WHAT A SHOW!! First Time Reaction to NIGHTWISH - "The Greatest Show On Earth"

[@StaceyRPGReacts]

I hear you guys! I can do a reaction to the Tampere performance too! Didn’t know there was a “superior” performance so thanks for letting me know!

[@SolFaithman]

Not necessarily "superior", just has a different feel to it as its outdoors and the intro is slightly different (Troy doesn't play the E-bow on guitar). I think most would agree, Wembley for the sound, Tampere for the visuals but both are still amazing.

[@ursmetzger]

no worries. it's complaining on a very high level. there's no wrong. just a perfect and a superior.

[@frankramakers]

I agree.@@SolFaithman

[@VXGaming]

What's amazing is they both sound different but similar. Enjoy.

[@tonilaitinen5197]

Well thats very much open for debate. Both are just as great. Tampere is more of a stadium show feel with all kinds of fireworks, but I for one kind of prefere Wembley - more intimate and intense. Also ending speech in-person is another level.

[@frenkwd1]

The title of the issue is taken from a 2009 book by evolutionary biologist and atheist writer Richard Dawkins, about the evidence for biological evolution. Dawkins also contributes to the album. Holopainen explained to HMV in March 2015: "I wrote him a letter a little over a year ago and explained what ideas we had for this album, mainly about evolution. Since one of the songs goes straight to one of his books, it felt like a perfect match to try and recite him on the album. A few weeks later, he sent me an email accepting the invitation." "Later in 2014, we recorded his parts at Hats Off Studios, Oxford. This is a huge honour for us, as Dawkins is one of our greatest heroes and his writings have been a huge inspiration for the album."

[@chrismcmeekin8470]

There is no wrong version of any Nightwish song to react to, they are all incredible.

[@perrycleese5987]

💯 ❤

[@astral7080]

The magnitud of this masterpiece is totally mindblowing

[@alexandremaireno-ni4ec]

Floor: enter LUCA Marco: enter Ionia Both: enter ratkind Emppu: Enter Sandman!

[@nikovarinowski8807]

Lol, yeah! 😅 Havent thought about that... ofc I noticed that riff, but yeah right on!

[@crazykaletrucker]

Kai is a BEAST on the drums🤘🤘🤘

[@glenngunnis6642]

Tuomas’s masterpiece! Metal Mozart!🤘🎸

[@deank179]

The man at the end is Richard Dawkins. He wrote the book called "The Greatest Show on Earth" which is about the evolution of life on earth. He is also the voice you hear in the recordings in the song. The song takes you on a journey from the birth of the universe, to the birth of our planet, the beginning of life on our planet all the way through to the modern humans and our impact on the earth. It describes both the beauty and the flaws of humanity. I love the line "he had a dream to understand a single grain of sand". What a beautiful way to encapsulate humanity's curiosity and to show how we can find beauty and meaning in something as simple as a grain of sand. How incredibly lucky we are to have won the lottery of birth against all odds and be a part of the greatest show on Earth.

[@antivanti]

As a secular non-believer this sort of music that celebrates this sort of awe is something that we are sorely missing. Which is strange considering the awe that thinking about the universe and nature and life and it's constant evolution can inspire. So I think that Nightwish and Tuomas, who writes their music, has done us an immense favour when writing this piece that accurately portraits the awe one feels about life and evolution 🙏

[@realulli]

The only reason why Richard Dawkins hasn't been knighted is because he denies the existence of god. The crown can't accept that for political reasons. (By the grace of God, King of Great Britain...)

[@Dipper737]

Evolution... The greatest lie ever told.

[@Jedicake]

​@@Dipper737At this point, in the year 2024, anyone passed their adult years who denies evolution isn't just ignorant, it's straight up willfull ignorance. Shed the confirmation bias and research online something that doesn't agree with your highly illogical worldview.

[@Dipper737]

Oh, man have I researched. Anyone who believes something can evolve in to a man by shear chance of luck, was as delusional in 1924 as they are in 2024. @@Jedicake

[@harrymeerlo5038]

@@Dipper737 Let me guess...you believe it was all created by some god.

[@ToddPro]

Reason I love Nightwish, not just stellar music and vocals, but they put on a hell of a show and tell messages in their tunes, saw them live in Minneapolis last year, small venue, but amazing show!!! ...by the way, you'd rock cosplaying as Floor ;)

[@Thorgrim247]

Hello Todd. I was at the same show at the Fillmore. First time and it was everything I hoped for, outside of the epic pyro and stage setups they present in those big European shows. The US needs to wake up and appreciate this style of epic music.

[@guybaeyens2513]

Congratulations on behalf of the French Division of the Nightwish Army: great reaction. And yes, this is a very different level of music and understanding. Thank you for sharing!

[@FeniX_BG]

Nightwish army!!! Over 20 years already in it! Wellcome Stacey :)

[@realulli]

I just imagine the conversation between Tuomas and Richard Dawkins... "Hey, we're giving a concert in London. Want to read your quotes live?" - "Ok, when and where?" - ", in the Wembley Arena" - "WTF - how many people are you expecting?!" - "oh, 30k or so" - "...!"

