NIGHTWISH Singer ANETTE OLZON Explains Decision To Hire Personal Manager

16.01.2009

The latest issue of MeNaiset, the most popular women's magazine in Finland, features a cover story on NIGHTWISH frontwoman Anette Olzon. The Swedish singer was interviewed for the article, which focuses on Anette's personal life and the behind-the-scenes politics that comes along with being in one of Finland's biggest rock exports.

According to Anette, she had a meltdown during the band's recent South American tour and walked offstage halfway through NIGHTWISH's concert in Belo Horizonte, Brazil because she lost her voice after being exposed to an excessive amount of smoke.

Olzon: "It's a big deal for a singer to lose his or her voice on stage. On the other hand, if the same situation had arisen six months earlier, I definitely wouldn't have walked off stage. Also the stress and the bad vibe within the band reached a boling point in Brazil."

Anette says the atmosphere on the road was tense and she had a hard time dealing with the stress that comes along with being away from home for weeks at a time.

"[The other guys in NIGHTWISH] have had ten years of experience in this business," she says. "I only have two years under my belt. When people become tired of each other, they become alienated from one another. Every group needs a war sometimes and we hadn't had one in the entire time I have been in the band. We spent our time tiptoeing around each other rather than arguing.

She continued: "A big fight clears the air. Everyone was tired but we got everything resolved. There's no point in dwelling on the past; you have to think ahead. On stage, though, everything is fine and we all have fun. The hassles away from the stage are the cause of most of the stress. It's not just about music; you have to constantly deal with new people and things around you."

One of the changes that Anette made is that she hired a well-known Swedish manager to handle her personal affairs. Olzon believes that in the long run, the expertise of a big company like the one she is currently working with will also help King Foo Entertaiment, which manages NIGHTWISH.

Olzon: "It was a hard decision for me [to hire a personal manager] because I didn't want problems with the band. I said that I have different needs in these areas than the rest of the guys. I, for example, need clothing sponsors which doesn't interest the rest of the band. Now I have a person who will be able to take care of that kind of stuff."

The fact that her new manager is Swedish has helped Anette deal with the business end of things better. Against her initial expectations, working in English has proved to be a little bit more complicated for Anette. There is also the fact that King Foo has worked with the NIGHTWISH guys for ten years and is therefore more at their service.

Anette emphasizes that her decision to hire a personal manager is more about making practical things run more smoothly than an attempt to create division or separate herself from the rest of the band. Now she doesn't have to get snappy if the band's manager hasn't done something and the rest of the group doesn't have to worry about Anette's special needs.

Olzon: "I now understand that [original NIGHTWISH singer] Tarja Turunen surely had a good reason to have her own manager and so do I. That doesn't affect my desire to be in the band, though. I believe this decision will help all of us."

Artists who are required to do a lot of traveling as part of their jobs have different ways of making themselves feel at home. For Anette, one way to achieve this was to tattoo the name of her son, Seth, on her right leg. The boy, who is old enough to attend school, is the apple of Anette's eye. Even though she spends a lot of time away from home, Anette — who divorced Seth's father after she joined NIGHTWISH — beams with excitement when talking about the normal, everyday things she does with her son.

Olzon: "Of course, it's hard sometimes. When I'm away a lot, he asks when he can come and join me on the road. We [NIGHTWISH] rarely play near my home, and he has his school, so the visits on tour don't happen very often. I still feel great knowing how proud of me Seth is."

Anette says her son loves the entire group. The bandmembers are his idols and he wants to be a guitarist when he grows up.

One of Seth's favorite moments took place when NIGHTWISH performed at the Metaltown festival in Gothenburg, Sweden.

"Seth came onstage to bow with us," says Anette. "I, of course, want to protect him, but I had to allow him that chance. He says that it was so cool to be on stage that he wants to come along next time and he decided to become a rock star when he grows up."

Source: Blabbermouth.net

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I met Anette once in Las Vegas before their show and she was a real sweet heart. And on stage she is amazing. I agree, she needs a PM to address her needs, it's tough being on the road being surrounded by all guys all the time, you sort of lose your identity. I'm a guy but I understand that much about women. My best to Anette, I love her madly, she is a great performer.

Jacomo wrote on 16.01.2009 at 13:52
Olzon: "I now understand that [original NIGHTWISH singer] Tarja Turunen surely had a good reason to have her own manager and so do I. ... "

Thank you Anette!

