Such Trauma | Worship Drummer Reacts to "The Poet & The Pendulum" by Nightwish 

Emppu checking on Tuomas is very real and very cincere. This is from Wembley in 2015, a high in their carrere. They had very rarely played that song live, because it is a very personal song for Tuomas. He killed himself in the song, so he did not need to in real life. So yes, the feelings are on, and he needed the help from his brothers in arms, the band and the crowd knows this, it is a rare treat to see this live. A very intimate and caring moment.

For me this is just a master piece of music. Also Floor's performance, her voice, her face, her whole body telling the story. Love this so much!

What is often overlooked when people say she was fired is that she had told the band that she was leaving after the next album, so they just accelerated her departure.

"The Greatest Show On Earth" (Live @ Tampere) in Finland. Greetings from Finland 🤘💙🤍

This song has helped many people through dark times, it's very cathartic. If you are in a desperate situation with no help and this song is the only thing that pulls you through, it will always have a special place in your heart. ❤

0:02 This performance was in 2015 so was only 10 yrs not 18. Also the first time in 7 yrs that they had performed the song. Previous sung by Anette during 2007/8 tour .

Notice the beginning of the song says.. The End. The end of the song says The Beginning. He's healed and moving on. ❤

I was at Wembley for this concert. I had never heard of Nightwish before and had taken a ticket a friend couldn't use. Needless to say I was an instant fan. Every song blew me away. I believe this was the last time they have played this song. Both Marco and Floor and I believe Kai have since worked with Tarja. Greatest show on earth - definitely from this show. Richard Dawkins is a must.

All I can say without getting worked up about the subject in question is that people sometimes act out of pain and rage, they don't really think about their actions until is too late, then there are others who contribute to make things even more, "stir the pot" if you will; I'm honestly very glad that Tuomas didn't continued forward with the decision to take his own life due to this horribly messy incident, and that he and Tarja are currently in civil terms, plus she and Marko did a pretty cool collab recently. Like someone else already said in another comment: they moved on, and so should we. As for the song and performance, is a hard one to watch, since the inner turmoil Tuomas was going through at that time poured out, he literally screamed some of the lyrics to the ceiling, showing raw angst and regret. Marko did a masterful job representing his darkest feelings, and Floor his deepest, heartbreaking sorrow. Love the fact that the song starts with The End, of an awful era, and ends with The Beginning of a brighter, way more positive one. Props to Emppu and Marko for checking on him, making sure Tuomas was okay, during the whole song (sorry for the long comment, I guess I feel for him a lot, even to this day, and not so much for Tarja, who is the Queen of her stage, shining brightly on her own) PS: if you actually see this, I recommend you to either listen to yourself or react to Master Passion Greed and Bye Bye Beautiful, as they're connected to the whole situation.

UK Army popping in for a authentic reaction. This song was born in a deep depression and a big part that dragged toumas out of the depression was his mother and father. This is why it means so much and is so hard to play, and why it is not played any more.

Tampere version of Greatest Show is best version.

If you do the Greatest Show on Earth do the Tampere one. My favorite. Unless you just want to see Richard Dawkins. Tampere is in Finland and Floors parents were there to see her.

For giving this MASTERPIECE a soul, there is only one singer imo who could do that (Floor Jansen) perfectly backed up by Marko. This isn't a song, but an experience

Master Passion Greed will takes your socks off

That cello part and Floor's vocal is so very sad it gives me goosebumps every time.

I'm begging, please react to Devil and the Deep Dark Ocean. You don't have to do it next, but promise you'll do it! It's skipped by so many reactors and it's such an amazing piece! Love love LOVE your channel! ❤

Great reaction, my friend. Thanks for your honest thoughts a showing respect to our hero : Tuomas. Watching this again and again, you will love it more and more. Looking forward to next reaction.

Ann Wilson of Heart wrote Magic Man in 1974. When her relationship with her magic man ended in 1980, it devastated her. To this day, she finds it difficult to perform Magic Man and sometimes won't even put it on the set list. Some people can move on, others cannot

In regards to him moving on, he has, however performing this song is kind of like revisiting the worst moment of your life which would be taking your own life. He had to have floor’s vocals taken out of his mix so he couldn’t hear them. I think the best source would be Tuomas himself. If you look up the interview with him where he addressed performing poet in the pendulum, it’s very insightful, and would give you more understanding as to the situation he faced performing this song so many years later. It’s a fan favorite, so that’s why they choice to perform it. Nightwish always does what they do for the fans first and foremost. I don’t think it would’ve been Tuomas’ choice to perform the song, and from what I understand they will never perform in again.

