Dear Fans of Nightwish and Tarja:

I would like to start these lines thanking all of you for sending several hundreds of emails from many countries with more than thousand questions.

It took a very long time to read them all and to select them according to their subjects. As you can imagine, many questions were very similar, and the selection was in order not to repeat the subjects of the questions. I believe that I didn't leave any subject from your questions without reply.

I wrote nearly 100 pages and replied more than 150 questions.

It took much longer than I thought to reply them. Thanks for your patience.

Most of the questions had also your personal comments and opinions that I appreciate and that I have decided to keep just for me.

I have been asked about things that have nothing to do with Nightwish or Tarja. I did promise to answer your questions without conditions, but I meant only about Nightwish, Tarja and subjects related.

I need to admit a mistake when asking your ID together with your complete name. In fact, many of you sent your ID, but I realised too late that in some countries the ID is some reserved information not to be disclosed. In the end, I decided to answer even the emails sent without ID.

I am posting the answers only in English. Even though is not my mother tongue and for sure you'll find grammar mistakes in what I wrote, I think that is better to use the international language rather than use a translation that might change the intention behind my words.

This text before my answers was the last text to be written. At the moment I am aware that Nightwish book has been published in Finland as well as End of an Era DVD and CD.
I am only replying your questions sent until 1st of March and I have replied most of them before the book was published and the DVD was released.

Before I start replying your questions, there are few things I would like to mention.

It was a very hard decision to offer you the possibility to send me your questions. It was the best way I found to be able to express my opinion about some things. Some of you understood that I am answering in Tarja's name, but I am only doing it in my own name.

Not necessarily my opinions are similar to Tarja's opinions about things.

I know that there are many people willing not to hear about the band's problems any more.

I also received many requests to clarify the situation around many of the things mentioned in the open letter the band uploaded in internet as well as many other things commented to the media in general and in Finnish media in particular.

I thought that by offering the chance only to the fans to ask their questions and to express their doubts, I would give reply to the people that is really interested to know.

Also, by doing it this way, I expect not to disturb the ones that are not interested.

For that ones, I need to apologise anyway, but I honestly feel I was pushed to do this.

Is in your hands if you'll read my answers or not.

My decision to do things this way was based in the fact that the amount of people willing to know was much bigger than the others.

If you decide to go ahead, it will be very important that you read all the answers in order to get a real picture of the whole situation.

Many times questions needed extended answers that touch different subjects. I tried as much as possible not to repeat myself unless it was impossible to avoid.

Tuomas expressed his opinion about some things. He did the way he understands and sees things with the information he has. This doesn't mean he is wrong and I am right.

The truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth: who can say it knows the truth when a true is only in accordance with facts and reality? Can any of the band members say that they handled all the facts and the state of things the way they actually existed?

Tuomas expressed already his opinions that I respect, but that I don't share.

Unfortunately, most of the things that you have read or heard didn't come from Tarja's or my voice.

There have been mistakes from both sides.

I am sure that most of them could have been avoided. It has been very hard to succeed when it was no possibility to speak things openly.

Most of you have asked about Tarja's future plans including her solo album and touring dates. There will be lot of information given about these, but I don't feel these pages are the right place to do it.

After these words, I wish the band the best.

I also hope they have the wisdom to find promotion through other ways than mentioning Tarja or me in the future. Knowing their music, I am sure they do not need that.

For the people outside of the band, but involved with them: just let them be. If you are not trained and experienced in something don't pretend to be.
Don't give the band wrong advices. Even worse, don't make them public.
Share your thoughts just with your friends and relatives what will cause less troubles and pain for everybody.
Let the artists be in the media as a part of the life they have chosen as artists.
Your opinion, like mine, is irrelevant and your silence will be more than welcome too.

Before you'll find my answers to your questions, I thought that was appropriated that Tarja herself replies the first one.

With best regards, Marcelo


Will Tarja, respond to our questions in one day as You are doing now?
Zaharie Filip, Romania

I know that this question came to Marcelo but I wanted to intrude and answer myself.
About the question: I feel that I have changed a page in my life. I am happy and full of plans for my further career and I am already working on some projects. I would like to rest this old matter unless there are some new accusations to come from the bands side. I have to say like this because unfortunately I have not read or received the Nightwish book so far. Anyway let's hope that the press quotes I have read don't give the right idea about the book and that the boys have grown up during the process, but we'll see.

I want to thank you Zaharie Filip, and in your name all the other people that have sent these questions, for being interested in the happenings of one of the greatest groups there was at the time in its own genre.

Let's hope that we all will continue to make great music to fill the world with joy for a change.

With love,
Tarja

1) What is the truth behind this "non disclosure" agreement and why did you want to take this step even considering the fact that the book is supposed to be a Nightwish biography? (and not a Tuomas Holopainen book) I guess you were informed about the book since even Tarja was interviewed.
Giuliana Lista italy


After checking all the questions, it has been very clear for me that there is a huge misunderstanding between three different topics.
They seem for the people to be connected.
I will try to go through them and explain them.
The mentioned topics are the book, the DVD release and the non-disclosure agreement.

These things are not in connection.

Myself, I have never mentioned in any media, anything about the book or the DVD or even this non-disclosure agreement until now. Nor did Tarja. So what ever you have read, heard or guessed, it just came from other people's comments, thoughts and declarations.
But the info never came from our side. And this seems to have created unfortunate confusion.

People that made declarations sometimes were not well informed. They were not checking that what they said was accurate. Unfortunately the fans, and people in general, cannot know if what they are hearing and reading is correct or not. In most cases, people feel that what is shown to them in writing, is correct.

A non-disclosure agreement (NDA) also can be called letter of confidentiality (LOC).

It is basically a letter, a very short agreement. Two, three or more parties can do this agreement. In our case, it was proposed that none of the parties were going to be speaking negatively in public about the other parties.
There is something to remark: NDA is a standard procedure in the record business.
It can be sometimes; only one clause included in contracts, or it can be a separate agreement like the one that we suggested. The band itself and the record companies involved with Nightwish have gone through these kinds of agreements before.
It was nothing new for the band members or for the record companies involved as they must have already signed these kinds of agreements before.

There is a big and very important misconception about this NDA and about how it works.

It has not been proposed any kind of agreement where the band was not able to mention Tarja's name or my name. It is true that an agreement has been proposed where neither Tarja nor myself, the band or Spinefarm Records or the band's management either, were supposed to be speaking NEGATIVELY about the other parties in public. But it was never ever suggested that only the band and Spine should shut up. From my point of view this is a quite different picture compared to the image that has been published in the press.

This also means that the band and the management and the record companies, all of them have always been able to mention Tarja's name or my name. We, Tarja and me, would have had no problem to sign a paper that would have prohibited us from speaking anything NEGATIVE about the other parties involved in public.

For some reason, some clauses of this NDA were wrongly picked up from who ever started to speak with the media. The misleading excerptions gave a false idea of the NDA like it was planned as a way to stop the book and the DVD the band was about to release. Quite wrong - the NDA had nothing to do with the book and certainly not with the DVD.

The reason to propose a NDA, was obvious, I guess, but I will still repeat it.

After the public letter (sacking Tarja) from the band, some members continued making statements to all kinds of media.
Also some people from Spinefarm Records did. We thought that if we were about to continue our lives, we needed to stop all the bullshit around. As you might have noticed, we were not the ones in the media talking badly about the other parties.

So it was a surprise that once again, they went public with it.
Obviously this was the way they have done it before and this is the only way they were able to continue. It was at the end of the day nothing really unexpected.

As we say in my land: sleep with kids and you'll wake up wet.

So in your question you are also saying that we have been informed about the book, since Tarja was interviewed for it. Actually we knew about the book much longer than that. The idea to write a book about the band has been there for many years already.
At some point, most of the contents of the book were used for the DVD "End of Innocence". Because of this reason, Mape needed to continue writing new material for the book. That's why the book was kind of delayed from the original plan. But we are talking about the same book: a book that was supposed to be telling the story of the band.

Mape is an employee at Spinefarm records. He was travelling sometimes with the band on tour and he was supposed to interview people that have been related to the band and the band members.

This is an interesting point: I have been accused of having a huge responsibility of many things concerning the band. For good or for bad, nobody requested to make an interview for the book with me.
If I was so responsible for everything, shouldn't have I been requested as some other people related to the band has been?
This doesn't mean that I wanted to be, but I am just guessing that having the chance to interview me and openly ask me about things, nobody did…

Even most strange was how the interview with Tarja was organized. The writer and band management insisted many times that the interview with Tarja needed to be a so called "in deep interview", not just a standard interview. Mape proposed to come to our home in Finland to stay there for a couple of days. He wanted to do a very long, extended interview to discuss with Tarja about all her memories with the band and about every album. It was very important for the book and for him to do it that way as it was told to us.

The last tour was very long, and after every small leg of the tour we were returning back home just for few days. This long interview was scheduled with the writer for November 2005 (after Hartwall Arena concert). It was more relaxed to do it after the tour was over. The book was planned to be released during this year, but as we have been told, was definitely not in a hurry at all. There was not going to be any other release of the band rather than the DVD this year anyway.

Suddenly, three weeks before the last concert, the writer contacted us and requested to do an interview with Tarja urgently. He explained that the deadline for the book changed and that he needed to do the interview right away. So he changed the plan of doing two days long and in deep interview with Tarja, into a telephone call in the middle of the night to our hotel room in Athens on October 1st 2005. Tarja or me, we didn't ask reasons for the sudden change. We just guessed that the change of this important interview needed to be done and Tarja did the interview.

As it has always been done in the last couple of years with all interviews that Tarja was giving, it was agreed that the writer was going to send the interview and the parts where Tarja's quotation were going to be used. So far we haven't received anything. We are waiting. Hopefully before the book is available we'll have the chance to check it. The book was promised to reach before the last concert of the band and was promised to be about the whole history of the band. It was definitely never mentioned anything else.

Mape Ollila proposed to me in person, and I accepted, that company NEMS Enterprises is going to be taking care of the translation and publishing of the book in Portuguese and Spanish speaking countries. Until today, I haven't heard anything opposite to that, so I trust the given word. So far I've been told that initially the book is going to be published in Finnish language and as soon as the English translation is going to be ready, they are going to provide it to me, in order to start with the translations into Spanish and Portuguese.

What I have recently heard and read from direct quotes from the band members is that the book is going to be also about "something else". They have promoted it after the split, as their way to speak the truth. Then comes clear in the picture why the change was needed in the schedule of the interview with Tarja.

If you sometime read the book you need to understand that Mape and the other guys new that Tarja was to be kicked out (or it had already happened) from the band at the time of their interviews but Tarja did not (and I wasn't even interviewed). So the book can only reflect their side of stories without any defence from our sides. This gives the book its distinctive flavour; the most quoted part of the book (from what I have been told) is not about Nightwish history, it is the remaining Nightwish people and hangarounds justifying their divorce with Tarja. The band had all the right to kick Tarja out in the first place but to make sorry badmouthing statements about the reasons of love lost is not very gentlemanlike behaviour, its petty behaviour.

Anyway, until today, as I said before, we haven't read the book, we don't know what is in there and at the same time we don't have any reason to stop or try to stop the book release. It was never intended, it was never mentioned anything similar about it and still the feeling is exactly the same.


2) Why did you attempt to halt the publishing of the book on Nightwish? It has been said that the book was in the works for at least three years, that you were on good terms with the author and that you were aware of what was written. Why have you changed your mind? Ann Marie Reilly U.S.A

I have never wanted to halt the book and I have never changed my mind about the book, as I explained already.

I first heard about the book long time ago at the time of End of Innocence DVD. Mape, the writer, offered me to publish the book in Spanish and Portuguese through NEMS Enterprises. He, together with the band's management agreed with me that as soon as a translation of the book was available in English, they were going to provide it to me to translate it into Spanish and Portuguese as I said. From my side nothing has changed so far and I am only waiting for the English translated version to start working with it.

I have never been in public (or in private) saying anything opposite to what I'm writing at this moment here.


3) Is it true that you and Tarja are planning to release a book of your own? Ann Marie Reilly U.S.A

I would not say a book about us. A book about Tarja, same way that there is a plan that one day Tarja will take a part in a movie or that one day Tarja will have a role in an Opera. None of these things have been already planned. They are in the planning, actually, but none of these things are yet scheduled. This means that it can take 2 years, 5 years, 10 years, or in the end it will never happen.


4) Somewhere a book about Tarja was mentioned. Will there be one? Who will write it?
Katrin Duemke Germany

Just to complete the previous answer, there is nobody in mind to write a book at the moment.


5) Why do you and Mape (the author of the new Nightwish book) not get along? Again, is this another personality clash, or did something in particular happen?
Sara Scott England

There is absolutely no problem with Mape, at least from my side. I know him as a Spinefarm Records employee and I also know he has been writing the book for many years. I have met him many times.

The relationship has always been cordial from both sides, and that hasn't changed at least, as I said, from my side.

He also helped by providing magazine covers for tarjaturunen.com so I have never felt that he is the kind of person that can smile in your presence and stab you in your back when you turn around.

I have not met him recently but definitely I don't agree that we don't get along as you are saying in the question. I have no problem with him or with him writing the book.


6) Why are you trying to make it hard to Tuomas with publishing that Nightwish book? Doesent it mean anything to Tarja?
Teemu Leisilä Finland

It's obvious that I'm not trying to make it hard for Tuomas to publish the Nightwish book after my explanations from above.

What is very important is that you can realize that this is what you understand after all you have read and after all you have probably heard, being from Finland. And that is the point. That is the bad thing. Your question is only your impression based in the information you have. Please, do not blindly believe in one-sided information. If you want to know my or Tarja's opinion, just believe what you hear coming from our mouths. Don't believe when the people are trying to make an interpretation of what they believe that Tarja or I might be thinking about something. If they're wrong informed or if they don't understand what is happening, then, all this mess happens.

The book meant something different for Tarja at the time when it was explained to her what it was going to be about. At the moment, it seems the objective of the book has changed quite much.


7) Will you continue to try to halt the release of the book and the DVD, though it appears that the DVD can be released everywhere in the world but Finland anyway?
Ann Marie Reilly U.S.A

You're asking about the future of the book, which I have already explained, but also about the DVD.

So, It's time to explain you about the DVD "End of an Era".
It has been planned long in advance that the concert at Hartwall was going to be filmed and recorded for a DVD and CD release.

At that time, some rights to re record the songs should have been acquired from the record companies, but the band's management did not consider that even though I advised them to do so.
We were getting closer to the release date of the DVD and the band thought that every contract was ready to be signed and the DVD to be released, but unfortunately what I told to band management in April 2005, was not taken in consideration. I needed to solve a big mess when Spinefarm Records didn't want to give the rights for some of the songs unless they were getting some additional countries where to release the DVD as compensation. It took a couple of months and several meetings that I had proposed to clear all the problems.

Last meeting took place in Germany between all the record companies involved, band management and myself representing Tarja.

Finally everything was agreed and now, luckily and happily, the DVD and the CD "End of an Era", will be available worldwide as it should have happened from the very first time.

It has never been any intention, once again, to stop the DVD that NEMS Enterprises is also releasing in Argentina.


8) My question is about the contract Nightwish claims you have insisted they sign about discussing you and Tarja. Why do you find this necessary and don't you think it is a bit restrictive and unfair? It could effectively stop the book and DVD planned for this year.
Geoffrey Hazard USA

You mention one word that is very remarkable: "unfair".
Unfair meaning unkind, inconsiderate or unreasonable: do you believe we have been so?

Honestly, we tried to be very fair with all the parts involved by requesting everybody, including ourselves, not to speak negatively in public about the other members and the other parts. Only Spinefarm Records, band members or band management have been able to disclose to the media the contents of our proposal. There was no way that the media could find out about it without some of the mentioned parties announcing it. Unfortunately, whether it was done on purpose or not, the information they gave was not accurate. And then, a bigger mess was created.

There is no link, no connection, between this agreement, the book and the DVD. The book is going to be out whenever the band decides. We're not more involved with it that than Tarja's interview as I have already explained.

The DVD could not be released because of the legal issues around the re recording rights of the songs involved. Now that the rights have been cleared, there is no reason not to release it. So the book and the dvd are separate issues.


9) The band plans on editing a DVD and…a book, according to them, to tell all the truth…Are there still things that have not come out to light?
La banda planea editar un DVD y un libro, según ellos, para contar toda la verdad… ¿Acaso todavía hay cosas que no salieron a la luz???

Hugo Almiron Argentina

To tell the truth, all the truth…
I really don't believe that there is one and only one truth. I believe that there are obviously different opinions about things and it would be very nice to discuss those opinions in a round table.

It's very sad that grown up people are making their thoughts and their minds from information that is not totally correct or that they are not capable to understand.
Of course all the parties involved have made mistakes during the 9 year history of the band and many things should have been done differently, many words should have been said and some should have been left unsaid, but that is only human. And a lot of it is also history of not only a band but history of old band mates and their growing up.

