vocalist”. So you get the idea where this documentary is heading right away.

“A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away…” the narrator begins, and we know it’s time to settle in for another chapter in the ongoing story of Nightwish. As the credits roll and list the bandmembers as though they are actors in a film, we see a montage of various footage from the tour, and of the band in various stages of preparing for the shows ahead.

The documentary begins in Denver, on the night of the infamous show that seemed to set the wheels in motion for Anette’s inevitable departure and has ultimately caused the second “split” among Nightwish fans (those who side with the band, in that they had no choice but to do what they did; and those who side with Anette, who feel the band has not learned their lessons from before). For the first time, we get to witness what fans in Denver saw firsthand; as well as seeing it from the perspective of the band. A fade-in to a beautiful blue Colorado sky opens up the documentary, to what the narrator refers to as “the most peculiar Nightwish show ever”.

The narrator goes on to say that the U.S. tour was “under dark clouds”, and that a “flu epidemic” did not make things any easier. The last thing anyone wanted to do was cancel a show, but when the tour bus pulled into Denver, it looked like more of a possibility than ever. A nurse had told Anette that she should not sing with the flu; yet once this diagnosis was made, the doors were already open and the fans were flocking into the venue, pumped up for the show. Not exactly an ideal situation under which to cancel a gig.

As the Nightwish fans eagerly assembled into the Ogden Theater, the band is gathered backstage with management and other crew members in a meeting; as the narrator explains that they have come up with an alternative solution that might work, but only if the audience was willing. It was a long shot, but at least offering a choice was better than just canceling and leaving a venue full of unhappy Nightwish fans to go home. We watch as Troy and Tuomas approach the stage, and as soon as they appear, the crowd goes crazy. Needless to say, we feel the band’s reluctance to tell them what must be said; and the viewer feels for the audience too, in that we do not want to see the fans’ disappointment after such a rousing response just by watching two bandmembers walk onstage!

Tuomas stands somberly onstage while Troy takes the microphone and announces that he has “potentially bad news” for everyone. He lets the crowd know the severity of the situation with Anette, and that she is on her way to the hospital as they speak. It is then that another option is suggested: the band still goes on with the show and tries to wing it as best they can, with Elize Ryd (singing for Kamelot at this time) taking the stage for the songs that she knows the words to. The rest of the time Marco will just take over what vocals he can, and the crowd can fill in Anette’s parts when necessary. At this point Troy lets the fans make their decision: if the crowd wants the gig to be cancelled, then to just stay silent and “keep your arms down”; if they want the band to play on and make do with what they have, then to just raise their hands and cheer. From there we see a wave of arms raised in the air (maybe a few random ones not raised at all), and a loud unanimous cheer that they still want to see Nightwish, even if they are short one member.

Now the band had less than an hour to get ready: 55 minutes, to be precise. Not only is Elize willing to help out, but Alissa White-Gluz (also singing for Kamelot) offers her vocal services too. Both of them are now scrambling to learn as many of the lyrics as they can in a race against time; consulting with the band to see which songs they can help with, or which of the songs they might know the words to. We see crew hands rushing to print lyrics off the computer, or to write them onto sheets of paper. Alissa and Elize are trying to listen to as many songs on their iPods as they can while Marco works them out on acoustic guitar. As they cross out songs that just cannot be learned in time, Elize suggests swapping out some songs for others that she is more familiar with. Jukka shows the camera the new improvised setlist; the band’s lineup for the evening huddles together in a group hug, and they hit the stage to make the best of a bad situation.

Elize and Alissa emerge onstage holding each other’s hands, arms upraised in victory. Both of them sing “Storytime” to the best of their ability, which isn’t half-bad! They’re reading the lyrics on pieces of paper, not getting them quite right; but considering the situation, they get an “A for effort”, in my book. After it is all over, we see the two women share their thoughts on what has just taken place, as Alissa expresses the sentiment that it was “a very special Kamelot/Nightwish show” and something that fans will “never, ever see again”! We also hear from Tuomas, admitting that he never felt as scared as he did just two hours before. He shares the sentiment that tonight’s show was proof that Nightwish is about more than just one bandmember. It hearkens back to the old axiom adopted by acts like The Temptations: “no one person is bigger than the group”, and it’s an adage that all bands should adhere to (yet few actually do).

