Behind the scenes with Nightwish at Wembley Arena | Metal Hammer

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We catch up with Tuomas Holopainen to talk about playing Wembley, working with Richard Dawkins and playing together for 18 years.
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[@livianegidius9772]

Mr Holopainen you should be considered a national treasure or Finland. You are true citizen of Planet Earth Along Nightwish of course.

[@pen7759]

Tuomas,s music has it all. His Nightwish, at least for me, is THE BAND, and I´ve seen nearly it all; Rolling Stones, ACDC, Metallica, Motörhead, Sabaton etc., but Nightwish hits into my soul in a different way very deeply. If I´m sad or glad there is always their music to help out. I´m so thankful they live here in the same time.

[@gregg4164]

I think time will tell that this is one of the greatest bands to have ever made music. i really do. They do not get nearly enough credit and attention as they should. Toumas,s music just simply speaks to me in a way no other has ever.

[@jeffk1482]

Agreed. It may take another decade or two even, but I have no doubt their influence will be recognized more & more over time.

[@toufiq4204]

Yes.

[@razzledazzleist]

Couldn't agree more! This song will hopefully be remembered (along with their other masterpieces such as GLS) and go down as one of the pioneering bands of not just symphonic metal but metal in general. As a biologist myself, it makes me happy beyond measures when i first listened to EFMB. Perfect harmony!

[@jessicasilveiracleto]

#savetheoceans #savetheseaaanimals Thanks toumas and Nightwish for make that great and special album for the planet and as a scientist and a fan I need to say thats my favorite album of all!! 💙🐳🐬🤘

[@Composer1992]

Please always keep doing this forever, Tuomas!

[@ricki21225]

I've listened to many reaction videos of various Nightwish songs & not once have I heard anyone say they didn't like them.. ! In fact they are all usually blown away by what they've just heard! I think that is quite an endorsement for this band. I'm 66 years old, grew up with 70's hair band music & never in a million years would you have convinced me that I would love this type of music! I just came across Nightwish a few months ago & now I'm totally obsessed with everything they do! I binge watch the music videos, have watched documentaries, interviews, whatever I can find on them. I still have to pull some money together though to buy some of their cd's & dvd's. Then I'll be a happy camper!

[@ireen1962]

Me too :-)

[@gertbamse1]

@@ireen1962 Thats my answer. nevermind it`s ok :-)

[@impugnu7852]

@@gertbamse1 It must be a virus of sorts, slowly spreading. A good one for a change :-)

[@Mtaalas]

Dawkins shredding EWI in a metal concert... now that's an image! Thanks :D

[@johannessilver8653]

1996 and on going strong and hopefully forever ; ) like evolution.

[@dylankrogers]

I always enjoy hearing from Tuomas.

[@shawncardwell2688]

You may not be able to do it forever, but your music will live forever!!

[@adas.7011]

Oh... I am seeing this after Human Nature was published and now I am sure it's going to last forever. Toumas and Nightwish have an oceans within , neverending potential and they are such a great human beans. I have no doubt at all: Nightwish is one of the greatest bands in the world and "forever" is just a, short time for all they can still give to the world.

[@joeplant2725]

Hell yes. Agree 100%

[@tonim89]

I see what you did there, with the oceans within thing hahahaha

[@eddiewinehosen6665]

Human beings* lol

[@freeuser616]

thx for all the great music😊

[@NatalijaJ]

I wish they do this forever to ♡

[@darksepher]

Nightwish and Richard Dawkins YES! That's so awesome that Dawkins actually visited them during their show.

[@Libelnon]

I was there. Truly an amazing concert.

[@Powerdrummer1972]

+Will 'Libelnon' Clarke I was there too!

[@SylvainL87]

+Will 'Libelnon' Clarke me too

[@wolfgang548]

+Will 'Libelnon' Clarke I heard Floor mentioned before the second song they were recording the entire show so I believe it we bill out on DVD.

[@vinceeager8553]

+wolfgang548 Floor said in an interview that their will be a live album, but it will be recordings from various different concerts including Wembley

[@sageanimist48]

Me to, My first NW gig as I missed them on the previous one.

