Nightwish - Stargazers Wembley 2015 (Reaction/First Listen!)

[@wimvank.7463]

Nightwish and Floor..............the one and only!

[@Kelsea-2002]

I'm the type of person who listens to the music first and pays attention to what it triggers in me. It's only the second, sometimes even the third time that I pay attention to the lyrics. This is especially true for the music of Nightwish, as it always triggers deep emotions in me. For example, 'Shoemaker'; the song still hits me right in the heart. On the one hand because it just sounds wonderful, and on the other hand because of the story behind it.

[@nikkireviews]

I love that. 😊 That's what is hard about reacting to songs sometimes cause like you said, it takes a few listens to fully grasp the song as a whole. But it's also fun to try to take everything in all at once on the first listen. 😂 But to fully understand a song, definitely takes multiple listens!

[@gene6690]

Just how many favorites are we privileged to hear by Floor and this great band

[@nikkireviews]

Right?? It seems never ending! ❤💫

[@johnlindquist1784]

This was originally a Tarja song and had been off the set list for over 10 years because Anette couldn't sing it.

[@mehmetakifyalcn4334]

Arch enemy is amazing too, I love ther live performances

[@chriso6719]

They're in Wembley Arena, an indoor arena , aprox. 12.5 k fans. Outside would be Wembley Stadium that you're probably thinking of. A new to you song, but an old one. From the 1998 Oceanborn album, before even Marko joined. Recorded with Tarja on vocals and Sami Vanska on bass. At the Tampere 2015 performance, Floor mentions that the song has been off the setlist for over 10 years. It hadn't been played since before the split with Tarja. Operatic vocals aren't Anette's forte, so this was one of the songs that got put away. This was the tour for the Endless Forms Most Beautiful album. The song fit in with the album themes of science and reason. 3rd vagrant is the Earth. As for Arch Enemy, most of their songs are harsh vocal only, one of the few that have cleans mixed in is Handshake With Hell. To answer your question, I usually listen to the music first, with the vocals being another instrument. Lyrics and meaning come later after more listens.

[@nikkireviews]

Ooh okay, yes I was probably thinking of the stadium. 🙈 And I agree; typically I need a few listens to grasp the true meaning of the song. 🎵

[@NickBR57]

Emppu on shredding: "The solo in "Shudder" was a nice surprise and something I had great fun doing in the studio. It's also fun live. I'm always ecxcited about parts where there's room for improvisation - "Stargazers" for example, is a great live song that enables you to really shred.". This is an early example of Tuomas' fascination with evolution and astronomy, the third vagrant referencing Earth. From the second album, it didn't get much airplay after the Ocean born tour until Endless Forms, where it came back partly because it fits the evolution theme. People often refer incorrectly to Floor's sound as operatic but in this song it really is. Operatic technique demonstrates a lower larynx, greater tongue-palate distance, and larger epilaryngeal and pharyngeal tube and learning to raise and lower the soft palate and shape the laryngeal tract is part of opera training so the sound becomes richer, fuller. That's not the same as singing high as some people seem to think. I'm sure Beth, Elizabeth and others explain it properly elsewhere .. Oh and lyrics are critical IMO, and never more than in Nightwish. I don't like vapid 3minite pop songs that are nothing more than boy meets girl, they fall in love, they break up. Very limiting and Tuomas' is far more interesting. Complexity is also important to me, perhaps because of a classical background, so Nightwish, progressive rock and singer-songwriters like Jackson Browne have been strong in my musical life.

[@nikkireviews]

Oh for sure I can understand why with a classical background, that Nightwish is a band that calls to you more than the typical pop music/songs. I like both, depending on my mood lol. Thank you for explaining what more of an operatic voice sounds like. I'm very new to learning about all of this and the terms - I just know if I like what I'm hearing but my goal is to be able to learn more and proper terms for what I'm hearing just so I can be more educated when I talk about it.

[@franzz20]

Hi friend, Floor is a versatile vocalist, she performs opera, pop, metal or melodic music, and she interprets all styles with an excellence that is difficult to surpass, and that makes her unique. Furthermore, he not only sings, but also interprets the songs, with his presence on stage and how he moves on stage.

[@SoL_ismyname]

Tuomas wrote this when he was 21 years old btw!! Insane when you think about it.

[@kevingunning7569]

Hi Nikki. Great reaction as ever! This particular song hadn't been performed live since Tarja left the band back in 2005. Written specifically to suit Tarja's operatic range, Anette was never able to perform this during her tenure. Floor is able to span both era's, and from 2015, Tuomas has written solely for her. Take care my friend x

[@ralfmeyer9086]

Hello, Tarja dont left the was fired. Read the open Letter from the Band

[@nikkireviews]

Thank you for sharing that! I really have to listen to both of Tarja and Anettte one day to get a better grasp of what Floor was "replacing".

[@jcd57]

Never gets boring this one, excellent reaction as usual... love the guitar parts and Marco's wistle 😁😁

[@nikkireviews]

Thank you, and yeah those were some of my favorite moments too! 😊

[@silverblack5475]

Not bad for only 1 yr of training , classical singers will say you need at least 6 yrs of school / training to really master it ....she does alot more classical/ opera with her 1st band After Forever .......leaden legacy off the 1st album is incredible .