But there are many, many details that should have never been exposed the way they did: wrongly or at least misleadingly.
It's clear, at least, that there was a problem between the parts. That was definitely what should have been explained and nothing else. To give details you need to be certain about what you're saying.

I have myself focussed on trying to reply only to what has been asked. I am giving explanations that I consider necessary only in order to give proper answers.

There are still many things that I am not explaining about the band, management and record company in Finland. I don't believe there is any need to do it now.


10) How did you come up with that contract you want to speak Nightwish, Spinefarm and Kingfoo in because of the DVD and the book?
Katrin Duemke Germany

I might be sounding reiterative, maybe more than you like to, but your questions only show to me how wrong information you have received.

Again, there is nothing to do between the Non Disclosure Agreement including Nightwish, Spinefarm, King Foo, NEMS Enterprises and Tarja with the DVD and the book.


11) What are you really afraid of?
Do you truly believe Tuomas want to say bad things about Tarja?

Katrin Duemke Germany

I don't know if Tuomas wants to say bad things about Tarja.

What I know are the words he has declared to different medias and what he wrote himself in the open letter.
Those were not good words about Tarja or me.

I'm not afraid; that's not the word.
I'm not afraid of what he has been saying or of what he might say, I'm really sad that he wants to speak like that in public.


12) why are you making them ask permission to use her name in the book, that makes no real sense since the book will be about nightwish, you have to have her in the book or there will be no book.
Kevin Nixon USA

I agree with you that without her there will be no book.
I never requested anybody permission to use Tarja's name in the book.


13) why are you blackmailing Nightwish when you won't let them publish the dvd if they won't promise you to not publish the book?
Ida Leppänen Finland

I never requested in public or in private to Nightwish, nor to the book writer, nor to the record company where the writer is working nor to anybody else not to publish the book. Neither did Tarja.

That has never been anything like that so; it's very far from me to blackmail Nightwish about this subject or about anything else.

I never had any problems to speak about things I don't like or that I don't agree with other persons, face to face.


14) If Tuomas really is not thinking about the money, why realese a DVD just after Tarja leaving the band. It was like, he needed to do it to make this realese sells a lot.
Alexandre Pereira de Souza Brazil

The DVD was planned long in advance, at the beginning of 2005.
So, we all knew one concert was going to be filmed with the idea to have a DVD available from the tour. Then, it was decided that it was going to be this last concert in Hartwall Arena. So the DVD was not planned after Tarja was kicked out from the band. This, I guess, is important to be cleared for everybody.

The DVD was planned before the band kicked Tarja out. On the other hand, the band planned to kick Tarja after the gig and not before.


15) What is said on the DVD that makes you want to stop it from being published?
Katrin Duemke Germany

Nothing that is on the DVD makes me want to stop the release of it.

It was not the idea at the time when it was planned; it was not the idea after they kicked Tarja out, and it's not the idea now. I should add that at the time you sent this question I had still not seen the DVD, but even though then the idea wasn't to stop it. I believe that my words should be very clear now that it has been informed that the DVD will be available.


16) If you didn't wanted to appear on the dvd, why have you accepted to be at nightwish's side?
Katrin Duemke Germany


There is not such a thing. I have never had a problem to appear in the DVD. Anyway, I was never meant to be on the DVD at all. But when you will check the documentary, you will find me there.

If that should have been a problem for me, I should have the right to request those images of me to be taken out. Nobody asked permission to use my images on the DVD.

As you can see, I have no problem with it and actually one part is very funny.

I can be seen during an improvised signing session for Tarja in the hotel in Sao Paulo. Caught by two girls that managed to convince me after five minutes to give my signature in a poster of the band!!
Of course the whole scene was too long to get into the final edit of the DVD. I remember I was joking with the girls that I didn't want to sign in a poster of the band as I was not a member of it … but they were so nice and kind and insisted so much that finally, well…, they convinced me to do it.

As I said I have no problem to appear in the DVD. Those images have really happened and this has never been a problem for me.


17) Is it true that Tarja and the other band members from Nightwish were never in any friendly relations, I mean, they were strictly in business relations the whole time?
Filip Gavrilovic Serbia and Montenegro

They were not friends in my opinion. This doesn't mean that they were only in a business relation the whole time as you are asking.

There is something in between that is a camaraderie feeling. Something like you can find in a football or hockey team. People that need to be sharing time together for a certain purpose.
We could all laugh about same jokes or enjoy sometimes similar things (landscapes, food, music).

With comrades or in this case, band mates and group of people working together, you don't necessarily trust them your private life, neither you need to discuss only business.


18) my question would be, if tarja and tuomas were friends in some time, what was their relationship like? and at the same time, what was her relationship with the other band members?
mi pregunta, sería si tarja y tuomas, fueron amigos en alguna epoca.¿cómo era su relación? y a su vez, ¿como era su relación con los otros integrantes del grupo?

Noelia Sanabria Argentina

I should make a very clear statement about this topic.

We usually use the word "friends" in a very informal way. As examples: "I went to a bar with my friends" or "I play football every Saturday with a group of friends".

Truth is that if I went to the bar with one friend and a cousin of his brother that I haven't met before, still the sentence is valid.
Or can be that I am playing football with 21 other guys and I only know the names of 3 of them. This is something that normally happens as well.

I am sure that you wouldn't imagine a member of any band giving an interview saying something like: "We are only a group of musicians that barely know each other."

Probably nobody will get into that details and then is much easier to express in the same way than in my examples that: "we are good friends."

But in this case about Nightwish, is important to see how deep their friendship really was.
Many things have been said already in name of "friendship".

Friendship is for Tarja and me a deeper feeling, a place for mutual trust and support. The way she keeps her relations with her friends is very, very far away from the kind of relation she ever had with Tuomas.

I see her calling her friends very frequently. Even when we are in Argentina. Same way around.

We go out with our friends. We have projects with them. We plan how to have fun together. A birthday of some of them is an event used to be together. We have gone to our holidays with some friends and we will do it again.
You share your happiness and problems with your real friends.
I told you the incident that happened in Guadalajara, Mexico, in one of the answers. How the band reacted was not very friend like.

Also the way they decided to inform Tarja that she was not welcome any longer in the band. I am not even arguing if what they said was correct or not, but the way they handled it was not coming from friends.

Unfortunately I can quote a few more examples of the same kind to complete the picture.

We got to know Marco's apartment only because the Tour bus stopped at his door to pick him up one time.
We never got to know Jukka's previous or new home. Even though one time we needed to meet him in Joensuu to exchange some papers, we did it in a car parking instead of having a coffee at his place. The way old friends would do.
I went to Tuomas twice because of an interview and because it was the location of a party at the beginning of Once tour, but never as a guest beside business.
No band member knew Tarja's place where she lived in Helsinki around one year or even at Kuopio where she lived for around 4 years. By the way, Tuomas also lived in Kuopio at the same time because of his University studies.
Only Emppu came once to our home in Kuusankoski in the last 3 years.

So to resume Tarja lived: 4 years in Kuopio, 1 year in Helsinki, 2 years she lived in Karlsruhe, Germany and 3 years in Kuusankoski.

In the last 10 years, only one time the band's guitar player visit the place where Tarja was living. About the other "friends", nobody ever did.

Can I ask then: if I have "spoiled" their close friendship during the last 5 years, who did it before?


19) According to an interview from Tuomas, he and Tarja did not speak since about a year. How is it possible for a band to be so successful if their main members are not talking to each other?
Segundo entrevista do tuomas, ele e a tarja não se falavam a
aproximadamente um ano. Como é possível uma banda fazer tanto sucesso sem que os principais integrantes estejam se falando?
Pitter Robson de Lima Brazil
The way the band was communicating and the different personalities of the members probably created a strange kind of magic.
Who can say how successful the band would have been if all members were discussing about things until every decision was unanimously taken in peace and cordiality? If it would have been a band where every member would have cared about the others? A band where nothing should have run vertically, but with consent?
I think that even the strange way to communicate created the wishes within the band and the creative power within them.

20) Did you and Tuomas ever speak before you were Tarja's manager and was it because you are her manager he never spoke to you? Amie UK
I first met the band in year 2000.
I started to work with Tarja in 2001. We got married at the end of 2003.

During this time and until the end of 2004 I have been able to speak with Tuomas in very few occasions. Some times about business, but others I tried to get close to him and speak about other subjects.

He has been always very polite, but never asking back. I felt not interest from his side, so I didn't insist myself any longer.
After end of 2004, the most we have spoke about was a set list for a concert or a courtesy hello at a hotel restaurant.


21) they are friends a long time ago, do you think the money chanced Tarja or Toumas?
Victor Silva Brazil

Money didn't change Tarja. I cannot speak for Tuomas.


22) Why does Tarja say that she has never been friends with Tuomas when we all now that that is a big lie?
Lena Hansen Norway

Dear Lena, if Tarja said so, I think that she has her own reasons to believe that. I am afraid I need to give her more credits about her feelings than to anybody else.


23) How whould you descibe your relations with the nw-bandmambers (when Tarja was in a band)? Katerina Russia
did you ever actually like Tarja's ex band members, or even the music she recorded with them?
Ben Mansell UK


I can tell you about each one.

I had no problem with Sami the time we have been together. We never got in a very deep relation anyway. He took part in one of my projects together with Emppu and Jukka. I met him once in Kitee a couple of years ago. We still exchange sms from time to time, like Christmas or New Year time.

Marco has always seemed more mature than the others. We have been talking a bit during tours, especially about his nice family and music taste. He has been always extremely polite and always funny.
I felt that his inclusion in the band was good for the group and saw that Tarja got close to him, as he was a singer. It was good for her not to be the only singer in the band any more.
He was the last band member that I spoke with in person. After the concert at Hartwall in the backstage area, I was joking with him that he survived the show. He was very sick on that day. I wished him to get better soon and to have nice holidays.

Jukka has never been a person with qualities that inspired me to establish a friendship.
On the other hand, that was never a reason not to get him his vegetarian food when I was in charge of that (even if I wasn't) or to run after some ice for his fingers in a middle of a concert.

Emppu has been the closest one. Friendly and funny. The only one with whom I established a relationship that exceeds my duties during the tours. I can say that even being smaller than me, until today, I have never been able to put his back on the floor! We both practiced Judo. At least he did…with me.
Emppu has been the only band member to show interest in what was going on. He received then proper answers and explanations about things directly from Tarja and me.

Tuomas, I never reached him. He never reached me.

We can say that without the music that the band recorded together I wouldn't have met Tarja and afterwards married her.
If Oceanborn wouldn't have been offered to my record company, I wouldn't have heard something different in Tarja's voice. I wouldn't have given the band a chance. No release of the albums in Argentina, then no touring. Without touring I wouldn't have get to know Tarja.

So I like the music of Nightwish and I am very thankful to it. As it might happen with many of you, their music changed my life.


24) When you have understood, that participants of
the band negatively perceive to you? Whether you did attempts to adjust with them relations?

Shamova Maria, Russia

They never crossed any limits against me in my presence. They didn't behave improperly or extremely unkind. There were no relations to be adjusted after all.


25) What was the atmosphere inside the band? Did the boys ever try to talk to you, to accept you as a friend, or they just rejected you from the start?
Catalina Fometici Romania

When I started to date Tarja, she heard some negative comments about me, coming from the band side. Nothing that they told directly to her or to me. Even though that fact, I never felt they rejected me from the start.

They were invited to our weddings and also we have been invited to theirs. Even Tarja sang at Marco's wedding by request of the wedding couple.


26) What was nw-guys reacts for Tarja's and your marriage? Katerina Russia

I didn't hear bad comments from them when they got to know about it.

I hope I am allowed to tell here a funny story about our weddings without anybody getting angry.

In our wedding, as a part of a Finnish tradition, a group of "relatives" kidnapped the bride. I needed to do some tasks to get her back.

It was one of the most embarrassing moments in my life when I was forced to sing with Nightwish guys the song "Come cover me".

They performed it live with some borrowed instruments and equipment and I tried my best (that is definitely not too much in this field) to sing.

I can agree that if there has been a reason for the guys to hate me, this is it!

I totally destroyed the song… I am still sorry and ashamed about it.


27) Whether mister Holopajnen with you tried to establish good relations?
Shamova Maria, Russia

Nor good or bad. He never tried to establish any kind of relation with me.


28) is Tarja a prima Donna, are Nightwish (toumas) arseholes? or maybe have both just ourgrown eachother?
Stuart Sweeting UK

Is very funny the way you mention it, but I believe you are right about your second question. I think that Tarja probably outgrew the band members and they probably feel vice versa.


29) For what I have read, it seems that the band was uncomfortable with Tarja for some time, but they hided it. From Tarja came the same feeling? I mean, Tarja felt uncomfortable with her bandmates?
Por lo que he leido, da la sensacion de que la banda llevaba ya un tiempo a disgusto con Tarja, pero lo ocultaba. Desde Tarja habia la misma sensacion? Es decir, Estaba Tarja a disgusto con sus compañeros?

Asier Hormaechea Romero España

The feeling especially during the last years was in general not the best. I have already spoken about tension between them.

Tarja's way to handle it was different than the guys: she never hide it to them. She explained her reasons and asked them to find a way, all together, to change that feeling for better.

Is obvious today that Tarja didn't succeed.


30) What do you think Tuomas meant in the letter by spiritual and cultural differences? Frances Newton UK


What he mentioned in the letter is: "Cultural differences combined with greed, opportunism and love is a dangerous combination."

I think that the only "dangerous" thing here is the line they have crossed with their words.
Nobody that doesn't have an issue about cultural differences should ever mention it. Even less should continue remarking it in the press as Tuomas did.

I didn't like that the band openly pointed at me as a wall in front of their purposes. But I strongly believe there was no need to call me an Argentinean wall.
How does my homeland have anything to do with, in their opinion, my bad qualities as a person?

The band members and some of their collaborators are the kind of persons that will happily pose in a photo with a foreigner with a hug and a smile on their faces. They did it with me as well, but seems that what they feel about it took longer to surface.

I obviously don't have any problems myself with foreigners and supposed cultural differences. As a proof of it; I am married with a foreigner.


31) What was the first impression you got from Tuomas/Nightwish when yours and Tarja's relationship started? Frances Newton UK

During a concert in Guadalajara, Mexico, in the first South American tour in year 2000, happened an incident that caused me a very weird impression of the band members.

A fan came on stage from behind and attacked Tarja while she was performing. As soon as I could, I grabbed the guy, took him out of the stage and put him in the hands of the security. After doing this, I realised that the band was not performing any more.

I run to the back stage area and I crossed the band members on their way out.

Last one in the line was Sami who asked me to stay with Tarja.
I didn't know what was going on and I did not understand what he meant by saying that. Only until I got in the backstage and saw Tarja crying and in shock.

It was very strange to me that the band members left her alone and asked me to comfort her instead of them. Me, who have known Tarja for not longer than 9 days!


32) What are your feelings about Tuomas/Nightwish now? Frances Newton UK

I don't really know how it helps this story if I tell what are my feelings about them at the moment.

They are just as they are. I made a mistake by believing they were different kind of persons.


33) How has the events with Nightwish effected yours and Tarja's relationship? Frances Newton UK

You can say that old yin yang principle has been very effective in our case. No matter how bad things have been, something positive can be mentioned. Thanks to the band, Tarja and me, we are much closer, stronger and in love now than ever before.


34) Can you say Marcello, that this breakdown at he band..after so many years had still happened,if you not have been met Tarja? Wassi Finland

I met Tarja and the band at the same time in year 2000.
The problems within the band have existed long before I came in the picture.

In the South American tour in 2000, a Brazilian friend that worked with the band in the shows before I met them, already informed me that Tarja was always alone and that nobody was taking care of her. Tarja got sick in Sao Paulo and he needed to take her to the hospital. No band member or manager was with her at all.

I was able myself to see that during the remaining days of the tour since I met them, it was a fact that Tarja was even going alone to walk during day time.
She was not joining the band members in any parties, but just showing herself at breakfast or lunchtime or whenever she was requested from the local promoters.

During the tour Tarja already trusted me how bad she was feeling with the situation within the band.

If I shouldn't have reminded about her great achievements with the band or discussed about what the future should bring for her, I do believe that the breakdown, as you called it, wouldn't have happened now, but already many years ago.


35) I was wondering if Tarja feels Tuomas misunderstood
her or if there was some other reason or development
we don't know about? It seems like a piece of the puzzle is missing here: is there any other reason Tuomas seemed so bitter?

Rebecca Boone, United States

I believe that it has never been correctly understood how important it has always been for Tarja to take care of her voice. To take care of it and to stay as healthy as possible.

It has never been clear for them how important is to have a body in conditions and a good feeling to perform.

I am sure that there are singers than can smoke and drink and that it works perfectly well for them. I can imagine that some kind of singers can be very angry and transform that negative energy into a remarkable performance. This is not Tarja's case.
Her mental health, a good body condition and of course, also her vocal cords, are the strings of her guitar. Without them properly tuned or played, they can get broken.

I do agree with you that a piece of the puzzle has been missing in all the stories told to the media so far.