Tillhelmina wrote on 16.01.2009 at 16:55
I can't like her anymore!
this is not Nightwish!
she looks like britney spears... horrible.... and her voice too..
i hope that tarja will come back

Anna wrote on 16.01.2009 at 18:45
History repeating?

Jess wrote on 16.01.2009 at 19:21
I love her!!! Nettie is the best person of the world!!! :-)

Enigma wrote on 16.01.2009 at 20:23
I hope her private manager will care for her clothes good enough, because now she dresses terribly.

klm wrote on 16.01.2009 at 20:53
I hope that Tuomas will learn his lession.

TheSeer wrote on 16.01.2009 at 22:09
She dyed her hair? Christ.. She looks much better brown-haired.
But eh.. It's the music that counts, not the looks, right?

Ann wrote on 17.01.2009 at 02:50
Why does people think that clothing is everything??? Damn, the deal is to have a good time on stage, not to be worry about wearing black or blue.....

Get over it!

Rockma wrote on 17.01.2009 at 05:42
"Got a BAD feeling about this"
I hope they don't make the sames mistakes like with Tarja :S

Ben wrote on 17.01.2009 at 10:04
Think this will be the end of Nightwish with Anette. She is going to act like Tarja. Hope for the rest of the band the break up will come soon and that they don't have to go through the same horrible period as they had to go through with Tarja..

jan wrote on 17.01.2009 at 17:14
Ahh please, she just needs some time to sort herself out. I can't wait to see these guys live again, Anette is an amazing person and so are the rest of band so grow up and be nice for once you guys!

Sarah wrote on 17.01.2009 at 17:45
if Anette's manager would not bang her like the manager of the former singer did, then she would not have any problems with guys in the band.

to jan wrote on 17.01.2009 at 20:04
Well, as long as the manager doesn't marry her, I don't think there'll be much problems. Anette seems to have her head in the right place, and her feet firmly on the ground.
I mean, give the girl a break. Change isn't always bad:)

Kittydevil wrote on 18.01.2009 at 11:59
Wow, communication problems in 2000, communication problems in 2005 and still communication problems nowadays...how about hiring a communication coach? (or changing management, for that matter...)

lala wrote on 18.01.2009 at 13:19
It must be hard on her who had no experience in touring with such a big band all around the world. The manager will be a big help for her and for the guys.
She's an amazing singer and a really nice person.

Kaoru wrote on 18.01.2009 at 22:06
who cares if she wants to date/bang/marry her new manager or not? it's not like the problems with tarja weren't there before marcelo came into the picture... I hate how everyone puts the blame on one single person with this issue... it's the whole band's responsiblilty to be able to communicate with each other and make their best to understand everyone's point of view and try to sort things out on the process... they're all only human, come on!
However, it does seem that Anette is already beginning to understand some of Tarja's decisions, but on the other side she seems much more comfortable and closer to the rest of the band than Tarja ever did.

Blackwood wrote on 19.01.2009 at 02:39
lala said: "Wow, communication problems in 2000, communication problems in 2005 and still communication problems nowadays...how about hiring a communication coach?"

How about Tuomas hiring a personal shrink?

TheSeer wrote on 19.01.2009 at 14:54
Actually, there is a thing called "band therapist" maybe they should hire one... on the other hand, why do some people think that being on a band means being best friends and never argue or fight in your entire time together? come on... Anette herself says that bands need to have a little trouble sometimes, and I think that's true for every kind of relationship people have. and to the one that suggested that Tuomas should hire a personal shrink... well, that may help him in case he's not happy now, but I doubt it solves anything for the rest of the band... it's never one person's fault when things go sour, it's not fair to place all the blame in one individual.

Blackwood wrote on 19.01.2009 at 18:37
It seems, that NW don't know how to take care of their singers... if Anette needs a Personal Manager it means that her needs weren't being met, and that's just sad. The 2005 mess wasn't never just Tarja's fault and that Anette feels like having her own management just proves that.

I'd agree Holopainen needs a shrink.

Elia Smith wrote on 19.01.2009 at 20:43
Sorry people but don't talk "bull shit" and try to be too "wise"!You only read newspapers,books and maybe hear some rumours but those things don't show the whole truth about anything.Only the members of the band knows the truth!
The band is like a family and it's very normal to clear the atmosphere sometimes and IT'S NOT NOBODY'S FAULT.If they can talk things over and clear up the problems then everything can go well.If they can't do this then it's a divorce like 2005 and that's "finito" like many many bands before...THIS IS LIFE!
I have saw so many nasty evil comments about Anette and even boys too so let them be alone and make the best music what they be able to do!NIGHTWISH ROCKS!

