TARJA TURUNEN: Talking about her church concerts and also about Anette Olzon

20.11.2008

Tarja Turunen (ex-Nightwish) just finished her European tour and yesterday she performed in a church in Kuusankoski, Finland. She will also perform in two different churches next week where she sings Christmas songs. Her previous concert held in Kuusankoski was a very good experience.

"The atmosphere was amazing and it was lovely to see people leaving the church with a smile on their faces", Tarja told to finnish Viihdeuutiset.

According to Tarja, she has a very talented group of people playing with her on these church concerts.

"I am performing with Kalevi Kiviniemi, Marzi Nyman and Markku Krohn. I love performing with them cause I know the talent they all have. We have a very nice line-up on these church concerts".

Tarja has been very busy and she hasn't been able rest much. This is also the reason why she hasn't payed much attention to Nightwish's sad incident during their tour in Brazil when their current vocalist Anette Olzon left the stage in the middle of the show. Tuomas Holopainen had commented the incident saying that Anette simply lost it cause audience was showing her their middlefinger and screaming Tarja's name.

"It is impossible for me to comment this any further since I wasn't there. I simply don't know what happened for real.", Tarja said.

How can a performer brace herself to situations like these?

"Difficult to say. Every situation is different and there is no one way to brace every situation."

People still yell your name on Nightwish shows and it seems old fans have followed you. How does this make you feel?

"First of all I never accept any aggressive behaviour towards anyone. Of course it warms my heart that there are old fans who have followed me. I have gained lots of new audience also through these church concerts. Although there were some young girls all dressed in black in the Kuusankoski church too. It felt great also!"

Source: viihde.mtv3.fi

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Tarja will stay in our hearts FOREVER!!

Jukka wrote on 20.11.2008 at 19:34
Don't do the crime if you can do the time. Annete has been very imature in many aspects. Tarja would never leave the stage like that. And before we go any further, I was at the concert, there was 4.500 fans overthere, a couple of idiots gave middlefingers to Annete, while all the rest was cheering her up. Screaming her name and supporting.

Give us a break Annete. I like her, but she is pretty imature, and she's almost 40 years old, not an adolescent having tough periods.

Fernanda NW4Ever

Fernanda Bergamo wrote on 20.11.2008 at 20:55
Yes, but lets not forget Anette is only human, she kept it in for a good year and a half with Tarja fans screaming that she sucked, inmy opinion she's holding out incredibly well!

Anyway, it's a nice interview =] Tarja <3

Mia wrote on 20.11.2008 at 22:32
Love her. And yes - She will stay in my hearts forever, coz for me Tarja is Angel of music:)

Eva wrote on 20.11.2008 at 22:55
I really don't think we can even judge what Anette did that day. The versions that have given are 2, one given in a statement by Anette saying the smoke machine affected her cords and she started also to feel pretty bad and desperate, and chose to leave. Tuomas was the one to state on an interview that she freaked out for a second due to the very passionate way the fans were expressing themselves during the concert but...really...we don't know what happened. They may say one thing and it might be the other or the 2 of them together or something not even close to either explanation. We seem to get very tough when judging but being in somebody else's place, none of us know what we would be going through or how we'd react to certain situations. She did what she did and even if it's a mistake..nobody is exempt, even Tarja. :)

Gus wrote on 20.11.2008 at 23:35
Oh yeaahhh, just because Anette left the stage that makes her imature!? Come on give me a break!!! Anette is a human being, she's not a machine... a lot og shit is happening in her life (personal life) and many so called "fans" don't make it easy for her.
She has been through a lot and no one of us, FANS, can imagine the pressure she has faced. She is doing a wonderful job in Nightwish =).
Anette 4Ever

Barbara wrote on 20.11.2008 at 23:37
Ahh.....the Tarja/Anette argument.

I was trained to sing opera.....its one of the things that made me listen to Nightwish years ago. So I am more than qualified to critique the both of them.

My opinion? They are both incredible singers.....BUT, their singing styles are NOT the same. There is no way to compare the two.

Secondly.....I saw Anette twice in Chicago. That girl kicks major ass live! Full of energy, full of fun.....and she loves the fans. Ask my three kids.....Nightwish catered to them all night. (front row) Anette went out of her way to show them a great time.

I am a fan of both..... :)

Gerri wrote on 21.11.2008 at 00:32
Well if you want to talk about immature people, you should really check Tarja's freemassonry-inspired lyrics, and dogs biting her hand in her videos, and how she likes the dark etc etc...