36) Many people say that everything this happened because
he Tuomas felt something for the Tarja and this feeling was not corresponded. It was the impression that passed. This can be answered? Or not?

Heluza Mercaus Viegas Brazil

I promised that everything was going to be answered.

To cut a long story short, in October 2004 I needed to ask Tuomas to come to talk to Tarja and me in our hotel room in the middle of the tour.

Even though he knows Tarja many years before me, he never could achieve his goal.
In this meeting I clearly told him that his chances to be with Tarja were gone.
I needed to tell him that there was no reason to keep on trying any longer, since I married her.

As usual he didn't speak much, but he said to me that nobody was going to be able to stop his love for Tarja.

After this unhappy meeting, everything changed.

The guy that until then said in interviews that, without Tarja, that would be the end of Nightwish, changed his message into: Nightwish is my band, my music, my lyrics, the scenery of my soul.
Is up to you to check all interviews from the band before and after end of 2004 until today.

Tarja never changed her thoughts about her position in the band.
She has never mentioned that Nightwish was her band or that she was more important than the other band members.

Nightwish lyrics are Tuomas' life diary, as it has been said. With this new information that I am sharing with you, please check once again some of them. We all can find amazing songs with beautiful lyrics full of poetry. Their meaning won't remain that uncertain any longer.


37) Was Tarja in any romance/love way with Tuomas (he seems jelouice to me).
Mariela Todoroviè Slovenia

Tarja never had any romance nor was ever in love with him.
I have received many questions accusing Tuomas of being jealous, envious, bitter and of being in love. I have no interest in making any judgement about those things and people's feelings.

Other people than Tuomas also told me how much they love Tarja. There are many different levels of love and I have no problems with any of them as long as reasonable limits are not exceeded.

Is funny if you carefully check the cover of End of an Era (that Tarja didn't propose, but accepted).
You will find what seems to be an angel (Tarja's nickname in the official forum of her web page) and a demon or god. Only these two characters dominate the scene. I couldn't find any other characters in the cover at all.
They are standing facing away from each other.
Between them there is turmoil and a strong light, whether striking into or coming out of a cracked heart.
It is definitely not Tarja's heart. Her heart is very healthy and full of love, because she has always listened to it (instead of me); as Tuomas advised her to do in the open letter.

The title of the scene is "Nightwish - End of an Era".
You can make your own conclusions. I am merely describing a DVD cover.


38) Was the situation between you and the band members so bad to imagine that Tarja's expulsion was being planned (because it seems that Hoplopainen had been preparing it for a long time)?
¿era tan mala la situación entre los miembros de la banda y vosotros como para llegar a imaginar que se estaba preparando la expulsión de Tarja (porque da la impresión de que Holopainen llevaba bastante tiempo preparándolo)?

Héctor Hernández España

Definitely we didn't see it coming. It has been well planned and hidden by the band members and their close collaborators.

We didn't expect it even though the relation was tense. We thought it was caused, this time, by the long tour, but in any case it wasn't a new feeling. Forthcoming one year break, as it was planned, should have been time enough to adjust things in order to work properly and peacefully again.

It was Tarja and my mistake that we magnified the positive things and didn't realise how bad the situation really was. We acted a bit naïve, I can say today. A letter smashed the feeling that things could have been better.


39) Did Tuomas made that decision alone or all guys supported him (because in the letter and some Tuomas's interwius sounds like he made that decision alone)?
Mariela Todoroviè Slovenia

I cannot know what the other members of the band really think or if they were afraid to disagree with Tuomas' decision.

Only I can say is that Tarja received a letter given to her by all band members and that letter Tuomas declared he wrote himself. It was signed by all band members.


40) Do you think this puerile reaction of Tuomas with the expulsion, the letter, etc, is because of Tuomas' jealousy towards you and Tarja?
¿Crees que esta reacción tan pueril de Tuomas con la expulsión, la carta, etc, es fruto de los celos por parte de Tuomas hacia ti y Tarja?
Héctor Hernández España

I cannot justify a childish behaviour from a group of men because of jealousy. A man should act like a man. To me, jealousy is too thin wall to hide behind it.


41) Have you Marcelo cognized any negative things relatively to Tarja from NW guys in the last days of the full band's existence?
Svetlana Nymphe Russia

Only if no words at all can be taken as a negative thing. Sometimes Tarja didn't even receive a "hello" from some of the guys.


42) Tuomas said "People who don't talk with each other for a year do not belong in the same band" Is it true that Tarja and the rest of the band did not talk to each other?...This would coincide with the last date of Nightwish in Argentina….Or maybe the lack of communication was just with Tuomas?
Tuomas dijo que "la gente que no habla entre sí durante un año no pertenece a la misma banda"… ¿Es verdad que hacia un año que no se hablaban entre Tarja y el resto de la banda?... Esto coincidiría con la fecha de la ultima visita de Nightwish a la Argentina… ¿O quizás la no comunicación era solo con Tuomas?...

Hugo Almiron Argentina

I would like to remark again one point regarding the expression "not talking to each other".

It was common that during the band's career, important issues were not informed to Tarja. If there was a problem, it was always hard for the band to discuss about it openly and together. This created a big tension as everybody had their own ideas, without sharing them with anyone. Tarja was never afraid to expose openly her thoughts, but nobody did anything to get things better.

At the time of the last concert in Argentina things were not fine, but Tarja and me still believed that should be possible to sit down and discuss things to improve them. We even invited all crewmembers, band and management for a party at our home. Quilmes beer was a big temptation for them to refuse. It has been said by the band that Quilmes is the best beer in the world and the best thing from Argentina.

After the end of 2004, even the casual chatting stopped with Tuomas, though it lasted longer with the rest of the band members.


43) I want to know, if the relationship between you and the band was always difficult?
Katharina Lange Germany

No. I should say that very rarely, my relation with the band members was difficult.


44) Was it only Tuomas who had a bad relationship with you ?
Katharina Lange Germany

He didn't have a bad relationship with me, because there was no relationship at all.


45) Why do you think the decision was communicated though an open letter instead of in private?
¿Por qué crees que la decisión le fue comunicada mediante una carta abierta en lugar de en privado?
Marta Perez Spain

The self-esteem less band thought that without Tarja they were not able to continue.

They needed to create a plan that will let the fans know that they have the intention to go ahead. Also they needed to show to the record companies that there are still fans interested in the band.

With this purpose in mind they bought the biggest promotion and marketing campaign possible without spending one single cent.

They used the media to promote them for free. And the media did.
Otherwise the badmouthing was and is unnecessary and the obvious reasons I can find for this kind of behaviour is to get publicity and increase Nightwish sales or to make Tarja's life harder. Sad.

Result: even my grandmother knows that Tuomas Holopainen exists and that his band Nightwish will record a new album as soon as he finds a new singer for it.

If they would have given exactly the same letter to Tarja in private, how do you think they could have had such a massive promotion and who would have needed to paid for it?

Every step was very carefully thought as the facts show.


46) As a experienced business manager, didn't you find it odd that the lead singer and the band/crew did not communicate for almost a year--not even so much as a "Hello"? Katrin Duemke Germany

The way the band communicated with Tarja was very odd indeed. Since I first met them.

As you also mentioned the crew, I can say that there has never been a problem of communication between crew members and Tarja. They have always worked very professionally and done their best in every show.
They followed the instructions received and also Tarja has been able to speak more than "hello" with most of them.


47) When it became obvious that the situation was disintegrating, did you, personally, do anything to try to clear the air between the parties? Katrin Duemke Germany

I believe that the band's relation was disintegrated after Wishmaster tour. I proposed a way of working to Tarja and Tuomas that both seemed to accept gladly.


48) Are you equally as angry/disappointed with the band as a whole, or are your feelings directly mostly toward Tuomas? Why?
Katrin Duemke Germany

First of all I am not angry that they kicked Tarja out of the band, maybe surprised. But I am mad about the way they did it and the badmouthing they have continued ever since. Such unnecessary behaviour is not acceptable.

I can say I am extremely disappointed, sad, pissed of, annoyed, unthanked, disrespected, betrayed and at the moment very tired.

Honestly what affects me more than anything else is the stress and suffering that band members caused to Tarja and to our closest friends and relatives.

King Foo Oy and Spinefarm Records Oy are more than the legal denomination of two companies involved with the band in different ways. Many people work in these companies and it is very unfair that I drag down all their employees in a similar way with my thoughts. I don't need to mention any names. Each one of the employees knows if I have any reason to refer to them with my words. My highest gratitude goes to the other ones.

You are asking me if my feelings are directed towards Tuomas or also to the other people.

I cannot forget anybody... I can say that Tuomas has been the only one able to direct or to avoid such a complex plan.

Nevertheless, I will never forget to be thankful for them, no matter what they have done. I won't forget that thanks to them I got to know Tarja.


49) You said the band and esp. Tuomas said wrong and bad things about Tarja, so I assume you mean, everything he said was wrong. So I'd like to know what the truth in your opinion is.
Katrin Duemke Germany

I never mentioned anything about Tuomas saying "wrong" or "bad" things about Tarja. I said he has been disrespecting us in public.

You need to understand that Tuomas didn't show any regard for Tarja's and my feelings, wishes or rights. I still think the same.

I don't think everything he said was wrong. I remember him writing that Tarja's values don't match his. I am very glad about it.


50) Tuomas mentioned two quotes from Tarja in his letter: "I don`t need Nightwish anymore." and "Remember, Tuomas, that I could leave this band at any time, giving you only one day`s warning in
advance". Do you know anything of what has happened that has made Tarja say this to Tuomas? Do you know anything of the entire talk?

Katrin Duemke Germany

What I know about this discussion is that I was not present.
Tarja was able to discuss without me, as you can see.
Shows also that there were things to be discussed.

It happened in an airplane and both parts were shouting to each other.

I wouldn't like to make an interpretation of it, as Tarja herself does not remember the exact words that she or the other people used.

What I know is that Tarja didn't leave the band with only 1 day warning. She actually told the band members, in person, her reasons not to continue any more with them. I am explaining about this episode in more detail in questions 144/5/6/7/8. That happened in December 2004. She informed that after next Nightwish album which was going to be released in 2007 and the shows to present the album, she was not going to continue any more. If you do some easy calculations, she informed the band between 3 and 4 years in advance what her plans were!


51) It seems that there never been a good relation between you and Tuomas. How did that come in your opinion? Just a typical thing, I mean you can't like everyone, right?
Or did something happen in particular that caused that tension?

Katrin Duemke Germany

Both. I agree with you that you can't like everyone. I never really disliked him and because of that I tried to get closer to him. Tension as you mentioned was very big after October 2004's meeting.


52) How were the relations between the band members during the last 2 years? Were there any tensions?
Katrin Duemke Germany

Tension has been in the air since I met the band.

Only during Century Child recordings and promo for the album as well as the beginning of the Century Child Tour, that tension seemed gone.
Information was given to Tarja and everybody seemed happy.

Soon after that, the good feeling got spoiled again and never returned until these days.


53) Were they not supposed to be friends in spite of this sad ending?
Katrin Duemke Germany

I explained already my point of view about friendship. I can only add that the sad ending and the way it happened just show the kind of friendship they had.


54) You said that Tuomas didn't talk with you when everything was going wrong, but maybe he dared not or he was too afraid of your reaction, but have you ever try to speak to him?
Katrin Duemke Germany

I have tried lots of time. In person, by email or on the phone.
Starting with the meeting in Kitee until our last personal meeting in a hotel room during the "Once" Tour where we discussed nothing about business. It was in this meeting that I even told him that he shouldn't be afraid of me and that I was not going to hit him. So as you can see, I, even told him in his face that he shouldn't be afraid of me, have covered all possibilities.


55) Have you ever spoken with all of the group to explain about the future of the band and about what's going wrong ?
Katrin Duemke Germany

The command chain is like this: Tuomas is "the band". Tuomas has his management, as we agreed, to discuss business in his name.

I always tried first to go through the management.

When it was needed, I put my emails on copy to all the band members for them to be aware of the situation.

I was not having meetings with the band to explain things to them.
Tarja was doing that. No managers, just band members.
Tarja has tried to tell Tuomas in several occasions about the band's future and problems. Never the other way around.

Only once in years the band asked her to join them in a backstage for a short meeting: a wordless meeting where they gave her the open letter in an envelope without saying what was it about.


56) It's Tarja who is (or was) part of the band and they obviously could go on quite well before you became Tarja's manager. So why did you not give them the possibility to talk to each other about the problems they had? Do you decide whom and what she should talk to?
Camilla Germany

I hope you have followed the already given explanations.
Before I became Tarja's manager, Nightwish was over.
In fact, I should say that only because I managed to sit Tuomas and Tarja in a table to talk to each other about the problems they had, Nightwish continued.

I cannot decide to whom Tarja should talk to or what she should talk about.

If Tarja should be a vegetal that doesn't understand anything, we wouldn't have been married. Singing is her less developed skill.
The problem is precisely the opposite: Tarja understands the business much more than most of the people that I know involved with Nightwish, including all the band members.
And when you have certain knowledge, you might hurt the interests of people that can only work with dulls for their own purposes.


57) have Tarja,you and the guys had any conversations since 23.10.?Are you two in touch with them?
Lora Konstantinova Stambolova Bulgaria

No conversations since then.
I have been via email in touch with Jukka and Emppu just for business purposes.
Tarja has only got in touch with Emppu via email last year and with Marco also last year via SMS.


58) Have you spoken to him personally since the open letter was posted? Why were you not friends during your time in the Nightwish 'management'?
Sameer Shareef Dubai

No. I haven't spoke with any of them in person since they posted the open letter.

I have never been a part of Nightwish management.


59) So did you push things to get better with the band members and Tarja, when the band decided to end their collaboration with her? Katrin Duemke Germany

No. They decided it to do it in an open letter saying that we are beyond the point where things could be settled by talking. So they left no chance to try anything after that.

I tried very hard before.


60) Do you think there's something that either of you could have done to prevent this from happening?
Sunnefa Thorarinsdottir, Iceland

The way I see things now leads me to two possible scenarios. First one could have been: not to be at all flexible from the beginning. I should have told things clearly for all the band members directly, without anybody else in between. Not only to Tuomas or to the band management.

Of course I don't think that that should be the way in a situation where only one is the bandleader who is delegating to his management all business activities.

After it was agreed that Tuomas would have his management, seemed ridiculous to request a meeting with all band members every time there was a doubt about a certain topic.

I will never know how the band would have reacted to things if they should have had complete knowledge about everything from the very beginning.

I will never know if it would have made a difference at all.
I would never know if they were already wrongly influenced and having a bad prejudice against me when they started to receive the information of what was happening around them and in their name.

Second option would have been to raise my hands and to never get involved at all, if I would have imagined band's behaviour. In that case Nightwish with Tarja would have ceased to be at the end of 2000.

Tarja's biggest mistake was not to try harder to open a line for communication with the band. Even though she tried many times and even though she was the only band member trying, it was obviously not enough.

She should have never accepted the bad treatments from the band manager from the beginning.

Trying to be flexible only gave the band members and management the idea that they could stay in their comfortable position of deciding things first and informing Tarja afterwards.


61) Why do you think that Tuomas Holopainen blames you for everything that has gone wrong in the band during the past few years? Sunnefa Thorarinsdottir, Iceland

If you read again the open letter, he was not only blaming me, but also Tarja.

Few days after the letter was published and with the first comments of the fans and media, probably he realized that to go openly against Tarja wasn't the best move he could do.

Then the easiest option was to find a scapegoat without fans. That's me.


62) Do you feel like people, especially fans, have less respect for you now than before Tarja was fired? Sunnefa Thorarinsdottir, Iceland

Can I joke that some of them don't have respect at all for me?
Replying more seriously now, if you followed all the things that have been said and written since October 2005 until today, I consider a miracle that somebody can think good about me.

I have been able to look into band members and collaborators eyes so far, and I will do it again whenever the destiny will put them in my way. I don't know if they feel about doing the same.


63) how did you feel when tuomas started to say stuff about you in the open letter what was your first thought that came into your head when you read that? Sandra Solis USA

Through reading the letter for the first time I remember that I was concluding, even with the hard allegations, that at least they were finally able to express what they had in their minds and hearts.

I thought they were very kind to give to Tarja also a translation in English of it. I understood that they considered the fact that I don't speak Finnish so I was going to be able to follow their words with it.

I instantly woke up from the illusion I was creating to fool myself when I read the very last line of the letter: "Ps. This is an open letter for everybody."

I understood the letter was only the beginning of a plan and that it was going to be shared with everybody. I then realised how much they have carefully though about the way to promote themselves.

And I was unfortunately right about it.


64) I'd like to know if you advised Tarja from the beginning to leave the band and become a soloist.
queria saber si vos le aconsejaste desde un principio a tarja que sea solista y dejara la banda.
Federico Iannone Argentina

At the time of Wishmaster when everything collapsed, it was thanks to me that she continued in the band instead of focusing in her solo career then.

Around year 2001 Tarja received the first proposals for a solo career. Even though the fact that we openly discussed with all Nightwish related record companies about it, we made very clear that Nightwish was the priority. We started to search effectively a record company for Tarja solo career late 2004.

