Photo Reports
It’s that time of the year again, our yearly stop at one of Finland’s longest running metal and rock festivals: Tuska! On the 2024 edition, they had a pretty solid line-up again in our opinion, even though there were some people not all too happy about some of the experimentation they did with for instance the headliners of this year’s festival. We had no complaints though, and had an absolutely great time, with on the first day on the Radio City (tent) Stage Finnish black metal supergroup I Am The Night, Moldavian modern metal superstars Infected Rain, local cult heroes Suburban Tribe and experimental black metal project Zeal & Ardor, while on the OPEN AIR II stage we caught an exciting show from GHØSTKID!
It’s that time of the year again, our yearly stop at one of Finland’s longest running metal and rock festivals: Tuska! On the 2024 edition, they had a pretty solid line-up again in our opinion, even though there were some people not all too happy about some of the experimentation they did with for instance the headliners of this year’s festival. We had no complaints though, and had an absolutely great time, with on the first day on the Karhu Main Stage bands like Lord of the Lost as festival openers, Alestorm bringing the pirate metal party, legendary guitarist Kerry King with his solo work, Norwegian symphonic black metal institution Dimmu Borgir and headliners drum ‘n’ bass rockers Pendulum!
A sold out On The Rocks truly got warmed up for the upcoming Tuska Festival when the legendary Suburban Tribe played their first show in over 13 years! Preparing for the summer festivals, Suburban Tribe is in top-notch condition and for sure a must-see during any summer festival you might be attending. The set consisted of all the classic songs you’d wanna hear and even an appearance by the original vocalist, mr. Tuska himself Jouni Markkanen busting out some old Suburban Tribe tunes for the old school audience.
In the beginning of June, the madness and circus that is Metallica touring the world with their “M72 Tour” took over Helsinki for the weekend with the usual 2 shows they’ve been playing in every city they’ve landed. Perfect timing for Apocalyptica who had just released their “Apocalyptica Plays Metallica Vol. 2” album, the follow-up to their legendary debut album that got them to where they are right now. And kudos to their management and marketing team, because organizing and booking a show where the iconic Finnish band plays their new album with Metallica covers in the middle of the Metallica weekend in Helsinki is simply genius. The show was everything we’ve come to expect from Apocalyptica, and the Metallica songs played by 3 cellos really strike that youth nostalgia chord within me. Of course, it would have been great to see the Metallica dudes pop by for a little guest appearance, and I bet that a lot of people there were kind of hoping that, but these musical wonders don’t really need such gimmicks to deliver a wonderfully captivating show. Absolutely amazing!
Ever since they exploded on the scene in the early 2000s with their monster hit ‘I Believe in a Thing Called Love’, I’ve been a huge fan of The Darkness, and they’ve been delivering sold rock ‘n’ roll year after year. Sadly, I never had the pleasure of seeing these guys in action live. So when it was announced that they were dropping by in my neighborhood in Finland, I knew I had to be there for a night of good rock ‘n’ roll! The culture house in Helsinki pulsated of the old school rock ‘n’ roll show The Darkness brought and with local rock heroes Shiraz Lane opening up the night, it was a night to remember!
We’re always up for a good black metal gig, and when we saw that the popular Danish project Afsky was going to set foot on Finnish shores to do a small co-headline tour with the just as popular locals Havukruunu, we just knew we had to be there. And while we were of course expecting a class act, we were really surprised by how the night went like and how the atmosphere felt. With all 3 bands, Afsky & Havukruunu with openers Qwälen, came some really intense and relentless shows as you’d expect from a black metal gig, but at the same time, I don’t think we’ve ever attended a black metal show where everyone felt as welcome as here. The bands are not afraid to express their dislike towards a certain faction on the far-right and speak up about certain social issues, causing the crowd to exist of not just your standard black metal fans, but people of many walks of life. We saw for instance a whole bunch of people who portrayed their affiliation to LGBTQ+ quite openly and proud, and we can only praise bands that actually make those people feel comfortable enough to be out and in the open!
Music has the power to unite people of all ages, Steve ‘n’ Seagulls demonstrated that very clearly during their gig at G Livelab in Tampere. The youngest fan in the crowd hasn’t even started school yet, while the oldest arrived at the gig on his mobility scooter. Yet we all got along well and the only thing running hot was the temperature, that almost turned the venue into a big sauna.
I highly recommend catching Steve ‘n’ Seagulls during their ‘More then a Tour’ tour for an evening of light-hearted fun.
Recently, As The Sun Falls has been coming on our radar with them releasing new singles from their upcoming new album, and we liked what we heard! The melancholic sounding melodeath somewhat reminded us of Finnish melodeath greats Insomnium, and we’re all there for it. And since we were going to get a visit of these Finnish lads at our venue Asgaard back in Belgium, we thought it to be a good plan to send out one of our people in Finland to go and scope out what’s up with this band. Additional to that, the Finnish Blackment and Czech Innersphere showed up as support for the night, and what a night for good metal music it was!
Atlanta is the origin of THE BLACK CROWES. Founded in 1984 they are celebrating 40 years of rock’n roll and more than 15 million sold albums on their current ‘Happiness Bastards’ tour. Brothers Chris and Rich Robinson are the driving force behind it all and are the only constant members. After disbanding in 2001 and reuniting in 2005 they did a da capo of disbanding again in 2015 and reuniting in 2019. In March 2024 they did release their latest phenomenal long-player ‘Happiness Bastards’; and this summer they bring the new material live to the stage.
Opening up and warming the crowd is JIM JONES ALL STARS: a UK rock’n roll band with two sax players in the line-up. Some of you may know the JIM JONES REVUE, which is somehow the germ cell of the current band, and its line up. The style is hard to describe since it is a genre mash-up of rock, gospel, soul, garage, and a touch of blues, making it the perfect match for the main act.
Sharp at 9pm, THE BLACK CROWES enter the stage and the audience at once. Remarkably, the stage set-up is a classic one. These guys do not need pyro, lasers or large screens. A screen design full of love to rock’n roll and precious details. From each side piling up a wild mix of amplifiers, a large banner and curtains to the stage sides. On top of it all the drum kit, to the right still above the main of the stage the keyboard section and on the left two fantastic backing vocalists. Their performance is outstanding, great musicians giving a mix of old and new songs. This is the high class of rock’n roll performance. Lead and orchestrated by Chris Robinson and his incredible voice. He is dripping the rock star sweat out of every pore. Rich Robinson is changing his guitar for almost every song; the guitar world on this tour is a planet on its own!
For all fans of pure, heavily blues-infused rock’n roll, this event was a must-see! Enjoy our photos of this fabulous event!
Music lovers were transported into a trance during King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard’s (KGATLW) psychedelic rock adventure at Vorst Nationaal on May 15, 2024. The Australian band, notorious for their energetic live shows and experimental sounds, took the audience on a whirlwind tour of genres, from garage rock to metal and funk.
Before KGATLW took the stage, Australian band Grace Cummings warmed up the crowd. With their unique energy and captivating live performance, they provided the perfect introduction for the main act.
From the get-go, KGATLW grabbed the audience with tracks like “Rattlesnake” and “Head On/Pill,” setting the tone for an evening of exhilaration. The band alternated between mesmerizing jams and hard-hitting riffs, with songs like “Crumbling Castle” and “KGLW” sending the venue into a frenzy.
The boundaries of psychedelic rock were pushed in the second half of the set, with tracks like “Boogieman Sam” and “Robot Stop.” KGATLW left it all on stage, delivering an unforgettable night of pure energy and musical magic.
