Gig Report: Nightwish Endless Forms Most Beautiful Tour, Singapore 2016
“Penampilan sulung di Singapura yang mindblowing”
Apabila khabar angin Nightwish akan singgah ke Singapura bertiup kencang, hati kecil saya sedikit ragu-ragu. Bolehkah Floor Jansen menghapuskan rasa ragu-ragu peminat Nightwish era lama? Baguskah album baru mereka ni? Paling penting, bolehkah mereka menarik kembali perhatian peminat lama?
Tour mempromosi album Endless Forms Most Beautiful di Singapura ini dibawakan oleh Impact Live di The Coliseum, Hard Rock Singapore. Dissecting the Euphony menghantar press team 3 hari lebih awal ke Singapura dan merupakan perjalanan paling jauh team kami setakat ini, yang nyata bukan setakat memakan 4 hari berada di sana, malah kami telah merentas sempadan untuk show ini. Jadi kami sangat teruja, tambahan pula ini kali pertama Nightwish singgah ke rantau ini.
Kami membuat tinjauan ke lokasi show sehari sebelum show berlangsung. The Coliseum adalah venue bersaiz sederhana (sebagai perbandingan, saiznya lebih kurang Stadium Chin Woo), terletak di antara hotel dan Hard Rock Café. Saya menyukainya kerana show sememangnya terasa lebih intim sebegini.
Kami sempat bersiar-siar di dalam Universal Studios Singapore, alang-alang singgah ke Singapura. Agaknya memang nasib kami, terserempak pula dengan Nightwish yang melepak tengok persembahan Waterworld! Cepat-cepat kami mengejar mereka selepas persembahan tersebut tamat dan bergambar. Terharu betul melihat Floor, Marco, Tuomas dan Troy meluangkan masa berbual dan bergambar bersama. Nightwish sangat mesra, terutamanya Marco yang murah menguntum senyuman. Tentulah kami jadi semakin bersemangat untuk show pada keesokan hari.
18 Januari, hari show.
Lokasi show mula dipenuhi dengan penonton seawal jam 5 petang. Barisan VIP kelihatan dipenuhi manakala normal entrance hanya penuh menjelang show entrance dibuka. Jualan merchandise dibuka sebelum show bermula dan laris macam pisang goreng panas. Releases dari After Forever dan Tarot turut dijual.
Sekitar jam 7 malam, penonton mula berpusu-pusu memasuki venue. Saya menganggar kehadiran sekitar 2000-3000 (sekadar telahan) memenuhi segenap The Coliseum. Show bermula tepat jam 8 malam. Berdebar-debar betul, maklum saja ini kali pertama mereka menjejak kaki ke sini.
Tour mereka di Singapura dimulakan dengan Shudder Before the Beautiful. Penonton bagaikan hilang akal menyaksikan Nightwish di atas pentas. Saya teruja menyaksikan bagaimana Floor mengemudi show sulung mereka di Singapura. Floor mendominasi segenap pentas dengan penuh bertenaga. Termasuklah line up Nightwish yang lain. Emmpu dan Marco sentiasa menguntum senyuman (baru lagu pertama dah baling guitar pick!) kepada crowd. Kai Hahto sebagai stand in drummer bagaikan jentera mengemudi beat show ini. Tuomas pula berpesta keyboard di penghujung pentas. Ada kalanya bagaikan asyik berseorangan tapi sekali-sekala menyambut jeritan penonton dengan senyuman. Saya teruja dengan Nightwish versi baru ini dengan penambahan ahli baru (selain Floor) iaitu Troy Donockley. Kemasukan beliau menyerlahkan lagi elemen folk dalam muzik Nightwish yang nyata mencorakkan kepelbagaian bentuk muzik mereka.
Yours An Empty Hope menyusul seterusnya. Nampaknya Nightwish memang sell hard lagu-lagu dari album baru mereka. Saya kurang arif dengan lagu ini tapi nampaknya paduan vocal antara Floor dan Marco memang garang. Memang kena pun, lagunya memang agresif dan sinister. Satu perkara yang saya nampak, mereka memang berbunyi sebijik macam dalam album. Baik Marco mahupun Floor. Antara highlight show mereka malam itu tentunya aksi Floor yang bersahaja windmill headbang dan selamba menyanyi macam tak sakit leher!