The first problem we had with all the record companies that were interested was the schedule for her first solo album.
All the companies wanted to release her album immediately and we only agreed to continue the negotiations with the record companies that accepted our condition to release Tarja's album only after the next Nightwish studio album (to be released after Once).

This meant that few of the companies stepped away. I would like to thank those companies that were interested already then and the other ones that continued negotiating with us until we decided to go for Universal Music Germany Domestic Division.

The situation with the band was so bad that Tarja was forced to announce to her band mates her will not to continue with them anymore.

Even then, she kept her word to do one more album with them.


65) if you thought to sue tuomas for his statements and, therefore, to know if Nightwish will be able to start recording their new album around june.
si en algun momento pensaste en demandar a tuomas por sus dichos y, por lo tanto, saber si Nightwish va a poder empezar a grabar su nuevo disco alrededor de junio.
Federico Iannone Argentina

I didn't consider suing Tuomas for his open letter or comments in the days after the letter was posted.


66) to know if because of this conflict between you the band decided not to come to the country anymore.
saber si por este conflicto entre ustedes la banda decidio no venir mas al pais.
Federico Iannone Argentina

Not that I know. After the last concert in Obras Sanitarias in November 2004 there was never a plan to perform again in Argentina with Once album.


67) Tuomas continues to disrespect you and tarja publicly. Why do you feel that within whatever he has said between October 25th up to now is being disrespectful to the both of you? James Van Nguyen UK

If you read again the open letter you cannot avoid finding not very respectful appreciations about me, Tarja, our love, my culture, etc.
I see you are from UK. You can probably check translations of the Finnish media through many different fan pages.

There you will find how Tuomas and some other loose tongue collaborators have been giving their opinions.

I am not going to be the one to reproduce here those quotes, but I am sure that as you have been so kind to send me your email and question, you'll have also interest in researching what have been said in public so far.
As we say in Argentina: "Lie, lie, lie!; always something sticks".


68) if Tarja was always distanced from the band, why did they fire her now and not before?
¿Si Tarja estubo siempre distanciada de la banda, porque la echaron ahora y no antes?

Matias Falcucci Zuñiga Chile

Very good question. I guess that they didn't do it after the last concert of the tour because of the fans. Fans same as Tarja were told about it only with the open letter, but not when the decision was taken.

We don't know exactly when it was decided, but 2 days before the last concert is not as bad as 1 month before it. How many concerts Tarja honestly gave for the people and how many her band mates pretended to?

I have only read from Tuomas that it has been long planned.

In my opinion, every day they waited since the decision was taken, means more fans were fooled.

Every concert the band gave under that situation more fans were able to see them lying. One day it will be clearer when it was really decided. Then fans will be able to check if they saw Nightwish performing as a band or if they saw Tarja and the other band members with the plan in their heads to kick her out.

There was no written agreement that forced the band to wait until October 22nd 2005 to kick Tarja out of it.

I have some guesses myself about their behavior, but I believe you can guess yourself too without my help.


69) Was there any discussion or argument for which the decision of saying goodbye to Tarja was finally made?
¿Hubo alguna discucion o mal encuentro por el cual finalmente se
tomo esta decicion de despedir a Tarja?

Matias Falcucci Zuñiga Chile

We have never been informed about their motives rather than through the open letter.
I don't recall only one and particular discussion that could have caused it.
I can only guess that after the event of October 2004, the idea started to grow in Tuomas.


70) Did ever Tarja or Nightwish try to solve their problems talking or were always indifferent to the situation?
¿Alguna vez Tarja o Nightwish intentaron arreglar los problemas
hablando, o siempre fueron indiferentes ante la situación?

Matias Falcucci Zuñiga Chile


Tarja tried many times. She personally informed Tuomas about the improper behavior of the band's management and sometimes ridiculous business behavior and direction.
She also discussed her needs and wishes. When speaking was not possible, she communicated via email then.

She tried on her own and also through me to reach the people.


71) Is it just Tuomas that is your problem, or are all NW band members an issue to you? Josh Shuttlesworth USA

Tuomas is definitely not my problem. We disagree in our points of views about some things. That's part of life.


72) Some people are still hoping that one day Tarja will come back to Nightwish. Do You think something like this is eventually possible? I mean, Tarja said she would do it if she'd be asked..
Barbora Šastná Czech Republic

I never heard her saying that she would return to Nightwish if she'd be asked. What I have heard is that she cannot return if they don't ask her back.

Anyway, I don't want to generate any false illusions as this is her decision only and I am just sharing my thoughts regarding the subjects you presented to me.

We have heard that time heals and we also know that many world known bands have gone through similar situations with happy endings.

What I know is that many things should change for that to happen in this case.


73) You said in Your message, that Holopainen never said anything in Your face. Did he have any reason? I don't believe that You would behave somehow badly, to affect him like you are not open to speak to him..
Barbora Šastná Czech Republic

As I mentioned before, I even got to the point to tell him that I was not going to hit him if he would like to speak to me in my face.
So whatever reason he might have had, was coming from within him.


74) Many people think that it's not good to connect private life with work. Since You've married Tarja, this situation is unavoidable, isn't it? Do You really think it's such a problem?
Barbora Šastná Czech Republic

This situation could have been avoided by having professional people working for the band. Then I wouldn't have needed to be in the middle of the band's business.

In my case, to work with my wife hasn't been a problem at all. It is a pleasure.
Probably I would have not been involved with the band under different circumstances, but I would still be working as her personal manager instead of hiring an outsider.

It's a choice, but definitely not the only valid possibility.


75) Was Tuomas was already thinking of a new singer well before he fired Tarja, and this is the REAL reason why he decided to fire her? Then giving the press stupid excuses to fire her that's she's acting like a diva etc. ?
Cynthia Martin France

I am sorry; I don't have any information about it.


76) After she got fired, Tarja called Liv Kristine on the phone to wish her good luck with Nightwish!!!
Why did Tarja called Liv - there should have been a reason!

Cynthia Martin France

When all the mess happened, even some newspapers put Liv in their cover in Finland as the new Nightwish singer only based in some rumors.

As Tarja knows Liv, same as I do, we imagined the weird situation that she might be going through and we decided to call Alex and Liv. Just to give them our support and to tell them that there was no problem at all if the news were truth. But Alex was very surprised about everything that was happening, because nobody officially contacted them to make the invitation.

I don't believe that Nightwish will select a professional singer with a husband as a manager…


77) I expect there to be some truth in what Tuomas and the others have said about the business and therefore you are trying to cover up you bad image, which only is something you deserve. Or am I totally wrong?
Mikko Vartiainen Sweden

Let's say that their message has been clear and strong enough for you to believe what you have heard or read. Maybe you should question yourself if that is enough for you to make the right conclusion about it all. But just to make it clear; I have always ran an honest business to the best of my ability and I have nothing to hide or to be ashamed of.


78) Do you think it was easy for him to fire Tarja after all those years together? I think he (Tuomas) acted inside in the best possible way of its limits (all we have our limitations).
Charles Dias Müller Brazil

Probably it was not easy for him to fire Tarja and his limitations we can see from the way he did it with an open letter without being a man enough to talk it face to face.


79) if I meet her one day in the street and say hi, how do you think she would react?
si la encuentro algún dia en la calle y la saludo, ¿cómo cree que reaccionaria?
Carlos Andrés Aparicio Gallardo Panamá

These kind of casual meetings have happened before the split and after that. Tarja is not a person that lives recluse at home, whether we are in Finland or Argentina.

Hopefully you will have one day the chance to meet her in person and not through my comments that will be seen as partial.

There are many anonymous fans that had that chance already.


80) We felt a Tarja absence from fans. Things like a deficiency of communication with fans in the show, Marco is the "frontman", this is very strange!! The unique band that the vocalist is not a "frontman". Amanda Berger Brazil

This was a decision that Tuomas and Tarja made. The idea was to keep the "rock" look for Marco and the more "mystic" appearance for Tarja. They thought that to achieve that idea, Marco should be speaking while Tarja should be more reserved and just perform.
It was an artistic decision, I am not saying if it was good or bad.


81) Why did you always keep Tarja away from her fans when the rest of the band were happy to meet us? At the UK meet and greets with the UK Nightwish fanclub, Tarja only came to one of them! Kelly Kleiser UK

Good that you asked this. I won't only reply about UK, but also about the similar situation that happened in many places.

As you are saying Tarja went to one of your meetings. We do not know how many more took place.

Before a concert, Tarja needs to prepare herself. Luckily she has 3 hours for it. Usually she was ready in two. She needed to prepare and iron her clothes, warm her body and voice and do her make up.
Many times I have seen myself that many promoters improvised meet & greets or just happened to inform about them to the band at the very last minute, not days in advance.

Still to know it only two hours before the concert sounds very good for the other band members and they had usually no problem to take part of them. It was even fun to have something to do instead of looking at the walls. For Tarja, that was not the same.

Even though that, you will find many situations where Tarja did join fan meetings and there are photos of them available in Internet.

Not in every concert a meet & greet was arranged either.
I have needed to face many times in the last year of the tour situations where band manager was smiling and telling me not to worry. That the guys could handle it and that Tarja was not needed.
Today, and after realizing the plan they have done to throw dust on Tarja and me, I cannot know if it was a real solution given or if it was done deliberately that way.

I cannot remember any case where we have been informed of fans meeting that was not interfering with a concert or other already organized activity when Tarja has decided not to take part.

I understand as a fan your disappointment in believing that Tarja just decided not to see you without any reason, but it has never been like that.

In my opinion, meets and greets should have always been organized in a way that all band members should have been available for them.


82) If I think of Mr. Holopainen's letter, he has written many unpleasant things about You there. Have You ever really felt like doing something, what made him think such things?
Barbora Šastná Czech Republic

I most likely interfered Tuomas' platonic feelings for Tarja.

I have been running the business, openly in front of Tarja's eyes and she was able to realize mistakes from people close to the band.

Until today, probably many things remain unclear for the band members. Tarja has been able to see and to understand by herself what was going on.

To understand and accept your own ignorance and limits is too hard to bear for some people. As human beings we also had sometimes suggestions and ideas that did not work out as planned, but Tarja and I, we always asked what we didn't know or understand.
We are still also eager to learn and to hear new proposals understanding that they can be better than ours.
We never washed our hands from delicate matters.

Might be that these differences between them and us drove them to their final solution.


83) Is it true that Tarja didn't want to be interviewed in the TV show "Programa do Jo" in Brazil, the most-viewed talk show in the country? If yes, why did she refuse?
Carlos Alberto Chame Filho Brazil

We exchanged some emails with the tour promoter about the band going to "Programa do Jo" before the beginning of the tour.

In one of them dated September 8th 2005 I confirmed that it was fine for Tarja to go to the TV show to do a playback of one or two songs and an interview.

This was nearly 20 days before the TV show.

When we were in Mexico and before traveling to Brazil, we discussed with the promoter of the Festival about the TV show again.
Even I had confirmed via email directly to him that Tarja was willing to go to the TV show in Brazil, the promoter had opposite information; that Tarja didn't want to. He came to ask us in the lobby of the hotel if there was a chance for her to do it.

When the promoter requested us, Tarja accepted (this time in person) to go to perform with the band.

When we were speaking with the promoter, band manager came and said that the band didn't want to do it; no matter what day it was going to happen.

The reason given was that to perform live or playback a couple of songs, the crew should have anyway needed to build up a normal stage, same as for a concert of the band.
The band considered that it was not needed.

Tarja, as I said, confirmed it herself that it was fine for her.

With the negative answer from the band, the promoter asked Tarja if she was at least willing to do an interview in the program. Tarja accepted for the third time. Unfortunately, when the promoter tried to fix it while we were in a taxi with him, it was too late as the production of the TV show had programmed something different.

This is once again a good example of wrong inside information from the band given to some fans or friends.


84) Do you actually feel that Nightwish would have continued if it weren't for marriage?
Ben George - United Kingdom

To be married or not to be, I don't think it changed anything.
If you probably mean if Nightwish would have continued without me, I already answered.


85) did you ever deliberately distance Tarja from the rest of the members? Marina Martindale UK

No, I didn't.
I was just kind with her and she preferred to be with me instead of them. As simple as that.


86) Are you really as over-protective of Tarja as people say you are? I remember reading in an interview the band did with Kerrang! You were described as being 'like a spoilt brat waiting for his mummy to finish the shopping' or something to that effect while you were waiting for Tarja to finish her interview; it was also said she seemed completely oblivious to this. Did you go to all of her interviews or public appearances like this? Marina Martindale UK

That interview you mentioned is another excellent example of how partial truth, enhanced with a very special appreciation of facts from the journalist, are creating a false image about something you do not know.

The interview took place in a very nice old church in Helsinki surroundings.
It was sunny, but as usual, cold day in Finland.
We went to the place with a taxi sent to our hotel to pick us up. When we arrived, band members were already there.
The wooden church was only opened for a photo session for the magazine. It was surprisingly colder inside than outside.
When the photo session was over, everybody went away except for the journalist, Tarja and me.

He started the interview in a bench outside of the Church. Church is situated in the middle of a forest and its park has only one bench.

I remained standing, walking around and playing with a squirrel. Not even interrupting or following the complete interview. What else was I supposed to do rather than wait for the end of the interview?
I was definitely not taking part of it.

The sun went down and it got colder. As we had a car waiting for us parked near by, I suggested continuing the interview inside the car instead of finishing the interview and leaving.

Tarja and the journalist sat behind and I sat in the front beside the driver's seat.

Was I supposed to stay out of the car to freeze? I don't think so.

At that time, the journalist made me a question, very informal. He never asked permission to use it or if I was interested to take part of the interview, so I answered him just as a courtesy, even though I was uncertain why he was suddenly asking me anything.

The journalist then made his appreciations about things in the note as appeared in the magazine. Some of them might be fine, but not necessarily all.

It was the first interview outside of a Church in a middle of a forest and also the first interview I have seen, finished in a car.

Usually this is not happening like that.
Usually the interviews take place in a hotel, in a room, in a record company, in a cafeteria or restaurant. We tried to be kind and make it simple for the journalist and Tarja accepted to do the interview in those conditions. So no complains, but unfortunately the journalist hasn't returned the favor.

To finish with your question, I am not sitting beside Tarja during all her interviews if that is what you would like to know.


87) why did Tarja , influenced by yourself (according to what Tuomas say), refused to rehearsal with the rest of the band?
Emanuel José Domingos Fialho Portugal

Tarja did not refuse to rehearse with the band. There was not such a need to do it all the time.

Again, this is also a case where the band has been working like this for some time.

For example, you will see in the documentary of the forthcoming End of an Era DVD that the band was rehearsing the song Creek Mary's Blood with John Two-Hawks one day before the concert.
Tarja was supposed to be there and was ready for that.

Unfortunately, those last two days were very stressful for everybody and Tarja was having flu, fever and her voice was gone. It was no need for Tarja to say that she didn't "want" to rehearse. It was obvious for everybody and she was told not to go at the very last minute. If you check properly, you'll see that even the band wasn't rehearsing the song for several hours, but just very shortly.

During the tours, you don't need that many rehearsals, as the band is already playing and quite adjusted. It was not such a need for Tarja to take part of rehearsals all the time.

When Nightwish was starting a tour with a new album, Tarja was joining the rest of the band to rehearse, no doubts about it.

Even after a very long brake that did also happen. When there was a new song added to the set list, or an old song the band was not regularly performing, Tarja was joining them in the sound check to go through it properly.

Tarja is a trained musician and a pro that didn't need much more than that. As I said before, also the band has always sounded very tight live and it has not been a nightmare for Tarja to join them, but the opposite.

It was common that monitor engineer was telling to us if Tarja was really needed in a sound check. Usually not.

Though some times Tarja felt herself the need to do it.

During long tours, for singers, best is to be as quiet as possible.
I didn't influence Tarja about how to keep her voice in a good shape. She taught me and instructed me what to do, not the other way around.


88) why Nightwish didn't visit Russia with the latest tour?
Is it somehow connected with the fact that Tuomas mentioned like you didn't want the band to perform on the small venues? Or there was something else?

Polina Morokova Russia

There was something else.

Two times during Once tour we heard about a possibility for the band to go to perform in Russia.

First time, I didn't receive the details about it, just a vague comment that somebody might be interested to bring the band.

Second time it was not just an idea, but also a clear proposal to do 2 concerts (Saint Petersburg and Moscow) in September 2005. With same promoter that we have worked before without any problems and that was also releasing Once in Russia.

Venues proposed and all information provided seemed good, also fitted the schedule we had at that time.

Tarja and me accepted the conditions and informed the band management about it.

Later on we were informed that the band decided not to go, afraid of the unstable political situation of the country at that time.

Tarja will now offer two Christmas concerts in Russia next December 2006.


89) I would very much like to learn why you consider people should be more interested in your opinion instead of Mrs. Turunen Cabuli's. Timo Möttönen Finland

I don't consider that people should be more interested in my opinion that in Tarja's opinion.