Now don't get me wrong I like both Tarja and Annete (well their singing atleast, since I don't really know them in person), but that still doesn't meen I can't find any of the two of them to be immature...

Darko wrote on 21.11.2008 at 01:25
Nice interview, but why do they ask Tarja about that stuff, I doubt she takes interest now in NW or Olzon and follows what is going on with them.
And this situation is kinda immature from Anette's part.

Holly_Ivy wrote on 21.11.2008 at 13:37
I think it's rreally good that Tarja doesn't judge about Anette. That shows that she is more mature than a lot of 'fans'.

Mer wrote on 21.11.2008 at 15:33
This interview is not about Anette. I think it was an imature thing from the reporter's side to talk about this with Tarja. And I don't condemn Anette for this thing, she's just an ordinary women in her late 30s so, I can understand it... However I don't like her, neither Nightwish since a few years.

"First of all I never accept any aggressive behaviour towards anyone" That was a very good answer from Tarja. This is one of the may things because of which I admire and respect her. For me always she will be the best singer.

Me? wrote on 21.11.2008 at 15:42
I love how classy she is. no name calling, no support for people being rude to Anette, and above all, no opinion about the new nightwish singer.
:)

I'll be seeing nightwish tonight!! I can't believe it yet! I hope people are respectful towards Anette though.

Blackwood wrote on 21.11.2008 at 17:06
I think they're asking Tarja about her feelings, because she left the stage at a concert few years ago, too. BUT there was another reason: A "fan" went on the stage and wanted to rip open her clothes or something like that. I'm not sure but I think it was in Brazil, too.

Franziska wrote on 21.11.2008 at 19:29
Franziska, By "Once" tour Nightwish was touring Brazil just like these days. Tarja had a terrible cold and that affected her voice. The show was in São Paulo in front of Nightwish most fanatical of their fans in the world.

Tarja didn't leave the stage. She cried in front all of us because her voice was bad. She begs several apologies but didn't quit.

The whole band was cheered for almost non-stop 15 minutes of applauses after the show because of her professionalism, guts, courage and respect for us.

We don't go over stage beating anyone, spitting anyone, ripping anyone clothes or something.

Ville Valo got raped and robbed in USA not in Brazil, Nick Holmes was punched in the face in Sweden not in Brazil, Slipknot got robbed in Italy not in Brazil, Satyricon was threated to death in Spain not in Brazil.

So think about it !

I call it prejudice, stupidity, ignorance. Do you wanna know how important brazilian fans are for Nightwish ? check: http://www.nightwish.com ( Suomi | Svenska | English | Deutsch | Português ) not french, not italian, not polish, not romanian, not japanese, not spanish, not russian...

Look through internet and look for interviews and articles of bands like Rush, Iron Maiden, Scorpions, Edguy, Helloween, Dream Theater, Manowar, Tarja, Deep Purple, Guns n' Roses ( Yeah ! The terrible Axl Rose says it ) U2, Linkin Park, KISS and more dozens of bands telling you how much they are respected and cared for brazilian fans.

Tell me why those bands goes to record their DVDS here, Tell me why here they have time on MTV, radio airplay, newspapers, tv shows... You know why ? because here they're not a mere niche.

Grow up ! It's never too late for.

Melissa - Blumenau, Brazil wrote on 21.11.2008 at 23:29
On Youtube is this video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P3E4M9cNN-Q&feature=related , I hear no one here really scream Tarja's name and see any aggressive gestures towards Anette ........ when Anette left the stage, fans "sreamed" Anette's name ....

My personal view is, that this is another indirect words-attack against Tarja. I heard on Tarja's concert some fans were screaming : "Tarja come back to the NW" At that moment I was sorry because it disrupted the beautiful atmosphere. Tarja is a professional and I am confident that she would never run away from the podium,
because she has a great regard for fans.
I'm fan of Tarja (of course I feel sorrow, that she isn't member of the NW), BUT there is NO reason to go to a NW-concert to offensive anyone! (Since there is not Tarja I don't have really any reason to go to their concert)
I fell sorry for Anette, it must be hard for her. New-Nightwish is nothing for me, Tarja have won my heart. Despite of this I'm sorry, what happened to Annette.

