Prayers have been answered for an angel at Download.
Delayed by 30 minutes due to faults and bomb scares at the airport they landed at, anticipation and impatience for Nightwish's performance on the main stage is mounting. The crowd are kept amused by messages on the screens on either side of the stage, the Download dog, a small child, and by Tero- the Nightwish roadie who had arrived beforehand separate to Nightwish in order to set up the stage for a performance that would prove to be well worth the wait. Suddenly the appearance of Jukka, the drummer for Nightwish on-stage to sound check his drum kit reassures the fast growing crowd. When the pale blue lights shine down upon the stage and an ethereal and magical introduction, vaguely reminiscent of the theme tune for Pirates of the Caribbean finally begins, the screams are not only of support but also of relief. The crowd is reassured that their appetite for Nightwish need not suffer much longer.
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Finally the band appear onstage as the ethereal, innocent introduction for 'Dark Chest of Wonders' strikes up and flows straight into the full orchestral introduction that is both violent and stunningly beautiful in its appeal. Of course it's only a sample but you can hardly expect to fit a fully seated classical orchestra on the main stage of Download, and it works just as well as having the real thing, packing the full power and dreamlike sound that makes Nightwish who they are. Marco and Emppu arrive on-stage and race up and down leading the orchestral half of the introduction into the heavier part that builds up the sheer atmospheric force needed to support Tarja's voice. Empty without her presence, even the stage itself seems to await the beautiful angel who fronts this spectacular band and when she finally arrives dressed in white, the entire crowd is in awe; captivated by the sheer resonating beauty of her voice. Tarja is incredibly powerful here and her voice rings out across the stadium in a way that only one other female fronted band has accomplished this weekend- Queen Adreena. Her voice resonates sheer angelic beauty while still being powerful enough to rise above the harmonious but extremely loud guitar and bass parts of Emppu and Marco. It is only in the verses that you realise that Emppu has been attacked by the sound demons of the main stage but these are only minor compared to what other bands have faced and Nightwish are certainly not a band to allow small technical problems to hinder them from packing an amazing performance. 'Dark Chest of Wonders' rings on into the chorus, hailing one of the most powerful choruses heard on stage this weekend as Tarja works extensively with every part of the music, rising when the melodic structure beckons her too, fading and diminishing into melancholic serenade when the music fades. After a dramatic, soaring solo, the band fly straight into the violent, deliciously aggressive 'Planet Hell' which is performed in such a powerful way that even new converts are completely blown away. It is almost as if the wind blowing over the stage is coming from the speakers themselves, with raging slides and raw untamed vocals courtesy of Marco Hietala.
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It must be said that, while Tarja's stronghold is as rock solid as ever, today Marco is taking forefront of the stage, his vocals rising to meet hers and ever so slightly overpowering her. This may be down to the pure fact that Marco is not a very happy Viking about the hold up that caused them to cut their set down to just four songs. This is a feud he makes very clear after an impressive performance of the emotive, melancholic 'Nemo', wishing death upon the "idiots who forgot to top up the gasoline in the jet engine and who caused a bomb scare at the airport". Marco is clearly in top form today, and proving that you really shouldn't make a bassist Viking in a metal band angry at all. The crowd however, love him and disappointed that they could only deliver four songs to their devoted audience this afternoon, Marco delivers his all and 100% more in the seductive closing song, 'Wish I had an Angel'. 'Wish I had an Angel' thunders on, romancing the souls of all who pledge their hearts to this symphonic opera metal band. 'Nemo' was played in a similar way, with Tuomas giving his all to the fantastic synth backdrop as Tarja purrs overhead, her voice resounding a divine quality as if a thousand angels blessed her voice from birth. Though there is slight disappointment that Nightwish couldn't stay longer on both parts, they still manage to satisfy the appetites of those who come to be charmed by their complex and beautiful music. The performance is flawless, emotive and simply explosive. As 'Wish I had an Angel' finishes, Tarja blows a kiss and the band exit silently, leaving a sheer divine sense of awe all around. With this, Donington know that they've been blessed with the presence of the one and only angel of music.
To view all photos taken during this set click here. There are 25 available.