DragonForce Herman Li Reaction to Nightwish Bassist Quitting! Marco Hietala Leaves Band

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DragonForce guitarist @HermanLi reacts to the shocking news of Nightwish long time bassist & co-vocalist, Marco Hietala leaving the band. See Herman Li's reaction to Marco's reasons for quitting the band. Is the music industry in such a bad shape that more and more professional musicians will quit? #hermanli #dragonforce #nightwish
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DragonForce is a Grammy nominated platinum selling metal band. For over 20 years, DragonForce have tour around the world and shared the stage many great bands including Iron Maiden, Metallica, Megadeth, Helloween, Sabaton, Nightwish, Powerwolf, Amon Amarth, Hammerfall, Amaranthe, Blind Guardian, Stratovarius, Avenged Sevenfold, Five Finger Death Punch, Trivium and more on Roadrunner Records, Nuclear Blast Records, Napalm Records.
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[@DreamwithintheHeart]

I personally would rather have Marco retire and have him around to play another day, than to lose him to depression like others before him.

[@phantomechelon3628]

This...so much! Peoples' mental and physical wellbeing always has to come first. This last year has hit so many so hard.

[@henkraadmaar4072]

second this

[@bridgeburner909]

Well said, we’ll miss him so much but we’d all rather he looked after his mental health

[@arturama8581]

Let me start by saying I'm not a Mental Health Professional, I just have a lifetime of first hand experience. I read Marco has had mental problems - depression - before. The worst you can do, being depressed, is nothing. And what I hear from his statement is: he has thought a lot. Doing nothing (by Corona-crisis) has probably given him the opportunity to think too much about all the things he should avoid thinking about. I mean, being depressed, you're constantly balancing, your - low level of - energy, your lack of enthusiasm, with keeping busy with something you dislike to do the least. In his case, making music. If he's been - IRL or only in his head (thinking about the unfairness) - fighting the Recording, Publishing and Marketing Companies, it will have cost him a lot of energy. When my energy level drops too low, I loose all interest, loose confidence in people in general. I will become very reclusive and thoughts of suicide become stronger. Those thoughts are always there, but there's a difference between it being present and it being in your face all day and night. I see reference to that too in Marco's statement (the 'getting dangerous' part). Sometimes it can be good to lay low for a while, if there's too much going on to process, but he has to start doing things soon again, just to prevent more 'thinking', which would only get him in a downward spiral. But he will probably have all the (professional) help he needs being who he is. So, I hope he's keeping his head filled with music, instead of with thoughts about 'the companies'. Better for him. @Phantom Echelon: Not really. Someone's wellbeing isn't very interesting to most people. At first people are kind, thoughtful, etc. But after some time it gets normal. Then people start letting you feel that it has taken long enough and it's time you stop complaining, so you start to hide it. If you ever really want to know how a depressed person is feeling, you ask how he/she is doing and if that person aswers: 'fine, thank you', You say: don't lie to me! How are you REALLY doing? Then, and only then, you'll get an honest answer!

[@Luke-jf7xo]

i agree he needs to do what he needs to do!

[@dervsoh2468]

Nightwish never will be the same again. Marco not only played the bass, his voice was a trademark too. I wish him all the best for his future and his health.

[@streetx4817]

Same everyone said when Tarja left, and Nightwish reborn with Floor! Only one who can't be replaced is Tuomas! Marco wants to go solo, to sing! Good for him. I'm Nightwish fan before Marco joined.

[@devcor]

Now we need for Tarja or Annet to form up a band with Marco (:

[@N3r0ThlHeavyMetal]

@@streetx4817 Too bad Tuomas doesnt care anymore.

[@ObviouslyKieran]

@@streetx4817 I would've rather had Tuomas be replaced than Tarja.

[@dac2007]

@@streetx4817 he didn't leave to go solo, he already had a solo project, you are totally making that up. The reasons are probably beyond our understanding but are more personal than professional according to the statement

[@lrdstrahd1]

As a Nightwish fan I am so sad to hear of this. He is an amazing musician and showman. I hope the band survives this. But, I understand his reasoning and respect it. Marco will be missed. I was a DJ for 26 years (part time). I completely understand the expenses of organizing and insuring myself and shows. I had to pay licensing fees for the music , liability insurance to protect the venue and patrons, insurance to cover my gear, transportation costs, new equipment purchases, replacement and repairs to current gear, storage space, rentals, employee salaries and of course purchasing new music. All of this times 14 kits that ran out of my company (ability to have 14 shows same night with employees running other shows). The list is endless. Then compare that to how much you make and most times you are lucky to break even or make a small profit. That is mostly due to greedy venues and a lot of others undercutting prices so far as to make playing some shows at a loss. They are usually guys out of their garage, that have great gear but charge rock bottom prices just to get the business and most of the time they are not properly ensured or even pay the proper licensing fees and don't care that they spent a fortune on gear that needs to paid for as long as they turn their small profit. This in no way compares to a massively popular band with a world wide following, but, I can completely understand the situation and logistics they face because of it.

[@nurgleslefttentacle6844]

This isn't new. The music industry has always treated the artists woefully. Yes, they elevate a few individuals but on the whole most struggle. In a strange way I'm happy that Marco didn't leave because of the band. That leaves the door open for him to come back. It's also heartening to see people like Herman and Sam making best use of online platforms and keeping in touch with the fan base.

[@katy9291]

Doesnt sound like he will be back :( it sucks.. seems like he wants to focus on his own music, which I can understand.

[@benjaminbjam]

I am glad Marco said what he did about the Music Industry. About time these artists speak up about it. And fans need to realize, there is a lot more that happens behind the scenes than they understand.

[@PossessTheRage]

My favorite band talking about my second favorite band. This shit sucks. Shocked to hear that he quit.

[@SeclipseR]

I know how you feel, i feel the same way. I was waiting 3 years to see them live and now Marko quits 😥

[@donpruett9194]

I don't blame him, his health is more important. And it seems like the big shots in the music industry are getting even greedier

[@venjames]

Thank you so much for talking about this it really clear some of the things I didn't understand

[@Icipher353]

Very sad day for the Nightwish community, but Marco has given 20 years to Nightwish and his health and wellbeing has to come first. If he is no longer fulfilled by being a fulltime musician, I just hope he can find something that makes him happy.

[@ellal6915]

It is time for musicians and artists to build their own platforms. I think we are on the verge of a renaissance of independent film and music.

[@TorresRicardoBHZ]

It was a shock for me when I read Marko's letter but, he has his reasons... It's sucks not seen him on stage with Nightwish!