This song always gives me chills. I think there's been some healing since then, not sure if/when you'll get around to it, but "How's the Heart" is especially warm and touching i think

The spoken words "The End" in the beginning of the song and "The Beginning" in the end of the song, signifies the End of an ERA and the beginning of a new ERA for Tuomas and Nightwish. The song is in fact not specifically about the firing of Tarja, but instead the hate and backlash from fans and media that Tuomas got and felt. And for the note; this was 10 years after the open letter. It was performed in 2015. They hadn't performed this since 2007/2008 (then with Anette).

A couple of notes. Yes they were young and probably would never handle this in this way again. In 2005 the internet was big enough for this to go viral but young enough for Tuomas to totally underestimate the impact. Thomas and Floor are both empaths. By this time he may have moved on, but he knows the background and Floor's singing does not help. They seldom played it and I assume they will never again. Thomas writes with the singer (and musicians) in mind. Tarja was his muse. On the thousand pages of erased text is the music he would have written for her. I can only assume that in the dressing room the atmosphere would have had mood swings in the time leading up to the breaking up. Tuomas will have felt that with every swing of the mood the day the Nightwish with Tarja would be over came closer. That rhymes with the pendulum story. Floor would have been a perfect replacement if you wanted Nightwish to continue and not evolve further. Choosing someone totally different to replace Tarja was a wise move.

Kai is sometimes referred to as the human metronome. His timing is impeccable.

I was a Nightwish fan back in the Tarja era. When this happened, my first thought was, "you know who would be the PERFECT person to replace her? That girl who sings for After Forever...Floor Jansen!" I went online to share my revelation, only to discover that TONS of other people had had the same idea...lol. It didn't happen then, of course. My personal thought as to why was that Tuomas was already getting enough crap about what happened with Tarja that he didn't want to be the guy who broke up After Forever, too. I have no idea if that was the case, but it did occur to me at the time. And Tuomas' comment that, when Anette was dismissed, his "first choice" was Floor, makes me think it perhaps had been in the back of his mind for some time. Regardless, they obviously got her where she belongs, eventually. As to what's next...there is no "order," despite what some try and tell you. The Greatest Show On Earth is another epic story (the creation of the Earth and the evolution of life, the rise (and eventual fall) of mankind), though I would echo what others have said and do the Tampere version. Dead Boy's Poem is a personal favorite...the Buenos Aires live version. But pick whatever you want...you can't really go wrong. ☮❤

Work well done.❤ Now just don't think to much, sit back and enjoy it and enjoy it and ... Please don't miss the great drumplay in - Weak fantasy (Tampere), - Devil and the deep dark ocean (Buenos Aires 2018) -Tribal (Lyric video 2020 or official live 2023) Tuomas played the Oboe in his youth.

from birth, the blade starts descending. cool reaction, thanks from Colorado

I commented on the last vid I saw you watched (Ghost, Love, Score) picking up on the drum timing change... and here you picked up on the three minutes in the story and the event at that time. I appreciate your keen ear and attention to detail. Greatest Show on Earth... looking forward to it. Another one for the keen ear.

I cried again in the end.

It's a shame that such a beautiful composition will never be played again. Understandable, but never to hear such a beautiful song sung live again and only Floor can deliver it so emotionally. Just a beautiful performance.🤟🏻🤟🏻🎶🎶

A description of the masterpiece of a song to help you understand what its all about . The Poet and the Pendulum was written by Tuomas (Keyboards) after firing Tarja Turnunen the original singer in 2005 She was the face of Nightwish at the time, and Tuomas (Keyboards) wrote this and considered her a muse to many of the songs he had written at that point. They had also grown up in the same city and knew each other since early childhood. Some say Tuomas was in love with her but only Tuomas knows that for sure . All the band members decided together to fire her for acting too much of a diva And her husband & Manager was stepping way outta bounds concerning the band business He always wanted more money , only big paying shows . Tuomas was painted as the devil by many fans, Press and even politicians. He went through a deep depression. He even considered ending the band . He wrote The Poet and the Pendulum at that time, and actually kills himself in the song,at the 7:00 time stamp the song says "I have but 3 min " then at the 10:00 time stamp he killed himself in the song as to kill the pain he was going through . To this day every time he plays it, it takes him back to those feelings, and shows on his face. They no longer play this song . In the last part, Mother and Father, words are said to him that his real mother & Father said to him at that time of his deep depression. One part that touches me at the end when the guitarist Emppu and bassist Marko, the only other two involved with firing Tarja (that were still active with the band at the time of this show )were standing with Tuomas at the end in solidarity and love., NOTE : the 1st two words are (The End) and the last two words are (The Beginning) representing the end of the 1st era of Nightwish and the beginning of the next era

This live show was in 2015. ...and this was one of the few times ever this song has been performed live. I really recommend reading / listening Marco Hietala's book "Stainless". It gives a rather solid description of the length and variety of events and attitudes. Tarja, although being there from the beginning, never considered herself as a member of the band, she was a childhood friend of Tuomas' and her interests were not in pop/rock music, but in classical. For over 2 years she kept saying, she will go solo, and the band is nothing without her, she informed that she will not tour anymore, more than a month at a time, and will never tour South-America anymore. She basically kept the band hanging in a loose noose, so the band reacted.

