My wife and I have been almost like groupies of this band for over a decade. They’ve been around since the mid-90s and are very popular throughout Europe and South America, pretty well known in Asian countries but not too well known in North America. They are a Finnish Symphonic Metal band although their music is highly variable in structure and style. Anyway, they were just starting their latest world tour when COVID hit, had to postpone the entire tour. During that time, they did a “virtual” concert. We bought tickets and watched both nights on line. They won awards for the performance in Finland because of the novelty and quality of the concert. It took place in a 3D virtual venue they called The Islander Arms. So, they have just completed the first leg of a new tour after finally getting back on the road post COVID. It was interesting to read that many people held onto their tickets for almost 3 years to get to see them when they finally hit the road again. The group has an incredibly loyal and dedicated fan base, my wife and I included. Here are two pictures showing what being on tour looks like. One shows the 5 buses and 6 tractor trailers needed to move all the people and equipment. Another shows the crew it takes to support them on tour. Interestingly, during the pandemic, to try to help the crew, which were hit really hard, they put on sale CDs of the crew doing Nightwish songs with all sales proceeds going directly to the crew. The band is front center in the group photo. In the middle is the lead singer, a Dutch soprano and vocal nerd. To her right is the drummer, a crew member and then the bass player. To her left is the lead guitar player, their multi-instrumentalist (bouzouki, eBow guitar, high and low whistles, uilleann pipes, and backing vocals), then the originator of the band/keyboardist/composer.
For those that have never heard uilleann pipes, this song features them during the intro, after the low whistle. They resemble the bag pipes most of us know except that they are not played by blowing into them. Instead there is a bellows that is pumped using the right arm, which inflates a bladder under the left arm. They have, IMO, a more mellow/sweeter tone quality than the other type bagpipes. This song also features their previous bass player who recently left. Unfortunate, because he was a great vocalist as well.