[@MisterMunkki]

I think direct relations between the artists and the fans will develop more and more (patreon and such), as the dinosaurs of the music industy dies

[@mnewm21]

that will depend on how patreon and such treat those artists...fine at present but what happens is Spotify buys Patreon and suddenly the artists are getting screwed there as well...Bandcamp is the be all for a lot of musicians but what happens when bigger platforms buy them it is always going to be living on the edge I think...the consumers also need to acknowledge that the creators have to make money to keep creating but I don't think that a lot of consumers acknowledge this anymore they just want their free or 99c songs!

[@xacxdcx]

The music industry will find a way to get money. Especially if metal, rock, country, etc. bands keep dying so the producers/industry get to create solo artists that are easier to manage.

[@GloomTart]

It's also kind of a delicate balance to manage the risk of that. It means that instead of having an investor-like record label who will front you the cost of an album recording in exchange for X% of the revenue or whatever, you would have to crowdfund the album. Also a lot of these fan platforms have terms of service that allow them to kick just about anyone off the site for violations of terms of service that they can change at any time. As an artist you could lose a good chunk of your income just like that. I do agree that crowdfunding / fan supported schemes cut out some of the middle men, which is great. But I'm not sure how many bands have deep enough pockets to do investments like album recording and promo themselves.

[@floriL3636]

so many fans were blaming wintersun for having their patreon exclusive stuff... maybe now some of them realise that this may be one of the few ways for the musicians to survive in that industry. I think that will be the future.

[@justn707]

Was going to say same, and if not patreon then at least a way to donate on the website of the band/musicians.

[@TheStrykerProject]

"...it's dangerous for me and people around me if I keep playing." Wow. He's absolutely fed up, and I can't say I blame him. edit: *can* should have been *can't*

[@unbekannternutzer25]

You mean you *can't* blame him, right? Little typo big difference

[@TheStrykerProject]

@@unbekannternutzer25 Well, crap. You're correct. Thank you for noting my mistake!

[@pete_lind]

Even from the small talk that Tarja Turunen and Floor Jansen had on instagram , they are frustrated when they have not been able to meet and play with their band members . Tarja living in Spain and her band lives elsewhere and Floor in Sweden and rest of the band in Finland and England . Marko did that Xmas concert stream , thats about all whats been going on after spring ... normally he has done gigs the whole year , solo projects and Nightwish . Then you have the situation with , Live Nation , thats party owned by Saudi government , making money from music they wont let their own citizens listen .

[@luna7157]

Topic: Depression. Video: Serious Herman disappointed in industry. The BGM: *Extreme Power Metal*

[@SyntheticFuture]

Got to balance things out 👍

[@christianvalencia2584]

which is the name of BGM?

[@lunahetfield]

Christian Valencia background music probably, coz i can hear cosmic power of the infinite shred machine at 6 mins in

[@NamelessOne22]

He was a member of Sinergy with Alexi, I wonder if his death effected him.

[@aurinkobay7118]

100% it did.. I mean look at it. Both are fathers. Yes Alexi is a step dad .. that little girl lost her DAD. Marco's kids are his biological .. so he is looking at this whole thing with divorce, I got remarried. it is bad enough I am on a tour 3-4 weeks at a time, plus i am falling into depression + it is thankless job thank you f*ck you record labels. Record companies DID not touch profits from the sales of the merchandise, now they are. that would piss me off as well.. I even asked Ewo once if they kept all the profits from sales. He said yeah everything from albums from tshirts. Losing Alexi is a HUGE loss to Finnish music scene since Finnish music scene is NOT as big as people think and many band memembers are in each other's projects +/-. Marco will be fine. He is a strong guy but I am glad he grabbed this beast by its horns.

[@nemeseax7123]

Possibly...such a sad times 😭

[@RaymondBCrisp]

I don't know Marko personally, but how could Alexi's death not affected him profoundly? If you look at pictures and film interviews, Marko seemed to treat Alexi as a younger brother. That's a tough loss in anyone's book...

[@digitechs1]

Não sabia disso! Aliás o nome tem cara de finlandês ( hietala) mas, diziam que ele é alemão...

[@Crovax]

6:50 "Imagine do what you love just to survive"...man, that would be a dream for lots of people. i hate to be that guy, but welcome to planet earth Herman. I do what i don't like to survive everyday.

[@dragonforce]

True. Good point! - Herman

[@mnewm21]

but if you want quality music then you gotta hope that some people get to do what they love and can earn a living from it as it sure makes my life more enjoyable...whilst I do what I don't want grumble grumble :D

[@dusty3913]

I hear you. I would say it's the same deal for all "production" line workers. That we do almost all the work and don't get a fair portion of the profits. The difference here is that an artist (like a musician) works so much harder than I do in my 9-5 and are the creative force behind the "product". And, I have no emotional connection to my company's product like a musician has for their music.

[@digitalspecter]

Yeah, too many people do work a job they hate just to survive.. but I don't think it's the dream that you get to do something you love just to scrape by. The dream is that working people get to live decent lives and have a say in their jobs. I guess you'd have a few suggestions how your job would be more tolerable.. but you don't have a voice. That's a big problem in pretty much every field and we should foster unity and solidarity between workers to achieve better situation. Workers have power if we unite.. that's why they want to divide us... Here's hoping for the better future for us all, peace and love :)

[@gregtheflyingwhale]

@@dragonforce Would it be a good idea to make a video about how little streaming companies pay musicians and what to do to change it?

[@socmonki]

Marco has to do what makes him happy, and I'm sure the other members support his decision. I think everyone knows someone with mental issues, spouses, family members, yourself. Lots of musicians suffer from it, and sometimes that makes the best art (Van Gogh anyone?). But it seems he has a great support group, as he said he has his kids, wife, family, dogs...that is worth it's weight in gold. Medical professionals can help, but having a team that you can depend on is probably the best. I hope he figures it all out. I know how frustrating it can be. Hope he continues to make music because I love his voice and bass skills.

[@petebishop1603]

20 years, Jesus ... I remember when he was the "new" bass player. Lol. But in all seriousness, what a massive contribution he made to the band. His comments are interesting. I think he senses that this industry is changed forever - and he's not so keen on what it's becoming.

[@metalvisionsongcontest7055]

Tuomas: "I can't take another lineup change." Marco: "Hold my bass."

[@staropramen478]

Worst case scenario would be just that, that Nightwish just ends here. Best case scenario would be that they dig up and revive an old hardcore Viking who used to roar epic battle cries in battle.