Kai used to play in a band called Rotten Sound, so Nightwish is like a walk in the park for him. 😊

I cannot recall how many times this song and video have caused me to cry, sometimes very heavily. I cannot get through it even once with some tears. Every movement has its own emotion and pathos.

This was a really good reaction to Poet. A lot of reactors jump in without knowing the background and it really shows. Thank you for taking the time to look up this information.

as for the angled keyboard you're right its all about ergonomics and trying to prevent carpal tunnel and wrist issues. I've seen quite a few people do this, especially during longer performances. Makes perfect sense.

lol Kai goes to Nightwish to have a chill time out, check him out in Wintersun, the guy is a beast

Greetings from Finland! Your first "Tarja" was spot on!!! 😮

Regarding Tuomas' letter, here are the facts: Basically, the conflict in the band occurred for two reasons. 1. Tarja decided to make her husband Marcelo her manager and authorized representative in the band on all business issues, and also she reduced contacts with the band members to a minimum. It was not normal that the members of the band and its management had to discuss all issues with someone who was not part of the band. What was worse, Marcelo actively abused his powers and went so far as to force the band to accept his terms (primarily regarding negotiations with promoters about money), otherwise threatening that Tarja would not perform. 2. Taria decided for herself that she would leave the band after another album/tour cycle anyway for the sake of her solo career and she and her husband decided to use the band to earn quick money while they were in the band. Because of this, Marcelo torpedoed all the strategic plans of the band, which could be unprofitable now, but would bring profit in a few years. For example, that's why he forced the band to cancel the US tour. The band had to exist in these conditions until the end of the 2005 tour, for almost a year, and this heated the situation to the limit. So when Tuomas wrote the letter, he had no intention of being diplomatic. He lost trust in Tarja so much that he wrote such a detailed letter to prevent possible false interpretations of the situation on Tarja's part. It didn't help: Tarja, for example, used the fact that Tuomas mentioned her husband but forgot to write that he was her manger, and then she made herself a "victim" for the press - like, "the "evil" Tuomas for some reason attacked her husband and her personal life, how low it is!" And many fans mistakenly thought that it was about jealousy and a "love triangle". But most importantly, the song itself has nothing to do with Tarja, as it is dedicated to the subsequent events and feelings of Tuomas, when the music press and some fans attacked him and declared that "Nightwish is dead without Tarja."

i know others will mention it but in the song when he said he has 3 minutes in counting go back to that point and check the timer on the video and forward 3 minutes.. it's when Thoumas dies. Talk about excellent song writing to write a song and make everything line up perfectly, exactly in three minutes is mind blowing down to the beat and note. Brilliant. as for their relationships, they've all moved on. Marko just did some work with Tarja, Floor has done stuff with both past singers. Greatest Show needs to be live from Tampere

Experiencing this song for the first time had a huge effect on my life, a real turning point. I didn´t know the backstory and maybe that was a good thing at the time. I was able to relate so much to the lyrics and emotion of the music, it totally broke me to pieces and help put me back together. It´s incredible how music can do such a thing.

The harmony in the verse of the second movement is pre-recorded on the base track that they perform to, and it’s sung by the original vocalist of the song, Anette.

And that moment when the blade came down, as Tuomas showed, was also when the three minutes was full, from previous part that was talked earlier.

Order of reactions is not terribly important in my opinion as just about any song you pick from Nightwish will be great and if you like Kai on drums you might want to check out "Weak Fantasy" from either the Wembley or Tampere Shows or "Tribal" from their latest album. "Sahara" from the Tampa Florida show is a really good song and is one of my favorites but it doesn't get alot of love from the reactors. Cant go wrong with "7 Days to the Wolves" from the Wembley show either.

