NIGHTWISH Keyboardist Comments On Belo Horizonte Show Being Cut Short - "There Were A Lot Of People Screaming The Former Vocalist's Name, Making Obscene Gestures..."
November 16, 2008, 16 years ago
As previously reported, NIGHTWISH were forced to cut their November 10th concert in Belo Horizonte, Brazil short when vocalist Anette Olzon started crying at the end of the song 'The Poet And The Pendulum' (about six tracks into the group's set) and walked off stage, leaving the rest of the band to finish the song with bassist/vocalist Marco Hietala attempting to handle some of the lead-vocal parts. Olzon later issued a statement saying that "the smoke had irritated her vocal chords, and that she was trying to sing until she reached the point she couldn't do it anymore."
According to MetalFromFinland.com, speaking with O Povo Online about the incident, keyboardist/founder Tuomas Holopainen issued the following statement:
"Anette freaked out because she couldn't handle the different mannerisms of the fans here. There were a lot of people screaming the former vocalist's name, making obscene gestures (with the middle finger). Normally she can shake that stuff off, she has good self-esteem, but it's been hard to deal with the fans and the critics. I guess it was a sudden breakdown; she just... lost her mind for a second. It's kind of scary, and we all feel for her and understand what she is going through. We hope she can put her mind at ease and make the rest of the shows. So far it's been fine; she's feeling much better."
