Poets of the Fall – Hevimesta, Oulu; May 11th, 2018
Thinking back on last night’s Poets of the Fall concert in Oulu I am still grinning ear to ear. It was such an energetic gig and the guys were having so much fun that I could not help but being completely draw in, getting lost in all of it and coming out smiling on the other end. It was just as every concert should be: good audience, good performance, enough space to jump and dance, many opportunities for pictures and being completely soaked in sweat and insanely happy by the end. One of many reaons I love this band is that they can make me forget all my troubles and they did last night. 🙂
After the previous night’s brilliant acoustic gig I’d cried a few happy tears and I’d been too wound up to sleep so I was rather tired in the morning. The 4.5 hour bus ride to Oulu was easy enough, but I didn’t catch up on sleep there either and didn’t do much in Oulu once I arrived. It was a beautiful day, made for being out in the sun and I made use of that before getting in line at the venue much too early. Hey, there were already three other people, what was I supposed to do? 😉 Anyway, as we stood there and listened to the jam session going on on the terrace of the bar next door I clearly had too much time to think and didn’t really feel in concert mood at all. Really, was there any way this could not feel like a bit of a let down after the previous night? Once we got inside and I claimed my front row, slightly right of center spot, I was smiling again though. The stage was wide, but not deep, so we were really close again. I still dreaded the two hour wait and felt tired, wasn’t communicative at all.
Everything changed the moment the lights went down and the intro started. I was suddenly wide awake and as I saw the guys walk out on stage and screamed to greet them, I felt a smile spread on my face, raised my hands to clap and got lost in the music for the next 80 minutes or so. The audience was a bit slow to respond at first and not everyone screamed when Marko held out the mic to us, but they got the hang of it eventually. The energy coming from stage was so strong it just swept everyone along. I don’t think I could have been any happier. The sound was great and not only was I close enough to the guys to touch them, I had a great view of Captain and Jari too. It was the perfect spot to take pictures. 😀
For much of the gig I was caught up in a strange multitasking mode, enjoying the hell out of it while simultaneously looking for good photo opportunities. It’s hard to explain and it does not always work this way, but this night I did. Dispite talking a gazillion photographs I was still fully there, caught up in the music and loving it. Tonight’s sign (i.e. the one I had taped to the barrier in front of me) read “two to go” – it was the third after “196” in Lahti and “only three left” yesterday. The all saw it and Marko even pointed to it in the beginning, but I’m not entirely sure they know it’s a countdown. They will eventually 😉 They were also very aware of my camera that night. It started with Captain posing for me and when he realized I had not gotten the picture yet, he even repeated it. <3 Later on, I was trying to catch Glen, sitting side stage with a guitar for Jaska when Jani totally photobombed me and would not stop until he was sure I had taken the pic. 😀
The stage and especially the barrier were a good height – just right for me to lean on with my arms folded in front of me and especially just right for the guys to put their feet on. Marko, to my left, did it all the time, leaning out towards the audience and singing to us. Once the woman next to me carefully touched his boot – maybe it felt more real like that. 🙂 Ollie, Jani and Jaska all stood with one foot up on the barrier directly in front of me and they all looked at me before doing it. Especially Jani made a big show of it so I patted his boot for a moment in response. He sure likes messing with me. 😉 I enjoyed all of it tremendously. Getting such a close up look is always wonderful. <3 Some nights I just feel really proud of the guys, proud to be a fan of these amazingly talented people and happy to be part of their universe somehow. I see how they entertain a crowd, easily drawing them in and taking them along for the ride, making sure everyone has a good time. On nights like this it’s pure joy to be there. 🙂
The setlist has stayed the same since Lahti which means it is still too short for my liking. Thus, I have to jump and clap and sing along to the max to get the most out of it. There is not much I have not said about the songs already or what the guys are likely to do during them. Knowing what’s going to happen does not make it boring though. If anything it makes it better, more fun to look for little differences. As a photographer it helps me be prepared – and I still manage to miss lots of things because I just happened to look in the opposite direction when they happened. 😉 This time I enjoyed ‘Choice Millionaire’ a lot, maybe because I jumped so much. With a low ceiling jumping was difficult for the guys, but they did it anyway. 😀
There was a lot of teasing going on during the gig like Jani tickling Marko in passing or Marko threatening to pour water over Ollie’s head. 😀 Everyone was watching each other’s moves, appreciating their playing, leaning on to them and in Jani’s case throwing kisses. Glen looked like he was having a blast behind the mixing desk by the side of the stage and wanted to join in the fun the guys were having so at one point he randomly moved across the stage with a children’s Spiderman cape draped across his head and shoulders looking around as if he was being followed. I am sure there is some sort of backstory to this, but even without knowing it, the whole thing was hilarious and made everyone in the band crack up. Jani liked it so much he ran over to Glen and gave him a big smootch. 😀
Everything was so much fun. From the moment the intro started to the one when they finally walked off stage I forgot the world around me and the painful things going on in my life right now. There was only music and happiness and much love for this band that I’ve been following for more than ten years now. I felt completely at peace and did not want to be anywhere else in the world. 🙂 There were so many fun things happening, it was difficult to keep track of all of them. I was laughing out loud quite a lot and loved watching all the little interactions between the guys. They sure looked like they were enjoying themselves.
It was a night of black shirts and black leather jackets. Captain, Jaska and Marko all were wearing one, but each of them took it off eventually. It was just too hot. 😉 The guys were on fire, playing wildly,making magic. I loved watching Jari play and seeing him laughing or smiling all night. It is fascinating to watch him work, creating an amazing layer of sound. Captain had his right hand in the air a lot, moving in tune with the music or conducting the audience. Ollie was defying gravity, flying high and Jaska looked totally lost in his playing at times. <3
At one point Marko was shaking hands at the front so Jani decided he wanted a handshake too. Marko didn’t notice at first and Jani stood there for a moment, hand outstretched, pouting. Then Marko saw him, walked back and shook his hand, getting kissed on it in return. It was just adorable. <3 Ollie was shaking hands too and at the end of the show, so did Captain. It was nice to shake their hands, thanking each of them. I really miss hugging them at least once in a while. During ‘Carnival of Rust’ when Marko sang “Don’t walk away, when my heart is yearning” I felt just that with every fiber of my being. I did not want the show to end, did not want themto go. All great things have to though and they left us on a high not. As the left the stage, Glen had yet another cape to walk around in, Batman this time. It was the fitting end to a crazy show. When I walked home, I was already looking forward to the next one. 🙂
Setlist
Overboard
Daze
False Kings
Diamonds for Tears
Shallow
Rogue
Given and Denied
Kamikaze Love
Choice Millionaire
Late Goodbye
Encore:
Children of the Sun
War
Dreaming Wide Awake
Lift
Carnival of Rust