Poets of the Fall – Tavastia, Helsinki; March 31st, 2012

Like last year’s gig at the Tavastia this was once again an international meeting. I am not entirely sure, but I think we had even more foreigners this time around. 6 of them plus one Finn I met at the Ilves for a late lunch/early dinner.  Once everyone arrived we already were from 6 different countries: Denmark, Finland, Germany, Italy, Poland and Switzerland. Nice people, good food and pre gig excitement lead to some great small talk and lots of laughter.

We saw the guys arrive but were not quick enough to catch them before they went inside. Around 5:30 we were too excited to stay seated, paid and lined up in front of the Tavastia. You know you’ve come to a gig too early when you are the one starting the line. 😉

L. and I were lucky enough to be allowed inside before the gig, because we had brought the fan made patchwork banner to hand over to the guys. We would have loved to do it together with M. and O. who organized this entire project with us, but unfortunately they could not be there. 🙁
Meeting with the Poets was awesome, they loved the banner and they even let us stay, so we could wait for the start of the gig in front of the stage instead of outside. 😀 Thank you for being so sweet guys, I am still overwhelmed by your kindness! <3

Soon it was time for the doors to open – we picked our spots in front row and waited. Once everyone was in, time passed quickly. We were directly up against the stage, no barrier or distance separating us from the guys. They had the big stage setup with Captain on the left and Jaska in the back.

Around 9:00 p.m. the show started. I always love these first moments when the guys walk on stage one by one and take their places. The anticipation of the audience is palpable and usually discharges in the form of cheers. The seconds always set the mood: Are the guys nervous? Relaxed? Happy to be there? How excited is the audience? Do they know what to expect? Do they start screaming at first sight of the band? Or are they the kind of people that need to be convinced first, that wait with their arms crossed or are still chatting when the music starts? The audience at the Tavastia is always a good one. Many people travel there from different parts of Finland and lately from outside Finland too. I always feel like the expectations must be gigantic, especially from those who have come from far away. So this could be a tough audience to play to, but it never is. A sold out house is always good for the general mood. For the Poets, this is home. They smile as they walk out, nod or point when they see familiar faces in the crowd, and confidently start rocking.

And rock they did! Beautifully! I enjoyed every moment and didn’t only watch the action on stage, but kept turning to my friends, especially those who had never been to a Poets gig, to see how they were doing. By the happy looks on their faces, I judged that all was well. 🙂 The audience seemed a bit subdued compared to the wild crowds in Russia and Ukraine. There was not as much screaming and the singing along was not as loud. Yet every audience is different and this one listened and enjoyed. I was in a different mood too and spent more time watching and listening than I did screaming. There were no flashmobs, no gloves or soap bubbles, but there was an atmosphere of wonder and a general lightness about the gig that comes with a home crowd. Of course, all cues from stage were taken up and responded to by us and it was fun for everyone – on stage and in front.

The songs? Is there anything I haven’t said about the songs yet? They are amazing, beautiful, they rock, they move me, and they make me smile. Some have me listening in awe, while with others I cannot keep still and just have to jump around or clap along. Some of them feel like old friends now, because I have heard them live so many times. I know the motions and I know the cues and still I watch out for specific things to happen (like Captain coming to the front and raising his water bottle in a toast during ‘Illusion & Dream’, Marko turning back time during ‘Locking up the Sun’ or Ollie jumping off the drum platform during ‘Lift’). Other songs are not quite this familiar to me yet, but still new and fresh and full of surprises. That does not only count for the songs from the new album, but for anything I have rarely heard. It’s the right mixture of both that makes a good gig and this was certainly one of those.

And then, the little things… the brief moment that make the world. The interactions on stage that you only see if you look in the right direction at exactly the right time, the looks and the smiles, the comments shared among fans – so meaningful, yet over in the blink of an eye. Some of those make lasting memories, others escape the mind as soon as they are over.
For this gig it was Ollie, Jaska and Jani being so close that I could have played their guitars/bass from where I stood, Marko hugging Ollie (but I cannot remember why), Captain shaking our hands before he walked off stage.  There was the phonecall I made to S. during ‘Cradled in Love’ so she could hear it live – I had no idea it worked until I hung up and then felt my phone vibrating with her text message to say thank you. 🙂
The acoustic set was just great. Before t started, Marko made it a great show to call the others back to the stage. He announced Jaska everyone was clapping and out walks Ollie, grinning broadly. Marko dropped to the floor laughing. Jani was on the double bass, playing beautifully. During ‘Sorry go round’ Marko claimed he wanted to say hi to everyone on the room and shake our hands. Later, during ‘Someone Special’ Ollie and Jaska cracked up laughing at something (or someone?).  I remember so much fog that it was hard to see Captain and Jari at times. Most other things are a blur, but I know it was fun and – of course – over much too soon. The wonderful feeling of having witnessed a great show remained.

When they came out to sign autographs I made room for the other fans. I felt no need to wait around. Instead I chatted with friends I met and later talked to Ollie briefly. Our little international fan group went to a cafe for drinks and chatted about our impressions of the gig. A lovely ending to a lovely day and night. I hope I will see you all again soon.

4 gigs down, more to go. Next stop: Hämeenlinna.

Setlist

Kamikaze Love
Diamonds for Tears
Temple of Thought
Roses
Cradled in Love
Locking up the Sun
War
The Lie Eternal
Stay
Illusion & Dream
Gravity
Late Goodbye

Acoustic:
Sorry Go Round (Bossa Nova)
Someone special

Encore:
Dreaming wide awake
Carnival of Rust
Lift

pictures of this concert