On October 1st NIGHTWISH officially parted ways with vocalist Anette Olzon, citing personal differences. The band has since announced the addition of substitute vocalist Floor Jansen from The Netherlands (ex-AFTER FOREVER, REVAMP), who will help the band complete their current Imaginaerum world tour.

Jansen has now released an update on her first days of touring with Nightwish:

“I am writing to you sitting here in the tour bus with Nightwish! We are heading to San Fransisco. The sun is shining bright here and the scenery is beautiful. I am trying to find words to describe how I feel, but it’s impossible to really cover it. I am on a high!

What do you do when Nightwish asks you to join them on tour? Stay calm and say, well OK…? Or does your heart start beating twice as fast instantly, hands start to sweat and your mouth is unwilling to pronounce words like ‘that sounds amazing’. I guess I don’t need to tell what happened to me.

The time to prepare was scarily short… I packed my bags and left and printed the lyrics into my head all the way over from Amsterdam to America. Fifteen hours of airplane later I arrived with a jetlag, a full head and the most happy feeling ever. The next day I jumped on board on this bus and the adventure truly began. I was welcomed into the group as an old friend and I felt great instantly. It is now 10 years ago I joined Nightwish on tour with After Forever as their support act. We stayed in touch ever since and that made the whole situation so much easier and smooth.

The day of the first show we also did a long soundcheck to rehearse the songs. That was the only possibility. You cannot imagine how nervous I was before that first show started! Next to nerves my voice was battered by a cold due to all the travels, lack of sleep and airco’s.

The intro started… I ran on stage… and all nerves were gone! The music and the guys took me in and so did the audience. What an experience! The excitement lasted the entire show, and way after. When I went to my tour bus bed that night I still had a smile on my face. I felt so happy and satisfied I fell asleep instantly.

The next morning I woke up – ahem - afternoon… in Portland. Show number two was there already. So were the first online reactions and the massive amount of press that responded to the news. You must be living under a stone if the news didn’t reach you yet. I even did an interview with the Dutch radio, standing outside the venue in my stage outfit. With a nine hour time difference…

My cold got worse and the doctor had to give me some power supplies to help me. Thank goodness for that, they helped instantly and the second show was an amazing blast. The Crystal Hall in Portland is a beautiful venue and the atmosphere extraordinary! Again the audience welcomed me warmly! I am so grateful!!!

Today we’ll play in San Fransisco! I always wanted to see this city so I hope there is some time (and energy) left for this! I will keep writing to you. And for those who came to the show: thank you for your support!”

Fan filmed footage of Jansen’s first show in Seattle, WA can be seen below:

Nightwish issued the following statement announcing Olzon's departure:

"Another chapter of the Nightwish story has ended today. Nightwish and Anette Olzon have decided to part company, in mutual understanding, for the good of all parties involved.

In recent times it has become increasingly obvious that the direction and the needs of the band were in conflict, and this has led to a division from which we cannot recover.

Nightwish has no intention of cancelling any upcoming shows, and as a result we have decided to bring in a substitute vocalist starting in Seattle, October 1st, 2012. Her name is Floor Jansen from The Netherlands (pictured below), and she has graciously stepped in to help us complete the Imaginaerum world tour.

We are all strongly committed to this journey, this vehicle of spirit, and we are sure that this will lead to a brighter future for everyone.

We forever remain excited about the adventures to come, and we are extremely proud of the two beautiful albums and the wonderful shows we shared together."

Remaining dates on the tour are as follows:

October

5 - The Grove - Anaheim, CA
6 - House of Blues - San Diego, CA
7 - The Marquee - Tempe, AZ
9 - Diamond Ballroom - Oklahoma City, OK
10 - Emo's - Austin, TX
11 - House Of Blues - New Orleans, LA
13 - Revolution - Ft Lauderdale, FL
14 - House of Blues Lake Buena Vista - Lake Buena Vista, FL