Too bad not everyone appeared to feel the way Tuomas did, because there was still the matter of Anette, who awaited them at the next tour stop in Salt Lake City. They still didn’t know if she would be well enough to perform or if the doctor would clear her for the show that night. Nightwish was once again facing the possibility of canceling a show. They got by with guest vocalists the night before, but for how long could it go on? Elize and Alissa were hired to sing for Kamelot, and they could not be expected to pull double-duty for the next two weeks. Nor could fans be expected to pay good money for shows where they were getting “crowd karaoke”; or singers unfamiliar with the material and already busy enough with their own jobs to take time to learn the songs proper. Something had to be done, but what?

Luckily, “Anette decided she could perform”, and the show went on. But we all know the “inflammatory situation” that was hinted on the documentary: most fans probably remember that Anette wrote a vituperative post on her blog, expressing her anger over being “replaced” in Denver, and comparing herself to acts like Britney Spears or Rhianna, artists who would never be replaced onstage if they fell ill. Between that blog post (which is not mentioned here in the documentary), and what we have seen from the footage so far, it’s clear that the inevitable was bound to happen, and Salt Lake City would be Anette’s final performance as Nightwish vocalist. The editing team on this DVD does an excellent job of showing the gig without us ever seeing Anette or hearing her voice, as per her wishes. As we hear the final notes of “Last Ride of the Day”, so it is that Salt Lake City was “Anette’s last ride with Nightwish”.

In the next shot, you see Tuomas at his laptop computer, writing the press statement that would be announced publicly on October 1st. We see Floor Jansen’s name flash across the screen, and then Marco talks a little about his feelings of nervousness and anxiety over what the future would bring.

The tour bus heads towards Seattle, and the arrival of Floor Jansen. We see her conversing with Tuomas, while the narrator explains that she had to learn 15 songs by the end of the night. Floor has her headphones on, singing along to the songs and already taking her job seriously. Fans outside the venue convey their enthusiasm over what they are hearing from the soundcheck inside. Tuomas compliments her by saying she has learned these songs in only 2 days and already sounds good; but he refrains from giving too positive of an assessment, saying that 5 shows from now might be a better indicator of how things are going. Jukka is a little more optimistic, considering that they had never “shared a stage” with Floor before. The soundcheck went well, but how would they fare once they got in front of a crowd?

Tuomas encourages Floor to “enjoy the experience” as they get ready to take the stage, and Floor agrees. “I really want to,” she says. As the audience claps and the band heads for the stage, we know it’s crunch time. Marco introduces Floor to the crowd and Nightwish proceeds to wow them with “Dark Chest of Wonders”. We see a high-energy performance, and everything looks like it’s going to be OK. Floor talks to the camera a little bit about how she loves singing the songs and loves the lyrics “even though they’re complicated”, but she also shares with us her worry that she would “completely fuck up” and not do a good job.

So we move on to the following night in Portland, Oregon; where Tuomas admits it’s still hard for him to wrap his mind around all the new changes, and is still reluctant to say if this is going to work or not. He declares that he is suffering from a “bad mental hangover”, and is still hesitant to talk about the events that led to what has happened.

Troy offers a few words of his own, and before you know it, we have transported back in time to the beginning of the Imaginaerum tour; where perhaps we, the viewers, might get an idea of how things could have turned out this way. We return to January 2012 and a shot of the Hollywood freeway. Welcome to Los Angeles, my hometown! Shots of the ever-present palm trees interspersed with typical L.A. traffic is a familiar, comforting sight to me; taking us to where Nightwish is rehearsing for the tour, at Sir Studios in Hollywood. We hear the band practicing “Finlandia”, and even though it’s less than a year earlier from where this documentary began, everyone looks so much younger and less stressed-out!