[@sumonjamal1653]

Tuomas Holopainen (keyboards) is the primary composer and lyricist of Nightwish... his musical vision sired the band in the 90's and has carried Nightwish for 3 decades... This 2015 album 'Endless forms most beautiful' was themed around the work of Charles Darwin and his theories of evolution of life on Earth... They got biologist Richard Dawkins (who appeared onstage) to narrate on the record. The next Nightwish album 'Human Nature' in 2020 was part II of the theme of evolution ... The upcoming Nightwish album will likely be Part III of the trilogy of albums. They did something similar in 2005 when Nightwish invited native American performer John Two-Hawks onstage for the song 'Creek Mary's blood' when Tarja was in the band for their final show of the 'Once' tour in Helsinki, Finland. Nightwish has done some epic songs - 'The poet and the pendulum'... 'Song of myself' ... 🤘🤘

[@andrewratnoff4082]

The tears during a Nightwish performance are perfectly normal, the music and Floor’s voice will have that effect, saw that was happening to you. The end of this song always gets to me. Only been a fan of NW for 3 years, was lucky to see them last year in NY, there’s definitely a lot of love that the crowd gives to them, and in return too.

[@oldmanjimh3165]

Can't go wrong with Nightwish.

[@pancentricism]

Yes, the person at the end is the narrator on record. It is Richard Dawkins, an evolutionary biologist whose book inspired the album. So many people will tell you that this is the wrong version. So many people will tell you that this is the best version. (I prefer the Wembley version - it has Richard Dawkins and Troy playing e-bow). There is no right version and no wrong version. Definitely worth watching the Tampere version. Glad you're back and feeling better.

[@alexthorpe6583]

And I believe that the words Richard Dawkins reads in person at the end are quotations from Charles Darwin.

[@Dipper737]

i prefer the Tampere version, because it dosen´t have Richard Dawkins in it..

[@pancentricism]

LoL😂

[@richardwest6358]

At the conclusion Professor Dawkins reads the closing words of Charles Darwin's epic publication - "On The Origin Of Species"

[@Dipper737]

Sad conclusion.@@richardwest6358

[@johnsullivan659]

GIRL AT FRONT IS A LEGEND

[@gene6690]

Welcome back Stacey. TGSOE is definitely up there with Stairway To Heaven and Bohemian Rhapsody as the greatest metal songs of all time. Tuomas is an orchestral genius

[@DanalynTuthill-yl4hd]

But Stairway to Heaven and Bohemian Rhapsody are not metal songs. I don't know where you get that. This song, however is amazing and has that epic quality.

[@svolos1971]

So much talent and charisma on stage. They all came down to Midgard to give us a glimpse of eternity before we all crawl back to our oblivion.

[@macronenpersonne4242]

This piece is absolutely exceptional. Nothing is comparable to this wonder.

[@Thorgrim247]

Adventurous is putting it lightly. This is the story of everything we perceive all around and above us, all we have become to this day Stacey. Floor sounds out of this world because she is singing from a universal perspective commenting on the formation of our planet. You lovely lady are a very big part of "The Greatest Show on Earth"! Yes, Stacey "We Were Here", and are for now. As a secondary meaning, yes, Nightwish and all these fans were there. The gentleman at the ending is Richard Dawkins, the voice of the spoken words in this epic song. He is also the author of several scientific books regarding evolution. Tuomas is an avid reader and was inspired by his books and his inherent love of the natural world. Well done Stacey.

[@NickBR57]

