nightwish

Name:
Anette Olzon

Birthday:
21 June 1971

Place of residence:
Sweden

Hobbies:
Exercising, clothes, reading books and taking long walks in the wild.

Vices:
None ;=)

Musical background:
I was raised in a musical family and I've been singing since childhood. My mom also forced me to play the oboe for 8 years! I toured constantly with my mom and her band in my childhood, sometimes I even sang on stage with them.

After I turned 13, I started competing in several talent shows. I joined my first real band when I was 17, it was a cover band and all the other musicians were older than me. After playing cover songs, I joined a band called Alyson Avenue, first just as a studio singer, later as their leading lady. We've released 2 albums since 2000.

At the age of 21, I played the leading role in a rock opera/musical called "Gränsland" in Helsingborg. After that I got in to the Balettakademien in Gothenburg. In addition to the already mentioned, I've been in several other bands over the years, I've sung in choirs, done studio work for various projects and I've even occasionally been a wedding singer. Recently I sang a duet with Michael Bormann (ex-Jaded Heart-singer) on his album "Conspiracy". During my singing career I've sung nearly every kind of music that there is!

In my earlier days I took singing lessons at the Copenhagen Music Conservatorie, in Helsingör, Denmark with a private teacher. Nowadays, when its needed, I take lessons from a private teacher at the Malmö Music University.

Equipment:
Whatever microphone and in-ear system the NW-crew fix for me.

Idols in music:
I don't have any real "idols" nowadays, but I do look up to all musicians that are humble and do not think too much of themselves.

Idols in life:
People that are themselves, despite what other people think.

Life philosophy:
Live your life fully - love, laugh and cry with all your heart, life doesn't last forever...

Place you would like to go:
Oh, there are so many!! Lapland, Australia, New Zealand, Iceland, Egypt....

What makes you laugh:
Oh, many things... it's easy to make me laugh... but mainly funny tv-series like Jackass and Friends and of course Emppu and Ewo..

First record you bought:
Well the first one was, of course since I am Swedish, an ABBA album...

All time top 5 albums:
Can't name just 5...

Killing time on tour:
We'll see... But it'll most likely be reading, watching movies and playing games.

Preparation for a show:
I do my vocal warm-up and drink some green tea with honey. I always need to spend the last 10 minutes before a show on my own to focus properly, to prepare myself mentally and to relax.

Strangest experience on tour:
I do not have the kind of tour memories that the guys have since I've only done concerts in Scandinavia, but I still remember the old days with my first cover band Take Cover, when we played at a motorcycle party somewhere in the south of Sweden. They had strippers, and the crowd was screaming "Show us your boobs" etc. to me.. After the gig, when we should've collected the payment, some MC-guys started to fight with the guys in our band and we had to drive away with a full-loaded car and its attached trailer as fast as we could.. I was scared... Brr...
They also destroyed one of our big speakers by pouring beer into it...
Grrr...

Worst nightmare on stage:
Losing my voice, not being able to sing as good as I'd want...

Favorite Nightwish song:
All the songs from the new album "Ever Dream", "Higher than Hope".

Worst nightmare in general:
Losing my voice and that something would happen to my closest family members or to my friends.

Favorite band/musician:
There are too many!

Favorite book:
I have many favourites, but I love Paolo Coelho's books, mainly "Veronica decides to die". I also loved Dan Brown's "Angels and Demons".

Favorite drink:
Sparkling mineral water with some nice added taste, vanilla vodka and cider.

Favorite food:
Many - Chinese, sushi, Thai, Mexican...

Favorite animal:
Cats and horses.

Favorite movie:
"Titanic", "Gladiator", "Braveheart" and many more...

Favorite TV show:
I don't watch that much TV, but I love "Desperate Housewives" and "Friends"!

Dumbest question you have ever been asked:
None, there are no dumb questions.. 'cause if the person asking the question feels that she/he wants to know it, it's not a dumb question for them.

Name:
Tuomas Holopainen

Birthday:
25.12.1976

Place of residence:
Kitee, Finland

Hobbies:
Movies, books, Disney, traveling, hiking

Vices:
Coffee & cigarettes

Musical background:
Piano, clarinet, tenor sax & music theory in music school for 11 years. Keyboards in different groups since '93. (Dismal Silence, Nattvindens Gråt, Darkwoods My Betrothed, Sethian, For My Pain, Nightwish). Occational whoring in Timo Rautiainen & Niskalaukaus and Kotiteollisuus.

Equipment:
KORG OASYS, KARMA, N364, TRITON, TRINITY

Idols in music:
Vangelis, Hans Zimmer

Idols in life:
Mom `n Dad, MacGyver, Moominmamma

Life philosophy:
Tomorrow and yesterday are always equally far away, Carpe Diem.

