Floor Jansen

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Floor had played Wacken Open Air three times prior to today, once in After Forever and twice in Nightwish including her highly regarded headliner performance with Nightwish at the 2013 festival. Today, she made her "solo" Wacken debut and I had the livestream on my 55" TV with my soundbar's volume cranked. I put "solo" in quotes because it didn't feel like solo show. Her current band are tight as any named band and sounded fantastic as they worked through a setlist drawn from Floor's 25+ years music career from After Forever through to last year's Nightwish entry Yesterwynde. It was a metal show, unlike her past solo sets, even doing new metal arrangements of power pop songs from her solo album Paragon. Highlights were aplenty but the standouts were one of the best performances I have ever heard of "While Love Died" from her one off project Northward to the ending, featuring gorgeous performances of Nightwish's "Nemo" and then her solo hit "Fire" redone with a heavier sound. Floor wonderful mix of power and skillful control was in evidence all through, demonstrating why she is regarded as one of the best female voices in metal over and over again. No nice surprises this time, just an hour of fantastic musical performances. Will post any good videos. Wacken is usually pretty good about posting a song or two from the livestreams a day or two after a show.

 

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The video from Saturday is current still on magenta.de, the German broadcaster with the rights to Wacken and Wacken have released one song on their YouTube channel. The Nightwish classic "Nemo" was originally recorded in 2005 when Tarja Turunen was lead vocalist. However, its enduring popularity with fans means it has become part of Floor's repertoire both in and out of the band ever since she joined them in 2013 and this is her third time singing it on stage at Wacken. It's one of their more straighforward compositions, a fast hard piece of classic metal in the traditional arrangement but also works well in another setting as an acoustic ballad. This is the traditional metal version but with Floor's solo band instead of Nightwish. Doesn't matter. They nail it. Her final belt was getting raves on the last Nightwish tour and it's still here, though I don't think she's holding it as long as she did then (15 seconds near the top of her range).

 

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Last night saw the launch of Strijdlust, Floor's theater tour of the Netherlands, which combines musical performances with reflections on her life and 25+ year musical career. And the bombshell of the night has to be this performance. Joined on stage by a live string trio (NOT a backing track), Floor gives the live debut of Lanternlight, the gorgeous ballad that closes Nightwish's 2024 album Yesterwynde. It is a powerful, emotional showpiece for her even on the album with but this solo arrangement really takes that to another level. She even goes a capella for a verse, with her keyboardist and the strings going silent.

 

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I should have known Floor would not hire a string section and just use them on one song. I don't think I've heard Elan done with violin (or viola?) before. The parts she's playing are usually played by Troy Donockley on his flute or on keys. But wow, what a nice touch for one of my favourite Nightwish/Floor songs. Haven't seen the string players credited anywhere yet. Floor usually introduces her musicians on social media at some point so I hope to find out eventually who they are.

 

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Big night in the Floorworld calendar tonight. Toon Hermans House is an organization that supports cancer patients and their families in the Netherlands. Floor's father has been involved with the organization. So tonight, she and her friend Henk Poort join other Dutch artists for a concert in honour of Toons Hermans House. And given it is her and Henk, there is likely a performance of "Phantom of the Opera" on the menu. Floor managed to arrange a block of seats for her fans, sold through Floorworld. I kind wish I could be there myself but Athens is rather far from Roermand, Netherlands so I shall live vicariously through my friends on Floorworld.

(Toon Hermans, by the way, was a famous Dutch comedian and singer.)

 

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Whether in the lively full band version or the softer acoustic version as here, "How's the Heart?" by Nightwish is a favourite of mine. It first appeared on their 9th album, Floor's second with the band, Human :||: Nature and continues to appear in both the band's and Floor's solo sets. This is from her Strijdlust show in Utrecht a couple weeks ago. Part of the appeal is Tuomas Holopainen's usual brilliant writing and part of it is the emotional connection Floor brings to it. I mean, how can a mother of two singing "Now there's one who came from me, a child of light, another tale" not have an emotional resonance (in fact, I kind of wonder if she came up with that line given Tuomas himself has no children)?

 

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From the Arnhem show, "While Love Died" from the 2018 album Northward, co-written by Floor with Norwegian guitarist Jorn Viggo Lofstad. The original is a fairly hard rocker but this arrangement, originally done for a cover by German Johannes Oerding, takes it in some new directions musically.

And for me, "Energize Me" originally by her band After Forever, is a quintessential Floor song. No new arrangements or new takes for this one. This is the song as I know and love it, rockin' hard and full of life.

 

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It's now been 6 years since Floor's appearance on the Dutch TV series Beste Zangers (Best Singers) that helped spark her solo career. She returned to that venue today for a special episode raising funds and awareness for children's cancer. She sang twice, both duets.

First, she teamed with Dutch country singer Douwe Bob for one of her own songs, "Hope". It's a fitting song for a show like this and the duet version was executed beautifully.

But then she teamed with Dutch operatic mezzo Maria Fiselier for "Because We Believe" by Andrea Bocelli. Holy hell, it's a bring the house down moment. Floor studied operatic singing as part of her training but it's rare to hear it in full bloom these days outside the odd song by Nightwish. But here she goes. Both women are in fine form and it's a doozy of a performance.

 

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"Because We Believe" by Andrea Bocelli

FYI, the song was co-written by Bocelli with David and Amy Foster (David's daughter). Bocelli provided the Italian lyrics, David the music, Amy the English lyrics.