New York, NY (Top40 Charts/ RoadRunner Records) Nightwish and vocalist Anette Olzon parted ways on Monday, and singer Floor Jansen, formerly of After Forever and ReVamp, has stepped in to complete the band's US tour. She posted an update on her personal site about joining the group, learning the material, and more.
Says Jansen, "The time to prepare was scarily short…I packed my bags and left and printed the lyrics into my head all the way over from Amsterdam to America. 15 hours of airplane later I arrived with a jetlag, a full head and the most happy feeling ever. The next day I jumped on board on this bus and the adventure truly began. I was welcomed into the group as an old friend and I felt great instantly. It is now 10 years ago I joined
Nightwish on tour with After Forever as their support act. We stayed in touch ever since and that made the whole situation so much easier and smooth.
"The day of the first show we also did a long soundcheck to rehearse the songs. That was the only possibility… You cannot imagine how nervous I was before that first show started!!! Next to nerves my voice was battered by a cold due to all the travels, lack of sleep and airco's.
"The intro started…..I ran on stage….and all nerves were gone! The music and the guys took me in and so did the audience. What an experience! The excitement lasted the entire show, and way after. When I went to my tour bus bed that night I still had a smile on my face. I felt so happy and satisfied I fell asleep instantly."
Read the whole thing!
Nightwish tour dates continue through October 14, and the band has released the following statement:
"Dear people and fans!
"As a way to thank you for sticking with Nightwish, we've decided to add more VIP meet & greet occasions for the rest of the US tour.
"This means that for every tour date till the end of the US tour there will be a limited amount of VIP tickets available. This also applies to the already earlier sold out meet & greet events, which now have additional VIP tickets on sale.
"People with normal tickets have now a possibility to upgrade to VIP tickets.
"As said: We're grateful for the faith you've shown to us. We're grateful for the two brilliant shows with Floor at the helm already. And we're grateful for the chance to continue this tour for us all! Thank You!"
Shows for which VIP meet-and-greet packages are now available:
Oct 5, Anaheim, CA, The Grove
Oct 6, San Diego, CA, House of Blues
Oct 7, Tempe, AZ, Marquee Theater
Oct 9, Oklahoma City, OK, Diamond Ballroom
Oct 10, Austin, TX, Emos
Oct 11, New Orleans, LA, House of Blues
Oct 13, Ft Lauderdale, FL, Revolution
Oct 14, Lake Buena Vista, FL, House of Blues