[@Jutubowiec1]

Also Tuomas : "Nightwish is not just one person" . I hope they survive as a band becouse even without Marco they are very good.

[@metalvisionsongcontest7055]

Valdemar Partanen Maybe DragonForce's former bassist Frederic might give it a shot? 😁 Or DragonForce's rejected triangle player Stevie T...?

[@antoniomartinez602]

It's not funny

[@d.lacerta6336]

too soon, man. too soon 😭

[@KharminD]

I don't mind paying prices for concerts and shows, but I would find it easier to do if I knew that the venue and the artists got a larger percentage. Some venues, I know, are as bad (or possibly worse!) than record companies. Still, it seems to me that the share of profits has never benefited the actual producers (read: musicians) of the content.

[@mattb.2740]

In the past, artists were able to demand bigger shares of the gate from the venues because the albums were huge money makers. Touring was done more to promote the album than as an actual revenue stream. Now, it's flip flopped. Artists make an album to promote a tour to make money. Problem is, since they can't subsist off the sales and royalties from the albums anymore, they are forced to tour to make a living. That means they have no negotiating power anymore and the promoters and venues can take a bigger piece of the pie and leave artist with the crust.

[@redpillbulgaria-v2.063]

@@mattb.2740 Great & simple explanation 👍 👏

[@gavinferrie3161]

@@mattb.2740 yep, that's exactly how it works these days. Either these greedy promoters and streaming services don't seem to realize that they are slowly killing the very bands they rely on for their own income, or more likely, they are all looking for short terms mega-bucks and don't give a damn about the future of the music industry.

[@jacklynland3109]

Musicians should be paid more like actors. There should be protections for musicians like there are for actors.

[@R---66---R]

Quite so...not even talking bout sporters.

[@Buffalodan66]

FUCKING LOVE MARCO. I'm crushed.

[@redpillbulgaria-v2.063]

Yeah, it sucks. Big Time 😡

[@RealAuroraWest]

Me too, but hi's health is more important

[@T1hitsTheHighestNote]

There's an old word for having people, in this case musicians, work for you for free. Slavery.

[@paladinminipedro707]

very true!!

[@M4RC05V1N1C1U5]

I don’t think so. In slavery you have no option, you’re FORCED to work. In despite of being an unbalanced work relationship, it’s not slavery. It’s a bad relation, but no slavery...

[@ZERO126PS2]

@@M4RC05V1N1C1U5 Exploitation is a better word. But, we are all being exploited in this economic system.

[@M4RC05V1N1C1U5]

United In Hate in other echonomic systems there’s no arts or barely, some state ballets and that’s all. Although imperfect, the one we have is still the better one (with room for improvements). I can’t name another echonomic system that’s better for artists, because this is the only one who allows them to be... but the fight for better working conditions and better profits sharing is legitimate, this one I support. Artists should find their way through this, as everybody else: new technologies have a direct impact over most people and their jobs, myself included.

[@midnight-2021]

It is only going to get worse for these musicians and us music fans in this post Covid era. The days of live music will return but this new normal will significantly change how live music is performed and this is the beginning of the end of live music from what we knew as live music pre Covid.

[@richardgoddard37]

He's going to be almost impossible to replace 😢

[@EisMann61]

Indeed, he's a genius

[@NiennaLadyOfTears]

Not almost. Totally. I think Nightwish is simply fulfilling their current commitments with a session player and then will disband. Tuomas has already said that he does not want to have another lineup change.

[@aurinkobay7118]

@@NiennaLadyOfTears I think he was talking about lead singer, Floor. The problem with NW is what the hell will you do after NW. They want to tour this year (WONT happen) at least US tour will be postponed. Huge $$$ loss financially. it is crazy. I feel for every musician in the world. DAMN COVID, JUST GO AWAY! Floor is IMPOSSIBLE to replace anyone but Floor will sound like a imitation crab if you want real crab Marco's replacement - ugh I cannot think of WHO has this dominance on stage.

[@flparg2]

@@aurinkobay7118 funny thing that l started to look on yt who could do something Like Marco and Peavey wagner from Rage is the only Man (of course it wont happen)

[@Blako-zj8wq]

Keep it up Herman. I know the rest of the band post the occasional video here and there, but by you streaming on twitch regularly, and further promoting the DragonForce KZbin channel, you’ve done yourself, DragonForce and your whole fan base many wonders. With streams/videos such as this one, you make the personal connection with your fan base, and that’s a huge thing not many artists do. So Thankyou Herman, Sam, the whole band, for keeping in touch with your fans ❤️❤️

[@ch33sepants28]

Thanks for this Herman. Looks like COVID is really exposing how unhappy people were with their lives. I can't imagine the courage it took Marco to walk away from the band especially after all the backlash with Tarja.

[@venla5375]

What his leaving is to do with Tarja getting fired 15 years ago?

[@prs149]

@@venla5375 absolutely nothing

[@hi_keith6423]

This have no sense at all..

[@ch33sepants28]

@@venla5375 You don't think the backlash from Tarja wasn't weighing on Marko's mind when he made his decision?

[@venla5375]

@@ch33sepants28 Um, yes and no. It depends on what you mean. Of course Marko knew/knows that him leaving the band will put Nightwish in crisis, like Tarja's firing did. And Anette's firing a bit too and Jukka's stepping aside in 2014. But if you mean that the band/Tuomas would publicly talk shit about Marco and start a fight or something - no. Cause that would never happen. So what you mean?

[@madddog6790]

Herman, thanks for the explanation of what Marko said...it puts things into perspective a bit, especially the part about Live Nation/Middle East. I had NO idea what Marko was talking about there.

[@davidcoyne7291]

As far as i can tell they were not previously with Live Nation but they fired their north American promoter a few months ago because he allegedly had a history of abusing female artists and anyone else he could get his hands on. Story is on line if you need to check. My guess is they were in talks with Live Nation to handle North American tours and were getting F**ked over.

[@madddog6790]

@@davidcoyne7291 You may be right...just looked 'em up, apparently a Saudi .gov fund owns about 6% of them...must be what Marko was talking about in that part of his statement.

[@Glad4394]

It’s sad to hear because he was truly my favorite bassist of all time I met him during a concert and he was a real inspiration to guitar playing for me what a legend

[@NeeceLoneWolf]

I think Spotify etc should be held accountable for how freaking greedy they are and the music industry rise up and hold them accountable so this doesn't happen again. Thank you for your empathy Herman. I love Marko and can't wait to see what he does next. I hope more Northern Kings stuff.