RockMan wrote on 20.01.2009 at 01:28
Well thank god COB doesn't have this crap problem, Period. I like the one where Alexi says that when COB tour they are like Brothers as can be seen in REVOLVER Gigantour Edition.

Ravisk wrote on 20.01.2009 at 08:03
Tuomas said that his lyrics are the mirror of his soul. And everything I've concluded about him I've concluded from his lyrics. In particular, that he was in love with Tarja and that he is a psycho. Just read The Pacific demo lyrics (Nuclear Blast forced him to omit that part):

?THE PACIFIC? (LYRICS FROM DEMO VERSION)
Part of THE POET AND THE PENDULUM Song of NIGHTWISH
.....

?Would you like to rape my rotting carcass?
Dissect my heart.
And desecrate my rest.
It would make you cum, wouldn't it?

Thin is the line between love and hate. ;-)

And now back to Anette. In one of her first interviews, being asked about Tuomas, Anette said that he is very silent and doesn't speak much. And Tuomas said in that infamous open letter to Tarja that people who doesn't speak to each other do not belong to the same band. So according to his words, Tuomas should either start speaking or fire himself. Or fire everybody else, so that it would be only him in Nightwish. Where he would be speaking with the voices in his head.

TheSeer wrote on 20.01.2009 at 17:41
hahah !!!
so the problem, as many had figured out, was the management of NW (shame on you!), not Tarja, nor Marcelo.... funny and so sad !!! you guys are in deep shit! Why not make your "Some Kind of Monster" DVD... that would sell like hell.

NL wrote on 21.01.2009 at 06:20
I think there ist a big difference between a manager from Sweden and one from South America - it's just different mentalities. Anette's manager will understand the guys from the band in a much better way, since he is from the same area. And about talking: I think Tuomas will have a better chance to deal and talk with Anette since he is not in love with her. I guess that was the big problem why he couldn't talk to Tarja anymore, seeing her with another man... Nevertheless, one should not compare Anette to Tarja since they are totally different from each other. The NWguys had a good reason to choose her and it always proves on stage!!

Camilla wrote on 25.02.2009 at 12:16
I think NW wanted to become more popular here in the U.S that's why they chose Anette..she's not a bad singer,but I miss Tarja. I just hope someday there is going to a reunion and bring her back...I would to love see them together.

maricela wrote on 25.02.2009 at 23:24
We'll see...Cabuli wasn't obviously the best manager around, but so are Ewo and King Foo. Let's just hope there won't be another string of miscommunications and wrong informations between managements. One thing is for sure: NW management is blatantly unable to take good care of its singers, and that's a shame.

jmm wrote on 26.02.2009 at 15:03
I am glad anette hired a personal manager! especally one that speaks her native language

NWFan wrote on 02.04.2009 at 13:10
Anette is a great person...I do not personaly know her but the image she passes to us shows that she has a good soul and she knows to love and estimate everything wich worth it..I really want her haters to shut their mouth and understand that she is the new singer...Tarja will not come back..stop blaming Anette..She is not responsible for what happens....Stop blaming her for her "bad for you voice"...If you don't like her why don't you blame the band?Tuomas?It was band's choice not Anette's...She is not responsible...WAKE UP!
Nightwish forever in my soul!

Marissa wrote on 04.04.2009 at 16:25
I really can't believe that some people are still complaining about anette and praying for tarja to come back, it will never happen! I don't know how some old fans hate or don't like the band anymore for the poor reason of tarja leaving, I mean what about the music!? and the magnific lyrics!? and anette has a great voice, it is so different but it's still awesome. Tarja wasn't nightwish, Nightwish is Nightwish with anette or tarja singing, it doesn't matter they rock!

sorry for my bad english*

Paola wrote on 05.04.2009 at 01:25
In every group or family are problems, but this does not mean that Anette will leave or what... She is great. Wake up, it is only the new manager, who speaks her mother language, and if it will help her, why not? Tarja was a different character, that was the problem.
Poor Tuomas, if he reads some of your comments...

Tanira wrote on 06.04.2009 at 13:36

NIGHTWISH Singer ANETTE OLZON Explains Decision To Hire Personal Manager

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