I definitely believe that Tarja's opinion, or any other band member's opinion, is much more important for the fans than my own.


90) It would be thrilling to hear her point of view about the matters the other band members are about to publish in the upcoming book. Timo Möttönen Finland

When that will happen, she will probably decide what to do about it.


91) That is not the right way to gain fame. No body knows who you are so keep yourself in the download
Orvin Gonzalez

Unfortunately, you know who I am since you are sending me a question. I would love to get back to my previous status of not infamous. It has been a band's gift that I will carry with me, but only for some time.


92) I have read an article recently in which Tarja expressed that she would like to make a solo album that is her own unique mix of metal/rock and her beautiful opera voice. If this is the case, why would she choose to do this as until very recently Tarja has told the Press that she has no love nor strong liking of rock/metal music which makes her idea for the solo album sound like a form of imitation of the Nightwish sound; a proven successful combination.
Charlotte Bartle UK

How much of the Nightwish sound Tarja represents?
How can you realise that is Nightwish when the band performs Highest Hopes or Megadeth's cover?

I have no doubt and any problem to mention that without the band's music and band members, Tarja wouldn't be in the position she is at the moment as a singer.

On the other hand, is also a fact that for example I wouldn't have ever been interested, as a Record Company owner, in the band if Tarja wouldn't have been the singer.

So, Tarja needed the band as much as the band needed Tarja.
The combination of them was successful.

Said this I should also say that she doesn't need to imitate what is also her sound.

Paul Mccartney is not imitating the Beatles when he is performing a Beatles song or a new song. He was one of the Beatles.
Not avoiding replying your question, I can say that she won't copy Nightwish the same way that the band has clearly mentioned that they won't replace Tarja with a clone.

Then both parts will evolve. Tarja into her direction, different from the band's own direction.

Tarja has always mentioned that she didn't know much about rock/heavy when she joined Nightwish.
Is obvious that if she was nine years in a heavy metal band and never willing to leave due to a change in her musical preferences, she also likes heavy music.

I am sure this is not the place to extend myself about how Tarja sees her own music and ideas, so better to let her explain it instead of me.


93) I'd like to know why the gig on October the 8th 2005 in Chile was cancelled. quisiera saber porque cancelaron el concierto a chile el 8 de ocubre de 2005 Claudio Alarcon Chile

It was proposed to the band to do 3 big festival concerts: Mexico, Brazil and Chile.
It was accepted only if the 3 concerts where happening as proposed. Mainly because it seemed to be at that time, the only chance to go to Chile during Once tour.

After some time, the tour promoter decided to change the date in Chile for another date in Brazil. He was probably not able to confirm a concert in Chile with any local promoter or another show in Brazil seemed to be more profitable for him.

The band management, instead of trying to make the promoter understand that the interest was to do one concert in each country, accepted the change without any complains.

Tarja had no more choice than to accept it as well.


94) why did it take so long to answer the, to me false accusations of Tuomas?
¿por que se tardo tanto en responder a las
para mi falsas acusaciones de Tuomas?

Matias Tomasini Argentina

There is sometimes in life that you need to be patient. This was one of those circumstances.
I didn't want to rush in a fast reply. Now that some time has passed, is easier to see things from a different and better perspective.


95) Do you think he was envious because Tarja's fame and talent were notably bigger than his own?
cree que tuvo envidia porque la fama y el talento de Tarja lo superaron notoriamente?

Matias Tomasini Argentina

Being Tarja the undisputable front image of the band (according to Tuomas words) and having a solo career as well, I think that Tuomas has tried his best to get as similar fame as Tarja has.

I cannot say that his talents are smaller or bigger than Tarja's. Is like comparing apples with oranges. They have definitely different talents.


96) The letter from Tuomas seemed to be designed to portray yourself and Tarja dishonest people, Why do you think Tuomas would do this? Frances Newton UK

I think he tried to excuse himself with the fans for kicking out Tarja. Seems he never had understood that choosing not to work with Tarja any more was not the problem. The problem has been the way he did it.


97) The entire situation seems to have arisen from a lack of communication. You have become the spokesperson for Tarja and she seems not to participate in discussions at all. Could this not be a part of the problem?
Ann Marie Reilly U.S.A

I have never been the spokesperson for Tarja in front of her band mates. She always spoke with them openly and without me.
Problem was that they were not willing to express their thoughts and then there were no discussions, unless for the times that Tarja proposed them.


98) Do you not think this is in fact damaging Tarjas career with all
this constant, soap opera like bickering?

Sara Scott England

It was never in my plans to discuss about private things in public.
If you followed the news since October 2005, you'll realize how patient I have been.

Also too many things have been said about my wife and me in public, so I felt that was enough. I was forced to make this decision.

Is hard to speak about damages at the moment. Tarja has a long career already and a clear line of conduct through the years. It won't take too long for the people to understand better the motives why the band had to kick her out the way they did. Also Tarja has a lot of plans and an even longer career in her future.

Time will tell.


99) Why didn't Tarja say anything to public or the press about how she had been treated by the other members of the band? it's been a while since things were not right in the band.
¿Por que Tarja no había dicho nada antes para el publico o para la imprensa de como había sido tratada por los otros membros de la banda? Hace un buen tiempo las cosas ya no estaban muy buenas en la banda.

Alex Estevam Brasil

Tarja definitely believed that things were going to get better. There was no reason to discuss in public anything that happened inside of the band and those things should have been kept for the band.


100) do you think the same as the fans, that the image one has of Nightwish is Tarja and without her there is no point to keep on with he band.
piensa lo mismo que el resto de los fans , que la imagen que uno tiene de Nightwish es Tarja y sin ella no tiene ningun sentido seguir la banda sin ella.

Augusto Cesar Santini Argentina

I believe that as many other bands have done, Nightwish can also continue without the singer they had for the last nine years.


101) Could Tarja stay Nighwish singer & solo vocalist at the
same time, if the quit hadn't been happened?

Svetlana Nymphe Russia

It is a fact that during Nightwish years, Tarja did two tours with her classical line up called Noche Escandinava. She made some recordings and live collaborations with other artists as well.

She released a # 1 Christmas single in Finland and was supposed to release her forthcoming Christmas album while being a member of the band.

Always, the priority was Nightwish and she was doing her solo activities during her free time. And we have to remember that all the Nightwish band members had their independent side-projects during the years.


102) Have Tarja planed to participate in recording of a new
Nightwish album?
Svetlana Nymphe Russia

Yes. She decided to take part of the recordings for the studio album after Once and informed the band about it in December 2004.


103) when did Tarja and you feel that the
others members of the group hadn't the same vision of the work about music ?

Clemence JONQUET france

I guess you are asking about the music itself. In that case I should say that to my knowledge they never had any arguments about music.


104) I would pose this question to both of you--could there be truth in what Tuomos said that you may be blinding yourselves to?
Todd E. Florian USA

I believe that what Tuomas said, at least is truth for him. And for that I cannot blame him. He probably believes most of the things he has been saying. What information he has received to believe in that, is a different story.

We don't have a competition here to determine who was the blindest one, Tuomas or Tarja.

I think it is a senseless competition to start with.


105) There seems to have been many times when communication regarding concerts, etc. did not reach Tarja or you. If so, did you later, as Tarja's manager, take a more pro-active approach to gaining this information? Katrin Duemke Germany

I have always tried, but that was probably the problem.
I tried many times to discuss it in person with band management. Also with Tuomas.

At some point I believed that the band management was hiding the situation from the band. I was forced to think that the band members didn't believe even Tarja or me.

I couldn't imagine that the band members were so blind to realize and understand basic concepts about touring, marketing and promotion, but above all, about respect.

Even Tarja herself informed Tuomas what was going on.

I also decided to start putting on cc all my emails with band management to all band members.

After dozens of emails, I expected that the band was going to make some changes about the way the band management was not informing us. I expected also a change, when the band members were going to be able to see by themselves the level of bad language used towards Tarja and me. I hoped they were going to put a halt to that behavior. Unfortunately, nothing changed.

I was wrong in my appreciations regarding the band management's only responsibility in their behavior.
I have already mentioned a couple of ingenious phrases we have in Argentina, here goes another: "The pig has no fault. The guilty one is who feeds it."

106) You've stated that Tuomas/Ewo could have spoken to you, but did you set up meetings with them?
Katrin Duemke Germany

I set up meetings many times and as I said, through emails I explained the situation many more times.

You mentioned Tuomas/Ewo in your questions, but until this post I am doing, I never mentioned the band's manager before.


107) Do you not think that topics could have been discussed face to face had the two of you arrived sooner? Katrin Duemke Germany

There were no topics that were not discussed face to face due to a lack of time.

Time has been always something that we all had in excess during tours because of waiting for different activities at airports, venues and hotels.

If somebody from the band side had liked to speak face to face about something, they would have found plenty of time for that.

Very easily, the same way Tarja and me, we always found the time to ask for a meeting.

We have to remember that during the last year or so we did not understand the amount of difficulties we now retrospectively seem to have had. The band had already made up their mind to kick Tarja out so they did not need any discussions with Tarja or me. They had no reason to want to smooth things out.


108) A huge issue in Tuomas' letter was that concert in Oslo. So when exactly have you been informed about that concert, so how many days/weeks in advance?
Katrin Duemke Germany

You want exactitude. I'll give you exact information.

All the communication happened via email.
First time the concert was mentioned to me on 13.5.2005.
"we might be doing a 1500-capacity in Oslo on Sunday the 4th".

Few more details, even though not the complete information needed to confirm a concert, were sent more than two months after, on 27.7.2005.

Between 29.07.05 and 1.08.05 some emails were exchanged to gather more information in order to decide whether to do the concert or not to do it.

On that day, 1.08.2005 I mentioned that there was no interest
in playing in a small venue 2 days after a good show in Hell, Norway, for 15.000 people.
I also expressed in my email that "if it should be a concert for 6000 people, of course that makes a difference, but to play in Western Europe for 1500 people is not making much sense for a band like Nightwish. For opposite reasons, Tarja confirmed Greece, Slovenia, Slovakia, etc."

I should explain you now a lot about marketing, promotion and business in general for you to understand the reasons explained above. But is not the time to do it. This was my opinion until that moment and was still open to be discussed, and the most important is that until this point, I thought that the concert was still under planning. Same as with many other concerts, things were still under discussion. The fee for the concert was never disagreed from our side, what makes also clear that it was not a money issue from Tarja or my side to do or not to do the concert.

But it was that same day, 1.08.05 when I was informed that the reason to do the concert was to avoid expensive flight tickets back to Finland:
"The fact is that if we do not do that Oslo show, our extra expenses will be quite big, because we need to fly EVERYBODY back and pay their travels to their homes in Finland as well..."

Anyway the shocking truth came only one day after. On the 2.08.05 I sadly received the information that "The Rockefeller is sold out, but I will tell the guys to cancel..."

My exact reply was:
"How come is sold out when we are only now starting to discuss if we make it or not??"

And things continued to get worse when band manager Ewo replied:
"The things have been getting out of hand again, please try to remember that it is NOT you running this show...therefore Rockefeller was booked, because NOBODY thought that you guys could REFUSE doing this...!!! But you suprise us all the time !!!
Haha ! Well, we can tell promoters now that it is Tarja refusing to do these shows."

The words I chose at that moment for my reply, explains a bit more how things were.

"Ewo, things gets out of hands because you never asked. I (we) are definitely not running the show neither willing to do so.
As you know things have been clear and every time you have been asking we have been doing our best to find a solution. Some time didn't work out and many others have been fine and many shows have happened. Some of them, still not being 100% interesting for us. Once again, we are not changing anything. Just continuing the same line."
"Just speak the truth to the promoter: you booked a concert without even asking the artist. It was your fault, not Tarja's.
And let's leave it like this.
We have booked many shows until Hartwall that we want to go through as nicely as possible.
Once again, is nothing against you, but don't turn it the other way then..."
" I understand how you would like things to be, but I don't agree. The same way I am sure you understand what I am saying, but you don't agree. This is not making you a monster and me a saint, or the other way around. Just relax and take it easy."

After this, things cooled down until 12.08.05 when I was requested again if there was any chance to do the concert. Obviously nothing that was discussed before was even considered by the band management.

Tarja decided that it was better to move forward and to do the concert. All mess was manager's fault, not fans fault or neither the promoter's fault.

We needed to change our plans for our free time that included rehearsals for Tarja in Finland for her Christmas 2005 concerts.
As we have been told earlier that the reason of the concert was to avoid paying flights for band and crew, we needed to stay in Oslo.

Not in every hotel there is a possibility to rehearse and sing for Tarja, unless they have a room where she wouldn't be bothering the other hotel guests.

For the first time in the tour, we asked if it was possible to get an apartment with a piano or keyboard where Tarja could continue with her normal life.

We were invited to spend those days in a local promoter's friend house. He was very kind to us and we spent beautiful days in Oslo and Tarja was also able to rehearse as planned.

The strawberry of the cake came 2 days before the departure for this part of the tour. We received the schedule were it was informed that the band and crew were flying back to Finland after the concert in Oslo!!
Forgotten was the given explanation for us to do that concert: to stay in Oslo to avoid expenses.

It was obviously too late for us, even to book flights back to Finland, so we decided to imagine that everything was only a bad dream…
Finally, Tarja traveled to Oslo as it was agreed and the concert given was a nice one. Same as the previous ones in Oslo.


109) Why was there this lack of information in your opinion? Who missed to inform you about it? Tuomas? Who was responsible to inform the band and Tarja about concert dates?
Katrin Duemke Germany

Tuomas decided to have own management to represent his interests and the band members: King Foo.

We agreed that business was going to be handled by them.

So then I never expected Tuomas in person to detail me the touring plans or promo activities.

When the information didn't reach me (and obviously neither Tarja), I informed Tuomas what was going on. I need to give him credit that he did his best to modify it. Unfortunately, when the problem persisted, Tarja or myself informed him again and again and again.

After that nothing changed. Then I need to conclude that he lost the interest in trying to solve the problems that we were openly showing to him or that he let his people do things in purpose with the final result we all know today.

I am not here to judge Tuomas as a musician or as a businessman.
I am sure that he knows within himself what happened in his head, no matter what he tells to the fans.


110) Why was it necessary for you to act as Tarja's manager within the band?
Katrin Duemke Germany

Unfortunately it was necessary at the time.

You need to remember that after Wishmaster tour, even for Tuomas the tour was stressful and badly organized what caused a bad atmosphere in the band.

So bad it was that he decided to stop the band.

Neither Tarja was willing to continue under the same conditions.
Until that point, future "official" band manager had been giving a helping hand to the band... A model that proved itself, even for the bandleader, that was not working.

Already at this point Tarja lost the trust in Ewo and Tuomas' ability to handle any business related matters. Even though that, she was still trusting the persons.

As it has been explained before, Tarja asked Tuomas for a meeting in Kitee where we proposed and explained a plan to communicate and to be able to work from that point on.

One very important thing to remark: Tuomas, as a bandleader and owner of the idea behind Nightwish, was able to refuse our proposal. This proposal was not the only way to continue, but only one possibility. Tuomas accepted it.

There would have been another possibility. Nightwish was his band and he could have expressed that he wanted to continue with it under his rules. Meaning by this not to inform Tarja about things, deciding on his own about art and business related to the band.

There would have been nothing bad in it. Is just another possibility that many bands choose for them and can be equally successful.
But he didn't.


111) Did Tarja take part of the making of Once album? Tuomas said she was only there for the recording of her voice and nothing more. How can you explain that?
Katrin Duemke Germany

Since the first 3 demo songs, band gave the songs for Tarja when they were already done.

Angel Fall First worked the same way. Same procedure they kept for Oceanborn, Wishmaster, Over the Hills and Far Away and Century Child.
Tarja was always practicing and interpreting her parts on her own.

Only in the studio, Tarja and Tuomas (helped by Tero) were exchanging opinions about vocal arrangements.

If you have a successful formula, why to change it?

For Once, this changed a bit as for the first time, the band and Tarja did demo versions of two songs before getting in the studio for the definitive recordings.

This is the way Nightwish worked for nine years. Nobody complained in nine years time and the formula proved to be effective.


112) Where can you see insulting words from Tuomas about you and Tarja?
Katrin Duemke Germany

Please read the open letter and words he gave to the media after the letter was posted.

Not only the use of vulgar slang denotes insult.


113) Mr Cabuli, you also said that Tuomas kept on offending you and your wife ever since she was forced to leave the band but we never heard anything like that, as Tuomas even stopped
talking about this matter from a long time ago. how can you comment that? there is nothing public, there is no proof that he or other member of Nightwish said something
that would be offensive to Tarja or you, sir!

Anca Hozoc Romania

I am sure you haven't been following what has been said in the media. There has been since the open letter and several months after, always comments in the media from Tuomas. If you say that Tuomas stopped talking about this matter long time ago, I am afraid we are discussing here about a different Tuomas Holopainen.


114) Sir, I believe you have commented enough on this
subject in fron of the media and it's time to turn the page!