[@ObviouslyKieran]

The music industry has always been greedy, Shakira just sold all her rights for her music. Spotify aren't the reason labels think they're untouchable.

[@patriciazenteno480]

Not only Spotify... Managers, distributors, record companies...

[@marcusblackwell2372]

Shall we deplatform them?

[@ObviouslyKieran]

@@marcusblackwell2372 They're a necessary evil unfortunately, at least for the next decade before artists will have much more options to own all their rights and take 90% of their revenue.

[@helvetewinter68666]

Thats why better buy their albums nr not giving that money to Spotify but bandcamps of this banda

[@ingvildnilsen3883]

I was dreaming of attending the human nature tour this year, hoping that the sanitary situation would allow it :( As someone who used to work in the industry for a while: streaming companies are actually not to blame for the crappy remuneration of artists. Majors and labels are. Streaming companies have for long survived from investors funding only. Despite a growing turnover, the actual net profit stays negative for most (Spotify has been profitable for the first time in 2019, that's after 12 years of existence, Tidal or Deezer are still not profitable). Amazon or Apple are different cases as their music service is not profitable but they have basically unlimited cash from their main activity to fund it. Major companies puncture a huge 70% of the streaming companies gross benefit, and after that comes the publishers royalties too. In the end, on a 10$ monthly subscription, the streaming company barely keeps a dollar, that will serve paying employees, the infrastructure and marketing campaigns. There are 2 unfair points as to how artists are remunerated: 1. It's based on per-stream market shares, meaning the benefits made by the streaming company are divided among labels based on their share of the total number of streams. One more fair approach would be user-centric, where a user's subscription money would be shared only among the labels owning rights for the artists he listens too (that would basically benefits smaller artists). 2. Labels keep a whole lot of the money for themselves. As long as nothing is done regarding these 2 points, only mainstream artists will make money from the streaming industry (meaning not just only survive) The sad truth is that majors are way too powerful to negotiate a reasonable deal on both side, but the fight must continue to change the rules 🤞 I recently read that some government was studying the possibility of bypassing labels and have a direct relation between streaming companies and artists, but that seems highly unrealistic at the moment, and majors would probably pressure streaming companies into not doing it.

[@PucaDuca13]

His voice was a big part of the sound too which is sad but I wish him all the best! The music industry is not a great place for musicians and he's lucky enough to have made enough money through his career to ba able to take a step back! Looking forward to something from him in the future!

[@Axl_Ericsson]

I have grown up with Nightwish so this is certainly heartbreaking news. But I understand and support his decision. I really hope things get better for him and for Nightwish

[@jimharris367]

I never stream albums, i buy them if i want them, the physical copy - old-school 🤘

[@patriciazenteno480]

I do both.

[@jaceacekalgoorlie]

Your lucky you can. I live in a town of 30000, cant buy physical music, cant even hire a movie anymore.

[@Gregbaltzer]

@@jaceacekalgoorlie Anybody can buy physical music. It's called Amazon, Discogs, and the bands own personal websites.

[@jensmetalgrath]

I never buy albums, I stream them if i want them, the digital copy - new school 🤘🏽

[@jimharris367]

@@jaceacekalgoorlie i don't have a physical shop where i can buy them, i use the internet.

[@seanbarker4610]

Its been like that for a long time, only the people who really love the music will survive. The flipside is the renewed enthusiasm for live music. My band has had only 3 rehearsals in the last year! We will make certain we are ready before we get on the road! Great words mate

[@soulflytothemosthigh]

Sad. His voice and music ability will be missed. A few years ago, someone at work told me he streams eveything and kinda laughed when he heard I have CDs. I told him musicians probably lose money because of that. I said that I like having the physical CD in my hand and when I go see a show, I can ask the musician to sign for me and that it would really make their day knowing fans are buying their music. I now see how right I was and how important it really is to go to the store and buy the music. I was about to buy tickets to Dragonforce in Detroit in the spring and was going to wait til the following week then everything shut down. I love and miss live shows but refuse to get vaccinated to attnend.

[@ibuprofen_]

I think that the Music industry needs to become way more streamlined. Musicians are the value, period. They should get paid properly for what they provide to the public. I'm a longtime Nightwish fan and it saddens me greatly to hear Marcos news, but I fully support him.

[@ChuckJansenII]

That is a heartfelt statement from Marco. I can understand. I remember Timo Tolkki leaving the music business in 2012 for similar reasons. He has since come back. Whether Marco comes back or not will be up to him. No matter what the future holds for Marco I thank him for his contributions to Nightwish and providing the bass and male lead vocals. Enjoy your time with you family Marco.Unwind and enjoy.

[@GBManGentle]

I think Spotify could do with a donate button that goes directly to the band it seems like they just robbing you blind

[@niklasoh]

I wouldn't mind doubling the monthly fee if the extra money goes straight to the artists.

[@sovex9331]

I totally understand him... I myself struggle with depressive moods from time to time - I don't know if it's something he was thinking about for a long time or something sudden that pushed him to make the decision that it's better for him leave... anyway, Nightwish was my first ever metal band I've listened to and I owe it to them for opening the door to me into this beautiful genre of music - I can't even imagine how empty my life would be without listening to heavy metal every single day. My only regret is that I've never got the chance to see them perform live - and to those who love Nightwish it's obvious why - I can't even envision the band performing without his vocals - but then again people said the same thing when Tarja left but it worked out for them in the long run. At the end of the day his health and happiness is far more important than anything else and we have to respect that.

[@43loudman]

Hello, herman, thanks for your time, i can not understand how an artist would be stuck with all the bills and risk, the dedication you and all the well known artists have, the discipline and effort alone, after all those years of practice to be really really good at your craft and not be rewarded for it, makes no sense at all...promoters take way to much for what, maybe the reality of all the excess BS from the promoters may have come to a head here and finally be realized, i can not see why a band with their music, the rights to their music and all the intellectual property, they deserve the most of the money, lets face it, you guys, meaning all artists love to get out and play and share your wonderful music with all of us, and we the people, the fans, love to go see it, you deserve the lion share of the money........... maybe i, like most fans, we are not aware of all the expense it takes to put on a rockin tour, maybe someone could share some of that with all of us some time,. just an idea here, maybe if a band announces they would like to play some big special dates, maybe they need to be paid ahead of time from all us fans before they hit the road, with the expectation we will get a great show and you will then know how much the band could afford and how much to put into the show as far as production, no live streaming/ stealing, very organized, i do not know, i have no answer, i know nothing about all this, but i feel the artists, the bands need to be paid the major part of the proceeds, otherwise i see a big collapse of the system as we all know it,. if your really good you should be able/deserve to make a good living,........after all the dedication, the artist needs to be paid very well for their craft and abilities... in order for the world to be able to Rock on...........