PS: Good luck Anette!
PPS: Nice words in the interview. .... Dear Tarja , I look forward, to see you again in the summer at the Venetian night festival ;)

Tilly wrote on 22.11.2008 at 01:46
Melissa,
First: I said "I THINK IT WAS IN BRAZIL!!!!!!!!!". Fact is that a fan attacked her on a concert. I checked it up and this happend in Mexico. So I'm sorry if I told you the wrong country.
Check: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R_ukFEGdzKk
Second: I didn't say that the Brazilian fans are bad or aggressive. I don't know them, so HOW could I say are
I just said that ONE FAN!!!!!!!!!! did it, not all of them. Now I know it was a Mexican Fan.
Third: If I told you something wrong, WHY don't you just correct it????????
To err is human.

P.s: Better read a comment twice. Then you don't misunderstand what i wanted to say.
YOU should grow up, not I.

Yours sincerely,

Franziska

Franziska wrote on 22.11.2008 at 03:04
Hello Franziska,

You need to go through Melissa's tough. She's just 15 years old and a Nightwish hardcore fan. The kind of fan who already know the whole band and can visit and speak with all members of the band without being checked for the security in hotels. Let's everybody respect each other.
Let's not act like black metal fans, I don't know where you are from but I hope in your country, you don't have so many bastards from Black Metal gangs, racists, neonazis, killing people just because the colour of their skin. Sad, in Brazil we have a lot of them, and Melissa must remember it because our city have lots of these bastards. And about the mexican fan, it's hard to tell but I sort of understand them. They almost never have good shows, unfortunatelly, World-Class bands thinks world tours like this: Europe, United States, Brazil, Australia and Japan. It's because these are the places where they make a lot of money. I'm not telling Mexico isn't a nice place, they just don't have money enough. It is sad when you're a great fan and cannot see your idols.

Peace & Nightwish forever, with Annette or Tarja.

Daniel Passion Play wrote on 22.11.2008 at 13:44
well...
I still don't see why people keep on asking tarja about anette. I think it's clear enough that she won't talk about it, and I think that's the best thing to be done...
If she did, it would be childlish...
as regards anette... well, when she decided she wanted to be the new nightwish singer she knew (or at least must have known) that many people would be against it and wouldn't like her stile...
but, of course, those fans who pay the price of a nightwish show (at least the prices they have here in south america) to shout tarja's name and insult anette need to do something better of their time. I mean, we all know who is the singer now, so if we don't like it we should stay at home listening to old nightwish cds... that's what I did, at least. Anette is doing her best and, wether we like her stile or not, she doesn't deserve to be treated rudely. It's very reasonable that she might have felt bad and couldn't go on singing...
and... well... tarja's south american tour was a couple of months ago... if they wanted to see tarje, that was the time, not now...

lube wrote on 23.11.2008 at 00:51
I don't understand only one thing ...why the hell those guys from NW still call the band Nightwish...I love the old Nightwish ... but changing the vocalist they changed their style [it's like pop-metal/rock ... something like that] and now it's a complitely different band[for me]
As a new band - I like them[=some of their songs] but they aren't NW anymore
And ..Tarja keep rising up ;)
you're the BEST!!!

Tordis Ahriman wrote on 24.11.2008 at 21:35
That is SO unprofessional from Annette's side. I don't know about any other metal female vocalist who acted so unprofessional on stage. She is not a young beginner, she is like almost 40 and it was not her first time on stage. And the explanation, please, nobody hears a thing in those videos,most, if not all, people who were there didn't notice a thing, nor screams or insults towards her. And she left stage crying like there was a whole hall full of people with middlefingers, shouting at her. And again a comfortable excuse is to blame all on Tarja.

Orion wrote on 25.11.2008 at 09:58
I agree with Orion. I've watched a lot of videos from Belo Horizonte, and all I could hear was people cheering and supporting Anette. Of course, there could have been a couple of assholes who shouted Tarja's name or one or two middle fingers, but nothing to justify Tuomas' explanation that "loads of people were insulting her and screaming Tarja's name".
We all know that unfortunately Anette has been insulted before, but she has always behaved incredibly well and with professionalism.
I understand Tuomas' need to protect her and her private life (because whatever make her leave the stage had to be a very severe personal problem, which we really cannot judge), but blaming the audience (and once again, indirectly, Tarja) was painfully cheap and low of him.

nevermore... wrote on 25.11.2008 at 11:57
You know what I think. Tuomas likes making publicity stunts. This was a publicity stunt to say it was all about Tarja fans. Just like the interview with Marco. They can't help but say bad things about her, because they don't want her to have a good image.
It's proven a lier comes up with many explanations to why he his right and someone else is wrong. The whole letter must have been a fraude too!

