The legendary Symphonic metal band Nightwish, awed the fans on Saturday, April 14 at the City National Grove, in Anaheim, California on the “Decades World Tour 2018.”
It’s always exciting pulling up to the Grove of Anaheim and seeing the line of fans wrapped around the place; I’ve been looking forward to this night since the tour was announced, this being the first time seeing Nightwish live. The doors open at 7:00 PM and the fans start filing in, to receive a pleasant surprise, a copy of their two-disc album “Decades” via Nuclear Blast Records while entering the building, euphoria filled the air.
As I’m standing in the photo pit watching each level of the Grove fill up, hearing claps and chants, the stage goes dark, and the massive LED screen lights up across the back of the stage, which looked like a closed shutter eye. Silence, it was like everyone stopped breathing for a moment waiting to see what was next. Waiting… waiting…. waiting as the owl from the Oceanborn album cover opens the eye flying through and a video begins to play a silhouette of a cell phone appears, a deep voice begins to speak to the audience, asking the fans to turn off and put away the cell phones, to go back in time with them, before we had cell phones. That was cool; I loved it!
A countdown clock appears on the screen starting at one minute; the fans get louder and louder counting down the seconds, as music fills the air with an instrumental snippet of Swanheart, with Troy Donockley playing the metal flute and Uilleann Pipes, breathtaking. With a blink of an eye, founders keyboardist Tuomas Holopainen and guitarist Emppu Vuorinen enter the stage followed by bassist Marco Hietala, drummer Jukka Nevalainen, once Floor Jansen hit the scene the cheer erupts, she’s beautiful. Opening with End of All Hope from the album Century Child, performed first time live since 2004, followed by Wish I Had an Angel from the album Once, the first time since 2013, rounding out the first three songs with 10th Man Down off the album End of Innocence, the first time since 2003.
With the opening songs, the tone was set for the evening, as Nightwish took the fans down memory lane with songs that haven’t been performed live all the way back to 1999. The LED screen that spanned the back of the stage showed stunning imagery enhancing the song, from waterfalls, rows of gravestones, flying meteors, stars, sea creatures, and fire. Two hours being in another world, everyday life didn’t exist. Superb musicianship, I always enjoy seeing musicians smile and show passion, they have it all, even had a taste of a new song, live premiere Elvenjig.
The end of the show came too soon, closing out with Ghost Love Score from the album Once.
Even though the North America “Decades” tour has come to an end, it has left lasting memories to all that attended.
Connect with Nightwish on all social media for upcoming news, pick up their recent 2-disc album “Decades.” via Nuclear Blast Records.
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Setlist:
End of All Hope
Wish I Had an Angel
10th Man Down
Come Cover Me
Gethsemane
Élan
Sacrament of Wilderness
Dead Boy’s Poem
Elvenjig
Elvenpath
I Want My Tears Back
The Carpenter
The Kinslayer
Devil & the Deep Dark Ocean
Nemo
Slaying the Dreamer
The Greatest Show on Earth (Chapter 1: Four Point Six)
Ghost Love Score
The Greatest Show on Earth (Chapter IV: The Understanding, Chapter V: Sea-worn Drifrwood)
All photos by Tammy Greene
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