Anca Hozoc Romania

Dear Anca, I read your previous question and this one now.
It seems you have understood things in an opposite way. I have only posted in www.tarjaturunen.com a letter where I invited you to ask me about your doubts. That was the first time ever I made any comment about this situation. Now, this new statement I am posting, makes my second and last time I will make comments about this issue in this way.

All the other times you might have seen me in the media, it was just because of what other people was saying about me or in my name.

Though I do agree with you that it's time to turn the page.

115) In the statement you've given now you said that Tuomas has had enough chances and possibilities in the past to talk to you about his plans etc. regarding Nightwish.
Don't you think he should have talked to Tarja and not to you?

Camilla Germany

I think he should have talked with both of us, but I don't mean at the same time.

All the things he made public regarding his feelings and beliefs about my person. He should have discussed about that with me.

He should have talked with Tarja all the things he didn't like about her or her personality and of course about his plans regarding Nightwish.


116) What is your posture in all of this scandal which the media and Tuomas have created?
Miguel Angel Martinez Ortiz Puerto Rico

I agree with you that not only Tuomas created this scandal.
He wouldn't have been able to do it alone. On the other hand, the media wouldn't have been able to create this scandal without Tuomas and the band's declarations and open letter.

It was a perfect symbiosis between band and media. Both have a mutually beneficial relationship.

Outside of Finland, all this matter is not considered at all except in the specialized media.

In Finland, due to the status of Tarja and Nightwish, it gained bigger proportions.

Media only did their job. They communicated the information they received to the masses. They did it and they will keep on doing it as long as the subject sells.

I have recently heard what a "big monster" Finnish media is. I don't think that way.

I have never had any problems with it. They have respected my silence even though they have been extremely interested to have my opinion about things.

I am not trying to defend anybody here. As we all know, like in other aspects in life, we will find good journalists and bad journalists.

I have faced few that took advantage of the situation hided behind their supposed journalism profession. Most of the journalists from Finland have been respectful of our situation.


117) If Tuomas wanted so much to have this band, and go on with Tarja as a singer, did he do something, anything, to make her
stay, to make her WANT to stay?
Catalina Fometici Romania

Nothing happened all of a sudden. Nothing happened in just one second. Many times Tarja needed to inform about the problems. Many times, during a long period of time, we have been telling what was going on.

If there should have been a real interest to modify things, there were many things that Tuomas and the band could have done.

There were many previous meetings and emails until Tarja decided that, as we were able to see, there was not going to be any changes. We are talking of a very long period of time: from end of 2000 to end of 2004. Enough time to try to do things to keep Tarja in the band. But that didn't happen.

Tuomas and the band did some things at the beginning to improve the situation, for which we are thankful. But not all that was needed. Anyway Tarja stayed in the band as she had promised and did her part. It was the band who did not want Tarja to continue.


118) If one day, Tuomas would regret what he did, what he said about her and about you, how would you react?
Benjamin provillard, France

I will be very happy if that happens. Especially if he will use the same effort to let the fans know about it, as he has done now.


119) Why do you think that tuomas is after you, trying to make it hard for you?
Lena Hansen Norway

Tuomas is only the visible face. There is a lot of wrong information he has said that he couldn't know by himself. Some people close to him have been feeding him with wrong information about things.

Unfortunately, there is not worse blind that the one that doesn't want to see.

If Tuomas should have realized about this, we wouldn't have been facing this situation and I am sure that Tarja would still be in the band and happy about it.


120) to what extent is true of what Tuomas said about Tarja becoming 'materialistic'. Andrew Anthony David USA

To become materialistic means to consider material possessions more important than spiritual values. This is not definitely Tarja's case.

I have seen the other band members buying brand new cars, new apartments, bigger houses, better equipments, even building houses. Is there anything wrong in this? I don't believe so.

I don't have the information that any of the band members have made promises to get rid of all material possessions for spiritual reasons of any kind. Tarja is not an exemption for that.

When she started with her career and needed to take the tram, she did. If nowadays, due to her work, she is able to drive a car instead, I don't see it myself as becoming more materialistic than before.

For sure in her case, money is not coming first in her book of life. As well it is not in her book that she needs to be ashamed of earning money due to her profession. Difference might be that she is not telling in the media that the other band members shouldn't improve their way of life.

If we would check which band member earns a lot more money than any other one in the band, you should be surprised.

So live and let live.


121) I wanna know how do you deal with the Yoko Ono's role that you would be playing, like Tuomas have been saying to us, people that don't have idea who you are. Rolf Amaro Cardoso dos Santos Brazil

By reading my answers, you can have a better idea of who is who in the band and people around the band.

I am not going to make a social explanation here about Ono's role in the Beatles split, if she had any in a band where the 4 members where not happy together any longer due to many internal and external reasons.

I can only see how words were silly chosen: to compare me with Yoko Ono, is to compare Nightwish with Beatles.

After Beatles split, there was no band any longer...


122) Tuomas has given the strong impression to fans that you are greedy, manipulative and that you do not care or love your wife. What do you say to this? Frances Newton UK

I don't need to explain to anybody how I love my wife. As long as she knows it, is enough for me. And she does.

To indicate me as manipulative is only speaking how less Tuomas knows me, what is obvious as we have never been close enough.

If I should have been a manipulative and greedy person, I would have requested from him and from the band different things in the meeting we had in Kitee (I mentioned it already in other answers).
Being Tarja at that time, without any doubts, the face of the band and the most important person of it, I could have requested more money for her. But truth is that band members agreed in the early days to split incomes in a way that was never modified or requested to be modified.

You have to understand that if I ever requested improvements for the band deals with third parties where such that they were for the benefit of every band member, not just for Tarja.

For me to manipulate is not to give options for things. Just to dictate to others what to do. To control a person or group of persons unfairly.

To be greedy is to have an intense and selfish desire for something, usually power or money related.

If you can keep these last two things in mind, I'll tell you a short story I have heard from Tarja from the time when I still didn't know the band.

With the release of Angel Fall First, the band members made a verbal agreement. Same kind than many musicians has done in the history of music. The music in the songs was a product of the involvement of all the members where each one was adding own touch and personality. It was then decided that songs were going to be credited to Nightwish while lyrics coming only from Tuomas, will have his credits alone. You only need to check the Angels Fall First album's credits.

At the time of Oceanborn and after it has been recorded and released, Tuomas and the rest of the band members had a very ugly fight.

The reason for the fight was that Holopainen decided without any consult to the others, to credit only himself for the songs in Oceanborn. Explained in that meeting that the reason for the change was… only money and pride.
This is not to say that Tuomas would not deserve his place as the bandleader and the primus creative motor, but he also gets paid extra for it, generously.


123) What was touring with Nightwish like for you?
Frances Newton UK

It was an amazing experience to travel and see different places.
It was also a lot of work. Unrecognized, unpaid, but mainly unthanked work.

I was not just traveling around to develop my skills as a devoted husband. I was there with a purpose. To take care of Tarja, on stage and out of it.

The "out of stage duties" covered very many activities that can be judged not indispensable by some people. Is not the time to discuss about them now.

The on stage duties and the things I needed to do before and after a concert were very clear.

These duties were nothing I chose to do. It was necessary, as nobody was taking proper care of things.

As examples, I needed many times to check if there was a changing booth in conditions for a concert. Changing booth is a small room or structure where Tarja could change her clothes several times during a concert.

Instead of having this properly requested same way than a drum raiser or a keyboard stand, the booth seemed to be forgotten many times. Then, I needed to improvise one in minutes with the help of stage manager who also needed to take care of appropriated technical conditions for microphones and in ear system for Tarja.

I helped Tarja with her clothes changes during shows. I was always near her on stage in case there was something she needed; from water, towel or set list to oxygen in Ecuador or Mexico.

I worked as her security; many times that were needed during the tours and few times even during the concerts!

I frequently needed to take care that the few things requested for the backstage were there in time: towels, water, tea, ironing table, mirror, and lights.

Sometimes I needed to take care that there was a room in the backstage area for Tarja when we were arriving at the venues.

On tour, the band has different crewmembers with different activities. All of them received a fee for their work.
Every crewmember got also their traveling, hotels and food paid during the tour.
Obviously as it corresponds, their expenses and fees were deducted from the band's incomes.
Even though Tarja took part in the costs of drum, guitar, keyboards and bass technicians and tour managers and other crewmembers, the rest of the band did not offer her a "technician" so I had to be the one and Tarja nor I were ever compensated for that.

The band owes me nothing for that work I did. I want to make very clear that I never requested that payment or that it was never offered to me. I did it "pro bono".

Even at the beginning I was sometimes paying for my own flights like in the USA tour the band did in 2004.

My presence during the tours became indispensable for Tarja as she was less considered in her needs with every new day.


124) that you demanded different dressing rooms (okay, that i understand as Tarja is a womand and it is very easy to understand that she would like to have a dressing room of her own.
Michael Austria

The different sex was one of the reasons. She preferred to change clothes alone, not in presence of the other band members or crew. As well Tarja was bothering everybody to request them out every time she needed to change clothes or get ready for a concert.

Also, in band's backstage, to smoke was most of the time allowed what also is not nice for a singer. At least not for Tarja.

Most important thing is that if there were no chance to consider having a separate room, she accepted. Like in Oceanborn tour or many times in Wishmaster tour.

Luckily band's destiny changed and it was possible to have an extra room when the band started to perform in bigger arenas.

Also crew and management enjoyed the same privilege of having own rooms when that was possible.

125) Was it true that Tarja got know about NW-shows and contracts
just a few days before them?
Katerina Russia

You cannot apply as a rule that for every concert the band performed we got to know the information only few days in advance. Though, in same unfortunate cases, it has been truth.

The agreement we had was that we were going to receive complete information of every proposal to do a concert in order to agree with the band's management how to proceed. Only after each concert was agreed between me representing Tarja and band management representing the band, a show was fine to be confirmed to the promoter.

Same way that I was not allowed to sell to any promoter a show of Nightwish without their management knowing about it, the band management was not supposed to confirm a show in Tarja's name without first asking her.

How the contracts were taken care, it worked in a quite different way.

At the beginning, I received as Tarja's manager several contracts to be signed. Unfortunately, I always found mistakes that I needed to request to be modified. Usually contracts that were proposed to the band were written to favor the other party, but not the band.

Being a record company owner myself, it was very easy for me to detect it while seemed not so clear for the rest of people around the band.
Having the knowledge and the will to do things better, it was fast and easily accepted by band management and record companies that my company was taking care of the contracts for the band.

There was only one contract that NEMS Enterprises did not handle during the last six years in a direct way. The band's management handled that contract. It remains until today as the only contract with a record company still not signed and where royalties for the band haven't been paid in full.


126) why did tarja seem so unpatient with her fans lately? we heard a lot of testimonials abut it here in brazil, was she feeling under pressure?
Marcella Ferrari Brazil

I think that to admit mistakes is making a person a better person.
I can agree to some point that Tarja was impatient with some fans in Brazil during the time of the last two shows that happened in October 2005 before Hartwall Arena Concert.

It was mainly my fault that I wasn't able to handle alone the disorder around us.

It was the end of a very long tour. The band was not precisely a "happy family" at that time. As it has been already said, band mates were not talking to Tarja often (in some cases at all).

If you have heard many cases before, that usually nobody was taking care of Tarja except me, it was now worst than ever.

The arrival at the airport was already chaotic, the departure even more.

We expected to arrive to the hotel in Sao Paulo to have some privacy and rest after a long trip, but the hotel happened to be not as good as the previous times the band has been in Brazil. There was no security from the promoter of the concerts, but also none from the hotel itself.

Definitely there was no privacy at the arrival to the hotel. Fans had the correct information where to find the band and the exact time as well. Only moment we got a piece of mind was inside the elevator as fans were in the small hotel lobby.

The following days, this didn't change. Breakfast at the hotel restaurant meant to wake up with a crowd.

Fans just wanted a "piece" of Tarja. Some of them, literally.

I never got pissed with them. I do understand them very well. I did get pissed with the band management and local promoter. They were the responsible ones dealing with this situation and organizing a proper way for Tarja to be with the fans.

She was not happy at all with the situation. Is very nice to be relaxed and in peace as it is to be sharing time with fans in a nice way where also Tarja can enjoy. And this is very easy to organize, but nobody seemed to care.

It was not only Tarja feeling like this. Also other band members, as we saw, were spending most of the time in their rooms and not even going down to have breakfast.
The same situation happened every time that Tarja needed to move in or out the hotel for activities related with the band or private.

At least, one day I was able to organize at the lobby a signing session with Tarja for all the fans that were waiting. In an organized way with the help of the hotel security (that showed up after 2 days) we made it possible.

During the concert days, requested elements were not available at Tarja's backstage room and as usual, I needed to explain why I needed an ironing table that nobody mentioned before to the people in charge of providing that kind of things.

Let's say that after 150 concerts without management learning that they should have requested water, ironing table and mirror, Tarja was freaking out; exactly the same way the other band members were, if happened that the vodka was not available or cold enough.

Anyway, in Sao Paulo, the ironing table, that arrived some minutes before the show, was only useful for one set of clothes of Tarja.
No changing booth was provided and therefore, Tarja wasn't able to give her best for all those fans that paid for their tickets that night.

In Porto Alegre, I needed once again to run to the stage in a middle of a song to take away one fan that decided to do a duet with Tarja!

Security? Well thanks. They were watching a different concert.

Nobody thought about minor details like backstage improvised as a tent. Nice lamp inside, but as many tents, no door…

So we needed to go back to the hotel immediately after getting of stage for Tarja to change her cloths and have a shower.

So, yes. I admit I was quite tense and pissed of during those days, but not precisely with the fans. I don't blame the fans and I don't blame Tarja or the band members: I blame us, the people around Nightwish at that time, for not being professional enough to arrange it so that everybody would have enjoyed better.

Definitely those were days with a lot of pressure for Tarja too with all the running around and disorder.


127) Marcelo, I stow close of you and Tarja in the day after the Live'n ' Louder, when they had passed for the Airport Salfado Filho in Porto Alegre Rio Grande Do Sul, in direction the city of Mexico, I confess that not only I but all the fans who were in the airport had been sufficiently decpcionados with its atidtude and the one of Tarja, I I was well next when you he removed it of the fan, a little before I having attemped calls it.Francisco Jose Borsatto Pine Brasil

Continuing the explanations of my previous answer, those were unfortunate days. I do remember very well the departure from Porto Alegre. It was definitely not a happy one.

After the stress of the previous days and facing a long flight back home, we arrived to the airport where we found many fans. Too many. It was not a relaxed situation at all. Fans were screaming and running around Tarja and the others. When there are 3 persons trying to take a photograph is not a big deal, but this changes into something dangerous when there are many persons trying to do it at the same time without any order.

It was very hard to take care of things and at the same time to take care of the luggage and to check in.

Nobody from the promoter's side was really there helping at all.
I was not alone with Tarja to organize a signing session for her at that moment, like I did at the hotel in Sao Paulo. I didn't suggested it for the band, as I understood that there were other persons in charge of that at that moment.

I saw how one band member beside me (that wasn't Tarja) was very red and unhappy with the fans pushing him around.

Even one crewmember at the check in line was keeping some fans away from Tarja when I was trying to do the check in for all traveling party. I didn't ask him to do it neither did Tarja. But believe me that if he understood it was needed, was because there was a reason for that.

Probably the fans there were only expecting a photo or a signature and not realizing the way they were approaching the band.

Same situation of fans willing to have a photo or a kiss or a hug from Tarja happened many times everywhere. It has never been a problem before or after. But at that precise moment, it was not happening the best way it could.

Is very different if one young girl is approaching to ask a signature very quiet and with a big smile than if 5 persons are wrapping Tarja from her neck while shouting and pushing to appear in the photo, also with a smile.

I never sensed at that moment that any fan at that airport was being hostile. Even though that, it was not safe any longer for Tarja. After that, we tried to get into the boarding as fast as possible.

Once we were near the gate some people traveling to Europe that recognized Tarja approached her. Only few minutes after the chaos at the check in, Tarja was once again taking pictures, talking and signing autographs for them, but in a much more-relaxed way.


128) Tuomas said that Tarja and You were with the band just because of the money (that's nothing wrong with it, it's a job just like others). If he (Tuomas) is playing just for enjoying why does he need to record a album and release world wide.
Alexandre Pereira de Souza Brazil

Probably he wants and likes to share his music with as many people as possible. I do agree with you that he didn't do it for free.


129) How truth are Tuomas declarations about disagreements with Tarja to tour LatinAmerica?
¿Qué tan ciertas son las declaraciones de Thomas sobre los desacuerdos de Tarja de realizar conciertos en Latinoamérica?

Juan Pablo Bachmann Vega Chile

I do not know what disagreements to tour Latin America you have read about. I don't remember we had any disagreement about it. I haven't read myself any comments from Tuomas about it either.


130) And why Tarja decied to "continue" in haevy metal ? If she aways said that she don´t want to to continue it after NW, that what se really likes and wants to her is lyric music?
Clarice Miranda brazil

I can hardly say that she will continue in Heavy Metal, but I can hardly say that she won't.

She will continue with the music.