We WERE Here. As the song goes into the future when rats are the superior species, that phrase looks back Just outside my top 6 it is an incredible song that only Tuomas could write - 4.6bn years of evolution in 23 minutes There havr only been 2 drimmets - Kai took over for this album and tour and fits in perfectly (of course he does, he came from the Nightwish Waiting Room, aka Wintersun). Wembley and Tampere are equally good and you need to do both. Here are some comments from the band on making the album and the song and some notes on meanings Troy: At some point we ended up watching Richard Dawkins lectures on the internet. After a while I suggested, half in jest, that maybe we should ask Dawkins to be our special guest on the new album. Tuomas: It was an amazing idea, and I immediately started wondering if we could really make it happen. Jukka: We were naturally a bit sceptical, too - we had to try and ask him of course, but it was better not to have such high hopes. Dawkins had pretty much shied away from popular culture apart from one episode of The Simpsons. Troy: I enthusiastically assured them that I can make this work, like "You'll see, guys". Well the next morning I wasn't feeling so confident any more and I remembered Tuomas and Jukka going "Told you so" TUOMAS: Still, there was no way we could let it drop without at least trying. So we started thinking about a proper manner to approach Dawkins. We decided our best option would be to send him a hand-written, polite letter, where we would tell him about the band, the scientific themes on the forthcoming album and the fact that he had been a great inspiration TROY: We got no reply, so we sent another letter. In the end, I guess we had a bit of luck, because it turned out Dawkins personal assistant knew the band and actually liked Nightwish. He suggested that Dawkins should take our inquiry seriously TUOMAS: I was in Paris doing interviews for the Scrooge album. When I got back to the hotel in the evening. I noticed there was an email from Dawkins, something like, "1 went to the internet and browsed your band, and what I heard l liked very much. So I'd be happy to co-operate. FLOOR: Tuomas sent us a triumphant message: "You won't believe what just happened: Dawkins said yes!" TROY: It was obvious from the start that Dawkins' appearance would attract a lot of attention - both positive and negative. His book God Delusion had created a worldwide controversy. after all. JUKKA: We didn't invite Dawkins to be on our album to criticize religion but to speak as a scientist: an evolutionary biologist. Of course neither the fans nor anybody else outside the band knew it at that point. TUOMAS: There has been a lot of unreasonable criticism hurled at him for all kinds of reasons. A lot of people seem to ignore the fact that Dawkins is also happy to listen to contrary opinions and is always open for new ideas. In that sense, he's like Esko Valtaoja, with whom we had the honour to work on Showtime, Storytime DVD. I had endless possibilities in my hands for "The Greatest Show on Earth" What is the sound of crumpling continental plates that mountains are made of? Or the disintegration of radioactive components? Or the sound of space particles bombarding the earth? And how would I refer to immortal works of music composed by man? Well, I included shades of "Dies Irae" by Thomas Celano, "Toccata" and "Fuga" by Johann Sebastian Bach, banjo music from Western movies, "Rock around the Clock" by Bill Haley & His Comets, and "Enter Sandman" by Metallica. I was also thinking about borrowing "Sandstorm" by Darude, but in the end, we just went for an unrecognizable techno loop. Also Petzold and Bach. Recording - and Jukka Resigning: MARCO: Kaitsu handled the drum parts admirably, so we could continue with the other instruments right away, This time we tried to concentrate on one song at a time and kept on working on it till we felt there was nothing more we could add. TROY: And we didn't even have thunder. Rauhala does not have the best sound proofing in the world, so it would have been pretty challenging to mike the instruments if there had been rain and thunderclaps. TUOMAS: I actually got off easier than I expected, because a lot of the demo keyboards from Hämeenlinna were good enough to be included on the album. The stuff in "Sea-Worn Driftwood", part five of "The Greatest Show on Earth", for example, was salvaged straight off the demo. In Hämeenlinna, I had explained to Tero that this passage would be about "whales singing and rats taking over the world". I had just come up with that improvised stuff, and it made it on the album MARCO: Recording the vocals was teamwork in the best possible sense, no matter who was behind the mike. We kicked around suggestions and tried out all kinds of last minute ideas. Like, "Hey Floor, throw in some of that sweet upper octave of yours in the second verse... Yeah, that's a nice touch!" FLOOR: Marco kept on surprising us. He might just suddenly say, "Wait, I have an idea!" Then he'd pull out his bass and introduce an excellent harmony MARCO: It was great fun recording the vocals. I've never had the chance to impersonate a troglodyte in front of a microphone before, so creating gorilla sounds for "The Greatest Show on Earth" was pretty hilarious. I didn't want to undermine the majesty of the song in any way, but I didn't exactly do it with a straight face, either! TROY: I recorded my own ape grunts at home. To get in character, I took off my shirt, banged my chest with my fists, and pretended I was an ancient Homo Erectus. I think my wife was a bit worried MARCO: I cut my bass parts pretty quickly in about one and a half days. I even got a bit lazy towards the evening of the first day - if I had really pushed it, I might have been able to complete them in a single day. Notes: The first part, "Four Point Six", is a reference to the age of our planet -in billions of years. The journey starts with a simple but persistent keyboard theme, interrupted by massive thunder claps - the origin of life that despite the murderous bombardment by asteroids, sprouts time and again and finally manages to grow permanent roots. The word "archaean" in the lyrics refers to the Archean Eon, the first of the geological eons of the world (Gaea). The second part of the song chronicles the birth and the first on Earth. "Enter Luca" is a reference to an early life form, an acronym for the Last Universal Common Ancestor. We can make assumptions about the characteristics of Luca and other early life forms by reading the DNA of current organisms: "There's a writing in the garden, leading us to the mother of all." Right from the beginning, one of the key characteristics of living cells has been the ability to sense their environment and react to their perceptions: "Ion channels welcoming the outside world." In the third part, chronicling the age of man, there's a fascinating reminder: All of us current organisms are descendants of an unbroken lineage of winners. "Not a single one of your fathers died young". "Little Lucy of the Afar" refers to the famous fossil of Australopithecus Afarensis that was found in Afari, Ethiopia, a hominin that might have been the ancestor of man (genus Homo). In the long run, all species have the tendency to become extinct, and a fitting vision of the future of mankind is presented in the song, "One day'Il cease to be" On the other hand, man had earlier had "a dream to understand" and "[given] birth to poetry" . He wanted to leave his mark stating "We were here!" In the fourth part, man strives to understand it all, and Richard Dawkins takes up the story once again with a surprising claim:"We are going to die, and that makes us the lucky ones. The explanation folows shortly."Most people are never going die, because they are never going to be born. The potential people who could have been herein my place, but who will in fact never see the light of day, outnumber the sand grains of Sahara." In the fifth and final part, Dawkins recites the concuding words of The Origin of Species by Charles Darwin: "From so simple a beginning, endless forms most beautiful and most wonderful have been, and are being, evolved." FLOOR: I felt real good after the final rehearsals [for EFMB] in a New York studio. There were obviously many challenging parts in the set - I'd have to be extra careful in the beginning of "The Greatest Show on Earth", for example because some of the phones rise from the back of the throat but "operatic vocals are produced in the front of the mouth

[@DanalynTuthill-yl4hd]

Wow. This is amazing. I had heard of Nightwish since i started watching reaction channels but bypassed them because I thought they were just another heavy metal band. And I don't like heavy metal. Well I was wrong and glad to be. This is one of the few bands that I actually feel something listening to them. Incredible creativity. This is epic. You can't just call this a song. Great reaction, Stacy. I'm now going to check out your other Nightwish reactions.

[@FrancoUnAmericano]

It's a strange way to see things. It's like saying "I don't like pop" "I don't like rock" There are so many different kinds of music in all genres. "I don't like fluids"

[@GrogMindwhip]

It's pretty incredible that Nightwish has kept the ship so consistently on course, when you think of the fact that they've changed lead singer several times. Most bands don't survive the loss of just one.

