Photo Reports
It was about time that the Norwegian misfits of Kvelertak dropped by again in Finland. If there’s one thing that is guaranteed when these dudes come over for a gig, is that you’ll get a damn explosive evening! Add to that them bringing the melodic hardcore bombshell that is the Canadian Cancer Bats, and you know you’re in for a wild night!
When an absolute legend like John Lydon (formerly known as Johnny Rotten) comes to a venue near you with his band Public Image Ltd. to present their latest album ‘End of World’, how can you say no to that? So of we went, to a sold out Ääniwalli in the outskirts of Helsinki, an event hosted by All Things Live Finland.
The Tonhalle was huge for just one person, and without fear of facing an audience that probably wouldn’t be his, JANOSCH MOLDAU came on stage. In about half an hour, fearless, he managed to present his synth-pop songs and have the visibility needed to win over new followers – a thankless task, but always worth it!
When the veterans Combichrist take to the stage, they have no pity for those in front of them, “massacring” those present with an outpouring of energy and power that makes your whole body vibrate and your ears bleed. The mix of electronic beats and ultra-heavy guitar riffs is the perfect combination for those who like genuinely alternative sounds. Andy LaPlegua and his mates worked up a sweat and were always very interactive, to the point where the stage was no longer the limit and bassist Elliott entered the middle of the riot and crowdsurfed while playing his instrument.
Closing the evening, Megaherz performed new songs from “In Teufels Namen” and, of course, old favourites from their long career. In front of their most loyal audience and playing at home, they gave a relatively warm but consistent concert, with good lighting and stage sound.
Every year the Lost in Music Festival, Finland’s biggest showcase Festival, brings around 100 Artists to Tampere. The event includes everything from newcomers to established all stars, from R&B to Heavy Metal. This festival will surely be able to check the box for almost everyone.
We made it to one of the events happening at Olympia-Kortteli, featuring Bloodred Hourglass, One Morning Left and Shereign. I must say, that even though I know this was a great combo, I didn’t expect there to be quite so many people, after all, the show was held on a Thursday night. It was packed, it was hot and it was a big party.
Right in the beginning of October, Michael Monroe, Sami Yaffa, Nasty Suicide and Karl Rockfist showed what a true rock ‘n’ roll show is when Demolition 23. performed in a fully sold out Tavastia club in Helsinki. Resurrected for one Finnish tour (at least for now) this project of former Hanoi Rocks members published only one album in 1994 and now enjoys a true legend or even cult status in the rock ‘n’ roll scene. And it shows, they even booked an extra show for Helsinki since every single show was sold out. This night was the epitome of what a rock ‘n’ roll show should be, so check out the photos down below and be on the lookout for a full gig report on our site soon!
Looking back on a beautiful night for a great cause:
September 30, the first edition of Aütfëst takes place in Bruay-La-Buissière, somewhere in northern France. It’s a charity festival. Proceeds go to 2 autism-related partner associations: Ma p’tite fée autiste and Association AZUR…
It was a festival that was well-prepared by the 32 volunteers they could count on. Not only musically, but in addition there were food trucks, various stalls, a barber, merchandise stands for each band separately as well as their own merchandise. Aütfëst even had its own beer! There was also a guitar to be won, autographed by the winner’s favorite band (which turned out to be Kamizol K).
Musically, there were 7 bands on the program. All French metal bands, but each with a different genre, so something for everyone:
Overflow Guy: a Noise-Grunge duo with catchy melodies.
Titans Rage: Heavy metal as it sounded in the 80s. Both the voice and the music are reminiscent of Iron Maiden. They pay tribute to Lemmy with the song “Lemmy,” written in the old Motörhead style.
Death Structure: Good for half an hour of death metal!
Kamizol K: A hardcore group from Lyon… At the end of their show, they call a lot of people on stage… It’s up to them to hand out the autographed guitar to the lucky winner!
Overdrivers: If you didn’t know, you’d think they’re Airbourne!
Xaon: Unfortunately, they had some soundcheck problems that led to a sound that wasn’t quite right, but other than that, they put on a great show of the best symphonic death metal France has to offer!
BlackRain: Good for even more than an hour of old school Glam metal/ Hard Rock was headliner Blackrain from Annecy.