[@icehowlofficial]

It breaks my heart.

[@trufflie1635]

I get it man. I really do. I was able to talk to Wayne Static just months before he died, and what he said echos many of the things said in this letter. I would rather see him step away for a few years and hopefully come back, than to leave us forever like Wayne did. Fix yourself and get healthy Marco.

[@JoeStuffz]

Nightwish's last few albums are really freaking expensive. According to Wikipedia, $680,000 for Dark Passion Play. Nightwish is still one of my favorite bands. I hope they will continue, even if I felt that their last album was weird

[@jani14jani]

If dark passion play cost that much to make. Imagine how much Imaginaerum cost to make.

[@w-james9277]

Apart from the song noise, I wouldn't even call Human :II: Nature a metal album and the entire second disc is all orchestra! No guitars, drums or vocals. After Tarja left their style (endless forms being an exception) went from bombastic symphonic/power metal to more orchestral and less metal driven. Im also worried that Floor will leave the band in the near future as well. She was very close to Marco and with the latest album getting mixed reactions from fans, plus not making any money from it, having little to no part of the song writing process and not knowing when they can go on tour again it wouldn't surprise me if she calls it quits as well. If she leaves Nightwish are done!

[@JoeStuffz]

@@jani14jani It was more expensive. I forget the number

[@ChakiOida]

Thanks for shedding some light on what Marko meant in his comment. There was some context missing for me who isn't invested in the music industry but this is something that is very typical of organisers in any kind of industry. They want you to pay all the money but not take any risks.

[@staropramen478]

This is just sad. If Floor or Tuomas left the band it would probably be the end completely for them for obvious reasons, but Marko leaving is like a close second. You can easily find someone who plays bass/acoustic guitar, but how many songs are gonna get taken off the set list now before you find someone who can sing harmonies with Floor the same way Marko did, or even be a co-front person for the band? I truly hope Marko gets better from all this because damn, this just rips a part of the soul away.

[@Khunvyel]

It is not difficult to find a bassist who can sing and even a bassist who can get along with the band. If there is anythig we learned from how the "fans" treated Anette, then it's that a lot of them will hate on the singing bassist simply because it's not Marko.

[@dangercrue]

@@Khunvyel that's sadly true. metal fans can be some of the best or worst people you'll ever meet. most of them are the kindest people you'll ever meet in your life and then some of them can't accept anything new whatsoever (thankfully for me i've met mostly kind people, especially being a very feminine presenting person, but i know for some people this isn't the case). even if it's a change for the better or if it's not even a bad change.

[@nathaaaaaa]

Marko was probably the most popular figure of the band, I don't think this loss will ever be healed

[@Karasuno86]

@@nathaaaaaa don't be stupid, the most popular was Tarja and now it's Floor. I mean, they're frontwomen. And Tuomas's the one who keeps the band going.

[@Khunvyel]

@@dangercrue Yes, I noticed that too. I think it's because of the emotional spectrum. Metal not only covers far more of an aggressive outlet but also very emotionally strong topics on a regular basis. Which in the end means, you will find a lot more passionate people in there, and also those who rather express their emotions to the fullest, no matter if that is aggressive or sensitive. It's not just for introverts to express their state. Then as a listener/consumer you don't want anything to change with the topic of your passion. And when it does, then one is more likely to be majorly upset than not, since the emotional reactions are then a higher driving factor than the rational ones. Metal is just not random fangirling. There is a pattern to the madness :)

[@kdkttn19]

I think it's important to specify, he's not just leaving the band. He's withdrawing from the public view in general. Beyond that and what he said, we will all miss his presence, his voice, his playing, and his personality, and should not speculate further. Support our bands as Herman suggests, and wish everyone the best as they try to move forward. 💔🤘❤️

[@anichtyofagist]

Herman. this is the perfect time for musicians to come together and address the raised issues. Who will take the initiative?

[@runedahl1477]

It was a sad to hear that Marco have left Nightwish but I see why he did it. It will be difficult for the band to find a good substitute for him. Bass players/singers like that is hard to get hold of. I hope that touring artists get more back for their efforts. There are so many artists that a worth listening to even they tough they are not headliners.

[@hisk7263]

I’ve heard that the festival’s here in the Netherlands also have insurance problems. After they all got canceled last summer, the insurance company’s won’t insure them anymore. To put that on the shoulders of the bands and musicians really sucks though.

[@wtfisgoingonhere1076]

Serious question: How can we, the fans, help most??? I prefer vinyl but it’s so expensive. I can’t get to live shows. Please, please help us help you all. We need what you provide.

[@AliaTemporaOfficial]

We believe that Patreon or similar platforms (Twitch is great as well) might be the solution for future, but who knows... 💜 Beautiful question, by the way, thank you for thinking about bands so respectfully! 🙏💜

[@wtfisgoingonhere1076]

@@AliaTemporaOfficial Patreon has been a wonderful resource for me to contribute and enjoy art through! twitch (and discord)... I'm still getting the hang of them both, but if either/or will help, I'll learn the ropes quickly. I don't want to see an art form that is so vital at the primal level for our healthy existence be squashed because of how greedy, brutal, and self-serving the amoebic music industry has been since at least the 50s.

[@MrBlackMorgoth]

This is the point, world is changed and we did not realize, it’s time real support is needed by true artist. We pay 15 euro to have 2 million songs but we don’t support

[@youcanthandlethetruth8873]

The first time ever that the bassist leaving bothers anyone.

[@shawn5996]

Jason Newsted

[@BoboDetector]

Because he also sings? Idunno

[@Buffalodan66]

@@shawn5996 agreed.

[@erwinmulder1338]

Bassist AND one of the 'lead' singers, really. They probably need to get two people to replace him.

[@ektoras3863]

Still missing Fred

[@susannaparish9140]

Thank you for the insight

[@kimfabritiusdetengnagel2038]

Very very well explained - and sadly enough, just what a lot of us suspected. Marko is a very bright and experienced guy, maybe he can figure out new ways for bands to get independent of the industry and their finances. Thank you for clarifying 👍🤘🤘

[@OnFight1997]

There's no Nightwish without Marco. He was the best voice in the band all this time. No discredit to Tarja who I loved immensely as an artist or even Floor who I don't actually dislike, but Marco was the whole soul of that band.

