Cyan Kicks have long-established their own place in the metal and rock scene, so it’s to no surprise that even as when they are just the support act, they were able to already fill Tampere’s Pakkahuone quite well.

Their show was hot and energetic, although very condensed. Especially vocalist Susanna Alexandra was giving it her all. The crowd, at least at the front, also did their part to keep the temperatures rising. And while the people in the back still needed a bit more time to fully awake, the vibe on this gig was generally great.

I do have to admit that Cyan Kicks isn’t particularly my cup of tea, but the fun and excitement they spread didn’t leave me cold either. It’s always a pleasure to see a band that seems to fully enjoy what they do.

Smash Into Pieces have grown a lot since I last had the pleasure to see them live, and so has their crowd. Last I saw them, they were rocking a bar gig in front of approximately 100 people. So it’s really nice to see them confidently entertaining a filled Pakkahuone. To my surprise, the crowd seemed slightly smaller during Smash Into Pieces than it did during Cyan Kicks. But the people that were there seemed even more excited, and they did a great job singing along.
A small negative of the bigger size venue is that now all the light effects and gadgets of the Apocalypse DJ don’t create quite as much drama as they did in smaller places.
Other than that, they are still just as catchy, and it seems almost impossible to me not to have a good time at their gig.

One particular highlight of the evening was seeing the thousands of phones in the air during ‘Vanguard‘. Jumping on the other hand doesn’t seem to be this crowd’s favourite activity, while people happily complied shining their flashlight or singing along I couldn’t see a single person jumping, at least from my spot.

Another thing that bugged me a little is that it seems like gigs are getting shorter and shorter. It just feels sad to me when a headliner, like in this case, barely plays one hour and 10 Minutes, including their encores.

Nonetheless, I had a good time and while the evening was short, at least the quality was high.