Beast In Black

Barclays Arena, Hamburg, Germany

PSD Bank Dome, Düsseldorf, Germany

As far as pre-gig rituals go, asking how many NIGHTWISH fans you can fit into a Five Guys is just one of the games gig-goers are playing before the Finnish masters of symphonic metal finally take to the stage, just a mere three years after announcing the tour.

Be warned! If there is a show in one of the ice-halls in Helsinki, always bring a hoodie! Its really cold inside and you might need it.

When I arrived at the venue, there was already a long line outdoors and again many people asking if someone had a spare-ticket for them. Some even were wearing their MYRATH shirts making no disguise of the fact that they had come for the support.

Munich on a Friday night - a sold-out Backstage, I had braced myself for the worst, but everything went really smooth.

Helsinki, Finland