The Couch: Nightwish – Tuomas Holopainen

Tuomas Holopainen – that’s the name of the man at the keys of Nightwish who also holds all strings in his hands: Although not for hundred percent most of the lyrics and melodies are written by him. Without his commitment as the founder of the band the world wouldn’t be able to enjoy such great albums as ‘Oceanborn’, ‘Century Child’ and recently ‘Once’ just to name a few. In interviews Tuomas always puts on the record that his lyrics are like entries of a diary and that you can learn everything about him from them. We gave him a chance to speak directly without the harmonious (indirect) way through his music.

*What job did you want to learn when you were a child?*
- I wanted to become a marine biologist when I was five years old.

*Do you live at the sea?*
- No, I live in the middle of the woods far away from the sea but natural sciences always appealed to me; these were also my favourite subjects at school especially biology. I have always been obsessed with the ocean; I have no idea why. As a marine biologist I would have been able to combine both of these passions.

*Which subject at school did you like fewest of all?*
- Drawing, painting, art, I am really bad at this and I never liked it.

*What did you like least about yourself?*
- I can be very selfish.

*What do you especially like about yourself?*
- Creativity and innocence.

*Explain the word ‘innocence’.*
- That is something that got lost completely a few years ago. Since last year I started to regain a bit of it. I worked towards it for years. To have a childlike mind, to preserve naivety in a good way.

*What are you scared of apart from spiders?*
- Big crowds and being in the middle of them.

*Which characteristics of other people are dislikeable to you?*
- Moaning about nullities which have no importance.

*How would your parents characterise you?*
- My mother always told that I am a very empathetic person which means that I can feel what other people feel. Additionally she always characterised my as ambitious but certainly positive ambition.

*Which person –dead or alive- you would like to meet?*
- Walt Disney, his work always influenced me especially mentally.

*Which is your favourite character then?*
- Donald Duck.

*How do you behave when you are drunk? Loud? Bad-mannered? Calm? In high spirits? Ludicrous?*
- I’m never loud and never bad-mannered. Most of the time I have my funny hour and then it’s over. I am a calm drunkard. Of course there are exceptions. And I am not able to hold a lot of drinks.

*Because of what have you been ashamed for the last time?*
- Last Wednesday (September 2004) we played in Helsinki and I screwed things up back there. I played the wrong song in the wrong sound at the keyboard for twenty seconds without noticing it until the others cast significant glances at me.

*What can you laugh about?*
- About our crew; those are the funniest guys in the world. Especially when you offer them some money so that they do some stupidness.