It can be weird in life. Floor Jansen knows all about it. De Brabantse is the singer of the Finnish Nightwish, a topper in the symphonic metal genre, world famous for years. But last year, thanks to the popular television program Dear singers, she suddenly broke through to a wider audience in the Netherlands.
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The result is this first solo tour with only sold-out venues. Also in Groningen the cards could not be dragged on, she could have sold out De Oosterpoort twice.
Six days earlier she was unfortunately not there to receive the prestigious Popprijs on the same stage during the Noorderslag pop festival. A listening session scheduled for a new record by Nightwish preceded the media. In the Groningen dressing room, she is now greeted with champagne and cake. ,, We are going to celebrate it tightly. I think it’s such an honor! “
Gun factor
Jansen makes clear from the start what her intentions are. She opens with Ever dream, a Nightwish oldie. “We are enjoying it, I can’t help it.” The audience is sitting, just as it was able to enjoy Best singers on the couch at home. And just like in that program, the versatile Marcel Fisser Band accompanies her. That happens skillfully, although it will become apparent during the twice 45 minutes that playing metal with bombast is a job in itself.
Jansen is known as a sympathetic and modest front woman with a big gun factor. She calls herself Metal Princess, while at the moment she is definitely the queen in the Netherlands. And what colleague Sharon den Adel (Within Temptation) failed, she succeeds. She builds a bridge between two worlds and thus acts as an ambassador for her beloved style of music with her impressive range of voices. She says it herself, metal is much more than hard and satanic. “And the rest of the Netherlands now also finds out.”
Dress raffled
In this way a dual but entertaining performance unfolds. Songs she performed during Best singers alternate the repertoire that she built with her bands Nightwish, After Forever, ReVamp and Northward. She keeps it small in Mama by folk singer Samantha Steenwijk and Shallow by Lady Gaga & Bradley Cooper, gets moved during her performance of Strong.
It really goes wild after the break in which her dress is raffled: 195 people buy a lottery ticket for ten euros. Élan (Nightwish) is greeted enthusiastically and opera singer Henk Poort presents The Sound of Silence beautifully. He finishes the job head-on, in a duet with Jansen, through a glorious rendition of The phantom of the opera. Logical that after that apotheosis, no encore follows.
Event: Floor Jansen concert and Marcel Fisser Band.
Special guest: Henk Poort.
Heard: 24/1, Oosterpoort, Groningen.
Audience: 1,150 (sold out).
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