Tarja has never called herself Heavy Metal singer or Opera singer.
She prefers to be recognized as a singer. A singer that can sing classical music or/and rock, if you like.
When her solo album will be available, I am sure that it won't be her the one to put a sticker on it to identify it's music style.


131) Why did Tarja show up just before the concert?
Katrin Duemke Germany

Many times happened that when we arrived to a venue, there were no conditions to do anything before a concert. Either Tarja did not have to set up her instrument at the stage with the technicians hours earlier. To warm up her voice and body for a show demands other kind of preparation that many times couldn't be done at a venue. Remembering that her changing booth was supposed to be ready at the time of our arrival and obviously a room for Tarja to get herself ready, but some times the local promoter didn't know that he should have organized or searched for a room for Tarja to warm up and change clothes. Often not even water was available until one hour before the concert.

I needed to tape windows and glass doors in Tarja´s "backstage" to be able for her to get undressed.
Many times these last minute improvised rooms for Tarja were freezing cold. Usually without a mirror where to make her make up.
Never decent lights for it as there where not proper backstage rooms like in a theater.

You are from Germany and I should say that thanks to the company organizing the concerts, it has been very relaxed and a pleasure to perform there.
But I cannot say the same from every other place's backstage conditions.

Funny thing is that it was always random. You could never really know what to expect at our arrival to a venue.
As an example based in true facts, if you don't have cloth hangers and a place where to hang them, no chairs only a dirty floor, there was no way for Tarja to start preparing herself.

In order to avoid all this confusion, running around and stress at the venues, Tarja and me decided to prepare everything at the hotels whenever that was possible. She was able to do her make up there, iron her cloths and warm up for the show.

We were then traveling to the venue with a van or car or even taxi 30' before the concert.

Whenever the hotel was too far away from the venue or there was no condition to stay there longer and prepare everything, we were then throwing ourselves into the unknown.

If you have seen at anytime in a backstage of a Nightwish concert a stupid guy running around with towels, heaters, ladies cloths, mirrors or ironing tables; that was probably me.


132) Tarja wanted to have her own space backstage, own dressing room, taking flights instead of going by bus and things like that. The band made it possible for her. So how can you say the band didn't care about Tarja? What exactly did you want from them then?
Katrin Duemke Germany

What you mentioned are part of the things. The easier ones to take care of.

What about respect? If you are in a band and people representing the band are not treating you with respect. What do you think that even though the band members were informed about this situation, they did nothing?

Not to inform about things as it has been agreed from the beginning. Not to provide what was necessary for Tarja to do a concert in the best conditions possible.

Not giving the information about things or deliberately distorting the information.

We had an agreement that Tarja was going to be informed about ALL the activities regarding the band in order for her to make decisions together with the band.

Instead she has been pushed to the situation where she was forced to accept conditions she normally wouldn't, only because band didn't provide the complete information in time.

When you can see that similar things happen again and again, you ask yourself, how much the band really cares…


133) Weren't you as Tarja's manager involved in arranging dates?
Katrin Duemke Germany

Not in a direct way.
My original involvement as Tarja's manager was to leave her space to concentrate in the music and not in the business.

I was supposed to present her all the information the band management provided me in order for Tarja just to say "yes" or "no".

Things soon started to get complex when there was no possibility to say "yes" or "no", neither to choose from other options.

Let me offer you a silly explanation that hopefully can express the idea clear enough.

If you hire a chef to cook dinner for you, you expect from him a meal.

He can offer you between chicken with salad, barbecued fish with mashed potatoes or spinach pasta with tomato sauce. You can then choose the chicken, if you prefer.

In our case, the chef offered us rotten wood with car oil.

I needed to explain to the chef that we preferred to see other options.

When we realized that the chef couldn't cook anything different, I tried to explain him how to boil ravioli…

Anyway, going back to your question, I never discussed directly with promoters. Only with the German promoter I was sometimes on copy in the emails he exchanged with the band management. Precisely with the German booking agent there hasn't been any problems and still today we are working together.


134) Is it possible for anyone to approach her without your permission?
Katrin Duemke Germany

Of course I wouldn't even dream of going between Tarja and her friends or family; I wouldn't dare.

Many fans have themselves requested to me if they could speak with Tarja when they saw me around. Is a nice gesture of respect from them. They think that is correct to ask me before approaching her directly. This is very fine for me and is the same I should do in a similar situation. But I have never told the fans to ask me "permission". Same way, I never told somebody approaching her directly in a normal situation to get away.

I have done it with drunken people or with groups of people when there was no security.

There were, of course, obvious situations like going to a stage to perform: that is not the right time to give an autograph or take a picture. There shouldn't be any people around the band at that moment, but this happened more than once.

Anyway, if you have the chance to approach Tarja yourself one day, please go ahead.


135) Do you act differently when fans are around you? So being particulary nice to them so they don't have any reason to think something bad of you and could be for your help?
Katrin Duemke Germany


This one is very funny. I have many times heard from fans telling me, in a nice way, how less I smile!

That I should smile more!! But instead, you are asking me if I am pretending being particularly nice with fans to create a nice image from me…

Well… I don't have a friendly face. That I know.


136) since I read Tuomas's letter ont the website, I have always wandered wether the things he mentioned about Tarja not being faithful and thankful to the fans and wanting to cancel shows in order to meet friends and stuff. Are alla those things real? Did she actually wanted to do those things?
Alex Aivaliotis, Greece

Many times recently, I have seen how partial true facts from the last years have been distorted deliberately, to show a bad intention or action from Tarja or my side.

I'll give you a real example of it that also answers your question:

In an email sent to the band manager I made a comment of what Tarja does in her free time. Check that I used the words "spare time".


"Tarja prefers to use the spare time to rehearse for her concerts and to rest."


Band manager, as usual, had a very personal way to understand things that later on he transmitted to Tuomas.


"If Tarja cannot do Oslo because she has to rehearse for her solo shows, I think that is the actual reason then...?"


I tried once again to explain, in case this was a real misunderstanding due to the written word and my bad English grammar. Check the text I sent him at that time.


"I said that she prefers to use the time for other things. Rest, go out with friends, to the cinema, to have business meetings and among that also rehearse for her concerts.
When there has been an activity during the year where Tarja is booked, I informed you in advance. This is not the case this time.
The actual reason is that in her free time she can do whatever she wants and when there is no show, is free time.
Until hours ago, there was no show planned (that we know) for that dates."


Now Alex, what happened was that we knew about the concert only after it was sold out. As it was free time without any concert for the band, Tarja planned to do things in her free time that she cannot do while touring: meet friends or relatives or rehearse for her solo concerts.

This was exactly one of those free days spot between tour days.
I also explained in my message that every time that Tarja was booked for some activities beside the band, I was informing the band management for them to know and to schedule the band activities accordingly. I also remark that it wasn't that case this time.

To explain it in other words, if Tarja should have needed to rehearse or perform her solo concerts, I would have informed about it long in advance.

Is in your hands to understand and decide if I was saying that Tarja wanted to cancel this show to meet friends and stuff as you have asked or if I was only saying that when Tarja has free time, she likes to go out with friends.

And let's not forget the most important thing: this concert did happen!

So Tarja privileged the fans that paid their tickets on top of her personal activities. By doing this, she also covered the band's management back from the mistake they made.

Unfortunately, this didn't happen only once…


137) I would like to know the real reason why Nightwish's North America tour in 2005 was cancelled. It was soon cancelled and the tour was postponed. Then I heard the concert was rescheduled. I bought concert tickets again. When the tour was cancelled for the final time, I was lucky enough to get my money back for the tickets. I was extremely disappointed and when I heard that the reason was Tarja needed to prepare for her concerts in Germany (I think), I felt very let down. I understand prior committments, but why tease the fans with a potential tour if it could not happen?
So my question is, can you please explain the circumstances surrounding the cancelled North American tour? Could it have been avoided?

Tony Palylyk USA

This will be a long answer even though I will try to keep it as short as possible. There are things that I need to explain to you in order for you to be able to understand.

After Wishmaster tour, it was a time that Tuomas decided to stop the band. Reasons were personal and also one reason was the stress caused by the tour. This info is in the DVD "End of Innocence". Tarja was also not happy with the way things were happening at that time. After a while, Tuomas decided to change previous bass player Sami with Marco and to continue with the band.

Tarja decided to discuss with Tuomas how to continue with the band. For this purpose it was requested and arranged a meeting in Kitee with Tarja, Tuomas and me. I spoke alone to Tuomas about the changes that should happen in order to be able to continue. He introduced his wish of having a proper management for him and the band. The company King Foo Oy was then formed with that purpose of becoming the band's management. It was also agreed in that meeting that I was going to be Tarja's manager. Everything was accepted and agreed in good terms and the spirit of the meeting was: business through managements and art through musicians.

After that Tarja came to the meeting and I left; with Tuomas they confirmed the agreement once again.

Without this meeting we wouldn't talk about Nightwish the way we all knew it after that. Neither the albums Century Child nor Once would have ever existed.

The most important points of the agreement were the length of the forthcoming tours, the length of the breaks between tours, general conditions for the shows and mainly a change in the way the band was communicating within them. From that moment on, Tarja was going to be informed about all proposed activities and plans for the band and that she was going to take part in the decisions of everything involved with these facts.

Before this moment communication was a big problem that caused tension in the previous tour between band members.

Just as a short reminder, even at the time I was not even knowing the band members or Tarja, the problems were already there.

The meeting was very positive.

And things started to get better. Much better. Communication between band and Tarja through band management and me worked fine. This is not in my opinion the best possible scenario for a band, but it was the best solution we found and the only solution proposed to the existing problems.

After some time, with very good manners and smiles (I am not being ironic here), Tarja started to be requested, as exemptions to our agreement, to accept some things in a different way. She did.

Later on, the smiles where dropped and the tension grew again. This time, worse than before since the good manners were forgotten. To make the tension and problems even harder, we need to remember that the fame and success of the band was much bigger than before. This brought bigger pressures for everybody.

Now let's go back to your question about the cancelled USA 2005 tour having in mind what I have already mentioned before.

Tarja and I got to know about the tour through some ticket sales in Internet. When I requested to have more information about it, I was informed that a complete tour has been scheduled. The band didn't consult Tarja about it, even though it has been agreed that before booking any shows, the band would always need to provide Tarja the complete information and get her approval.

The band themselves proposed to Tarja in one of the meeting she asked them to have, not to tour more than 2 weeks in a row. The planned USA tour was 4 weeks long.

The conditions of the previous tour in USA have been in some cases very bad. Worse than in other places I have seen. Things like having no food because the show was not sold out or no toilet at all in the non-existing back stage area.

Anyway the first tour was the way for the band to try and to experience to tour in USA. There was not such need to experience another tour under similar conditions.

At the time, there were also some open subjects with the USA Record Company that didn't contribute in any way to prepare a new tour. Some of those problems still persist until today.

In your question you correctly mentioned that the tour was re scheduled. There was a reason for that to happen.

Once we got finally the complete information about the proposed tour, dates and conditions, it was too late to attempt any modifications and to still go for it.

We realized that later on that year there was a spot in the band's schedule when would have been possible to plan the tour again. We suggested to block that dates for this purpose.

We requested that the conditions, as we have agreed before, needed to be seriously considered. We proposed that, after all changes in the conditions were provided, Tarja was going to definitely accept to tour USA again.

The tour was re scheduled without Tarja or me knowing about it and tickets continued on sale.

Unfortunately not a single thing changed from the proposed tour until the very last minute or the situation with the Record Company cleared.

Tarja has never accepted the tour at any time because the conditions have never been the ones agreed. Then the tour wasn't cancelled from our side. The big mistake was to make arrangements at the back of one band member as Tarja was, and then force her to accept conditions that everybody knew were not the ones everybody has agreed.

This has nothing to do with the fact that Tarja uses her free time to do whatever she likes to. No activities from Tarja have been scheduled during the band's activities. Tarja's personal and free time has been used when there was free time existing, not the other way round.

You are very right asking why to tease the fans with a potential tour if it could not happen. We feel exactly the same. I should add to your question: why to tease the fans and one of the band members if the conditions are not the ones every band member agreed to have?

For this question I have no answer.

At last, you want to know if this could have been avoided.

Answer is yes! By doing things properly.
There were some concerts that could have happened, but the only thing needed was better planning to be done for the rest of the tour.


138) Don't you think the band did something big for you with canceling these shows then?
Katrin Duemke Germany

I think the band did a BIG mistake by confirming a tour without even informing their singer about it.


139) that you di not want her to to shows in america as payment was not big enough.
Michael Austria

Tarja accepted to do the first USA tour even knowing that it was going to be not a profitable tour.

It was obvious, even before doing it, except for the band members and management.

Myself I paid my own flight tickets to reduce the loss of the band.

The band was very excited about touring in USA, what was understandable for the first time. They had the image of the big bands in the past. Come to USA and conquer. What they didn't have in mind was that to conquer USA you need to have hits and a structure from a record company that supports the band.

Tarja accepted to do this first tour as an investment for the future.
Unfortunately, the tour incomes (actually looses) proved we were right. Anyway, there is nobody to blame about doing the tour as Tarja accepted to go. But there were people to blame regarding the way the tour was organized.

So the problem with USA was not the money.
Even the fees for some of the proposed concerts for the second tour were agreed from our side when they were finally presented to us.

Big time problems were the conditions for the concerts.
Not having food, proper hotels, decent venues, sometimes not even toilets or a back stage and very long touring periods.

In order to do a second tour, we should have needed to improve these conditions a lot as well as we should have needed to reduce the tour to the amount of days that was agreed with the band long before for every tour.

Unfortunately, band's management was not able to do it and considered that the tour was not possible to happen.


140) why is everything spoken through you instead of Tarja?
por que se hablaba todo a traves de ti en lugar de Tarja?
Ana Paula Galan Cortes Mexico

I don't agree that everything is spoken through me. Tarja made a press conference in Finland and a press day in Germany to express her thoughts.

I never made any comments in public myself. I only made a post in tarjaturunen.com to inform that after the continuing disrespectful opinions from the band to my wife and to me, I have decided to give the fans like you the chance to ask me their doubts.

That's it.


141) How come Tarja is not making any statements about this issue, and is leaving it to you? Why do you feel the need to do things of Tarja's behalf?
Sara Scott England


I am not speaking in Tarja's name through these answers I am offering to the fans questions. I am speaking only in my name.

As you have been able to see, I have been accused of many things. I believe that I have the right to reply to those accusations.


142) Why are you still controlling Tarja? She is a
grown up woman she can do her own decisions.

Ida Leppänen Finland

I do agree with you that Tarja is a grown up woman and that she can make her own decisions. I am not controlling her or pretending to.
In our marriage we don't follow the expression "big woman behind a big man" nor the other way around. We walk beside each other.


143) And why didn't Tarja defend herself then in her press conference?
Katrin Duemke Germany


Everyone has choice, when to and not to raise their voice.
I think that precisely everything that she could have said, but didn't, just show how different she is from her ex band mates.


144) How far does your influence gets for her to decide to leave the band after their next record?
,¿hasta donde llega tu influencia para que ella decidiera dejar el grupo después de un último disco?

Aitziber Arregi Euskal Herria (Pais Vasco), Spain

Even though Tarja has explained herself about this particular situation in press conferences and interviews, I realised through many of your questions that still it is a subject not very clear for you.

I will try to give you some facts about it in a resumed way.

Since 2000 until December 2004 (four years time) Tarja tried to continue working with the band under a different way.

She wanted to be informed and respected, but that didn't happen as expected. I have already gone through these explanations in other answers.

After four years of trying, she realised that nothing was going to change for better. In December 2004 during the tour, it was absolutely her decision and her decision alone to inform her band mates that she was not going to continue with the band any longer after the next studio album.

Tarja was ready to do the remaining concerts for 2005 and to record the new album in 2006/2007. Also she informed that there wouldn't be any problem to promote that forthcoming new studio album and to do new concerts with it. Even during 2005 we proposed some ideas to the band management and German promoter about the possibility to do an itinerary Nightwish Festival during 2007/8, similar kind like Ozz Fest (to give you a similar image).

Her decision gave the band enough time from December 2004 until 2007/8 to choose their next steps. It was never said by Tarja that the band should stop without her. She was even ready to help them in their new beginning without her.

To confirm Tarja's idea to do the next album with the band, while we were on negotiations for her solo career with different record companies, we made very clear even against the record companies and our own welfare, that Tarja's first solo album wouldn't be released before the forthcoming studio album from the band.


145) Did Tarja really plan to leave the band after her own first full
album? Did she say that to TH?
Katerina Russia

Tarja planned to leave the band after the band's next studio album, not after her own solo album. Solo album was originally intended for 2008/9.

She clearly mentioned these facts and the reasons for her decision to all band members, face to face, last December 2004 in a hotel room.


146) I just wanted to ask you why didn't Tara leave the band when she decided to do it-December 2004?Yes,we all know that this decision was made during the amazing Once Tour,but why didn't she at least tell to Tuomas,Emppu,Jukka and Marco?!
Lora Konstantinova Stambolova Bulgaria

She considered that she was going to be able to record one last album with the band and to perform nice last concerts with them.
She imagined a nice ending for her participation in the band. A nice ending for the relation with her band mates despite the inner problems.