Carolina wrote on 26.11.2008 at 08:21
Carolina,
In my opinion you are absolutly right. It sucks that the guys of Nightwish allways want to make the public see Tarja as the evil or the diva.
I like the music, BUT what they did (the open letter and the interviews) was:
disrespectful, unfair, cruel and stupid

Franziska wrote on 26.11.2008 at 19:34
Um, Daniel Passion Play:

Excuse me, asshole, but who the fuck do you think you are to criticize the Black Metal scene and its fans by sticking all of us in this box as dead-set bigots and hellraisers? I have been a Black Metal supporter for YEARS and you cannot expect everyone to buy into what just a FEW of the bands that made it famous believed in. The nicest musicians (and people in general) I have ever met were BLACK METAL MUSICIANS. You are sitting here telling people to get real, but YOU are the one who needs to fucking get real! A music genre does NOT always define a person's mentality!

And by the way...
ANETTE BLOWS! TARJA FOREVER! End of story. True talent always triumphs.

Nala wrote on 26.11.2008 at 20:54
I agree with Orion, nevermore and Caroline!
Anette behaved totally unprofessional, it is disrespect towards people who went to concert. And Tuomas, stop, blaming everything on your ex-singer and grow up, man.

Child in Time wrote on 27.11.2008 at 09:57
It's beyond me why they need to ask Tarja about it, but I respect her for her comments. If only some more of her fans could act like that. Secondly, this whole situation has been dealt with really unprofessionally. I'm a Nightwish fan, but I was amazed that no official statement was released by the band on their website. We are told by them not to believe anything that's not on their official website, and as a result we now have three completely different statements, the first one from Marco said in the heat of the moment that Anette was going through some 'heavy shit', then the letter from Anette to the Brazilian fans that the smoke machine was affecting her vocals, and thirdly the interview with Tuomas, where he stated that it was due to members of the crowd acting obscenely towards her. If they had released an official statement soon after the incident, or even just kept to the same story, none of this would have been blown so madly out of proportion. It's now, what, 3 weeks since the incident and we still have a number of speculations flying around. It also amazes me how god-damn huge this story has become. I've seen it as a news item so many metal-related websites, with member's of Nightwish's FORUM being quoted in one particular article, even Anette's ex-husband and Tarja have been asked about it. I still have a lot of respect for Nightwish, but I'm disappointed at how this whole thing has been handled. It could have saved so many people a lot of grief.

I wrote on 01.12.2008 at 20:02
"First of all I never accept any aggressive behaviour towards anyone

this futher proves tarja is professional musican and not a immuture diva. she could have made some rude remakes about the situation but she didn't which makes me respect her even more.

Missay wrote on 01.12.2008 at 20:47
Oh puleez, Fernando -Anette Immature? Let's see you take all the bashing and heckling while you are onstage working your ass off! It was the people who bought tickets to the show, only to give Anette the finger and scream "tarja" that are immature! How could anyone support jerks like that! Grow up!

Zorsha wrote on 07.12.2008 at 04:45
What Anette have done is absolutly unprofessional, cuz there were people PAYING to see the concert.It is her JOB.

Come on, once, people tried to do somethings really worse with Tarja like take her clothes off and she just left the stage for minutes to recompose herself...It was very very worst than see some people showing their middlefinger or screaming Tarja's name.
I know that everyone has a way to react in these situations but Anette seems to be strong enough(and old enough)to ignore and be professional.

Is there a video or a scan that proves that Tuomas said this?I mean, everybody can search for the videos and see that there weren't nobody screaming Tarja's name and there were really a lot of smoke.It is very clear.
And when I met the Nightwish's guys and one of their brazillian productors two weeks ago, I asked the productor what really happened, and he said to me:"It was an incident with the smoke machine, she felt bad also because of the hotness(probably this term is wrong but you know what I meant)and there wasn't an unique doctor or medical center(I don't know how to say it in english, but is not an hospital)close to the concert place."

And now? In who should we believe?

p.s.:I'm from Rio de Janeiro.

A.L. wrote on 07.12.2008 at 14:02
This is Tuomas Lying one more time, yeah, bkame it on Tarja one more time, i find this sad and disappointing. He might be a hell of a writer and a real talent but his quality as a person leaves a lot to desire.

And Tarja was sexually assaulted on stage and she went on with the show. I'm ashamed that this happened in my country and I was there when it did... but she came back and kept on singing, even if you could tell her voice trembled from time to time and sometimes you could see her about to cry, but she kept it together, a real professional.

Tea wrote on 22.12.2008 at 04:50