LIVE REVIEW: Nightwish @ Resorts World Arena, Birmingham
As far as pre-gig rituals go, asking how many NIGHTWISH fans you can fit into a Five Guys is just one of the games gig-goers are playing before the Finnish masters of symphonic metal finally take to the stage, just a mere three years after announcing the tour. Whilst a sea of steampunk-themed, battle jacket-clad fans flood Resorts World Arena and its shopping centre with one band in mind, there’s a whole lineup of fun to be had.
The tall task of opening up this all-Finnish line-up falls to TURMION KÄTILÖT. Arriving on stage like the VIKING RAIDERS on Monday Night Raw, they throw a pagan party of industrialised folk metal. Whilst it feels uncomfortably weird watching a band who find it funny calling their members ‘Master Bates’ in 2022, and their dual-vocalist mixing is Shrek’s swamp-levels of muddy at times, there’s no denying they bring the party. Vocalists MC Raaka Pee and Shag-U make light work of Resorts World Arena’s everlong stage, cruising up and down as they deliver what only they describe as ‘our disco songs.’
Rating: 7/10
Whilst TURMION KÄTILÖT kickstart the hearts of the earlybirds, there’s no denying there’s one support act here to steal the show. Power metal supergroup BEAST IN BLACK have risen the ranks faster than Ronaldo’s found himself a new club, and tonight they prove why. There’s no shortage of their own merch across the ocean of fans filling up the arena, and frontman Yannis Papadopoulos parades the stage like he was born to play nothing smaller than arena’s.
Whilst the IRON MAIDEN-evoking choreography comes across a little cheesy at times, a little too 80s hair metal, there’s no denying their synth-littered, power metal bangers pack a punch. Sweet True Lies and One Night In Tokyo send you spiralling into a clubland wonderland of heavy metal pastiche, but there’s not a single soul down the front singing along and dancing the night away. Sure, they wear their 80’s calling cards like hearts on their sleeves, but they sure know how to warm up a crowd.
Rating: 8/10
Whereas TURMION KÄTILÖT and BEAST IN BLACK are primed for partying, NIGHTWISH’s cinematic arrival has all the pomp and parade of a theatrical premiere. Nearly 15,000 fans have waited three years for this night, and symphonic metal’s undisputed champions duly deliver a spellbinding set.
As the curtain drops, and drummer Kai Hahto delivers a drum solo so crushingly good that he out-bangs the pop of the pyro, opener Noise see’s the band shoot for the stars straight out the gate. A generous helping of 2011’s Storytime just two songs in gets the pipes warmed up, but there’s a little ring rust to shake off from the crowd just yet.
No worries though, as the screams of thousands erupt mere moments later before Tribal as vocalist Floor Jansen defiantly cries “we spent our time at home on the couch waiting to be back, and now we’re back!” Having undergone surgery for breast cancer only a month ago, tonight is not only a celebration of life, but the delivery of her definitive performance as she commands the crowd to sing, scream, dance, and everything else you can think of.
With a dosage of pyro and confetti that could rival RAMMSTEIN’s, NIGHTWISH truly arrive on Élan as the whole crowd chants together, including a heartwarming hum-along to Troy Donockley’s majestic piping; and the fun doesn’t stop there as fans take the action into their own hands, lighting up the arena with more light than Dumbledore’s Deluminator can handle during Sleeping Sun.
Standing steadfast on the top-deck of their double-decker bus-like stage, band leader Tuomas Holopainen channels Hans Zimmer, conducting his band and his fans like an orchestra. It’s testament to NIGHTWISH’s years of experience, but their attention to detail and ability to perfectly pace a set goes above and beyond here. Sleeping Sun’s melancholic waltz through the northern lights is warmed by the heat of Harvest’s endearing, Donockley-led run through the autumnal fields, and brought back to life by fan favourite Dark Chest Of Wonders lightning strike solos. What we’re trying to say is that every song has its place in the set, and it’s own story to tell. Few bands transport you into a song’s setting like NIGHTWISH do tonight.
An acoustic helping of How’s The Heart? shines a light on their human sides, as Jansen jokes “I’m not used to being this high up, I’m from the Netherlands where we do things below sea-level” and Donockley suggests that Birmingham is “wilder than Wembley” because it’s the city that gave us great bands like “DURAN DURAN and UB40” whilst Shoemaker shows they’ve still got the chops for journeyman songs. It’s worth noting that tonight’s set takes mostly from their Jansen-fronted output, with only five of their nine albums represented at all.
Few bands would be bold enough to attempt a two-song, 34-minute finale, let alone pull it off yet NIGHTWISH make it look effortless. Sending us to the seven seas in a triumphant airing of Ghost Love Score would be enough for any band to end the night on, yet a full 24-minute rendition of The Greatest Show On Earth completely shatters anyone’s expectations. You might expect the crowd to file out during the prog-metal odyssey, yet barely a soul leaves, glued to the stage like The Simpsons to their TV.
Whilst Jansen suggests “we cannot take anything in life for granted”, you can’t help but think, we can’t take NIGHTWISH for granted. If tonight’s show proves anything, it’s that they’re well overdue the next step: headlining a major UK festival.
Rating: 10/10
Check out our photo gallery of the night’s action in Birmingham from Serena Hill Photography here:
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