it not just the split w/ Tarja... Tuomas literally kills himself in the song as catharsis... to keep himself from doing it in real life. This was a huge deal and even their president was chiming in with opinions about the split. Tuomas was in a really dark, dangerous place mentally and the expression of that is this song. He's stated that sometimes he would have the sound engineer cut Floor's vocals from his in-ears as he didn't want to listen to the lyrics, and he's also stated it's difficult because he has moved on and this is not who he is any longer... but the song captured that moment in time, for all time... so he has to keep reliving it. I took this as going through a divorce and having to hear your soon-to-be-ex-wife saying hateful things about you, breaking you, live, year after year after year without it ever going away. Like, what if she showed up at your house every couple of weeks or months to repeat those words and tear your heart open again and again... that's what I believe some of these songs are like for Tuomas... he was so honest in the song, so personal, but now that lives on... those feelings are all over this song, every time it's played. This is why, even years on, Emmpu was checking on his friend. Part of the writing of this that's really cool... he states at one point he has 3 minutes left to live... and exactly 3 minutes from that point is where he kills himself in the song. In the last section, a lot of that is what his parents told him to help him with his depression. Just think about that for a moment. You're in a horribly dark place, you're in pain, your parents are telling you things to try and help... and you take those words and put them in a song for all to hear. How much more personal could you f'ing get as a songwriter/poet? To me, that's really why he's the Metal Mozart. The music he creates is incredibly good... but it's his words and emotions that he shares with all of us that takes it to God-like status. Very few stars bare their heart and soul to the world like this... he just takes all of his armour off and stands there on a stage, naked, for all to see... to ridicule, to laugh at, to shame... and for those of us that love him... to empathize, to commune, to honor... to praise. I also love this song because... Floor. Think about coming in as a vocalist, knowing what this song is about, knowing the writer, your friend, was contemplating self-harm in these words, knowing how personal this is... and finding a way to use your empathy and understanding to bring it to life in a way that brings many of us to tears... as if they were your words. Sorry for the long ramble, but there's just so much to love about this piece of art!

Last part always make me in tears, feels like my mother & father told me to keep strong and believe in their love.

This was on the first album after Tarja was sacked. It was first sung as a demo by Marko. Then sung on the album by Anette and in only a few live performances as she was not suited to the song. Then at last we had this magnificent performance by Floor.

I heard an interview where Tuomas said it was to avoid the horrible speculation poison caused by social media rumour mills

Or,….. take on the part 2 of the drama with “Madter Passion Greed” which is rumored to be about how the band felt about Marcel, Tarjia’s husband. If you’re into heavier stuff, this will definitely check that box. Also, as sidenote, the song was written during when Annette Olsen was the lead singer. Vocals for this song is with Marco only and has never been performed live and will never be performed live. But man is it a banger!! ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-wS7NrPNjACI.htmlsi=V_vwrM0oH9pvDawI I had to come back and add how much I felt like such a gossiping little 💩 writing this comment. 😬😂🤣😂🙏🏻🙏🏻❤️

Some of the lyrics for the songs on their album "Once" seem to point to this coming, in hindsight. Like a train-wreck, can't look away, can't stop it. Marko sang the entire demo - darker, angrier, cruder. Guy Elliott was the boy soprano at the start - from St Mary's Choir School, Reigate. "Sparkle my scenery...." was also sung by a boy soprano on the album but Floor said that she could do it and Tuomas agreed. Kai is a human metronome! So on point! A metronome, a pendulum..... time. Time wounds all heals. My favourite song by Nightwish.

i love the 3 min easter egg in the song and it exactly is 3 min and this song is in the reversed order simply great

The greatest show on earth is 20 minute masterpiece with great instrumentation and Richard Dawkins narration, Tuomas is a genius

Who are we to judge someone else's trauma, grief, or pain, and how long it should or shouldn't last? Healing is a personal journey, and some wounds never fully heal. The events are less important than the pain itself. Since it's not our experience, we can't fully understand it, and prescribing a specific timeline for recovery is not only unhelpful but also dismissive.

Hey man. Hope you are doing well. I can't say anything else accept for a big thank you. I'm waiting for this reaction from you. This is my all time favourite song.Nice to see you again.

Great reaction to one of the big 3, all performed at Wembley. Next should be Song of Myself, Wacken.

Your best words; “it's about the song”. Good reaction, thank you👌

I believe you hit the nail on the head. I think Tuomas felt he owed it to the fans to give an in depth explanation . Lay it all out on the line feeling like it just might be the end of Nightwish. Nightwish fans are die hard and if not for them, they wouldn't be Nightwish. That said, it WAS his music his heart and soul. I also believe Tarja got to big for her britches and their views inevitably would hit a breaking point. The whole thing was a He said She said and in my opinion, it all worked out in the end.

Visiting a grave never aches less , especially if the inscription is yours.

Even without the backstory and lore the bottom line is that this is a masterpiece of composition and performance. Extra note, I am so looking forward to when you get to Wintersun and you will!

