Interviews

Meeting Santa Claus is not a piece of cake even when it comes to stars who have seen a lot.

The members of Nightwish were peeking cautiously at Santa's doorstep although Santa knew whom he was waiting for. Finally the ice was broken by the singer, Anette Olzon, who asked Santa to talk her in Swedish or English.

"Men hej då, Anette" (=Swedish, means "Hi Anette"), Santa greeted warmly and asked the Swedish beauty to sit on his knee. Cameras flashed when both photographers and band members were taking pictures of Santa.

Anette told Santa that it was her first visit in Lapland and Santa asked Anette which presents her six-year-old son wished for Christmas. Finally the whole band was grouped in the same picture and Santa grilled also the band's and their children's kindness and wishes for Christmas.

You can afford to improve the beard

Anette and Santa amused the others by comparing Santa's handsome beard to the basist Marco Hietala's yet a bit more modest one.

"Mine will be as handsome when I'm 400 years old", Hietala was teasing.

Nightwish's trip to Rovaniemi was stopped already in Oulu since their aeroplane couldn't land to its destination because of the fog.

At the press conference, which was held after a taxi trip, the band was still a bit insecure of their plans for the following days. What is certain, is that the new video of Nightwish will be shot the following days in the Pohtimo pool, ca 50 away from Rovaniemi.

"The meaning is to shoot the band playing in the wilderness, the video including Dali-like surrealism", Tuomas Holopainen told but refused to tell for which Dark Passion Play songs the video was being made.

"For years I have visited Lapland as wandering there and many Nightwish-songs have been born inspired by the nature of Lapland. This autumn has been so busy though that the trip has been passed", Holopainen regretted.

Beautiful words under way

After meeting the Santa, the band had a picture taken of them acrossing the North Pole. Then they
said goodbye to Santa who gave them stickers as presents to their homes.

"Now my son will believe that you live in the North Pole. He has been hard to convince", Anette laughed.

At the meeting with Santa Claus, mixed Finnish, Swedish and English were spoken. Anette has been busy learning Finnish and spoke the language when she was asked to do so.

"Nyt minä haluan juustoburgerin" (=means "now I want a cheeseburger), Anette spells carefully and tells that band boys have taught her mostly swear words.

"I have then tried to learn nice words. I keep up with the boys' conversations well but not until recentlyI have I dared to speak Finnish", sympathetic Anette explains.

It's not an accident, Nightwish's new video being shot in Rovaniemi. The video is produced by Lapland Studio and the Rovaniemi town accompanies financially.

"Lapland Studio's Ilkka Immonen made a suggestion for Tuomas Harju who shoots the video, that there are good shooting places and know-how needed in Rovaniemi. The filming group checked out the place and praised the landscapes", chief of marketing and communication Hanna-Mari Kyläkoski
told.

The alarm will ring already at four A.M.

"The days are long when a video is shot. Tomorrow the alarm will ring at half past four a.m.", Holopainen horrified.

The long days will go on because the band is leaving in October to an American tour which will last 28 days. After that comes Scandinavian and European tours.

"I'm really grateful of the success of our new album because all that mess. I have to thank the fans being able to wait the new record for two years", Holopainen thanks.

Translated by Evenfall from the Nightwish Discussion Board