[@Mikey-1990]

I remember Tuomas saying a few years ago he wouldn't be able to take anyone else leaving the band. I can only imagine how he feels about Marcos departure. Obviously he cares about him alot, but I'm so worried Tuomas is going to disband Night Wish. Not just the music industry, but Covid is taking a huge toll mentally on musicians not being able to perform too. I highly doubt they'll do any shows they have already rescheduled for this year due to the virus. While they can probably find someone just as skilled at playing as him, they can't replace his presence in the band. It absolutely kills me to say this, but I think this might be the beginning of the end of Night Wish.

[@The_Soulbutcher]

I have been learning a lot the last few years about how crooked the industry has become from bands like Starkill and Ne Obliviscaris. My band was supposed to get our start last year but then the pandemic hit. So our first show is indefinitely postponed. But with all that i have been hearing it really makes me want to make my band very independent from labels and promoters. I am looking at outlets like bandcamp and patreon. I have even thought about buying equipment to print our own shirts and cd's right in my home. The more bad news i hear about the industry, the more i will likely make this a full time job just so we don't get screwed by anybody.

[@mg_williams]

Every band should open a Patreon model of income. Fans will go there and fund their favorite artist without the middle man interfere. Income goes straight to the artist .

[@leatherbound4233]

That's a sound idea.

[@leatherbound4233]

@Radar Don Ummm what?! how did you take this to an extreme. You patron for one dollar a month, in a year it's no more than buying a cd and all the money goes to the band.

[@FaresX2023]

However, if patreon will grow enough, the same problem will come back. Once they taste glory, they don't give in. Spotify for example, google buying youtube, facebook buying instagram. The relation should be direct between artists and fans through their own websites. They need to make a good website that support: "merch, streaming, albums, live concerts, etc..." They should get independant from any third party in my opinion.

[@leatherbound4233]

@@FaresX2023 True another sad part of the world today.

[@AliaTemporaOfficial]

There is still some (not that small) percentage that goes to Patreon/government, but seems like the best option so far 🙏💜

[@billattercliffe8655]

Musicians need a union that can face down the Spotifys of the world and demand better royalties. If Spotify didn't get any new content for a couple of months, they'd cave in and start paying a decent royalty. It takes a collective effort to achieve that. People think that this is an economic relationship, but fundamentally it's a power relationship and fair deals only get struck when the power is more or less equal between the parties.

[@CharlesOffdensen]

Spotify = cancer. In more than one way. Like every other monopolists. But I doubt it is the only problem here.

[@billattercliffe8655]

@@CharlesOffdensen Certainly, Spotify is far from the only problem. The idea is to pick one target and go after it. It's like the Chinese saying about killing the chicken to scare the monkey. Nail Spotify to the wall and the rest of the problems will start to think that they could be next.

[@offshot1st]

Question is what would the new business model be? Music Industry has been in decline since torenting / napster debarkle Consumers stopped paying for music then. Spotify has brought some (fuck all) payment back to the artist in that sense. But weve devaluted music so much... I know I perrsonally pay a spotify premium subscription more than I ever spent on albums, (and I always bought them) and yet here we are...

[@paultgreen]

Just come across this video. I was gutted when Marco left Nightwish, but as others have said.. He has to look after himself. It's been nice to see Northern Kings doing a couple of shows over the summer and to see he seems to be doing ok.

[@d.lacerta6336]

Jukka, and now Marko. we'll miss you. wish you all the best for your health and career. whatever you do in the future, we'll support you.

[@TheoJam1985]

I agree with one of the comments on screen that musicians need a trade union, and those top talents should divide themselves from capital therefore stand for the rest of the musicians. Taking the example of NBA (where it is similar that audiences focus on the people on court/stage), united players have more power behind the tables, also inside players reached an agreement of dividing incomes based on player's importance and talent - I am not saying this is perfect but at least it is a reference for music industry. As the real "producer" in the industry, one cannot rely on conscience of capital (which is ridiculous). No unite, no power; No power, no fight; No fight, no gain.

[@abraham2721]

It's definitely sad to see the things that I love (Videogames, music, manga and anime) having such toxic industries

[@senfonikmetalhead]

I hated everything about these news but I love nightwish and marco. Nothing to do for us the fans besides respecting and supporting his decisions about himself, yet it is kinda heartbroking that I missed my chance seeing Floor & Marco singing together on stage. Also the things about music industry, I wasn't aware of these issues, its too bad laboring musicians as corporate employees on unfair terms. Cheers from Turkey.

[@Plastikdoom]

For sure, about others comments, that it’s good he’s taking care of himself, just wish it didn’t come to that, but happy he’s doing what he needs too. Sadly, it had to be. Just can’t wait to see and hear what he gets up too next, in good mental health.

[@chopperwatts4]

As per usual, it's all about greed, people always want money for nothing. I really feel for musicians and artists. People complain when bands don't tour but if promoters are taking the larger share then why should they. Keep the music alive Herman. Thank you.

[@SandraNelson063]

This enforced hiatus has been crushing for bands. I'm old enough to remember a time before streaming and YT. Bands sold PHYSICAL albums as vinyl, tape and CD. They made money from that, there are established laws about how the profits are shared between the corporations and the artists. But the industry has changed faster than the laws, music is being made available to the streaming platforms. And the artists don't make money from that. The corporations are taking more and more of the profits, leaving the bands with less to show for their efforts. I think Marko is rewriting the rule book.

[@Icipher353]

This is why I still buy physical CDs of my favourite bands. Its the least I can do to send some support their way. I also try to buy merch direct from the band so as much of the money as possible goes to the musicians. If people care about the music they love, and want the bands to keep making it, they need to buy things that send the profits to the artists.

[@eeriksilfergren4513]

Alexi laiho is dead and Marco hietala left band. Not good at all

[@KenshinOsu]

@@TheGodilas Wtf?

[@KenshinOsu]

@@TheGodilas That's not what your first comment says.

[@ImvN8Lex]

@@TheGodilas Do you even know what the definition of comparison is?

[@yantz8281]

@@TheGodilas Dude you are ridiculous. Your interpretation of what was said is way off. Relax bro.

[@andrewhutchinson8025]

It's absolutely awful. As if this year couldn't get any worse..

[@QuantumS1ngularity]

And people said there was no way for 2021 to be any worse than 2020. Pff... Up for a really f***ed up start if you ask me. Marko survived the Tarja break up. Survived Anette. And now, when Nightwish finally assumed their final and most epic form of all, we won't be able to experience the magic live anymore. He, Jukka, and Emppu stood up for Tuomas when he needed them, i just hope the rest of the band will manage to support him and help him get back on his feet. The current lineup is now so epic i can' t imagine the band w/o any of the members.

