I was really skeptic about this concert; I have attended the two NIGHWISH shows that took place upon Greek soil and I did not think that the ex-frontwoman would have something new to offer. Adding to that, was the fact the Mrs Tarja Turunen had recently released an album that cannot be characterized clearly as Metal. One thing that made me kind of happy was Mike Terrana's presence behind the drum kit and the rest of the seven piece band that would filled the club's stage.

The Saturday night was cold and rainy so I had to leave my car in the parking lot located beside the club and eventually pay 10 euros for that! Inside the club I found almost 800 metalheads waiting to welcome Tarja and her band for the very first time. The lights went out at about 30 minutes after the announced time spreading enthusiasm among the Greek audience. The enthusiasm turned into a really warm applause (with some young screams actually) as soon as Tarja took over the stage with the operatic Lost Northern Star; her confidence and of course her excellent voice made all the pair of eyes and ears to be focused on her. The sound quality was really good despite the fact that it could have been a little bit louder. The setlist comprised almost all the songs from Winter Storm that sounded way better than they do on the CD. The first non- Winter Storm treat was the excellent Phantom Of The Opera where Tarja's brother was invited on stage to take over the male vocals of the song. This was one of the best moments of the concert and everyone was singing (at least the chorus lines).

Tarja as usually changed some outfits just to conclude her flawless image and onstage sincere presence. As expected the band performed some slower tracks like Boy And The Ghost with Tarjia's voice accompanied by the keyboards and the two cellos. Tarja's excellent performance made me think of Annete Olzon and her almost impossible task to fill her place behind NIGHTWISH's microphone. Nevertheless, the night went far better than my initial expectations and I really enjoyed the catchy guitar driven Damned Vampires & Gothic Divine, the dark My Little Phoenix and why deny it, the cover version of Alice Cooper's Poison. The only NIGHTWISH treat was the uplifting super-hit and not a personal favorite (I'd prefer Kingslayer) Nemo from the multi-platinum Once album. After that, Tarja performed I Walk Alone (is there a hidden message here) wearing the same dress (damn she's beautiful) that was used during the video clip shooting.

After something more than 90 minutes Tarja and the rest of the band (damn #2: Terrana did not perform a drum solo) said goodnight and promised that they will return in the near future. In the end, I can surely say that this was an excellent night; Tarja can actually walk alone her winter storm and fill the stages with her dominated persona and leave a good reason to be called a diva!

TARJA photos