[@nebulajumper6216]

This was great. If You like Nightwish, give EPICA a swing. Here are some examples of songs: - unleashed live - Sancta Terra with Flor Jansen - Kingdom of Heaven part 3 (Omega alive performance) - Rivers (live at the AFAS Live) - The skeleton key (Omega alive performance) - Consign to Oblivion - live at the Zenith They are a great symphonic metal band in the trend of Nightwish, but different enough to bring a lot of variation.

[@seattanf2348]

I agree with @nebulajumper6216. You should definitely check out Epica. The songs suggested are a great starting point. Epica shares many similar characteristics with Nightwish but have a very different sound and vibe overall. Most people who like 1 of the 2 also like the other. Floor and Simone the lead singer of Epica are close friends.

[@nebulajumper6216]

@@seattanf2348 As fan of both bands, I agree. It is beautifull to see how they share the same space in music and are so supportive of each other.

[@scifimonkey3]

Have kept plugging for that too so hopefully Stacey will eventually get around to Epica.

[@gregjetnikoff7124]

You forgot Sabat Mater Dolorosa!!!

[@tomasnyqvist3119]

Great reaction 👍With your happy view of everything it is a true pleasure watching your reactions. And we are so happy you discovered Nightwish , our most beloved band ❤ By the way, the keyboardist is Tuomas Holopainen the songwriter /composer of practically everything they do. Without him there would not be a Nightwish. Hope everything is well after your surgery and looking forward to more reactions.

[@dixie3086]

The keyboardist is the founder and composer of Nightwish. His name is Tuomas. Jukka was the original drummer but had to retire because of health problems, but is still involved with Nightwish. Kai is the drummer now. And the guitarist's name is Emppu. Troy is the multi-instumentalist. He plays many different instruments. Now you know the other names. Marko has left the band and has his own band now.

[@seattanf2348]

When Jukka had to step down he chose his own replacement.

[@Qwarzz]

Markos band Tarot is older than Nightwish, they haven't been that active after their drummer died however. He did have his solo stuff while in Nightwish and dozens of visits in various bands.

[@tubelious]

yeah, Marko's band Tarot was formed about 15 years before NW. So he was already an OG metal vocalist when he joined NW.

[@dangroth8680]

Thank you for taking the time to share this with us. Beautiful.

[@TimoArula]

This song is Massive,...Song about Evolution of the Universe , Earth and Life . The song title is taken from a 2009 book by evolutionary biologist and atheist writer Richard Dawkins, concerning the evidence for biological evolution. Dawkins also contributes towards the album. Tuomas Holopainen "Metal Mozart" (founder, leader, keyboardist, songwriter and the main composer for Nightwish) explained to HMV in March 2015: "I wrote him a letter a bit more than a year ago and explained the ideas we had for this album, mainly to do with evolution. Since one of the tracks would be named directly after one of his books, it felt like a perfect match to try to get him do some reciting on the album. He sent me an email a few weeks later accepting the invitation." "Later in 2014 we then recorded his parts at Hats Off Studios, Oxford. This is a huge honor for us, since Dawkins is one of our biggest heroes and his writings have been huge inspiration for the album." SO, the drummer: Kai Hahto is "The Human Metronome", or in my book Kai "The Machine Gun" Hahto ( is a Finnish musician and drummer). Hahto was a member of the grindcore band Rotten Sound. Hahto then recorded with the band Wintersun as a session drummer before joining them as a band member. On 6 August 2014, it was announced that Hahto will be playing drums on the forthcoming Nightwish album, replacing Jukka Nevalainen, who went on hiatus from the band due to insomnia, and Hahto performed on all live shows since that date. On July 15, 2019, Hahto became Nightwish's permanent drummer following Nevalainen's decision not to return to the band. WE WERE HERE !!!! That Ending gets me every time 🥲. And they look together like Real Avengers of earth . Who else is going to vote for this song's inclusion on the next Voyager golden record, if there'll ever be one? I want to beam this song into space forever. PS: Tuomas IS Nightwish !!! NWSU/FloorFan 🤘😎🤘.

[@anuisotalo9467]

I'm with you! 🌍

[@torpmorp1324]

The keyboardist is Tuomas Holopainen who’s also the composer of their songs. The man talking at the end is the world’s most known evolutionary biologist at the moment, Dr. Richard Dawkins.

[@anrakspumante5958]

We all have to thanks Tuomas! He is a real genius - the metal Mozart! His songs are all so wunderful arranged and set all members of Nightwish perfect in szene. Nightwish are a real fantastic extremly high talented unique band!

[@k.l.7788]

Agreed! Cannot wait to hear what he composed for the new album. ❤

[@w.b.t.127]

I was there. The final song in Denver Colorado, May 15, 2022. "The Greatest Show on Earth". I wish you were there. This was after Marko had left the group. Still a good show.

[@VK.Vertol]

Hi Stacey. That man in the end is professor Richard Dawkins - a prominent British zoologist, ethologist and evolutionary biologist. He was cooperating with Nightwish when Tuomas (keyboard) composed this song.

[@carymcgivney-cd2bl]

Thanks!

[@StaceyRPGReacts]

Thank you ❤️❤️

[@Marco-Conner]

19:35 Floor - Enter LUCA Marko - Enter Ionia Emppu - Enter Sandman

[@FritzMonday]

My first time listening to NIGHTWISH! I avoided them on purpose. I have to confess however, I am impressed. She has an amazing voice/vocal range. And the musicianship1 That's something rare, these days. Actual musicians. No sampling. All talent ! I'm impressed !