Place you would like to go:
Alaska

What makes you laugh:
Jack Sparrow

First record you bought:
"Asylum" by KISS

All time top 5 albums:
Zimmer/Gerrard: Gladiaattori-soundtrack, Metallica: Black Album, The 3rd And The Mortal: Tears Laid In Earth, Pantera: Vulgar Display Of Power, Tiamat: Wildhoney

Personal highlight with Nightwish:
Writing songs for the next album.

Best Nightwish show so far:
Hartwall Arena, Helsinki

Killing time on tour:
Movies, books, interviews

Preparation for a show:
5 minutes alone.

Strangest experience on tour:
"Singing" in front of 20000 people.

Worst nightmare on stage:
Having to sing again.

Worst nightmare in general:
Losing my creativity and the people I care for.

Favorite Nightwish song:
The Poet And The Pendulum

Favorite band/musician:
Hans Zimmer, Vangelis, Danny Elfman, Trevor Jones, Enigma, Metallica, Pantera, Tiamat, My Dying Bride, The 3rd And The Mortal, the whole Finnish metal scene.

Favorite book:
Lord Of The Rings, The Dark Tower saga 1-7, The Count Of Monte Cristo, Talisman, Moominbooks, Brothers Lionheart.

Favorite drink:
Coffee

Favorite food:
Thai, Mexican, Sushi.

Favorite animal:
Wolf

Favorite movie:
Dances With Wolves, Braveheart, Sleepy Hollow, Shawshank Redemption, Dead Poets` Society, Dead Calm, Village, Wolf Creek, Lord Of The Rings, all the Disney classics.

Favorite TV show:
MacGyver

Dumbest question you have ever been asked:
"Are you Jesus 'cause you look just like him?"

Name:
Emppu Vuorinen

Birthday:
24.6.1978

Place of residence:
Kerava

Hobbies:
music

Vices:
hmmm.. none

Musical background:
several bands/projects

Equipment:
ESP guitars

Idols in music:
many

Idols in life:
dad and mom

Life philosophy:
everyday could be the last

Place you would like to go:
actually I have been in every country I want, but "holiday trip" to Japan would be very nice.

What makes you laugh:
Good jokes... and bad ones too..

First record you bought:
I think it was some Iron Maiden...

All time top 5 albums:
Metallican black album, Yngwie Malmsteen:The Seventh Sign, Steve Vai:Sex&Religion, Helloween:Keeper Of The Seven Keys I & II

Personal highlight with Nightwish:
All the tours all over the world.

Best Nightwish show so far:
I can't remember... very many.. but maybe Helsinki, Hartwall arena

Killing time on tour:
reading and walking around the cities.

Preparation for a show:
actually I have no special rituals...

Strangest experience on tour:
gig without any mistakes.. haven´t had yet..

Worst nightmare on stage:
I usually don't sleep on stage, so no nightmares

Worst nightmare in general:
I usually don't sleep, so no nightmares =)

Favorite Nightwish song:
Many

Favorite band/musician:
Many

Favorite book:
all Dan Browns

Favorite drink:
Beer

Favorite food:
"trashfood"

Favorite animal:
turtle

Favorite movie:
I just wached movie called "deja vu" and really liked it..

Favorite TV show:
news at 10 o´clock

Dumbest question you have ever been asked:
there are no stupid questions...

Name:
Marco Tapani Hietala

Birthday:
14.01.1966

Place of residence:
Kerava, Finland

Hobbies:
Sci-fi, fantasy & horror books and movies, Videogaming

Vices:
Still lazy

Musical background:
Active musical family background. I´ve been exposed to jazz, rock and classical ever since I was born. I´ve been playing guitar and bass since the age of 12. 3 years of classical guitar, vocal and musical theory studies in musical college. 2 more years of bass and musical theory lessons in Oulunkylä Pop and Jazz Conservatory.

Equipment:
Warwick infinity basses and Warwick amps

Idols in music:
These people are/have been good at what they do. Bass: Geezer Butler, Bob Daisley. Vocals: Ronnie James Dio, Rob Halford, Kate Bush.

Idols in life:
Neil Armstrong. (The first man to walk on the moon, or an obscure patch of desert in states, as some people claim).

Life philosophy:
Live and let live.

Place you would like to go:
Space.

What makes you laugh:
Tickling.

First record you bought:
Me and my brother pestered our father into buying the Rainbow album "Long live rock´n´roll". The first that I bought with my own money was probably Iron Maiden "Killers" or Black Sabbath "Mob rules". Can´t remember which.

All time top 5 albums:
Rainbow: Long Live Rock´n´Roll, Black Sabbath: Heaven and Hell, Judas Priest: Painkiller, Thin Lizzy: Live ´n´Dangerous, Deep purple: Burn. And then there´s a hell of a load of other albums that I like as much as these.