Enjoyed your reaction! This is Tuomas's (keyboardist ands main composer) most personal and emotional song. It is also very personal and emotional for most fans. I think you understand much of the backstory leading to the band parting ways with Tarja. I think the band chose to fire her via the open letter and to explain why they fired her was because they didn't trust Tarja's husband Marcello who was also her manager. They already held him responsible for changes in their friend that they didn't like. They were worried he would spin things in the media to make them the bad guys and decided to get ahead of the story in the media by giving their side of the story. To get a feel for how the band felt about Marcello checkout the song Master Passion Greed. The backlash against the band, but mostly against Tuomas, was massive and very nasty. Tuomas felt betrayed by Nightwish's fans and sank into a deep depression. He wrote this song as way of expressing and exploring all of the emotions of his depression and grief. Tuomas often uses the poet in his lyrics to reference himself and yes, he does have a great affinity for the ocean. He sees it as a place of refugee. I highly recommend you read the analysis of this song by the artist Annike Hausen. IMO it is a brilliant, master's level analysis and I think you would really enjoy it. I would provide a link but every time I do the YT algorithms delete my comment. Just google her name and Poet and the Pendulum. A few thoughts on the lyrics. "One last perfect verse but still the same old song." For me this is Tuomas saying I have nothing new to write for my so called fans, which is like death for a poet like him. The line " A thousand pages of erased text" represents all the songs that Tuomas would have wrote for Tarja but now would never be heard. The blade falls (Tuomas making the slashing motion across his neck). The heart beat slows and finally stops mid beat. The original version of Nightwish is dead. The last part of the song, Mother and Father, gets me every time. The lyrics are actual words spoken by his parents during the depths of his depression. Floor perfectly channeling the anguish of a mother who has lost her child. Then the words, In the Beginning, signaling the birth of a new version of Nightwish. For me this is Nightwish's greatest song. Their Magnum Opus. Tuomas pouring out his heart and anguish in the music and lyrics. Floor perfectly channeling the anger and pain. It fills me with emotion and lets me connect to Tuomas in a profound way. This song is no longer performed live. Tuomas has said they (him, Empuu, and at the time Marko) are not those people anymore and they have moved on. Performing it just takes Tuomas back to that difficult place emotionally. Given how much Nightwish means to Tuomas I can imagine that even 10 or 15 years later the sense of betrayal he felt from the fans turning on him would be profound. Emppu and Marko come over and check in on Tuomas through out the song to make sure he is ok emotionally. Tuomas often would have the sound engineers turn off the vocal feed in his in ears because it would make him too emotional. I am so grateful that he chose to write this song and share this part of himself with us. Everything about this song and performance is about making us feel his emotions. As far as I know Tarja has never publicly commented about the Poet and the Pendulum or the other two songs from the breakup, Master Passion Greed (about her husband) and Bye Bye Beautiful (about Tarja), Many think that she did respond in a song of her own from her My Winter Storm album called Enough. Very beautiful and some very pointed lyrics as well.

Thank you! Poet and the Pendulum is a very emotional song and I don’t listen to it that often. I love the song! It's just too dark song to listen to all the time😊 This version is probably my favourite one. I love the album version as well (that's sung by Anette). The letter caused a huge sh*t storm, so in that sence they could have handled the things better. Tuomas himself has said that they could have handled Tarja's firing better. I think the letter is a bit coloured by emotions. But I think both parties have accepted a long time ago that all of them did things wrong. It was all of their (and the management's) fault. And now they are at peace with all of it. Nowadays, Tarja talks quite openly about her NW times. When she was asked if it bothers her that people always ask about NW, she said it doesn't. She is happy to talk about that time, she thinks the music they made together is really beautiful. She has also said that her favourite NW album is Once. I personally think that this break up with Tarja and NW had to happen... not necessarily the way it happened, but it had to happen at some point. All this led to this point where we have this amazing singer Floor as the NW's lead singer🥰 And Tarja got her solo career. I love what Tarja has done on her own! She grew to become a great songwriter and even greater singer than what she was in Nightwish. She is still peforming around the world. Now she is making her 6th studio rock album. Tarja is friends with Floor and Marko. I mean, Floor had nothing to do with Tarja's firing. They became friends already since Tarja was still in NW. In 2017, Marko fixed his relationship with Tarja and apologised to her. Last year, they performed Phantom of the Opera together again, after 18 years. This spring, they toured South America together and will continue to tour together throughout the year. Marko and Tarja also released a song together called Left on Mars (definitely worth checking out that one, I think it's great❤). And with the rest of the band members, she is not friends with them but everything seems okay. But my point is that, all of that is in the past and they have all moved on.

Re: what you said about the letter, after hearing this song, understand how upset, betrayed, hurt, and mad with grief the person writing the letter had to be feeling. He was not in his right mind, I think. Think of the worst things you've ever said when incredibly upset. Re: "Why is he yelling??" when Marko comes in - think of this song as going through all the stages of grief, and this is the part of him that swung (like a pendulum!) between being angry and being crushed. Think of Ghost Love Score, The Poet and the Pendulum, and The Greatest Show on Earth as a trilogy. GLS says, "I know our time together is finite, and I know it will hurt when it ends" - Poet says, "It's happened and I am more broken than even I have predicted" - Greatest show says, "I found the beauty I searched for, it was here all around me all along, and we are so lucky to get to witness all of this in our short lives."