[@markclements7767]

I* love Emppu's playing. He looks like he is giving us a tutorial 😁

[@jaskau2462]

🤩👍💥💯🎶 Nikki.... The Wembley Stadium is an open air venue(mostly known from sport events) and Wembley Arena is 'closet'(as if will) venue. Neat reaction mi lady and keep on rockin with this magical band. Cheers from Finland. 🤘😎 🇫🇮 💙

[@IAMisLove]

👍 Such a great band and performance. 🖖❤

[@amygoodson-catlady]

I can't get past the keys/guitar duel and Kai's oncredible drum line! Lyrics haven't been pondered...I'll put that on my list to do

[@VivK-Real]

For me it's all about music and how it makes me feel. Lyrics come afterwards.

[@samusahlsten5948]

Great reaction to this old Tarja-era song. This brings back nostalgic feelings.

[@PaulOutdoors]

"Stargazers" is a stonker from "back in the days" with all the trademark Nightwish transitions and multi layering and Floor breathes new life in to it as only she can. 🙏😊👍❤️

[@Ireksojkowski]

Beautiful

[@eddiec1961]

Thanks for the reaction, I see how the song makes me feel and then i look into the meaning if i like it enough.

[@fjnw]

Emppu's definition of a good song: A good song start with a guitar solo, ends with a guitar solo and has some guitar solo's in between. He is right! Don't know why, but my body reacts rather strong to the emotions invoked by some songs (mostly Nightwish!). THe first time listening to GLS (wacken 2013 version) I really didn't understand what was happering: I had shivers from the top of my head to my toes. That was far before I learned what the song was about and tried to understand the lyrics. So indeed, I do not need to know what a songs is about to still completely feel it. But after a number of listens I like to dig deeper, try to understand meaning and read lyrics. But I don't do that with all songs.

[@CarlosCifuentes-up7ph]

Thanks for your reaction lady. Night wish is always amazing😁 Good reaction keep it simple and enjoy the videos😁😁 Greetings from Chicago.

[@NightwishArena]

This piece was my gateway song to Nightwish in 1998. For me this is definitely one of Tarja's songs forever (but Floor did a great job, of course). The album version is perfect and I was sold in seconds. Can't believe it was almost 25 years ago. And you should definitely check out some Amorphis and Arch Enemy, they are both great. For me AE is a bit too harsh to listen to on regular basis, but they are super talented. And you should also check out Battle Beast, Stratovarius, Children of Bodom and Sonata Arctica for example. Excellent Finnish bands.

[@markclements7767]

Hello Nikki, greetings from UK The meaning of songs is not too important for me, in fact since I have been following your journey, I have been relying on you to discover the meaning for me! 🤣 The next song is Ghost Love Score so it feels like you have come full circle somehow 😁

[@darkaether2798]

Floor doing her Tarja impression 😊 Because she can.

[@robertsheeler321]

This is one of there most difficult songs too interpret by the average person .

[@MrFrikkenfrakken]

This is one of the songs that has to be sung like the OG instead of interpreted for another voice. Great tune.

[@camrynfreeze]

Love it!!!

[@Bolo2028]

I think it is mainly about the Earth and its denizens. They are, among other things, stargazers.

[@rientsdijkstra4266]

This rendition in Wembley is ok, but not Floor's best version of this song. I advise you to listen to the version she did in Tampere 2015, that sounds a lot better!

[@nanns77]

I love Arch Enemy but I love death metal. In other words, a lot of growling. If you want to react to them check: handshake with hell. This song has melodic vocals too.

[@21ljc]

When you get to the album Human Nature, please react to the official lyric videos. They are far better than the few existing live performances. Also please listen to them in the same order as on the albun as they are ment to listened to in that order.

[@micke3721]

Watch the Tampere version, it's epic 🤟🤟

[@LaurenBrokees]

Hi Nikki please do Coming From The Darkside from Oktaf Kanis :)

[@eTraxx]

I have a problem with understanding lyrics. At 73 with 12 years spent on tanks my hearing is a bit off .. as you age most of us lose the ability to pick out higher frequencies .. or at least they become a bit muddled. I can compare it to watching videos of color blind people putting on EnChroma glasses and gasping in amazement at the new world they now have. I wish I could do the same for my ears! :) .. all that to say that I listen for the music first and lyrics second .. unless I have subtitles.

[@LorenzoFrausto]

IEM's might be something to look into. Its a musical new world ;)

[@sonofthesea3298]

Im weird when it comes to songs,some i can listen to over several decades and still wagly remember the full lyrics on (just bits and pieces),while others i can pretty much remember everything. So i think im a weird mix of how you and your husband enjoys music. I also used to listen to alot of music in my youth because i liked the instrumentals,but nowadays looking and thinking back,im embarrased that i volunteerly listened to that stuff. Because the lyrics and the theme of the songs are just cringy and awful to me now. And yes,operatic vocals is a good description of how Floor sings in this,another thing i have heard while learning the technical terms etc myself several years ago,is that: "Shes classically trained". Classic music is what we think of,when we hear dramatic violins,drums,pianos and what have you,so it makes sence to say someone is classically trained,as operatic vocals are used alot in classical music. I just love Markos oneliners from time to another: "Sounds like it!"

[@jayman9910]

Alice in Chains - Down in Hole(MTV Unplugged)

[@strikerdavo]

The Tampere live versión is way better

[@nikkireviews]

I might have to do that show next. 🤔

[@norkannen]

Its wembley arena. Not the wembley football field 😈😎

[@karencommentz8658]

I prefer Tarja's version

[@nikkireviews]

I'll have to give that a listen. I don't know much when it comes to Tarja's version of these songs.

[@duncanwyer2460]

🇬🇧 Norfolk strapped in great song 🎶