Personal highlight with Nightwish:
The album "Once" and the success that kept on growing and surpassing all our expectations.

Best Nightwish show so far:
There´s been way too many great shows for me to pick just one. Greatest recently in 2005 were probably Wacken Germany, Hammersmith England, Hartwall arena Helsinki Finland just to mention a few.

Killing time on tour:
Books, movies, videogames, occasional drink?

Preparation for a show:
Oh yeah! The occasional drink.

Strangest experience on tour:
Hey, it´s all strange!

Worst nightmare on stage:
Losing the voice.

Worst nightmare in general:
Something bad would happen to my family when I´m away, and couldn´t do anything.

Favorite Nightwish song:
The Siren.

Favorite band/musician:
I don´t have an actual favourite anymore, but Black Sabbath and the way Tony Iommi wrote his riffs have definetely influenced the way I see music and play myself.

Favorite book:
Yep, The lord of the rings. Is this a cliche or what?

Favorite drink:
Lager beer

Favorite food:
Finnish sausage called "lenkki"

Favorite movie:
Still the original Star Wars Trilogy.

Favorite TV show:
I think that the TV is just a natural extension of a DVD-player or a game console. Otherwise it´s basically a waste of time. I´ll still go for the Babylon 5. There might be something better these days, but this one made an impact on me.

Dumbest question you have ever been asked:
Would you give me your own and your bandmates birthdates, adresses and phonenumbers?

Name:
Jukka "Julius" Nevalainen

Birthday:
21.04.1978

Place of residence:
Joensuu, Finland

Hobbies:
movies and taking a walk

Vices:
Perfectionism.

Musical background:
First I started to play drums in the age of 11 but couldn't really practise since I didn't had a place to rehearse in. So basically I just played some exercises by hitting couch or what ever proper target was available. My first band in the age of 11 or 12 was called "The Highway" and it really rocked... =) Then on the age of 15 or 16 I got in to my first band. We got a practising place where we could play couple of times a week. After quiting in this band we started playing together with Emppu and got a permanent rehearsal-place. This was a bless since from then on we were able to play every day if we felt so. And we did play a lot. First we played some Finnish rock but quite soon got into more heavier stuff like Stratovarius, Helloween and Yngwie Malmsteen. On the age of 17 (if I remember right) Tuomas and Emppu asked me to join a project called Nightwish and the rest is History.

Equipment:
Tama Starclassic Maple drums
Paiste Cymbals
Pro Mark 5B Sticks

Idols in music:
When I was younger and still taking influences the biggest influences came from Mike Portnoy of Dream Theater and Jörg Michael of Stratovarius. Nowadays I don't really observe other drummers playing but if drummer is a good player and is doing a good show it's fun to watch. Example Mikkey Dee and Tommy Lee.

Idols in life:
All the people who understand to enjoy their lives and treat other people well.

Life philosophy:
Treat others like you want them to treat you.

Place you would like to go:
Pyramids in Egypt.

What makes you laugh:
My daughter Luna, my son Niki and Ewo our manager.

First record you bought:
Most likely Sepultura's Arise.

All time top 5 albums:
Stella - All Albums
Gladiator - Soundtrack
Dream Theater - Images And Words
Metallica - Black Album
Pantera - Vulgar Display Of Power

Personal highlight with Nightwish:
New Nightwish album

Best Nightwish show so far:
Hartwall Arena on 21st October 2005.

Killing time on tour:
beer & movies

Preparation for a show:
A few beers during the day and just before the show a proper boost by Jägermeister.

Strangest experience on tour:
We were almost forced to cancel the show in Portugal since promotor tried to fuck us. He didn't pay our fee and we were forced to stay in a hotel until he did pay it. The show was delayed but fortunately we got to play.

Worst nightmare on stage:
I loose the click and we play in a different timing with the background-tape. And when I shout Tero to shut it up he doesn't hear me and we keep on playing totally wrong.

Worst nightmare in general:
Something bad would happen to my family.

Favorite Nightwish song:
The Poet And The Pendulum

Favorite band/musician:
Pantera and Metallica. Musician... I don't know. There are so many I appreciate. Let's list a few. Dimebag Darrell, Hans Zimmer and Alexi Laiho.

Favorite book:
The Dirt

Favorite drink:
Beer

Favorite food:
Indian food

Favorite animal:
Shark

Favorite movie:
Gladiator, Braveheart, Titanic

Favorite TV show:
American Chopper

Dumbest question you have ever been asked:
Actualy this is not a dumb question. This is extremely good question which was asked by my daughter Luna. She once asked "Is our house outside or inside?". Think about it and if you'll