I think this recording is from 2015 at Wembley so this was around 10 years after the open letter. It is quite a long time, yes, but I think that the power of his composition makes Tuomas relive those old feelings. If we can feel them, imagine how Tuomas must have felt them.

Well done !! Great Reaction ! so glad we all have found Nightwish!!!!!!!!!!!

There have been many different breakdowns and opinions of this song, everyone feels it differently, the main thing is that it's a, masterpiece and most people can relate to it in one way or another, great reaction, see you for the next one🇬🇧

Oh, they are all way past it. Friends again. Fans on the other hand,……. 😳 😂😂😂❤

In the middle of the song it says "I only have three minutes and counting", this sound effect and when he slices his throat in the video are exactly 3 minutes apart...

Thank you , great reaction ! nwAse Sweden reporting in

The thing to remember about all the stuff around the split (such as the open letter) is that it was like a messy divorce: neither side is thinking straight and they are each blaming the other. Was Tarja a diva for not travelling with the others on the tour bus? No, because she was struggling with the tour schedule causing illness (which affects singers' ability to perform most), and it made sense to fly then get a good night's sleep rather than stay up late on a longer, uncomfortable journey, drinking too much. However, the band were feeling abandoned because of her decision to leave and to cancel concerts, so you can see why they might read it that way. Basically, the only information it really gives is that everyone was hurting. Everyone has since made up to an extent, though Tarja and Tuomas are only at the "sending condolence emails" level, while Marko (who was the most adamant she should go at the time) is recording with her again. Tuomas tends to feel things deeply, and has never handled band membership changes well. This, however, was the worst split, and they wrote three songs about the process: _Master_ _Passion_ _Greed_ is about Tarja's husband/manager and it was a mistake to put it on the album IMO, because it's basically venting. The music is fantastic, and I wish they'd written lyrics to accompany it that they would feel comfortable playing - it's never been performed live, and I think that's definitely the right choice, but it's a loss. _Bye_ _Bye_ _Beautiful_ is about how they felt Tarja had made a mistake. It's somewhat less vicious, and they did perform it live for a year or so, but again it belongs in the past. Interestingly, the music video was a response to critics saying Tuomas only hired Tarja's replacement because of her looks! _TP&tP_ is not about Tarja or Marcelo at all, but how the fans/critics/politicians treated Tuomas in the aftermath, and the effect it had on his mental health. As a result I have no problem with them continuing to play it, though I also respect Tuomas' decision not to. Tarja also wrote at least three songs about it: _I_ _Walk_ _Alone,_ which is kind of a goodbye song; _Diva,_ which is about how she felt at the time, and was only released a lot later (a much better decision IMO); and _Enough,_ which is basically about Nightwish writing angry songs about her and her marriage. I feel if reactors do _MPG_ and _BBB_ they should also do a couple of Tarja's for balance!

You do you. Your channel. Random draw is fun. List is fun. It’s all Nightwish afterall. 🤘😎🤘

Another excellent reaction! I am glad you did your research. People who freestyle their reaction to this usually don't get what is going on in the song. One minor correction: the lighting is keyed to the clicktrack. The lighting person does all their work before the concert.

Others have done a good job answering your questions. As to what you should do next, I would say go back to the hat. The Greatest Show on Earth is such a masterpiece that I would save it for a while, so that you have that anticipation for a bit longer. Just my opinion, of course. You have a long way to go yet, and so many really great songs to hear.

Kai is a machine! I believe he's been called the human metronome

I mean it was a massive thing with even the Finnish pm weighing in on it. Could you even imagine leaders of your country or mine (well in Australia we have PM as well) being invested in a band's situation? I'm glad Tuomas wrote this, it's his therapy & I know some parts resonate with me deeply. But it is a snapshot of a time. If you watch the End of an Era show it's like oof this is the last song they'll perform with the beloved Tarja & she doesn't know it yet. So that's rough. But how much do we grow & evolve in nearly 20 years? All parties in this included. Emppu just likes to check in with everyone though, in Ghost Love Score you see him wandering around to everyone as well. Often he turns off Floor's pack for her in ears & causes a bit of trouble with Troy. Though when Floor had her breakdown on the stage he was right there for her so it's no act. I feel like it makes them a cohesive band & whether he's doing it to be silly or to be kind

just one thing.... Nice!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The chorus of this song is one of the best EVER! Haha, Tarja is now touring in South America with Marko Hietala. So, that's that. ⛄👍

"Three minutes and counting" is sort of a reference to the part Dark Passion Play that is exactly three minutes long.

Regarding releasing the letter to Tarja, I saw an interview with Tuomos where he said they released the letter because one of the tenets of Nightwish was that they would always be completely transparent with their fans. That being said, I agree with your comment that could have been slightly less transparent and a lot more tactful with what they told the fans.