[@Lord.Ningirsu]

The keyboardist is the genius behind the Music of Nightwish and mostly all the lyrics too.

[@Duskwind_]

I've been waiting for you do do this one, and oh my God Stacey, you absolutely nailed it. Even without any research you instantly picked up on the story. Well done! The bands' love is very real, Nightwish loves us and we love them back. It's really what sets this band apart. The effort of performing this song at the end of a 2 hour set is borderline inhuman. Tuomas staggering from the keyboards when it's over says it all. As always, much love to one of my favorite little sisters 🤗

[@hansjohansson7111]

Great reaction as always, Stacey. If you love Marco you really need to check out "Nightwish - High Hopes (End Of An Era)". It's a tribute to Pink Floyds song and Marco is the singer.

[@WNYretiree]

I concur!

[@davidellinsworth3299]

I concur - maybe after she does Floyd's Pulse version - she's working her way through Floyd now

[@Duskwind_]

Yes! Since you love both bands, this would be perfect. Marko took the reigns while Tarja was doing a wardrobe change. Little did she know that this would be her last concert with the band.

[@Cadinho93]

There is no politics in this song. It's literally just a summary of the creation of the universe and life. Also, I think that the metal community is trying to turn every vocal reaction channel host into a metalhead. I strongly approve.

[@billattercliffe8655]

There is politics in anything in America unfortunately. The "Creationists" will have a shitfit over this song. Tough for them.

[@Duskwind_]

@@billattercliffe8655 Evolution and creation are the same thing, it's only a matter of methodology. My God is nature, and she created everything 😁

[@billattercliffe8655]

@@Duskwind_ And what came before God?

[@Duskwind_]

@@billattercliffe8655 You're asking me what came before nature? Everything from thermo/field dynamics, physics down to the quantum level and even time itself is part of natural law. You don't have to believe in the laws, but you can't break them even if you try.

[@peterglueck]

You must have experience this moment at 7:45 live! In row 4, just in front of Floor! I swear, you will NEVER forget!

[@paulhood5950]

Nightwish doesn't just play a concert. They produce musical theater.

[@Seven50ml]

We were here! Appreciate every minute ❤

[@Musabre]

"We were here!" I WAS there! This was one of the best live concert experiences of my life, and as an old fan of Richard Dawkins' work, the HYPE when he came out on stage was insane. (i know he's a grouchy old man these days, but that doesn't diminish his past career one iota).

[@kevdeburgh]

I will admit that I cry every time at the end of this song.... Amazing! You look fantastic by the way! ❤❤

[@sumonjamal1653]

Bagpipes have been used in rock/ metal... of all bands, it was AC/DC in 1975 that made the song "It's a long way to the top (If you wanna rock n roll)"... w/ (late) singer Bon Scott playing the pipes on the track (He had never played Scottish bagpipes, but he had played flute prior... ) Jethro Tull was the band from the 1960's that had the rock sound w/ flute, courtesy of vocalist Ian Anderson. KoRn in 1994 introduced bagpipes to their debut album w/ the nursery rhyme track 'Shoots & ladders'... Eventually, a number of European metal bands introduced various instruments to their sound, including Eluveitie... In Extremo... Turisas ... Korpiklaani... Ensiferum... Apocalyptica... etc.

[@66superuwe]

My dear Stacey, I love your reactions. 😘The man at the end was Clinton Richard Dawkins. He is a British zoologist, theoretical biologist, evolutionary biologist and author of popular science literature. Tuomas was inspired by his work, especially with this song.

[@anterohoo7554]

In many levels greatest show on earth. And so educational! And you´re great too, what an lovely reaction!

[@jonroberts7125]

i went to this concert it was out of this world

[@randalljones4370]

This song is sumptuous ear candy, of the highest quality. The composition is full of wonder, drive and awe. ... and it's damn catchy. Great reaction. Always a good listen and watch, here.

[@MoZqUiTo66]

I personally love the double meaning of this Song when they play it as grand finale on their live shows. It is about the greatest show on earth 8n case of evolution, but also the greatest show you are just in the concerts... While you are singing "we were here" as a little piece of time on this planet, but also part of the great Nighwish concert. And yes... Witnessing this Song live IS one of the greatest shows ;)

[@Rico.at.50]

I've seen them perform this twice. The last time was pre-covid on their Decades tour in Baltimore on the third row. It's every bit as epic as you'd expect!

[@BrindleChase]

The gentleman at the end is renown evolutionary biologist Richard Dawkins and he was quoting Charles Darwin. Toumas Holopainen is the composer and keyboardist of this masterpiece.

[@dannogardening]

Stacey you went right for a big one from Nightwish, and there's no wrong in that. Please keep reacting to them, more surprises to come

[@frankpuncekar5051]

My mantra is “ MY FAVORITE NIGHTWISH SONG IS ALWAYS THE LAST ONE IVE. LISTENED TO!” So I’m glad you’re going to check out the Tempere version of the Greatest Show On Earth. For me that’s the better version only because to me it showcases the bands relationship & love they have for the fans and the love of course the fans have for Nightwish. I know you envy people that have seen the great performances of Pink Floyd, Black Sabbath, Queen etc. Well Nightwish, Sabaton, Epica, Ayreon are all bands as well as others that are on my buckets list to see I am so envious of all those people on seeing these artist performing at amazing levels. So even this very old metal rock head wants to experience new sights and sounds. Enjoying your journey God Bless Rock on Stay Safe!🙏🤘🤘🤘🤘🤘