Nightwish nampak selesa walaupun ini show pertama mereka di sini dan cuaca yang agak panas walaupun dah hujan sebelum tu. Break antara lagu tidak lama dan tiada langsung tanda kepenatan terlakar di wajah mereka (tak terkesan dengan cuaca kot). Dan crowd tentulah menggila dihidangkan lagi-lagu tanpa henti.
Setelah 2 lagu yang dipetik dari album baru, tibalah lagu dari era lama. Saya agak emosi sedikit apabila lagu ini dimainkan, menggamit memori betul! Everdream dimainkan dengan begitu sempurna. Floor tak kekok pun untuk mengalunkannya walaupun kita sedia maklum lagu ini adalah dari era Tarja. Sungguh natural dan pembawaannya memang bersemangat. Kai Hahto di belakang drumkit nampak layan menderu-deru dengan twin pedal di kemuncak lagu. Emmpu pula rajin ke sana-sini segenap stage. Sekejap di sebelah Tuomas, sekejap bergurau dengan Floor di hujung pentas lagi satu. Pentas sebenarnya tidaklah besar pun, sesuai dengan saiz venue.
Trek seterusnya mengimbau kembali ke era lama iaitu She Is My Sin. Saya kagum dengan kemampuan Floor menyanyikannya dengan bersahaja. Nampaknya Floor sangat serasi dengan Nightwish dan tak terasa pun janggal pembawaannya. My Walden dari album Endless Forms Most Beautiful menyusul seterusnya. Saya sememangnya tidak habis mendengar album ini sebelum ke Singapura jadi saya agak terpinga-pinga.Tapi apabila alunan pipe oleh Troy bergema saya tahu saya akan menikmati lagu ini hingga ke penghabisan! Lenggok Celtic memang kuat dan saya rasa direction Nightwish ke muzik folk memang kena.
Di kala adrenaline sedang mengepam laju, While Your Lips Are Still Red menyelit. Giliran untuk Marco dan Tuomas menguasai pentas. Cukup jiwang dan lentok lagu ini. Versi live mempunyai vokal latar daripada Floor dan solo gitar tambahan daripada Troy.
Élan menyusul seterusnya. Dengar saja intro tiupan folk instrument oleh Troy, saya dah sangat teruja. Lautan penonton semuanya turut sama-sama menyanyi korus Élan. Saya menyukai trek ini kerana Floor bebas menjadi dirinya dan tidak terbelenggu dengan bayang-bayang legasi Tarja atau pun Anette. Lagu seterusnya menampilkan sekali gandingan vokal Floor dan Marco iaitu Your Weak Fantasy. Saya masih tidak familiar dengan trek-trek album EFMB jadi saya rasa ia biasa-biasa saja. Begitu juga dengan lagu-lagu seterusnya iaitu 7 Days to Wolves dan The Poet and the Pendulum.
Walaupun sudah hampir 10 lagu sudah dialunkan, tiada tanda-tanda Nightwish akan berhenti. Storytime mengambil tempat. Trek dari album Imaginaerium disambut meriah oleh penonton. Saya mendapati kaki saya pun turut terikut-ikut rentak lagu ini. I Want My Tears Back turut dibawakan dan mendapat sambutan hangat ramai. Setiap kali Marco mengalunkan vokal pastu riuh dibuatnya! Saya pasti ramai-tertunggu-tunggu kemunculan Nemo. Kami tidak kecewa, kerana Nemo turut dibawakan malam itu.
Saya pula semakin gelisah, adakah mereka akan membawakan Stargazers kerana kalau mengikut senarai lagu yang sudah dimainkan, setlist mereka di show sebelum-sebelum ini selalunya hampir sama. Apabila mereka break di antara lagu, dan Floor mula berkomunikasi dengan para penonton, saya mula mengesyaki yang Stargazers akan dibawakan kerana isi celotehnya hampir sama seperti saya pernah saksikan di Youtube. Telahan saya memang betul! Memang puas hati dapat menyaksikan lagu ini kerana pada saya ia menguji keupayaan Floor untuk membawakan lagu Nightwish era lama dan sememangnya beliau tidak mengecewakan. Ghost Love Score juga sama, rasanya ramai yang menanti lagu ini dibawakan terutamanya apabila Floor mencapai not tinggi yang buat semua hilang akal!