Great reaction and I always appreciate when someone dares speak their mind respectfully, even if he thinks the thoughts won't necessarily be agreed with. Being authentic is very important for reactions as if someone is just trying to placate the audience it will just feel hollow. This recording is from 2015, with the song being finished in 2007, so not quite the 20+ years but still plenty of time had gone by. By the time this recording happens Tuomas is of course past his depression but the reason his band members check on him is because this song still gets him in touch with that dark place, even if he isn't that person anymore. Music is emotional, Tuomas is definitely a very emotional artist, and I think it's very understandable that emotions can still affect you through such experiences as this song even though you are past the issues. I've had some dark times that I emotionally get in touch with again when listening to this song, especially the last movement (where the lyrics are taken from what his mother said to him in real life) which really gives me back the feelings of relief when I finally moved past it. Tuomas has spoken about how it feels weird getting in touch with that version of himself when he's not the same person anymore, but at times he's had to ask the sound guys to take out the vocals from his monitors because it got a bit too close. All in all I think them checking up on him has been genuine but at this point it's likely grown into more of a tradition to just keep saying that they are there for each other rather than that it was really necessary.

You also wondered if, at this point of time, isn't this just a song to perform. This concert at Wembley Arena was in 2015, ten years after Tarja was fired. I don't think that remembering that incident is a problem for Tuomas. They have all moved on, as you said. The hard part is probably that playing this song, listening to his own dark lyrics and thoughts from that time, brings him back to his struggle with that deep depression that followed. A severe depression can be a terrible thing and it is difficult for those who have not experienced it to understand. In an interview just a few years ago, Tuomas said that this song is still difficult for him to perform in concerts. So even though it's now been so long and all is well, it still doesn't seem to be like his other songs. I don't think they've played The Poet and the Pendulum much in a long time, if at all after this tour.

more likely than the microphone he is holding his phone and filming congratulations, you're the first person ever to ask this question, you're getting an academic award

Nice reaction, and one of the most beatifull song ❤, 🤘🤘

Actually it was Marko who said that he has had enough, it’s either him or Tarja leaving, so the band chose it will be Tarja. (This info from his book that came out about 4 years ago).

Yes, the farewell letter was certainly immature. At the time, I was a fan, and it was the manner of the departure, rather than the separation itself, that shocked me more. To be frank, I was a fan of Tarja. For most of the fans I knew, Nightwish was essentially synonymous with Tarja Turunen. I couldn’t envision Nightwish without Tarja. My interest in Nightwish even waned for a brief period (only for months, not years), but the band kept fans engaged with audition updates and reports. So much so, that I purchased the CD on the day it was released. If you trace the events, you might come to realize that the letter was not only immature but also, and I say this with even greater severity, it was a crude publicity stunt at Tarja’s expense. However, to give credit where it’s due, the new album was a work of art. I played it on repeat for weeks. With this new chapter, Nightwish may have introduced their least popular lead singer, but they also released what I believe is their best album to date.

Nightwish is my favorite band. I've always considered this song a masterpiece. A narcissistic, self-indulgent masterpiece, but hey- that's an artist's prerogative .

Unfortunately, Tuomas chose to release it because of the arguments they'd have backstage and in between rehearsals, he predicted she would release a different statement and try to twist the story in her favor. While this was from their perspective, it is why the decision was made to fire her. He was trying to get ahead of bad press making up things that are not true. He absolutely didn't enjoy it, and wished he didn't have to, but aside from that it was also transparency for the fans. It's not pretty, but sometimes bands and families will have awful times that can't be undone. I followed the press and the events while this was happening because I had been a fan already for several years. The wait for a new singer had me convinced they wouldn't continue. When Anette was hired this album was released and I knew then the next chapter was only beginning to unfold. All that said, Tarja isn't a bad person, but between the fame getting to her head and the pressure to be perfect and her husband she wound up behaving inappropriately. I honestly don't recall if she ever officially apologized, but she has been asked about it in interviews and she has mentioned regret for her actions and words then. It is what it is, but this song is the culmination of Tuomas's position between the anger of the fans and the loss of a band member and the closeness of a [once] dear friend.

23:45 to 23.53 the heart beats to a stop. Listen to the drum beats. DEATH!

Tarja was hugely famous on her own with a solo career and if the band didn't put it's position out there she would have been telling her story to the press as the historical facts.