[@Idyll_Insomniac]

If you love Marko you will most likely enjoy his first band Tarot, his brother is the guitarist there. He essentially brought heavy metal to Finland. I would recommend Wings of Darkness, I Walk Forever, Pyre of Gods, Stigmata (I Feel for You) - unplugged and Tides EDIT: Band members Tuomas Holpainen - Keyboards/ Main songwriter Marko Hietala - Bass/Vocals Emppu Vuorinen - Guitar Kai Hahto - Drums Jukka Nevalainen - Ex Drummer (Kai - very technical/professional / Jukka - Very much his own style) Floor Jansen - Vocals Troy Donockley - Uilleann pipes, tin whistle, vocals, guitar, keyboards, bass guitar, bouzouki, cittern, bodhrán, mandola

[@olafgenditzki638]

The narrator at the end of the song is Richard Dawkins. The author of the spoken lines in the song, the book giving the song it's title and inspireing the whole album.

[@scifimonkey3]

All except the last section of words which are read from the writing of Charles Darwin.

[@olafgenditzki638]

@@scifimonkey3 Absolutely right, thank you for the clarification. Richard Dawkins quotes him in the book.

[@nightwisharmyuk]

UK Army popping in to say I was there, and Tampere, neither is superior they are both works of art. We were here.❤

[@balli7836]

This is not only a song... It's a way of life.

[@Z-one1000]

Nightwish's music is pure poetry. I highly suggest using the captions when available or having the lyrics pulled up so you can really appreciate the beauty of the lyrics. This of course applies to any and all of their songs. This song in particular is a tribute to Richard Dawkins' book of the same title and is a celebration of the history of our universe and the evolution of life.

[@Zorros2ndCousinTwiceRemoved]

I would've recommended the Tampere version, it's much more emotional, but this'll do. ^^

[@AlvenmodFoto]

I agree, Tampere is better, but they're both amazing. Can't go wrong with Greatest shown on earth

[@seattanf2348]

About 1/2 the Nightwish Army prefers the Tampere performance and about 1/2 prefer this one. I like Wembley better but as others have said you can't go wrong with TGSOE regardless of which one you listen to.

[@AlvenmodFoto]

@@seattanf2348 yeah, I like them both. Wembley for the e-bow from Troy and Dawkins. Tampere because of the fireworks and honestly I think both Marko and Floor has better vocals in Tampere. Then again, Wembley got the Empuu horns 🤟

[@davidellinsworth3299]

Tampere only has Wembley beat on visuals - nothing else. The sound and mix on Wembley is far superior. Plus on the Tampere erosion you do t get Dawkins or Troy on the ebow

[@alexandremaireno-ni4ec]

Right on​@@davidellinsworth3299 ! Never got all the fuss about the Tampere version

[@FromG2eminor]

The ebow at the beginning played by Troy and Floor coming in like angel gets me every time. Of course Tuomus is amazing with that keyboard. Love this whole band!

[@paulrivas7233]

My first time hear them they sound so good thanks uploading the video I love it 🤘💖

[@garycollins1545]

The bagpipes Troy plays are the Uilleann pipes (Irish bagpipes ), played with an under the arm bevels in stead of a blow pipe. He also used an e-bow on his guitar in stead of a pick.

[@PatStringer89]

Hello Stacey and thank you, in a word simply epic, a pure marvel of musical construction, thanks to Thuomas for the writing and the rest of the band for the interpretation of this masterpiece, and also for the wonderful lyrics of Professor Richard Dawkins. 😉👍🎸

[@randomman4938]

Your reaction to when Floor first sings at the beginning of, is just like mine. The beauty of her voice just materializes out of the ether, and grabs you.

[@j0hnn13K]

For me this is their Magnum Opus, there is so much story telling going on besides the incredible orchestration of the music itself. And the story... how on earth can anyone create a song this captivating that deals with the birth of our universe, our planet, evolution, life on this planet, our lives, our past and present. Having Sir Richard Dawkins who inspired Tuomas to create this song, doing the narration.... just "chefs kiss" so tasty, so beautiful. I knew you'd love this, and i can tell you.. this song gets better and better each time you hear it, the details in it... you simply cannot catch everything in the first few listen throughs, there is so much going on, instrumentally, vocally, story wise, it just keeps getting better and better each time you hear it. Ty for your lovely reaction Stacey, you are part of the army now, just so you know ;)

[@danielbailey9821]

I loveeee watching New reactors react to Nightwish! They're absolutely amazing and I hope some day I can see them live! ❤ welcome to the nightwish arm❤🎉🎉

[@barrylamb2407]

have loved nightwish since they first started got everything they have done awsome tunes

[@ursmetzger]

Just a small but important detail! Troy is playing the Uilleann pipes which are from Ireland and are controlled by the arm/elbow. The Scottish bag pipes are something completely different where you need your breath and blow into.