[@hankrocks7504]

Fucking love Nightwish! Anytime Im in a bad mood or need to wind down I throw on Nightwish or play some Nightwish on my guitar. She's My Sin is one of my favourites most recently Endless Forms most Beautiful and Elan ! Can't wait to see them live at some point

[@jesscontreras4177]

Yo los vi durante esa gira en 2015 y fue tan emocionante, NW es mí vida , literal mí vida , los vengo escuchando desde mis 8 años , tengo 27 , ojalá algún día puedas verlos , son increíbles en el escenario y el sonido es alucinante ❤

[@jimharris367]

Man i love this band, why the hell did it take me so long listen to them 🤔

[@Mind-your-own-beeswax]

Same. Until 2019 I’d never heard of Nightwish. My music is electronic from the 70s and 80s primarily and just by chance I clicked on a thumbnail with Floor in it. I was hooked after that and that won’t change

[@PaulOutdoors]

@@Mind-your-own-beeswax The same here. Until 11 months ago I had never heard of Nightwish or Floor and I was persuaded to listen to the Poet and the Pendulum live at Wembley and my musical world has been turned upside down and inside out eversince. 👍😊

[@hellwant9326]

I'm 53 years old. Maybe I'm a little embarrassed, because I just discovered Nightwish about 5 months ago. In 2000s, my friend introduced Nightwish through the song "Why your lips are still red". I really like that song. To be honest, I left NW because I really don't like opera's vocal character, which is very dominant, even now. And only "WYLASR" I knew until 5 months ago. Now I really like Nightwish's songs, but especially Floor Jansen's vocals.

[@robcreel4257]

Rock on Nightwish! I would listen forever.

[@joseantmontero]

And WE WERE HERE

[@chrisoraz4099]

Tuomas ,your music is just fantastic !!! cheers from Canada

[@Caminista]

I was thereeeeeeee! It was the first time I saw a show like this (I saw them twice in Argentina) with the screens and fire and lights and the amazing band that Nightwish is! :)

[@justa_inga3951]

I also wish they could do this forever😊

[@AveburyEddie]

Awesome concert !!! Keep on Rocking Nightwish :) \m/

[@markjohn7793]

They played such a good show, I can't wait to see the footage!

[@Zaephyr168]

+Mark Connolly Was it professionaly recorded? :O i hope so

[@markjohn7793]

+MMJeMike Yeah they mentioned at the show! I'm not 100% sure if it's both audio and video. It wouldn't surprise me if they do another DVD release :)

[@SamuelBoy1991]

Can't wait for the DVD

[@cozajinn]

And they will do it forever. Nightwish aren't allowed to stop making music :P

[@edtama]

espectacular!!!

[@TheFoufoutos7]

I love them

[@paranormalpabs3745]

wish they would come to Ireland

[@CJ-sw8lc]

... The world needs more Dawkinses...???

[@MonicaMAngel]

Awsome!

[@RolandDeschain1]

I worry when Tuomas states that the band is happy and in harmony. Because history has shown that that's usually right before a singer gets fired. But I think Floor is a keeper. She'll be in the band for many years to come. She has the discipline, the touring experience and the training to endure the long touring schedules, which neither Tarja or Annette could handle.

[@Joanafandrade]

Hope you´re right. :)

[@kmdcompelelct]

There was one video I watched where I think it was Marco mentioned that Floor showed up for rehearsal of efmb album already knowing the songs from the demos she was sent and that was a new experience for the band. what worries me is Thomas getting getting upset that Floor is getting too much attention. Let's face it, the guy is a genius, but a temperamental one at best, and this is the first time they have tried to incorporate an already well known talent like Floor into the band. She was already a songwriter and had her own following before nightwish and that could lead her to wanting more creative input, even though she has said she is fine with things ass they are.

[@ameliarose727]

kmdcompelelct. Tuomas has repeatedly stated that all band members have free rein for creative input. He only asks that the lyrics be exclusively his, though he does follow the spirit of the contributor's conceptual theme. Marco and Emppu have made many contributions. Floor was asked about her role as a songwriter herself and she said that while she freely gives creative input, she doesn't want to step into song-writing territory as she feels that Tuomas is doing an exceptional job already. She has other outlets for her creativity.

[@TerranigmaQuintet]

@@ameliarose727 She, more recently, also stated that if she did have something she felt would fit with Nightwish or the theme Tuomas migth be going for with an album, that she would not have an issue giving him that input, but hasn't done so as of yet. Which makes me think that any ideas she may have she just does not think fit with what Nightwish is going for.

[@metallicaman5150]

Floor is best singer Nightwish has ever had. He would be foolish to fire her. I also feel there would be serious backlash in doing so.

[@eddiewinehosen6665]

2:53 YES Toumas and far less (preferably none) priests, rabbis and imams etc etc!

[@Happymali10]

Did their documentary ever come out in english? I've only found it subtitled.

[@scw55]

Would have nice to have went.

[@kranattt]

😍

[@nemesisjuggernaut7920]

I love Nightwish, but what’s with Toumas and his evolution obsession? 😆

[@MMManijak]

What is this song? kzbin.info/www/bejne/b3LIY2R6fqeFjbM

[@RolandDeschain1]

+Нічний Мандрівник 'The Greatest Show on Earth' off the new album.