[@drowranger6591]

I was depressed when Tarja had to leave but Marco too. This take a hole to my heart but I hope that Marco gets well, I can honestly understand him. He is old and he might need a rest and break. He keep do his own music like Stones. He can still make music of his own and I love Marco forever. He will always be in my metal heart ! Marco and Tarja are the best!

[@perico1014]

All I will say to Marco is thank you for so many moments. His music will be there forever. I hope he gets better, and I wish other promoter created by musicians replace the old ones and begin treating artists fairly. It would be awesome if we could stop relying on LiveNation.

[@tonycardone990]

His reasoning is definitely valid. As much as I hate the fact she's not going to be playing I completely support him and what he's doing. Maybe if everybody in the music industry followed his lead for just a year these companies would realize what they're doing and cut the artists in for a bigger share. All it takes is one company to make a change and start paying all these wonderful people what they are actually worth and taking a little less for themselves and everybody would sign with them, making them even more money in the long run.

[@ApokalyptikNM]

I hope Marko is happy and getting better and hope Jukka is feeling better if I remember correctly he had serious insomnia and getting the proper help

[@wganz]

Sadly, I have to agree with him and wish him well. An example of the music industry greed is with the advent of music CD's. They charged at $3 premium over vinyl with the promise that CD's would eventually drop to the $8 range once the conversion was complete. They converted to CD's and kept the prices at the $18 range, pocketing the $10 premium. And they were upset with the advent of Napster when their own greed created the environment that made its development and popularity possible. I will miss him but I cannot expect him to sweep floors then play. As the poem goes, "To cage the bird then bid it to sing."

[@dicrurusparadiseus]

Thanks Herman for the insight

[@droiduser9633]

Thank you Herman for your insight on this sad departure! This could be the end of Nightwish, Thomas said previously that he cannot tolerate another lineup change... that said, after winning the Masked Singer, having performed "Gangsta's Paradise", I look forward to Marco's forthcoming hip hop/rap album next year! It will be the first I've bought since Run-DMC's "Toughr Than Leather" back in 1987 lol

[@kishlayverma6622]

Thanks herman , a very inspirational speech, you will always be remembered as one of the best guitar player and member of dragonforce , I'll try my best to be your worthy replacement as the lead guitarist of dragonforce.

[@ontaka5997]

I was shocked but I fully respect how Marco is feeling and I wish him all the best. He probably had plenty of time to think and also do research last year due to COVID. No need to torture by pushing yourself if you are chronically depressive.

[@TheRoorkesy]

Time to unionise guys, especially since talented musicians essentially own the means of production. Even start an industry (musician/producer/engineer etc.) owned streaming service to compete against the bigwigs.

[@nicholasdetsch2654]

any creative career can get rough. REAL rough. I'm an independent video game creator (i.e. art, animation, music, writing, coding, etc, all of it) and it's incredibly easy to hit that wall of being in the creative process but being so discouraged by the fact that you have no money coming in until the final product launches (hopefully) successfully. And if you do well? You're still at the mercy of your sales platforms, or whoever else is out to get a piece of what you've earned over 'the process'. Or even when you don't do as well as you were hoping and the returns aren't even close to how much you put in to keep doing what you love doing. It shrivels your motivation and creativity into nothing and makes you think "what am I doing with my life? is it time to grow up and get a 'real job'?" And when you finally break down and start a normal job out of sheer survival when you hit those rock bottom moments, it's so easy to fall into the miserable routine of a 9/5 just because it's easy and consistent. There's no motivation to stay in a crunch time mode to keep pushing and pushing until you make it. And it's HARD to get that hunger back once you've let it slip through your fingers, even for just a little while. There's so many things that clusterfuck into a creators life that makes you second guess if doing what you're doing even has any point, or makes it hard to see the point of continuing, or even making the act of continuing seem like you're just killing yourself and destroying your life with a dream that feels like life doesn't want you to have. I honestly can't blame the guy. I think we've all felt that way at some point. It's just a milestone and a decision that you have to get through. I was 'lucky' enough to find my conviction when I said if I had to live the same 9/5 day in day out for the rest of my days, it wouldn't matter how much money I made, I'd kill myself before I turn 40. For me, its either I keep pushing and make it to a point where I'm happy and proud of the mark I leave on the word, or I die. Which seems morbid and edgy and whatnot, but at the same time it kind of feels good knowing that I know what I want/need out of life and have the conviction to stay on the path. I don't have the "can I/should I/what if" debates anymore. Good luck to him and anyone else going through that trial.

[@Goblin_Ghost39]

Definitely search to see if some bands you listen to have a Bandcamp, even if they're signed to a major label. I was shocked to see that Unleash the Archers has a Bandcamp even though they are signed to Napalm Records. Bands also almost always have their own merch store outside of the label's merch store. Whatever you can do to directly support artists, do it. I'm distraught at Marko leaving. He's my favorite metal musician and my favorite Nightwish member. His voice has always been oddly soothing to me. But between the music industry and his own mental health, I can't blame him. I hope he does come back and create art for the sake of it again. It crushes me to think of any musician or artist becoming so disillusioned that they give up their craft entirely. If he used a service like Patreon, I know I'd definitely sign up.

[@briansf7012]

Will miss Marco. But I see his point.

[@marifosquejrvictormartin5833]

I agree with you Herman and Marko, a lot of great musicians do not get paid the way they are supposed to be paid, compared to mainstream bad taste artists... and they do not even get the recognition they deserve. Unlike mainstream artists, they are living the dream, and yet musicians like metal bands, don't get much, yes they have toured the world but at what cost, just like what you mentioned, Herman, they have to get insurance for themselves which the responsibility should fall on to the promoter and management...Yes, some of you will say, "It costs money to promote" I agree, it does, that's how it works, but at the end of the day, who really benefitted from these things, Is it the musicians or the greedy promoters and management?

[@paleryder1536]

He's not doing what he wants to do, He's doing what he has to do. It's sad so sad, But he's sooo right and your right. the industry has got to wake up and see what needs to happen. more people need to stand up and speak out!! more power to Marko, God Bless Him

[@darthchopper9016]

He should have done a nightwish gofundme or kickstarter maybe? I’m sure nightwish fans are happy to support the band more directly

[@PaddyFullyRandom]

Thank you for sharing the additional insight. I'm so glad I don't make a single dime on my music anyway cause this puts it clearly in the "hobby" space and leaves room to earn in a normal job. I'm a strong believer in separating passion and income so that if one goes down you still have the other. Still sucks that people basically cannot really chose music as their job if they want to with all the money being kept in somebody elses pocket.