Giliran Last Ride of the Day mengambil tempat. Trek yang nyata lebih ke arah hard rock tetap disambut hangat. Saya masih lagi terpesona dengan paduan vokal Floor dan Marco yang sempurna sekali, memang layan! Sedar tak sedar, set mereka sudah tiba ke penghujungnya. Nightwish menutup tour ke Singapura mereka dengan The Greatest Show on Earth (Chapters 2 & 3). Alang-alang sudah di penutup, memang lagu yang bombastic dan lengthy dibawakan. Rasanya memang tak puas kalau di lihat dari riak muka mereka yang hadir. We want more! Nightwish terus meninggalkan pentas sebaik lagu tamat dan ramai menjerit-jerit encore. Mereka hanya keluar untuk bow down kepada penonton dan that’s it. Show tamat tepat jam 10 malam dan kami masih sempat pulang ke hotel menaiki monorel dan bas!
Saya sempat lepak di luar venue sesudah tamat dan bertemu rakan-rakan Malaysia dan Singapura, semuanya memang sangat berpuas hati dengan tour sulung Nightwish ini. Kalau ikutkan memang nak minta Nightwish main sejam lagi, tapi apa salahnya kalau simpan untuk lain kali, bukan? Terima kasih Nightwish, it was indeed The Greatest Show on Earth! Dan secara peribadinya, rasa ragu-ragu saya terhadap kemampuan Floor Jansen akhirnya terhakis dan kembali menggilai Nightwish. Ini sememangnya era baru mereka yang kita semua patut sambut dengan rasa teruja!
Terima kasih kepada Colin Binns dan Impact Live yang menjemput kami menghadiri tour Nightwish di Singapura. Tahniah kepada Impact Live di atas kejayaan menganjurkan tour ini. Secara peribadinya, ia berlangsung dengan baik tanpa sebarang kesulitan.
Layari dan like Nightwish di Facebook atau laman web rasmi.
Layari dan like laman Facebook Impact Live di sini untuk berita terkini show di Malaysia dan Singapura.
Untuk koleksi foto lengkap show ini, layari dan like Facebook kami di sini.
English version:
“A superb debut appearance in Singapore”
When rumours of Nightwish’s first ever show in Singapore were being passed around, I couldn’t help but feel skeptical. Will Floor Jansen be able to draw fans from the old era? How’s the new album, good or mediocre? The most important question is, can they actually bring back their old fans to enjoy Nightwish like it was once was?
Endless Forms Most Beautiful tour in Singapore is brought by Impact Live. The show, which took place at The Coliseum, Hard Rock Sentosa is their only South East Asia stop. Dissecting the Euphony took this chance to send our team to Singapore 3 days before the show. This actually marked our farthest journey as well our first time crossing the border for a show since started the blog. Obviously we’re excited as well!
We made a short visit to the venue a day before the show (as well visiting Universal Studios Singapore, because we’re on holiday…) The Coliseum is a mid size venue (almost the same as Chin Woo Stadium in KL, for comparison), sandwiched in between Hard Rock Hotel and Café. I like the setting because this will definitely make the show feels more intimate as the distance between stage and audience is not that far.
As we mentioned earlier, we took the chance to visit USS a day before. I guess we’re lucky, as we bumped into Nightwish who just finished watching Waterworld stage show! We did get the chance for photo and quick chat with Floor, Marco, Tuomas and Troy. It was indeed a pleasant surprise, even more when they’re actually much nicer in person, especially Marco who smiled all the way. The whole DtE team is even more excited for tomorrow’s show!
18 January, show day.
Audience swarmed the venue as early as 5pm. VIP line were full to the brim while normal entrance started to swell just before the door opened. Merchandise booth were also opened before the show and most of it sold out in such a short time. After Forever and Tarot releases were also on sale.
Door opened at 7pm, and crowd beginning to fill the venue. All happy and excited for their first time Nightwish show in Singapore, obviously. I predict the attendance of that night to be around 2000-3000 (just a rough figure). The Coliseum was full by 7.45pm and show started at 8pm. You know it’s gonna be a good time, when everybody beginning to chant Nightwish, urging to come out and start rocking out. I could actually feel the tense building up, in a good way.