I'm just making assumption here - no-one knows for sure. Its not in anyway an unique story. Its very common human behavior that most of us have gone through in one form or another. What makes the song special is how the different states of mind have been able to be illustrated through the composition. One can find the mental states from the music even without knowing the actual story behind it. It was 2005 - most of the band was in their mid/late twenties. Immature is what one would expect at that point. That said, I have a feeling the guys thought "attack is the best defence", as Tarja had shown and told she was not going to commit to the band and acted as she was an irreplaceable quest "star". I guess the guys - Tuomas especially, were hurt from the disregard Tarja showed and decided to burn the bridges to make sure they would have to go forward with someone else. One must understand how personal work Nightwish must have been to Tuomas, and for someone to consider it as just a phase in their career must have been insulting. What should be emphasized is that the song is not about the breakup or who was to blame - its how Tuomas experienced and handled the backslash and the following mental problems. His own turmoils between self-accusations, anger and regret as well as the resentment from fans and media. The song is about his inner mental state - not about the band. One can see there is not a single accusation towards other people in the song. Its all his inner turmoil. He must have been torn as he thought he was making a favor to the band and everyone was accusing him for the "end of Nightwish". The funny thing is how Marko is now the one indirectly accusing Nightwish of being unfair and saying how he is "always" the one keeping bands together. I would imagine it was his own mental health issues that drove him off the band. And we all know how the type of mental health issues and mental exhaustion makes people think everyone else is to blame. Marko was also as a member of the band behind the letter to Tarja, and now he and Tarja are as old friends even though Tarja still says she doesn't want anything to do with the band. To me it looks pretty clear who are the difficult "superstars" here. ps. if one is looking for a song about the actual breakup and blaming people, its probably "Bye Bye Beautiful".

Thanks TECKreakts, it's been a pleasure watching your slow descent down the rabbit hole with Nightwish 😀 This song is more of an account of something that was so painful and was waiting for time to be written, made public and: there will be a right performer who interprets it correctly. It was a pretty ugly breakup, but as far as I know, the band wasn't the main culprit, it was just that the measure was full and the matter could no longer be handled neatly.

The concert happened only 7 years after the suicide attempts... so it was rather recent... The band was conceived in 1996... so after 9 years already they split... Tuomas deserves care....He's too special to be honest... Hugs !!!

Sir, it IS incredible dark. Marco used the perfect voice for those phrases. During this music piece you hear ALL stages of depression and suicidal thoughts. The rage, the euphoric longing for death, the despair it's all in this song. Kaj is know as the human metronome, with reason. 🥰 That is indeed an hobo, the classical instrumentation is done by the London Symphonic orchestra.

i cry every time i watch this!

They rarely every perform this song because of the intensity it holda for Tuomas. It is also important to remember this is not about Tarjas leaving but how the world reacted to it and how they treated Tuomas, which led to these feelings. He has her voice channel turned off in his in ear. I think if you really tune into the performance, you feel the sincerity of every movement, every tone.

Keep in mind that this song is only a 3rd (technically, a 4th) of the actual response to the entire fiasco. Bye Bye Beautiful is Tuomas’ goodbye letter to Tara. Master Passion Greed is the band’s letter to Marcelo, whom the band blamed for this change in Tarja. The Poet and the Pendulum is Tuomas’ response to the fans from the backlash he received from them, and taking that head on. I Stand Alone is Tarja’s reply to the entire situation. None of these are going to be played live ever again. In fact, the only video of any live performance of Master Passion Greed I have ever seen was from a cover band in Russia playing it. And seeing how those walls of ice have been thawing over the past several years, the entire incident is buried in the past and should stay there.

For The Greatest Show On Earth you should watch the Tampere version first for it’s beginning, then do the Wembley one next for its ending. Doing a great job so far!

Great reaction. You caught a lot more than most reactors and knowing the backstory on this song helps to appreciate the song and what's going on on-stage. "Bye Bye Beautiful" is a song Tuomas wrote shortly after letting Tarja go and has a very different flavor than Poet and the Pendulum, which was written later.

You are correct but off on your timing. Nightwish hasn't performed this song live since the 2015 / 16 tour (so they have moved on). This was originally performed by Anette in 2008 but Floor performs it with so much more emotional impact that it still affected Tuomas and the audience. You caught the "3 minutes and counting" part but then the dying heartbeat after the eulogy is precisely 3 minutes after those spoken words. Note that this song starts the second movement with the spoken words "The End" (of the previous relationship) and closes the fourth movement with the spoken words "The Beginning" ( of Nightwish going forward ). Loved your reaction to this amazing composition and performance. Thank you.

it's real. I visited concerts on this tour. Also: this will probably never, ever, be played again live. They did this very selectively, for good reason. It's a musical masterpiece, in shape of an artistic suicide as to prevent a real one. This wasn't joking, by any stretch. You can sort of feel it when seeing this, but if you were actually a fan in 2k5 when it happened and when you actually where there when they played it...well...different game really. Intense.

Last part, "mother and father". The lyrics always gets me. It's so beautiful.

No matter how many times I hear it - the last section tears me up!