Once upon a Nightwish - The Early Years

The classic biography chronicling the rise of this extraordinary band up to the departure of Tarja, now back in print as an affordable reprint! Paperback, 353 pages, w/ 32 pages of rare black&white photos. Meet Nightwish – the “shitty band with shitty equipment and no commercial potential” from Kitee, Finland,
that turns out to be a Platinum-selling, trend-setting international musical phenomenon. This is their
story, as told by Tuomas, Tarja, Emppu, Jukka, Sami, and Marco themselves; a tale of a Disney dreamer
and a drama queen; of frowning Finns, exhibitionist roadies, eccentric producers, cursed bassists, faith
healers, death threats, behind-the-scenes battles, managerial mayhem, fame and fortune, loss and lament
- and music that captured the hearts and minds of the world.

“Worth the wait!” —Dave Ling, Classic Rock UK

“The Nightwish story offers up a spectacular dramatic arc, and Mape Ollila grabs it with both hands. He has clearly been close and personal with the people he interviewed for the book, and this shows up in the candid statements that find their way onto the page. No stone is left unturned, whether it is about personal chemistry, contractual wrangling, or simple old-fashioned rock stars getting trashed.” —Jarkko Jokelainen, Helsingin Sanomat

“Even though it is sanctioned by the band, Once Upon A Nightwish isn’t a puff piece. Ollila draws his own conclusions, and both positives and negatives are portrayed throughout. The band s founder and songwriter Tuomas Holopainen is a fascinating figure. He s a musical wizard, but his and the band s lack of communication skills causes problem after problem. Tarja Turunen is also a compelling person. Ollila chronicles her transformation from shy schoolgirl to superstar diva.

“All of the band members are interviewed throughout the book, along with industry and record label insiders, friends and family. A lot of different perspectives are given, which gives a pretty well-rounded picture of the band s story. Once Upon A Nightwish is a compelling read, and one that s equally interesting for hardcore or casual fans of the group.

“The thing that came to my mind after finishing it was that there really needs to be a Behind The Music episode on Nightwish. Their emergence from a small Finnish town to international superstardom culminating in the public firing of their lead singer and trying to maintain their success is the exact dramatic arc that makes those shows so interesting.” —Chad Bower, About.com