[@g8ymw]

Bagpipes and metal? Bon Scott played bagpipes once when he was AC/DC's singer (Long way to the top)

[@antivanti]

I suggest also watching the version from Tampere because it has some other surprises. Also enable subtitles to easier follow along with the lyrics 😊

[@howlandgrowl]

Stacey, the guy at the end is Richard Dawkins, a world renowned biologist, and one of Tuomas's (the keyboard player) idols. Tuomas Holopanien founded Nightwish, he is "Mr Nightwish"

[@johnsullivan8046]

the girl at the front is a LEGEND

[@viedralavinova8266]

If you like Marco so much, you should try The Islander at Tampere. :) Love the Nightwish reactions

[@jasonmarshall7572]

Tuomas the keyboard player writes 95% of there songs he's very talented and a poet and an empath and places a lot of his feelings into there work. Jukka pronounced Yukka is there old drummer he still works for them but has stepped down from drums as he had problems with insomnia and major migraines. Jukkas friend Kai ex Wintersun is now there drummer. That guitar intro was from Troy there British member and multi instrumentalist. He used an E-bow which is a device with magnets which makes the strings vibrate and this chello like sound. Troy also did the backing vocals with Marko and played that bagpipe which is an Irish bagpipe called Uilleann pipes. Hope you enjoyed the info Thank you

[@wfchornet2]

I found you because of your pink floyd time video posted earlier today and mentioned in my comment that Nightwish were brilliant and then this came up in my feed after I subscribed to your channel This is my favourite version of Greatest show on earth because it has a live appearance from Richard Dawkins at the end FYI they're not bagpipes they're Uilleann pipes that Troy is playing midway through 😉 Love your reactions

[@Elephant2024]

Thanks for reacting to this. What an awesome spectacle. It is like a laser light show at a planetarium only with a live band performing the music right before your very eyes.

[@georgitchobanov9299]

The Greatest show on Earth they are singing about might as well be called "Life" in all of it's shapes and forms. A show started from the dawn of time. Enjoy it as much as you can while you can :)

[@hardcorenightwishfan]

yayyy!i m happy now😂.thank you❤❤

[@nadimbikkin5011]

The Islander While Your Lips are Still Red These songs were written by Marco. You have never heard Marco like this!

[@animalsoul444]

but while the lips arwe stil red NOT the music video, the live!!

[@marioa3059]

so Happy you choose the Wembley version, you can chck the Tampere also it has something special during the intro. Welcome back to Nightwish, there is so much more for you to discover...Yours is a empty hope, Devil and the deep dark ocean, Dead Boys Poem, Shoemaker (from their last album) and many more...

[@harley-dave]

The essence of your honesty may prevail beyond anything that these ears may bring. \m/

[@Rackelhane]

I think about Floor a lot too..😉❤❤❤ The guy at the end was Richard Dawkins who wrote "The greatest show on earth" a book about the evolution. Nightwish and Tuomas Holopainen was inspired by Richards book and Tuomas made his masterpiece based on the book. Great reaction Thank you.

[@balrog7252]

Greetings from Poland. You're right in saying that it's a song about life, or more specifically, the origins and evolution of life. The individual parts of this piece can be read in many ways, but this is how I read it. 1:59 A long introduction consisting of a repeating pattern of 6 notes played in quick succession is the equivalent of a carbon. A single carbon element consists of only 6 atoms and is the basic building block of all living organisms on earth. It forms the most compounds of all the elements. Every eighth bar, the 6 notes turn into 12 fast notes, which means carbon bonds with other elements to form longer bonds. 2:24 The long notes of the guitar mean the search for some form of life, but it is still wandering and not being able to find the right way. 3:08 The guitar finally begins to play an orderly melody, which means that life is finally starting to form. 3:31 Violent sounds can mean some cataclysms and the destruction of certain life forms and the emergence of new ones, as well as the constant evolution of existing ones. 3:41 The guitar tries to stand out from the noise reminding that life still exists, fights and does not let itself be forgotten. 3:55 After a series of violent events, a wonderful melody played on the keyboard comes to the fore, which means that life finally wins and will stay permanently on Earth. 5:22 The first notes sung by Floor signify that life becomes the dominant and most important thing on Earth, distinguishing this planet from billions of others. "The first sunrise" means that such forms of life have already been created that are able to sense the world around them. The next words "Somewhere there, us sleeping" mean that there is still a long way to the birth of a human being. 7:00 The motif played on the bagpipes finally marks the appearance of the first human ancestors on Earth 7:46 The main theme played by the whole band means the fullness of stimuli received by all living beings, also by the ancestors of people in the world around them. 13:45 The theme played on drums perfectly reflects humanity's first attempts at playing instruments and creating music 14:40 - 15:02 Among the endless sounds of animals, the first attempts at human singing come to the fore. 15:05 The melody perfectly imitates the sounds of hunting. 15:31 All the brutality of the hunt, unfortunately necessary to survive, is contained in a sharp guitar riff 15:43 The motif of several repeated notes played by the keys means the constant pursuit of prey 18:40 Silence is a moment of reflection and a quick history of music development over the centuries: from baroque music to metal music (Enter Sandman Metallica 😀) 20:37 Is it possible to end the song more beautifully than with the words: WE WERE HERE! Probably only such words can be said/written by humanity as a souvenir for posterity. The text beautifully describes the development of life, although a fragment: "Hunger for shiny rocks For giant mushroom clouds The will to do just as you'd be done by Enter history, the grand finale Enter Ratkind" does not sound too optimistic for humanity, predicting nuclear annihilation. May it never happen. The Greatest Show on Earth is an example of Tuomas' genius as a composer and one of his three greatest compositions, next to Ghost Love Score and The Poet And The Pendulum

[@shanedowling7066]

Isn't she lovely, isn't she wonderful

[@gabrielstratton1775]

If there was only one thing I prefer about this version, it's that they did a great job camera and edit wise of showing that Troy is singing a well, giving us those glorious 3 part vocal harmonies

[@gabrielstratton1775]

You have to love how Thoumas took a minute or two out of his 20+ min epic about the evolution of life to include a brief evolution of music

[@scottvanhille5688]

Epic, angelic, ethereal, surreal, mystical, enchanting, beautiful, vibrant, colorful, and quite simply amazing performance. They should do music for movies and video games. Nice reaction Stacey. I do suggest Delain--Moth To A Flame, Ad Infinitum--Seth, Gunship--Monster In Paradise, David Hasselhoff--True Survivor, Diana Ankudinova--Rechenka, Wicked Game, and Human.