Speaking of stressed-out, we are reminded that the previous tour lasted for such a long time (nearly 2 years!), that it “threatened to break up the band”. So this time it was a conscious effort to not stretch everyone so thin, and that there would be proper breaks in-between tour legs. Everyone seems more relaxed by the idea that they are not going to tour constantly for the next 2 years, and that it should be an easier process for everyone. Marco mentions at this time that it’s been over 2 years since the band last played together onstage, and that it’s time to get back on the road. Tuomas talks a little about the setlist, and the songs that will or won’t be played. I am instantly reminded of our interview together that weekend, where he talked about how “Wishmaster” was the one song they were all tired of playing. He mentions that here too.

Then we get to see some of my personal favorite memories of the tour: the weekend of the tour kick-off, starting with the secret gig at the Key Club! Did you really think that a Nightwish tour could start in my own backyard and I wouldn’t be there for it? Yeah, right! And of course, Tuomas says that the show was “secret for about three minutes” before fans caught on who it was. I’m not one to name names, but perhaps a certain North American Nightwish fansite helped to spread the word? ;) As Marco goes into Ringmaster mode on “Scaretale”, I catch sight of two of my friends in the crowd who were right up-front and center. Good job, ladies! Already the memories from one of the best weekends of my life have been immortalized on this DVD.

The next day shows the band’s meet-and-greet at the Sound Check record store in Hollywood, which I was not able to attend (the event was announced shortly before the gigs, with no time for me to coordinate a carpool), but it turned out that not everyone in the band was there anyway. Tuomas was conspicuously missing, and no one knew why. I still got my CD signed (thanks to my friends who did go), but the mystery behind Tuomas’ lack of attendance was one that would not be solved ‘till now. Was he sick? Did he have some terrible emergency that kept him from being at the meet-and-greet? While elated fans are jumping up and down in excitement over meeting the rest of the band, we see Tuomas in San Francisco, visiting vineyards and trying out different wines that will end up as part of the future Imaginaerum wine. So the mystery has been solved, folks! Tuomas was perfectly fine and he had very good reason to not be at the meet-and-greet. Onward!

Back in L.A., we see shots of the band enjoying their time at Universal Studios, and then the big show that everyone has been waiting for. Photographs of the gig flash on-screen, while Troy tells us all that the band vibe is great and that he hopes that this momentum will keep going for the rest of the tour. As the saying goes, hindsight is 20-21, and those words have a sad tinge to them as we know now that this didn’t happen in quite the way he might have hoped then.

We leave the sunny shores of Southern California behind and return to the snowy landscape of Finland, where the tour starts back up again after over a month. The first show with “the big production”, as Tuomas calls it, begins in Joensuu. The mayor of Kitee, the band’s hometown, is expected to attend. As usual, Tuomas downplays things by saying, “it’s very flattering that they find our show interesting”. How modest!

As the shows roll through Finland, Russia, and the Ukraine, we see various behind-the-scenes footage; everything from a “Jukka-cam” that shows us the Nightwish gigs from his perspective, to watching the band act like tourists as we all do whenever visiting places they’ve never been. And what Nightwish DVD would be complete without what has become the traditional staple: goofing around and acting silly?

The band makes their way to Gothenburg, Sweden and through the rest of Europe, and we learn some facts and figures about the mileage on the tour bus. We also meet some more crew members that help make the Nightwish trains run on schedule. Basically, we discover a lot about what goes into the shows and the tour, and it’s more than just the individuals onstage!

Tuomas gives us his insight on what his vision for this stage show has been, and how he has wanted it to deviate from a typical rock show. We see fans expressing their love of the music and how it makes them feel. We also see a fan who has been to his 15th show and has a tattoo of the bandmembers on his arm. Wonder how he feels about Anette’s departure now that he has a permanent image of her face on his body? We see Marco meeting up with fans and signing things after a long show, as we hear his thoughts about all the trivial stuff that happens during the day while waiting for the big moment to play a gig.