Nightwish kicked off their Singapore tour with Shudder Before the Beautiful. Everyone loses their mind seeing their much-awaited band to finally playing in front of their eyes. I am more interested on seeing Floor’s ability to fronting their first ever show in South East Asia. Floor dominated the whole stage, being energetic and excited as much as we do. The rest of the line up also showed so much excitement. Marco and Kai took it easy and smiled all the way while Tuomas was at the right corner, enjoying himself. I’m pretty excited with their new line up which also includes Troy Donockley. With him joining the ranks, Nightwish’s sound is more diversed especially folk music elements. Being a sucker for folk music, obviously this is a pleasant change that I would definitely welcome.
Yours An Ampty Hope is up next. I’m not really familiar with this song but I can tell the crowd loved it very much. Awesome dual vocals by Marco and Floor; sinister and aggressive. What’s even surprised me, they sounded just as from studio version. Also, you gotta love Floor’s windmill headbang and she even continue to sing as if it’s the most natural thing in the world.
When I heard the familiar piano notes of Everdream, I know I’m gonna enjoy this one. By this time, I already shifted my position near the right side of stage. Everdream is perfectly executed, and we all know this is one of Tarja’s iconic songs, but Floor nailed it perfectly… I would say it’s even better than original version.
The same could be said on the next song, She Is My Sin. Floor seems to be comfortable and fits perfectly among the line-up. Could she finally find a place to call home? A track from the new album followed soon, My Walden. I honestly didn’y manage to listen to the album thoroughly before the show, so I was kind of confused. But when I saw Troy with his pipe, I instantly knew I would enjoy this song! A strong Celtic vibe and I feel grateful their decision to include folk music into their style.
After several adrenaline pumping songs, it’s time for Marco and Tuomas to shine. While Your Lips Are Still Red, as some of you know, is a heart melting ballad sung by Marco and oh god yes, so beautiful. Live version has a backing vocal by Floor and extended guitar solo by Troy. Audience in the front line were singing together with Marco and I couldn’t help but to hum as well (I don’t remember the lyrics lol).
My favorite track from Endless Forms Most Beautiful is Élan. As soon as Troy’s instrument started playing, I got really excited. And guess what? The whole arena felt it too. Everybody sings the chorus in unison, and it was really beautiful. I love this track, as it let Floor to be herself without being held back by Tarja or Anette’s legacy. Your Weak Fantasy, 7 Days to Wolves and The Poet and the Pendulum followed after that.
No signs of Nightwish stopping, even after churned out more than 10 songs. Storytime received a loud welcome from audience. I find myself moving to the song. The same could be said of I Want My Tears Back. The song with hard rock vibe definitely drive the crowd wild. Not even a minute to spare to breathe, they performed Nemo, from the album that brought them into mainstream crowd. And it was excellently performed.
As the night getting late, I’m getting anxious. Are they going to play my favourite song? I cam all the way from KL specifically for this song. And they did. Stargazers finally made it’s appearance and I find myself lost in the sea of the crowd. For me, this song is a defining benchmark of Floor ability. And she did it. We all know the original version is highly technical and over the top (it’s actually more a power metal song than Nightwish’s standard symphonic fare). I’m sure some of the audience also expected Ghost Love Score. And they did it too, and everybody lose their mind during the part Floor pulled the high pitch singing near the end. It was phenomenal. It was beautiful.
Nightwish Live in Singapore were concluded with Last Ride of the Day and The Greatest Show on Earth (Chapter 2 & 3). You know it’s a show that met everybody’s expectation when crowd started to chant ‘we want more’ when Nightwish started leaving the stage. No extra song, sorry. They only came out to bow down to us and that;s it. Show ended right at 10 pm, and we managed to catch monorail and bus ride back to hotel!
I managed to do some catch with Malaysian and Singaporean friends after the show ended. Majority of them agreed that it was a success and looking forward for their next return to Singapore. Thank you Nightwish, it was indeed The Greatest Show on Earth. As for me, I am no longer skeptical of Floor’s ability. I think they made the right decision to welcome her aboard and she proved that she is the worthy successor. I think that night actually has ignited the passion to listen to Nightwish again for most of us after missing their last 2 albums. Welcome back, Nightwish 🙂
Dissecting the Euphony would like to personally thank Colin Binns and Impact Live for inviting us to attend the concert. Congratulations on the success of the show, it went smoothly without any problems! We would like to return to any of their shows in the future, that’s for sure.
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