[@actor451]

My favorite Nightwish.

[@FrankUli]

it's great to see your smiling face back on air, you were and are in everyone thoughts and prayers God bless you and your speedy recovery.

[@stpfs9281]

Oh, Marko? Search for this: Tohtori: The Reveal (with English subtitles) - Masked Singer Suomi Marko Hietala wins the second season of Masked Singer Suomi (Finland) as Tohtori ("Doctor"). His other songs were fun too!

[@chardonnay5767]

I'm somewhat jealous of you for this discovery. You've so throughoutly enjoyed yourself while still only scratching the surface of the song as far as the actual content is considered. Just the same way the individual musicality and vocal performances shine in Nightwish so does the lyrical content and that's something you can start to unpack slowly over time. There's just as much going on in the lyrics and the structures and everything, it's really a product of love and passion all the way through. You're very correct on the detail when you pointed out that they must have the most talented drummers ever, that's quite true. Jukka was the 1st drummer and Kai the 2nd, both of them are (or were) at the top of their craft and they're very respected internationally as masters of rock drumming. Overall this era of Nightwish from 2013 to 2015 really seems like peak Nightwish and I don't know how it can be surpassed anymore.

[@isaiahwelch8066]

@StacyRPG: What you don't know is that this song, "The Greatest Show On Earth," is Tuomas' ode to the people of Earth about this planet we live on. Being whom I once gave the nickname of "The Metal Mozart" to, Tuomas has composed this magnum opus about the 14.8 billion years of universal history, and the 4.6 billion years of Earth history, and condensed it down into 24 minutes of musical genius and awe. The speaker is Dr. Richard Dawkins, an evolutionary biologist who wrote a book called _The Greatest Show On Earth,_ in which the following quote is said at the end of this song: "We are going to die, and that makes us the lucky ones. Most people are never going to die because they are never going to be born. The potential people who could have been here in my place but who will in fact never see the light of day outnumber the sand grains of Sahara. Certainly those unborn ghosts include greater poets than Keats, scientists greater than Newton. We know this, because the set of possible people allowed by our DNA so massively exceeds the set of actual people. In the teeth of these stupefying odds it is you and I, in our ordinariness, that are here. We privileged few, who won the lottery of birth against all odds, how dare we whine at our inevitable return to that prior state, from which the vast majority have never stirred?" The second instrument you heard Troy Donockley playing is the Uaellian pipes, the national instrument of Ireland. A type of bagpipes, the Uaellian bagpipes are played by pumping the bellows with the arm, rather than blowing into them, hence the name ("uaellian" means "elbow" in Gaelic). But now that you've heard this, I highly recommend reacting to Shoemaker and All the Works of Nature: Ad Astra. Should you do so, you'll hear the following quote on Ad Astra, written by Dr. Carl Sagan, from a piece called _Pale Blue Dot:_ "Look again at that dot. That's here. That's home. That's us. On it everyone you love, everyone you know, everyone you ever heard of, every human being who ever was, lived out their lives. The aggregate of our joy and suffering, thousands of confident religions, ideologies, and economic doctrines, every hunter and forager, every hero and coward, every creator and destroyer of civilization, every king and peasant, every young couple in love, every mother and father, hopeful child, inventor and explorer, every teacher of morals, every corrupt politician, every "superstar," every "supreme leader," every saint and sinner in the history of our species lived there -- on a mote of dust, suspended in a sunbeam." Take the two quotes together, and you tell me: How could anyone learn these things and not have their mind blown at not just how wonderful life is, but how awe-inspiring and unique we are, to live our lives on this planet? Because this song puts it very succinctly: "We Were Here!"

[@josuahroberts978]

There is another live version of this performance from in Finland, which has fireworks set off in time with the music lol, I recommend this version also.

[@drsbsn01]

Stacy: "sounds like the start of an incredible journey" Me:.......?.....oh you THINK?! Strap in lady! Heavens a coming! probably my favourite song ever, and thats a big list :)

[@markogronfors3826]

4:11 well, the beginning of life is an epic story, isn't it

[@mpainter22]

My best friend of 30 years was at this very concert, i saw Nightwish at Wembley in November 2022, trust me nothing and i mean NOTHING prepares you for experiencing them in person

[@Paulyjimmyjoey]

I love when Troy uses the ebow it sounds so good. In the Tampere version he doesn't use it and all they do is add fireworks and theirs so I think this version is better so thank you for choosing this one😊.

[@MrDempmeister]

This song is an amazing feat by Tuomas. He has managed to boil down the evolution of life on earth into one single song. And on top of that he managed to squeeze in the evolution of music. From the point where you commented on the haunting keyboard the is Tibetan throat singing, bongo drums, flutes, a harpsichord, banjos, Empuu playing the Entrr Sandman riff as an homage to Metallica and lastly you have a weird change in the drum beat. That sudden and super change is a standard EDM beat. So that’s basically a short version of the evolution of music.

[@johnlindquist1784]

Every time I see this I am amazed at more that 12,000 screaming metal heads going completely silent to listen to Professor Dawkins.