Paris is the next stop, and while everything else about the stage show is planned to the smallest detail, Marco’s onstage banter is one thing that is subject to change! Marco’s onstage jokes abound, and “Slow, Love, Slow” plays to a crowd holding up their cell phones and lighters to illuminate the arena. We join Jukka again for another peek into how things go behind the scenes, as he is our guide through the various spots onstage where each bandmember goes and where their instruments are set up. A secret is revealed: behind the massive display of Tuomas’ keyboards, we find a designated spot just for his wine! More light-hearted fun as we watch the band play a friendly game of craps, and then we watch the band discuss how certain songs will play out onstage. Troy educates us about the Uilleann pipes at this time, and how they differ from the traditional Scottish bagpipes that everyone thinks of.

As the summer festivals take us through Ruisrock in Finland and then Masters of Rock in the Czech Republic (where we see the only image of Anette in the entire DVD; on a billboard advertising the gig), Marco meets a Nightwish fan while touring the town and it’s his lucky day because he ends up on the DVD! He asks Marco a question, and then it’s on to the concert, and more behind-the-scenes info about the pyrotechnics of a Nightwish show.

With that, we return back to the United States, and where we left off in October of 2012. It is here that Tuomas talks a little about how Floor was among his top choices when it became obvious that a replacement would be needed in order to finish out the tour (the fact that they were already acquainted and that Floor would likely know a good deal of the material was also a plus). “You have a couple of days to learn 15 songs and finish the tour with us. How does that sound?” Not exactly an ideal job proposal, but there you have it!

While Troy discusses how great the American fans were through all of this, the camera pans to yet another favorite memory of mine from the tour: the Nightwish show in Anaheim, which happened on my birthday! The camera pans immediately to my friend and her two sons, who stood in front of me in the meet-and-greet line…and what do you know? Even though it’s for half a second, I have ended up on a Nightwish DVD! No, I’m not going to tell you which person I am; I’m not the main attraction here (which is all well and good!), but I do admit the Nightwish fan in me is pretty psyched about this.

OK, back to the DVD…as mentioned, Troy gives a little insight about his take on the American fans and how positively they responded to the unexpected changes. Some more facts and figures: of all the thousands of tickets that were sold for those shows during the last 2 weeks of the tour, only a handful of people requested to have their money refunded. All things considered, it isn’t a bad percentage, given that the band was literally changing its lineup overnight and there was no transitional period to speak of. People would not get to hear in advance what Floor sounded like with the band, how they would gel together, or how her voice fit any of the songs. People bought these tickets on the premise of seeing the band with Anette, so it was truly an “enter at your own risk” situation. Yet once again, the band’s typical knack for beating odds stacked against them happened here too; and an incident that might spell disaster for most other bands only further increased the fan frenzy for Nightwish. Troy sums up the experience with his charming European modesty: “we didn’t get cabbages thrown at us!”

As we watch the California scenery through the windows of the band’s tour bus, Marco and Tuomas share their thoughts about the pros and cons of life on the road. As usual, Tuomas has a way with words that makes you feel as though you are right there on the bus with them! The band’s bus driver is also interviewed, as we get a good look at the band’s “home away from home”, and all the creature comforts that help make traveling life a little more bearable.

As we watch footage from the show in San Francisco, Floor talks a little about the chemistry between her and the other guys, and how helpful they have been in making her feel welcome. If you are familiar with Nightwish DVDs, then you know that this comes with good-natured humor and silly pranks! In Floor’s case, the band and crew do not hesitate to make jokes centered around her name and how it means something entirely different in English than it does in her native Dutch! It’s all in good fun, and Floor takes it in stride as she plays along with them.