[@MMManijak]

***** thank you

[@GameWithFrosty]

FIRST!!

[@lowroar5127]

Isn't all this wembley thing getting kinda overrated? I mean I'm so happy they could reach that spot, but c'mon they've played bigger shows, even on this tour (czech republic, joensuu, tampere..). On wembley there wasn't anything special but the name of the venue

[@icedyeandy5089]

+Low Roar it was sold out.. imagine being a band that has never done a headline show in the uk before and the first one is sold out, would give me goosebumps

[@Anttimation]

+Andy Pandy Never done a headline show in the UK? Yes they have.

[@Aled1976]

+Andy Pandy The Once tour, Tarja's final UK show at the Hammersmith Apollo in 2005, Dark Passion Play tour, Imaginaerum tour, Wembley Arena ... They've done a few and I was at all of them lol

[@RolandDeschain1]

+Low Roar It's one of the world's prestige venues. Like Madison Square Garden.

[@Mind-your-own-beeswax]

No it’s not. It’s nothing to do with the size of the venue either. It’s iconic and who the hell are you to say how people should feel about playing a certain venue

[@MrBlackholegravity]

Love Nightwish and their music, but Dawkins and his writings, not so much...I'm more of a Watchmaker kind of guy.

[@bigegg7170]

pisses me off when bands only play England in the uk ,the most boring country in the world.

[@Mind-your-own-beeswax]

Shut up you salty fuck. It’s the only country worth playing in the UK 😂😂

[@KissMyFatAxe]

Then don't come to England. We don't want you anyway.

[@carldevries9108]

While I really like Nightwish, they and Richard Dawkins are very much mistaken about the veracity of the theory of evolution. Do your own research. Cheers.

[@aeonspeace6995]

Do you have the proof that there is not evolution? Or what??? Hahahahahaha I have researched info by my own and there is only proofs that theory of evolution is a fact of evolution ...

[@KristiinaBerg]

I adore Nightwish and agree with you, but God works in mysterious ways!

[@aeonspeace6995]

@@KristiinaBerg and that is why you don't know nothing about the fact of evolution, you are very satisfied with "god works in mysterious ways " Hahahaha

[@johnscaramis2515]

@@KristiinaBerg "I don't know therefore god" And for some people it's not only "not knowing" but active denial of knowledge. People like you use god like sanitary silicone, to fill gaps. Sometimes gaps that could be closed by hard work. Filling gaps with a gap filler instead of working properly, how would you call that? For my part that would be bricolage... Ever thought of where humanity would be if all people had a mindset like you? We would still sit in trees. Maybe we would have advanced a little more, but all the fance things you have now would not exist.

[@bradseaver5497]

No egos?! I guess you don't look in the mirror much Tuomas! Ha!

[@harleyquinn8011]

You clearly do not know him at all.

[@bradseaver5497]

I don't have to know him personally to put facts together.

[@harleyquinn8011]

Ha! If you think Tuomas has *any kind of* ego issues, you're so lost and you probably only read yellow press and believe what the internet trolls tell you.

[@bradseaver5497]

I know what was stated in the book, what he and Marco has said in interviews and what Tarja has said. I put everything together and Tarja side makes more sense. They did her so wrong. And then they go and do Anette almost the same way. Who's the "mole" in all of this it's....Tuomas!

[@Mind-your-own-beeswax]

@@bradseaver5497 typical Tarja troll 😂😂

[@mattphillips538]

Love Nightwish, but in a world where churches burn and atheist centers do not, I'm not sure we need Metal+Dawkins. Every Metalhead's worthy of a better tale.

[@lekalla]

Who said anything about burning churches? It would be stupid to erase history. We are not destroying the pyramids either.

[@KissMyFatAxe]

What a dumb comment...

[@mattphillips538]

@@KissMyFatAxe Ever seen churches on fire in Scandanavia because of misguided Metalhead rage? I have.

[@johnscaramis2515]

@@mattphillips538 Ever heard of crusades? A burning church is one thing, but killing thousands and millions of people in the name of any god is a complete other story. Or book burnings by Christians in the US? Be it the Qur'an, science books or popular books like Harry Potter because? Or let's look at some stats: The majority of domestic violence in the US happens in Christian households. Should I start digging deeper? Or better not, because you don't want to know because that might destroy your view of religious people all being good and atheists being bad by definition? But once again my claim is confirmed: belief always comes with double standards.

[@mattphillips538]

@@johnscaramis2515 Your hate is showing. Antithesists killed 100 million in the last century, and are likely to surprise us with some more in the current one. GO TELL THE KHMER.

[@mvellis3863]

Love Nightwish, love their brilliant music, but Prof. Dawkins is full of crap!