Best show opener?

[Fugazi]

It's poll time!

Which, in your opinion, is Nightwish' best show opener? I'm helping you by providing examples for each of them -- do let me know if I missed any?

 

Elvenpath (1997-98, Angels Fall First Tour)

• Tavastia 1998

Given they had only one album to choose from, I think Elvenpath works well as a show opener. It was one of their more energetic songs at the time.

Sacrament Of Wilderness (1999, Summer Of Wilderness Tour)

• Liperi 1999

Another fine choice to open a concert, it has a nice long and fast instrumental intro and it's pretty dynamic.

Passion And The Opera (1999, Oceanborn Tour)

• Torino 1999

I like the song, but I'm not sure how well suited it is as a show opener. I don't know, maybe not enough music before Tarja starts singing?

She Is My Sin (2000, Wishmaster World Tour)

• Mexico City 2000

I didn't think this one would work as an opening song, but listening to it I find it actually does!

Kinslayer (2001, Over The Hills And Far Away Tour)

• Himos 2001

Kinslayer is among my least favourite NW songs, but I must admit it has the right loudness-speed to open a show.

Bless The Child (2002-03, World Tour Of The Century/Summer Of Innocence Tour)

• Amsterdam 2002

Spoken parts generally work well in this context.

Dark Chest Of Wonders (2004-05, Once World Tour)

• Bucharest 2004

This was also the opening song of the famous Wacken 2013 show.

White Lands Of Empathica/Bye Bye Beautiful (2007-08, Dark Passion Play World Tour)

• Novi Sad 2008

This "bait-and-switch" with Poet And The Pendulum is a fun way to play with expectations, and Bye Bye Beautiful is such a catchy song to get a show started!

7 Days To The Wolves (2009, Dark Passion Play World Tour)

• Dessel 2009

I love this song, but I don't think it works so well as a show opener. Too long, too slow?

Taikatalvi/Storytime (2012, Imaginaerum World Tour)

• Hamburg 2012

Marko singing behind the curtain, him throwing the rocking chair, Storytime starting with the curtain raised then the curtain drop, this is all so epic! Except when the curtain malfunctions! 😁 Unfortunately only big venues got the curtain drop, many shows started cold with Storytime -- which also works well enough by itself.

Shudder Before The Beautiful (2015-16, Endless Forms Most Beautiful World Tour)

• Rio De Janeiro 2015

Among my favourite openers, such a dynamic, fast-paced song, and Floor and Marko singing together at the end is gold.

Swanheart/End Of All Hope (2018, Decades World Tour)

• Pittsburgh 2018

Well... it's different. Swanheart instrumental at the end of the countdown is anticlimactic and very long. For festivals they skipped to End Of All Hope, which is more appropriate for the festival crowd.

Music/Noise (2021-22, Human Nature World Tour)

• Lowell 2022

A slow build, and Noise is probably the only song from the new album they could use for opening the show.

[tafnwin]

I think there is only one intro missing from the Imaginaerum tour.
In 2012 they also used to open with Finlandia/Storytime like in their secret show in Hollywood in 2012-01-19
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aXthr9q6qfE

or the Ursynalia Festival in Poland in 2012-06-02
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gxHjzX0Y4b8

 

[Fugazi]

15 hours ago, tafnwin said:

I think there is only one intro missing from the Imaginaerum tour.
In 2012 they also used to open with Finlandia/Storytime

True, thanks for pointing this out! I have added this one to the poll above. Maybe this is what inspired the band to return to a pipe intro (Swanheart) for the Decades tour?