But above all, it should have been a nice way to say goodbye to all her fans as the singer of Nightwish.

It was only a nice idea.

To answer once again about the last part of your question, she did inform all of them in a meeting she requested, without any managers or record company people around. Just 5 of them.


147) Why didn't they let her announce the press that she wanted to leave?
Catalina Fometici Romania

Your question is very important.

In that meeting in December 2004 she told the band members that she was ready to face the media and to explain that it was her decision. She was ready to speak openly and clearly about her decision and to take away the responsibility from the band member's shoulders.

But, Tuomas said that he didn't want to. Unfortunately, today we can understand why.

Tarja accepted Tuomas' will (what as usually means also the band's will) not to inform her decision to the fans. And now we see how it turned around.


148) had she already decided to leave Nightwish after another album, as said in the open letter? Did you or her not realise that by saying that Nightwish was not what she wanted to do anymore, that the band, especially Tuomas who has put his whole life into the band, may be just a litle bit upset because of this? Marina Martindale UK

Of course it was not easy for Tarja to tell the band mates her decision and most of all, she was very sad about the reasons that pushed her to take that decision.

That Tuomas could get upset was only one possibility. Tarja trusted her band mates' abilities to handle the situation in a good way. Better than the way they handled the unattended reasons that forced Tarja into her decision.

The band had 4 years time (from 2000 to 2004) to change this sad ending. They didn't. This fact also upset Tarja a lot.

She still considered her band mates when she offered to disclose it openly to the fans. Tarja was ready to take full responsibility in front of the people and media for her decision. Tarja was willing to explain to the fans the reasons. Tuomas and the band didn't want to.

Sadly after that meeting, the band started to plan how to kick Tarja out of the band in the worst way possible. And we have to remember that the band did not oppose Tarja's announcement, they did not even try to discuss about it or ask for different timetable or resign her then. They just shut up, as usual, and made their moves behind Tarja's back at the same time.

I don't think that the open letter and the badmouthing after that correspond to an upsetting feeling only.


149) Why did you and Tarja fly in separated planes
from the rest of the band?
Emanuel José Domingos Fialho Portugal

I understand from your question that you believe Tarja flew to the same destination than the band, but in different planes, when leaving at the same time than the band from the same city.
That has never been the case.

When the band was also traveling by plane, we traveled all together.

All the comments about the way the band traveled need to be explained clearly.

The band, including Tarja, used to travel by touring bus when touring in Europe. Also the rest of the band flew to more distant destinations within Europe. The tour bus was not a possible way of transport to destinations outside of Europe.

To travel in a bus, no matter how good the bus can be, is not fine for longer periods of time.

Many people won't find a problem to sleep in a moving bus, but for Tarja that is still not possible. To do it once might be fun, twice still ok, but after 3 days without sleeping properly, traveling and performing, her body couldn't handle it.

In a bad bus you can suffer of getting cold because of not proper heating, or getting too hot because of not air conditioning.
In an excellent bus you will for sure have heating and air conditioning. Both things, in excess, are very dangerous for a singer's health.

To travel by bus takes too long between different cities. Sometimes 4 or 5 hours, other times more than a complete day.

Many times, the days off between concerts were spent in the traveling what took away the chance to rest decently.

I must say that in Nightwish case, no money was saved in the bus.

Buses used in Europe were in general very good or excellent. Sometimes even having a sleeping room for Tarja. These buses (or nightliner as they are called) usually have DVD player and video games consoles.

I should say, they are the dream come true for somebody on holiday. But Tarja was working and then the bus was still not the best traveling option for her.

When the band started to perform for bigger audiences and in consequence also receiving bigger incomes, Tarja proposed to the band members that EVERYBODY should start traveling by plane.

And I need to write EVERYBODY with capital letters.

Tarja wasn't looking to save a penny in traveling cheaper by bus.

She was trying EVERYBODY to travel in better conditions when you could arrive to your destination within few hours and rest after the arrival.

… But the band decided to continue traveling by bus!

Money was not a reason to avoid traveling by plane.
They were not crazy, but used to travel by bus and also very happy to be able to party for longer hours on the road. Some kind of fascination with the gas stations and long kilometers on the road …

So for the band was the perfect idea and they seemed to be very pleased with it: Tarja and Marcelo will flight and band will have the whole bus for parties!

It was working also for Tarja and me as long as we were able to move fast, arrive and rest between concerts. At the end of the day, it was the band's decision not to take a plane.

It was very funny though to see how many times the band management needed to do last minute arrangements to get flight tickets for the rest of the band when they suddenly realized how far away we were from the next destination!

After all, sometimes, a bit of comfort seemed to be welcome to them instead of the so-called "rock n roll" life.

Then we all flew together while the bus driver was driving the empty nightliner to the following destination, only carrying the luggage!

I want to make perfectly clear that neither Tarja nor me ever requested business or first class flight tickets inside or outside Europe.


150) Was there some reason you felt she shouldn't travel with them, or spend time with them? Marina Martindale UK

I never felt like you say in your question. The band itself decided not to travel with us, not the other way around.

It was also hard to spend a lot of time with the band on tour beside the work, just in a social way. It was not as you might imagine that the band members were all the time "hand in hand".

Most of the time during the tours, band members were alone in their own rooms.

Few times we went to have lunch with Emppu. Lunch or dinner time, if not with a promoter or record company, was a spare time where all of us decided what to do separately.

None of the other band members than Emppu ever invited us to have a beer with them. Even some crewmembers did and we also accepted it gladly.

When we were drinking altogether, it was because we spontaneously joined them in a hotel bar. What is not bad for some occasions, but not the only option for your free time.

I can clearly remember when I met Tarja and the band in their first tour in South America. It was not different then back in year 2000.
Many times I ended up walking with Tarja in Panama and Mexico, because she was basically alone.

In more recent times, same way than in 2000, it has been easy to cross in the streets of London a band member buying some stuff or just walking around.

Everybody had his or her own social life during the free time.

The moments the band members spent together without Tarja and me were: 3 hours before a concert when the band was already at the venue looking to the walls while Tarja was getting ready at the hotel, during several hours party in the tour bus travelling between cities and parties after concerts in bars, venues or hotel rooms.

After the concerts, we usually went back to the hotel for Tarja to have a shower and rest. Drinking in a backstage after a concert when you are sweaty and especially if you are trying not to get cold and sick was not an option for Tarja.

Why to wait one or two hours in the backstage when it was easy like hell to arrange a ride back to the hotel? After I started to organise it, many times even some of the band members joined us.

Unfortunately, seems the band missed Tarja (I won't even joke that they missed me too) when she was not partying and drinking, but they never understood that it was an activity that can only happen time to time during a long tour, if she wanted to stay healthy. It seems they thought that if we were not there to party with them, was because we didn't want to see them… What a narrow minded thought. They saw the tree, but didn't see the forest.


151) How much could it have affected the fact that Tarja decided many times to travel without the rest of the group with the chemistry and camaraderie between its members?
¿En que tanto pudo afectar el hecho que Tarja decidiera en muchas ocasiones viajar sin el resto del grupo con la quimica y camaraderie entre sus miembros?

Nicolas Colmenares Panama

As said in some other answers it was not Tarja's decision to travel alone. And they did travel together a lot of times. But that is true that Tarja didn't spent all her free time partying with the band members.

That might have had an effect on the camaraderie or chemistry between them. As it was not a question of some odd nights now and then, but a question of their profession and day to day life on tours, Tarja decided not party so often. Funny that she is criticized of that. Tarja did not complain about members' decision to party, she just did not take part of every time

I guess that if they should have felt that the camaraderie was suffering because we were not traveling together, they could have traveled always with us or they could have requested Tarja to travel always with them, but none of these circumstances happened.


152) Hi Marcelo, I wanted to ask you if in the last times Tarja did really act like a Diva and does not spend time with the rest of the band, because that's one of the topics Tuomas put in the first letter.
Que tal Marcelo, queria preguntarte si realmente en las ultimas epocas Tarja actuaba como una diva y no pasa tiempo con el resto de la banda, ya que esto es uno de los temas que puso Tuomas en la primera carta.

German Gonzalez Argentina

The persons that really know Tarja can say if she is a Diva or not.
You can ask her friends, neighbors, students, teachers and classmates. But since you asked me I will answer trying my best to be objective.

My opinion is that Tarja is normal down to earth young woman with her own ambitions and fears. Apart from her professional life her needs don't seem to differ from the ones of other young people.

She rides a bicycle, goes to the supermarket to buy food, cooks at home, cleans the house, and does the gardening. She is not hiding behind make up or fancy clothes for the daily life.

As a singer she has had to take care of her instrument (voice) for the benefit of herself as well as for the benefit of the band. Tarja's concern about resting before and after concerts and taking care of her health (mainly when you plan a long tour as Once tour was) was understood as a sign of not being a part of the group of friends. This was not the case.

But another thing is that Tarja created through the years in Nightwish a character, like an actor does in a movie, where she plays a role. That character fitted the band perfectly. Nightwish has been named as the combination of classical music (or opera) with Heavy Metal. No doubts who was bringing the "classical" and who were giving the "heavy Metal" characteristics to Nightwish.

The band was very interested in the character Tarja created as the image of the band. They never complained about it, but endorsed it for their advantage.

Unfortunately, we seem to have reached a moment when the band members themselves forgot that the Tarja they could see on stage or in promo photos, taking care of her make up or her several clothes changes, singing with an operatic voice and attitude, was only a character. They forgot the person behind it.

To say that Tarja is a Diva, in the way it has been mentioned, is as ridiculous as it is to say that band members have effeminate manners because they use make up in their cheeks, nails and eyes…


153) Tuomas Holopainen blamed you for changing Tarja from a nice girl into a greedy diva. What do you think about it? Katerina Russia

The only change that I have seen in Tarja in the last 6 years is the one of a person growing from a teenager to an adult. I was not responsible for that.

I don't know the reasons why Tuomas wants to say these weird things about Tarja. To my knowledge Tarja has never asked for a penny of Tuomas' belongings and neither has Tuomas given Tarja anything of his own.

Neither has she ever asked for "diva" courtesy from the band or anybody else. She has asked just for basic conditions where she can perform her best to the fans.


154) if Tarja's expulsion was some moths ago, why do you think this person keeps trying to leave you as bad persons and as the responsible of everything, besides trying to put the fans against you?
si la expulsión de Tarja fue hace ya unos meses, ¿por qué piensas que esta persona sigue intentando dejaros a vosotros como unas malas personas y como los responsables de todo, además de intentar poner a los fans en contra vuestra?

Héctor Hernández España

I am sure that with all the elements that I am explaining with my answers, you are going to be able to arrive to the correct conclusion.


155) In many occasions Tarja has been accused of concerning only in her economic interests…but not in music? What can you tell about this? what of this is true?
En muchas ocasiones se ha acusado a Tarja de preocuparse solo por sus intereses economicos.. y no por la musica? Que pueden decir ustedes de esto? Que hay de cierto en todo esto?

Asier Hormaechea Romero España

To speak about economic interest or money is not a taboo. It seems now that nobody in the band ever cared about money at all. What I am sure is that philanthropists didn't surround me the last 6 years of my life.

Is very hypocrite to induce the people to believe that money is not important when you have a lot of it in the bank or invested in properties.

I can only believe words from a starving person in the street saying to me that love is more important than money.

I will agree with you that money is not all. How useful is all the money you have if you cannot buy the feelings of the person you love?

To be loved is more valuable than any amount of money.

It is correct to say that Tarja likes to take care about her things, including among others, her economical situation. In any case to accuse Tarja of not being concerned about music is ridiculous. She started with music when she was a kid, chose music to study, later it became a profession and all the time has been a way of life for her.

The reason why she accepted to join the band was because she liked the music they offered to her. One of the reasons why she continued with the band was the music.
Not even the reasons why she decided to leave the band or the reasons why she has been kicked out has nothing to do with the music.

156) Tarja really said that she was just a invited musician?? Tiago Neves Brazil


I cannot say if she ever used the exact words "invited musician".
Actually, words more or words less, I think that doesn't matter much.

I can tell you few examples of the band's daily routine and then we can find out if "invited musician" or "guest musician" or "band + singer" could describe the relation between the band and Tarja.

At the very beginning of Nightwish, Tarja was approached with a 3 songs demo to add her vocals to it. She did. Angel fall first happened in a similar way. Also Oceanborn and so on.
That was the normal procedure for the band.

Tarja never requested to have a place in the composition process. Never the band offered her a place in the composition process.

After Wishmaster tour, Tuomas stopped Nightwish and immediately informed about it to the record companies in Germany and Finland, but not to Tarja.

Until today she has the same information that you can have about the reasons Tuomas had to decide stopping the band. It has been told in the End of Innocence DVD. Tuomas never explained his decision to Tarja.

When Sami was kicked out, Tarja was living in Germany. Not to remark only that nobody consulted her about it, even worse, she received the news through a friend calling her to tell about a rumour he has heard in the streets of Kitee. Rumour that finally got confirmation from the facts.

Until today, never Tuomas explained to Tarja the reasons he had to decide Sami's expulsion from the band.

Nightwish grew as a band and we might be able to say that the interest of Tarja and the other band members for the music of Nightwish found a communion. Might be that also some goals were common for Tarja and the other band members. What has been always different, from the first day until the last, were the ways to reach those goals and the way of life of Tarja and the other band members.

Tuomas never sat down to discuss artistic things with Tarja like album covers, video elections, musical direction, and image of the band or any kind of future plans.

The band published a songbook of Once. Tarja was never asked her opinion about it or informed about it. The band never sent one copy to Tarja until today, even though I have myself requested to have it. Same story I can tell about a very nice limited edition of Once that Nuclear Blast released including a crystal ball. Even though I know that Nuclear Blast sent many of them to the band management, Tarja never got one. And yes, I asked for it more than once…

The Emma award is the equivalent of the Grammy for the Finnish record industry. I don't know how many Emma awards the band had the honour to receive through the last years.

Unfortunately, myself, being the husband of the singer of Nightwish I have never seen one. Tarja never received one from the band.

But if you believe this was an unintentional mistake, I should inform you that Tarja doesn't keep either any other prizes that the band has won in their career.

We are talking here about quality of the persons in the band and about the way the band members behave with each other. When Tarja released her single Yhden Enkelin Unelma, she was very happy to give one to each band member, crewmember and band management.
Not that she needed to do it. She wanted to. On the other hand, all band members released side projects, but Tarja never received a copy from them.

I have read how it has been mentioned that Tarja was never interested in checking artistic things from the band. I have seen myself how incorrect that is.

Since we got to know the idea to use screens to project images during the concert at Hartwall Arena (same ones you saw at the concert and that you'll see in the DVD), we have requested to see the images prepared for that purpose.

Even though I have insisted many times to the people in charge of it, it was only until the rehearsal day before the concert that Tarja was able to see only the images to be projected in one song. There was no time to see the other songs' images and in the best case, no time to modify anything in case she would have liked to…

During the concert itself she was able to see few more images, but not all for obvious reasons. Unfortunately she needed to wait until the DVD to see, same as you, what was happening behind her when she was performing.

You are fans of Tarja and Nightwish. Myself I have also my favourite artists. Is very hard for me to imagine a band like Genesis where Phil Collins was not discussing with Tony Banks about an album cover. I cannot think that Mike Rutherford was not aware of the music style intended for the next album. Is unthinkable, isn't it?

I wouldn't be surprised, instead, to discover that Elton John is not discussing with the bass player if he will use a white piano or a black one for the next video. But that's Elton John, not a band.

Nightwish never acted like a band even though it was never supposed to be a solo project.

I am leaving, on purpose, without mentioning the many things that Tarja was not consulted concerning business. Just to show you that not all the problems were business related as it has been distortedly shown to you.


157) What were, in your opinion, the real motives for Tarja Turunen to be out of Nightwish?
¿Cuáles fueron, en tu opinión, los verdaderos motivos de la salida de Tarja Turunen de Nightwish?
Marta Perez Spain

I think we will never know the real motives. Motives rest in Tuomas, some close people and band members' hearts. Seems there has been at least very strong motives to kick out Tarja, specially the way they did it.

Some of them might be the mentioned cultural differences that band members have in their minds and hearts with me, the non corresponded love from Tuomas to Tarja, Tarja's values that didn't match Tuomas and Tarja's maturity that didn't match Tuomas and the others, not compatible life styles between band members, different concept of friendship and responsibilities that comes with it, different approach to record business, the obvious problem to communicate within the band; just to name a few.


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I've heard how some people,
have said
that I've changed.
That I'm not what I was.
How it really is a shame.
The thoughts in their heads,
manifest on their brow
like bad scars from ill feelings
they themselves arouse.
So hateful of anyone that is happy
or free.
They live all their lives,
without looking to see.
I'm grateful to anyone,
that is happy or free
for giving me hope
while I'm looking to see.


George Harrison