Nightwish's Floor Jansen To Open For Metallica This Weekend After Five Finger Death Punch Pull Out

26 April 2023 | 2:52 pm | Mary Varvaris
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"To perform in front of over 50,000 fans in my home country is something I can't quite fathom..."

(Pic via Floor Jansen's Facebook)

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Floor Jansen, the longtime vocalist of Finnish symphonic metal band Nightwish, will be opening for Metallica this Saturday, 29 April, on the second night of the band’s massive M72 tour.

Jansen, promoting her debut solo album, Paragon, a collection of pop-infused emotional ballads, showcases her versatility as a vocalist and songwriter, exploring her journeys through motherhood.

“I can't believe this is happening,” Jansen wrote on social media upon Metallica revealing the big change to their upcoming Amsterdam show. “I will support Metallica on their M72 World Tour show on April 29th in Amsterdam”.

She continued, “What a huge honor [sic]! To perform in front of over 50,000 fans in my home country is something I can't quite fathom. Let's rock the Johan Cruijff Arena!”

In a follow-up post, she wrote, “From an incredible moment to an unbelievable opportunity,” alongside a sweet set of photos of herself fist-bumping James Hetfield last year. “Last year, James Hetfield caught the Nightwish set at Pinkpop and fist-bumped me afterwards. And now, I'm opening for Metallica! It’s an honor [sic] beyond words”.

Five Finger Death Punch had to withdraw from opening for Metallica this Saturday – they will return for the remainder of their scheduled dates – due to vocalist Ivan L. Moody’s recent surgery “to correct an acute hernia injury,” a statement from the band reads.

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“The recovery proved more challenging than initially thought and on the advice of his doctors, Ivan and Five Finger Death Punch will not be able to perform the show in Amsterdam with Metallica. 5FDP will perform ALL subsequent scheduled dates. See you in Paris!”

Last November, Jansen revealed that she was cancer-free after receiving a breast cancer diagnosis in October. While she was lucky to receive a non-aggressive diagnosis, Jansen used her platform to share that without attending her routine mammogram, the tumour would have been found later and put her in further danger.

You can read her full post about the diagnosis and treatment here.