[@adiyuwono5630]

Herman Li......❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️ Dragon force ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

[@adrinwoods4567]

Man I love the that band. It rips me apart I really really love Nightwish.

[@crilledisst]

Really appreciate you talking about the finance and concerns of life as a musician. Many of us wonder about it, very few know about it. Thanx Herman!

[@steamy7676]

I am a nightwish fan since tarja. Luckily got a chance to their live at Philly 3yrs ago.i remember the tickets were cheap, even if they asked for 3 times i would go. Hope more money really goes to their pockets... If they come to states next time i ll definitely go again

[@matjpa]

I think other valid way of making things right is what While She Sleeps is doing with the Sleep Society idea. Being very simplistic, they created a patreon like system for them. Obviously I don't know how much they earn or whatever, but I like the idea of the direct connection between band and fans, much like what herman do with us.

[@Jimjolnir]

I was shocked when clicking on this video, but after hearing his reasons here, I understand. Sad days. Looking forward to where Nightwish, and Marko go from here.

[@Rich2M316]

Really sad to see him go, but I wish him the best in all of his future endeavors. And I have no doubt that Tuomas can crack on writing amazing music. It's been a fun ride and I will always happily come back to their music. But after this, Nightwish is no more.

[@miatt4005]

This is the end of Nightwish. Hietala leaving the Band just ends it all. As there drummer Jukka left it was a hard hit, but Marco is so iconic for the Band. He presents the Bands face after Tarja quit/left/what ever it was. So for me this is the end of Nightwish. BUT I have a Idea how it could work... get Tarja and Floor together in front of Nightwish and the Band could survive with any other Bassist.

[@maggiedye9536]

tarja didnt casually leave, she was booted. so i dont think thats going to happen.

[@Equilibrium2903]

Lol, no thanks to that idea.

[@oanaomg7298]

First part I don’t personally agree with, as long as Emppu is there still feels like Nightwish, plus Floor and Troy perfectly fit the band. Bit if Emppu were to leave, then NW would become a one-man project and I hope it never happens. But the second part... my lord, that would be amazing, just don’t know if Tuomas can handle that much estrogen 🤣

[@TrevorLeeGodin]

stepping away from 20 years in nightwish, that is a big decision! hope the best for his career.

[@nemhauser2409]

He is not only stepping away from Nightwish, he is stepping away from his entire public life. He friendly asked other bands, musicians and projects to not ask him for anything in 2021.

[@Blxglt]

@@nemhauser2409 Except for Tony Iommi, if he were to do such a thing

[@WindHaze10]

Too much bureaucracy, politics and corporate greed is what's baad in music industry. Ideally it should return the way 1990s were - wild and free.

[@MyMozgOff]

Pls check the Radio TAPOK through the fire and flames cover on Russian. You must to hear it!

[@djsercy5879]

This is why I refuse to do things through streaming. I went to Amazon Music to directly buy the music I want. Idk if you guys get anything from it, but I'd rather do that than pay for a streaming service Also love the Extreme Power Metal instrumentals in the background

[@mikaelnuutila6370]

If you buy from amazon music you need an app to listen to the music, right? So you dont really own the music, you are on the mercy of amazon who may or may not provide updates to the app. And if they want to, they can force you to pay monthly fees to play the music you "own". This is why I recommend buying from say bandcamp, you get an actual, un-encrypted mp3, flac or wav file you can listen to whenever you please, with all your current and future devices and no one can take it from you or deny your access to it by claiming that you broke the terms of service etc. The other way of course is buying CDs and ripping them

[@markparker5585]

I wonder how many people sad at this have previously pirated albums from one artist or another. It’s not unusual to hear about people proud that they have thousands of albums but have not paid for a single one. It’s a bit frustrating when you do buy all your music, either on vinyl, CDs or digitally, then have to pay $100+ for a concert ticket. To then still find out bands are struggling financially, you have to realise things are completely messed up in a music industry, and it is just a crypt full of talent vampires.

[@djsercy5879]

@@mikaelnuutila6370 buy the music from Amazon Music, then download the mp3 like it gives you the option to. Then you can listen to it on any device without any further input from them. My phone came with KZbin music, which only gives you the option to stream and pay for KZbin music premium (because Google Play Music worked too well I guess). If I like the music, I'm going to buy it directly from a link provided by the band (Google Play Music and Amazon Music both give you the option to buy albums still...well GPM used to before Google axed it in favor of an inferior, streaming only KZbin music) because they're the ones putting in the effort, not the streaming service

[@teri7348]

@@djsercy5879 ...but mp3 sucks big time. You loose all the finesses of the art. You need the flac to enjoy the music to the fullest- especially if it is something more complicated, grand and symphonic like, say, Nightwish. So buying the real physical copy works best imho. And coupling that with good AKG earphones.

[@djsercy5879]

@@teri7348 well the unfortunate truth for me is that I don't have the ability to go out and buy CD albums. I'm trying to find the special edition of Once (Nightwish album) because I really like White Night Fantasy, but they all cost a kidney and a half because it doesn't exist in mp3. You can kinda get around the quality issues with an equalizer app or 2 (my phone has one built-in and so does Amazon Music. The two stack in terms of how they affect the sound). Thankfully, my parents were huge music nerds, so we still have a functioning cassette player (and cassettes), a functional record player (and vinyls), and CDs freaking everywhere. This is what I can do for now

[@enriquesoto6534]

It’s a tough break and decision on behalf of Marko! Heartbreaking as it is, you have to admit his reasoning is solid! The so-called “music - industry” is disheartening and ice cold biased, leaning towards the promotional side of it, which is just dreadful. It’s a tremendous blow to this band! So sad right now! Cheers, Herman!!

[@Nomad_za]

Stay strong Herman! We are all suffering during this lockdown!

[@wordpeggio]

Seeing Dragonforce in LA was my last outing with friends before the lock in, which I suspected was coming based on reading the news from Europe and Asia. I'm so glad we did. Also, Herman did a great Cameo for my sister. So hire him for that stuff!

[@dragonforce]

Glad you came! It was also my LA last outing seeing all my friends. - H

[@Zoza15]

It always caughts up to people, no matter who you are, depression will always downright demotivates people with a passion for something.