“So far, so good” seems to be the vibe among everyone as the U.S. tour comes to a close, and Nightwish makes their way back across the Atlantic and to the UK. Tuomas begins his morning in Glasgow with the mandatory cup of coffee, and a funny comic where “former Nightwish singers” is the punchline. From there, the band is on the go, and Jukka talks a little about the various sights and landmarks he has seen all over the world. However, some of these sights are not so pretty, as we soon find out as we follow the band through the streets of Glasgow! There is a welcome sight when the camera spots a fan huddled beneath a blanket, waiting outside the venue. She is the first one in line, securing her spot at 8 a.m.!

There’s more to love about Floor than just her voice; she also has a great attitude which shows in her mature approach when discussing the singers who have come before her, and expressing her gratitude towards the fans who have so readily embraced her. So far the Nightwish audience had enthusiastically welcomed Floor, but the biggest challenge had not yet come: how would the reaction be once Nightwish returned to Finland, and performed to their home crowd with their newest Dutch export? No doubt it was somewhat of a surreal situation, as this show was also the premiere of the Imaginaerum movie, which featured Anette; so fans would have both the image of the former singer onscreen, contrasting with the present singer onstage and in the flesh. They were performing a sold-out show with family and friends in attendance. So far this show more than any other, even more than those first ones in the U.S., was a true test as to whether or not the band’s decision to bring Floor in was accepted by their closest associates and most longtime fans, who could also be among the most critical. As the crowd jumps up and down in sync, waving their hands in the air to “I Want my Tears Back”, there are no doubts left that Floor has passed with flying colors.

The enthusiastic cheers of the crowd at Hartwall Areena quickly fade into memory, as the sandy beaches of Rio de Janeiro greet us. The band has crossed the continent again for their Latin American tour, and their oftentimes fanatical South American audience, who are shown singing along to “Nemo” in voices so loud you can hear them right alongside Nightwish! The band, who are more used to colder climates, sometimes find it difficult to play in “sauna-like temperatures”. Tuomas talks a little about his struggles with stage fright and how he has ultimately come to terms with it. The enthusiasm of the South American fans is rewarded when “Wishmaster” makes a return to the setlist. Looks like the band has rekindled the spark for this song that just a year before, they all declared to be sick and tired of. Even Tuomas gets into the spirit of the South American fervor by taking off his shirt and throwing it out into the crowd!

Some brief images of a Finnish Christmas flash on the screen as we segue into the band’s Australian leg of the tour to kick off 2013. Tuomas makes no bones about admitting that their time in Australia is really more a vacation disguised as a tour; as we see the band relaxing with cold beers and grilled shrimp. We also get a peek at the band’s pre-show ritual huddle before hitting the stage.

As the tour winds through Japan, on to the summer festivals and ultimately towards the end, we are treated to more facts and figures about how many shows the band has played, how many countries they have visited, and how long they have been on the road since starting a year and a half ago. As the final shows approach, each of them share their thoughts on what the tour has been, and how they will miss it once it’s over.

The show at Wacken has come and gone and been filmed for this DVD, and now Nightwish stands on stage at the M’era Luna Festival, their final show of the Imaginaerum tour. People in the audience are in tears, and the band seems to feel this same sentiment as Floor and Marco share their thoughts with the crowd. Each of the bandmembers are asked what they will miss about this tour, and what they would like to see done differently on the next one. As the crowd headbangs their hearts out to the final moments of “Last Ride of the Day”, the band takes their final bow, the narrator bids us farewell, and take us to the end credits, where we watch various funny moments with the band that remind us that no Nightwish DVD is complete without hilarious tomfoolery, and that this documentary was going to end on a positive note!