Last month Circuit Breaker Bookings with All Out Productions produced a massive night of extreme music by bringing the grindcore juggernauts Full Of Hell all the way from US to a fully sold out On The Rocks venue in the heart of Helsinki. Opening acts provided a proper warm up with local Finnish bands, the deathgore duo Kuvotus and the hardcore industrial metal act in the form of Dome Runner. This was by far one of the most intense nights I have ever photographed, the moment Full Of Hell started, all hell broke loose sending the crowd into a fierce, violent moshpits topped off with constant stage diving. A night full of blood, sweat and broken glass, witness this madness by checking out our photos down below!
It’s been a while since Sonata Arctica has played a regular gig in Finland. While I thoroughly enjoyed their acoustic gigs, it’s also nice to see a more energetic show from them again. And the fact that with Reckless Love they brought along another one of my long time favourite bands just added to the excitement. Luna Kills, who I hadn’t heard of before, was also a pleasant addition to the line-up. And so it was an all around enjoyable evening at Pakkahuone, Tampere when the ‘Arctic Storm’ hit us on the last Friday of September!
After applying for accreditation at the last minute, with a lot of luck, we managed to get to the Backstage in Munich to see The Baboon Show. We’d like to thank all the HFMN agency staff who were impeccable and very quick to make sure everything ran smoothly. Opening the female-led evening were the Gothenburg Spiders, led by Ann-Sofie Hoyles. The band’s well-crafted rock music easily captivates anyone who hears it, thus creating a lot of good energy to warm up a night that was expected to be bombastic.
Expectations were high in the Backstage club, which was completely packed to finally see the new songs from the album God Bless You All played live. The album is the band’s tenth studio album and was produced by The Baboon Show and Johan Gustafsson, bassist for The Hives. Irreverent in their essence, The Baboon Show is charismatically led by Cecilia Boström, a lady who is a real energetic pump. Cecilia is often reminiscent of the late Tina Turner, not only because of her voice, but also because of her poise and inexhaustible energy on stage, giving her all (you’re simply the best)!
A fabulous concert here in Munich in front of many old acquaintances, who worked fiercely to ensure that these moments would live on in the memories of those who attended. Cecilia, Frida, Håkan and Niclas are on the road and hope to meet you, and show you the best that European punk-rock has to offer.
You’ve gained another fan, me!
Metal fans from all over Indiana and Ohio showed up to rock out on this September Sunday evening! Piere’s was buzzing with concertgoers as soon as the doors unlocked and the opening band, 3130, took the stage. They got the crowd ready and were a nice addition to the lineup.
Up next was the Maryland based rock band Any Given Sin made up of Victor Ritchie [vocals], Mike Conner [guitar], Mike Showalter [drums] and Rich Stevenson [bass]. Rich unfortunately had a family emergency and did not perform with the band for this show. Any Given Sin always put on a great show, and this was no exception.
Hitting the stage next was Adelitas Way, hailing from Los Angeles, California. Formed in 2006, the band is made up of Rick DeJesus [vocals}, Trevor Staffod [drums], Andrew Cushing [bass] and Grayson Erhard [guitar]. What a fun band to watch! They brought a nice energy to the stage.
Saliva took the stage next! Formed in Memphis, Tennessee in 1996-Saliva has been on the rock scene for a long time and has had a lot of success despite the many changes that have come to pass. On stage Sunday was Bobby Amaru [vocals], Brad Stewart [bass], Sammi Jo Bishop [drums], Sebastian LaBar [guitar] and Josh Kulack [guitar] is It was nice to see the little reminders of Swinny on stage such as Sammi Jo’s drum kit and Sebastion’s and Bobby’s shirts. Saliva put on a great show, and you could tell from the crowd! Bobby even had a little fan onto stage to help get the crowd rowdy.
Last, but certainly not least, veteran band Drowning Pool brought the house down on this September evening! Another band formed in 1996, Drowning Pool has vocalist Ryan McCombs back as front man with CJ Pierce [guitar], Stevie Benton [bass] and Mike Luce [drums]. The crowd fed into the powerful vocals and energy as a small pit formed and a few crowd-surfed across the sea of people towards the stage. A cool moment was watching Ryan sing from the pit, Drowning Pool’s beloved fans. It was an awesome performance!
If you have the chance to catch this tour-do yourself a favor and get there!
