Tarja vertrekt uit de metal-band Nightwish. Dit is officieel aangekondigd middels een open brief van de overige bandleden op de website www.nightwish.com:




"THE RECORDING OF "END OF AN ERA" -LIVE RELEASE WAS A HUGE SUCCESS
Nightwish recorded "End Of An Era" -live release yesterday evening in Hartwall-Arena, Helsinki. As you can imagine, the atmosphere in the Arena was wild but also quite blue. This was the ending for a one and a half year lasting "Once" -World Tour. Nightwish wishes to thank everybody for an unbelievable tour.

Unfortunately the title "End Of An Era" also holds a deeper meaning. The open letter, which was given to Tarja after the show, tells it all. You can read it from HERE"

"Dear Tarja,

Its time to choose whether the story of Nightwish ends here or whether it will still continue an undetermined period of time. Weve been working with this creation for 9 years and we are not ready to give up yet. Nightwish is a way of life, something to live for, and were certain we cant let it go.

Equally certain is the fact that we cannot go on with you and Marcelo any longer. During the last year something sad happened, which Ive been going over in my head every single day, morning and night. Your attitude and behavior dont go with Nightwish anymore. There are characteristics I would never have believed to see in my old dear friend.
People who dont talk with each other for a year do not belong in the same band.

We are involved in an industry where the business-side of things is a necessary evil and something to worry about all the time. We are also a band which has always done music from the heart, because of friendship and the music itself. The mental satisfaction should always be more important than money! Nightwish is a band, its an emotion.
To you, unfortunately, business, money, and things that have nothing to do with those emotions have become much more important. You feel that you have sacrificed yourself and your musical career for Nightwish, rather than thinking what it has given to you.
This attitude was clearly shown to me in the two things you said to me in an airplane in Toronto: I dont need Nightwish anymore. and Remember, Tuomas, that I could leave this band at any time, giving you only one days warning in advance.
I cant simply write any more songs for you to sing.

You have said yourself that you are merely a guest musician in Nightwish. Now that visit ends and we will continue Nightwish with a new female vocalist.
Were sure this is an equally big relief to you as it is for us. We have all been feeling bad long enough.

You told us that no matter what, the next Nightwish album will be your last one. However, the rest of us want to continue as long as the fire burns. So theres no sense in doing that next album with you, either.
The four of us have been going over this situation countless times and we have realized that this is the thing we want to do in life. Its all we can do. In December 2004, in Germany, you said that you will never tour again for more than two weeks at a time. You also said that we can forget about U.S. and Australia because the fees and the sizes of venues are too small.

In interviews Ive mentioned that if Tarja leaves, that would be the end of the band. I understand that people will think this way. Nightwish is, however, a scenery of my soul and Im not ready to let go because of one person. A person who wants to focus her creativity to somewhere else, a person whose values dont match mine.

We were never bothered by the fact that you didnt participate in writing/arranging songs, you never in 9 years came to rehearse the songs with us before going to the studio. Not the fact that while on tour you always wanted to fly, separately from us with your husband. Not the fact that you are an undisputable front image of the band.
We accepted and felt ok about everything except greed, underestimating the fans, and breaking promises. It was agreed by the five of us that Nightwish would be the priority in everything that we do during 2004-2005. Still so many things were more important to you. The ultimate example being the already sold-out show in Oslo, which you wanted to cancel because you needed to rehearse for your solo concerts, meet frieds and go to the movies. Those were the words Marcelo used in an e-mail explaining the cancellation. This being just one example of so many. I couldnt think of a worse way of being selfish and dismissing our fans.

Nightwish is a way of life and a job with many obligations. To each other and to the fans. With you we cant take care of those duties anymore.

Deep within we dont know which one of you drove us to this point. Somehow Marcelo has changed you from the lovely girl you were into a diva, who doesnt think or act the way she used to. You are too sure of your irreplaceableness and status.

Its obvious that you blame your stress and misery on us four. And you think we dont respect or listen to you. Belive us; We have always had the uppermost respect towards you as a wonderful vocalist and as a friend. And very often during the past couple of years the plans were made according to your decisions only. You were always the only one who wanted more money from the shows.
This compensation and more money from everything attitude is the fact that we are most disappointed of!

We wish that from now on you will listen to your heart instead of Marcelo. Cultural differences combined with greed, opportunism and love is a dangerous combination. Do not wither yourself.

This decision is not something we are especially proud of but you gave us no choice. The gap between us is too wide. And the decision is made by us four unanimously. We are beyond the point where things could be settled by talking.

All the best for your life and career,



Tuomas



Emppu Jukka Marco


Ps. This is an open letter for everybody.



. Zoals duidelijk mag zijn ben ik totaal niet blij met dit bericht.

Tarja heeft een zeer mooie en unieke stem, waar Nightwish bekend en groot mee is geworden. Zonder Tarja als front-vrouw geen Nightwish.... .

Eeuwig zonde dat het zo is gelopen. Nightwish gaat gewoon door, met een nieuwe stem. Ik ben zeer benieuwd wie haar plaats gaat en kán innemen. Er moet een behoorlijk gat gevuld worden. En misschien worden we wel blij verrast. . Aan de songteksten zal het in ieder geval niet liggen. .

We zullen wel zien hoe Nightwish hierna verder gaat. En wie weet wat we kunnen verwachten van Tarja's solo-carrière. Voor de fans blijft het natuurlijk een bittere pil. (including me). .

En ik ben uiteraard zeer benieuwd naar Tarja's reactie op deze brief! We wachten af...