Overall opinion (of the documentary): For better or worse, this was an honest look at a band’s life on the road, and sometimes it’s not a pretty picture. From the beginning of the tour and the band’s optimistic hopes for what the future holds, to the end when some things did not turn out as planned yet everyone is still left with the wistful sentiment of what has been; the viewer is taken along for the ride and feels every twist, turn, and bump in the road. If anything, this documentary was meant to show the difficulties a band faces day-to-day, but unforeseen circumstances stepped in and radically altered the course of what we would see; making this even more raw and honest. We watched as the band struggled to pick up the pieces of their splintered faction, we felt their doubt and their apprehension as they tried to make the best of a precarious situation, and we rooted for them as the negative turned into positive.

There are funny moments, such as Troy nearly forgetting his pipes as he prepares to hit the stage, or playing pranks on tour managers, to name a few. So while the entire tour was not cast under a cloak of solemnity, it’s apparent that this documentary was meant to show that the “rock star lifestyle” is not all glitz and glam, and it’s not all about getting drunk and screwing around. It’s a serious business, and sometimes harsh decisions must be made because no matter what, “the show must go on”. Sometimes things must be done that go against emotional ties or personal bias, because there is a bigger picture at hand. While we watched the band go through those various ups and downs, we also met those unsung heroes that work diligently behind the scenes to make sure the Nightwish shows come off without a hitch; showing that there is more to Nightwish than just the people you see onstage. There is a conglomerate of crew hands, tour managers, bus drivers, and countless other workers that keep the wheels turning no matter what crazy detours threaten to throw them off-course. Perhaps the viewer can better understand how or why it is that certain things had to happen as they did.

I think that this documentary did a good job at showing that a lot of hard work goes into making a tour run successfully, and that the band plays but a small part in the grand scheme of things. When things go badly, you can sense the stress and frustration felt by everyone. Likewise, when things go well and all the hard work pays off, there are no words to describe it. When you see a crowd full of smiling faces, when you hear the band recite their motivational mantra before hitting the stage, or when you watch Floor singing “Ghost Love Score” with such intensity that the veins in her neck pop out…it’s almost as though just by witnessing all that went into these things beforehand, you can feel a little bit as though you were a part of it. And well, maybe that’s the hidden twist behind this DVD, because that is the payoff for all the drama and all the tension that goes with this: it’s for the fans, it’s so that each Nightwish fan who buys a ticket can walk away feeling that they have just experienced something special.

Maybe fans watching this can better appreciate what it takes to make these shows happen; that they don’t just materialize out of nowhere, and that it really is true when a band says that their life on the road revolves around those moments onstage. There is even a point where the music transcends the musicians, and we not only see the fans through the eyes of the band, but we see the emotional reaction to the music through the eyes of the fans too. At least in my case, watching footage from shows I attended, seeing my friends on the DVD (and even myself for half a second!) and remembering the happy times that had nothing to do with the concert or the band at all; it becomes more than just memories about a Nightwish concert, and meetings among fans become more than just gatherings to see a band we love. It becomes a sort of “family reunion”; where friends are made and lifelong bonds are formed. Some of the people I met that weekend at Gibson, I will never see again; still others, we now meet up all the time and look forward to our next opportunity to meet up with one another. Yet I consider all these people my friends now, and these wonderful friendships came from our mutual love of these powerful songs that Tuomas has written. And isn’t that the power of music, to bring people together?

Perhaps not all fans watching this DVD will feel this or recognize this sort of camaraderie among each other, but the point comes across loud and clear that the fans are just as much a part of this strange and fantastic journey that is Nightwish. If there were no Nightwish fans, there would be no reason for Nightwish to perform concerts, so perhaps this is the secret alchemy behind the magic of Imaginaerum. Both needs the other to function and it’s that inter-dependence that not only keeps us coming back for more, but insures the band’s future in that there will be more to give. The best part of this DVD is watching the band rise from the ashes of all that threatened to break them, and seeing that indeed, they have a future, and every Nightwish fan will be waiting with bated breath to watch it unfold.

Special thanks to Oceansouls of America and Nuclear Blast USA
Extra-special thanks to Loana at Nuclear Blast USA
Photos provided courtesy of Oceansouls of America (by DVDVampire)

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