The Date: 17.6.2005
The Place: Seinäjoki, Provinssirock
The Album: Signs of Life
So, Provinssirock is the first festival that kickstarts the festival
season here in Finland (Kaisaniemi pop and others like that are just a
warm up) and it is also a kind of legendary and very popular. Initially
PotF was meant to play late in the evening and on a smaller stage.
However, they were moved on the mainstage a couple of weeks before and
they were the first band to perform.(obviously I was very happy about
that, but what was that about?)
When the gates were opened,I headed for the main stage, over an hour
before the gig was meant to start. Of course I wanted to get in the
first row. The sun was shining and I was talking to a nice guy,who was
actually from my home"town". I met Anya
briefly and then Carpe Diem showed up and we started talking.
The gig started traditionally with Don't mess with me, but it didn't
include Someone Special or Sleep (Maybe tomorrow is a better day was
played though).This time Mark wasn't jumping as much as usual,or at
least so it seem to me (the stage _was_ kind of big, so I couldn't see
everything at the same time) and he didn't climbed up or down the stage,
which was a pity(but at least we didn't have to fear for his safety).
On the other hand, Captain was really on the move! He "visited" Mark
and Ollie and was also in the center of the stage clapping his
hands.And then he had to run to his keybord and mac =) It was really
nice to see him move (keep it up, please!) for a bit too. It would be
nice if Jaakko and Jani
moved a bit more too. I know it's difficult with those wires and
sounds and everything,but it would be nice *blink blink* Too bad that
Tapio doesn't have wheels in his drumset!
As usual, I was singing, dancing, laughing, clapping and waving my
arms. Initially I was afraid that I would be crushed by the crowd, but
the pressure wasn't actually that bad, I think it was worse in Kouvola.
So it's front rows for me from now on, everytime!
It was really nice that Ollie and Mark both noticed me, and Ollie
seems genuinely happy every time he sees that someone is singing along
and knows the lyrics (after that smile it's hard to remember what words
come
next though). Next to me was a girl who also knew the lyrics and was
exited that I knew them too, so we sang together, it was fun!
After the gig was over, Carpe Diem, her husband and me went first to
get a drink and then we went to look for the merchandise. Carpe Diem
wanted
to buy a t-shirt and wristbands but the girls behind the counter
weren't allowed to sell those. They said that the guys were going to
collect those
soon, so we decided to wait. After just a few minutes Jani, Tapio
and one of The T-Shirt Sellers came there. We thanked Tapio and Jani for
the great gig and Carpe Diem got her merchandice. After that I just
smiled the whole night through!
lauantai 18. kesäkuuta 2005
sunnuntai 5. kesäkuuta 2005
The Kaisaniemi weekend-report part 2: Biblical Rain and No Free Sausages
The Date: 4.6.2005
The Place: Hämeenlinna, Kesäloma Express
The Album: Signs of Life
When we arrived to Hämeenlinna,it really was pouring cats and dogs.
The stage was flooding and there was a guy who tried to sweep the water
off, but with limited success. Jaakko was tuning his guitar and
connecting the wires and everything like that. Then we just started
singing Frere Jaques to him, with some modified lyrics.
In finnish version Jaques is Jaakko and then we just replaced the bells with guitar =)
We were having difficulties in singing, because we were laughing so hard at the same time!
At first I was in the first row with Anya and LDG, but after my umbrella almost decapitated LDG (sorry about that!) several times, I decided that it was safer to everyone if I was on the second row =)
Other than that, the rain really didn't bother me that much. I kind of like that there were only the people that really really wanted to be there, to listen the music and see the band. That was really the fan-gig, all the way through and probably the best gig so far, to me at least. This time ( as well as earlier today) I didn't photographed at all and I was happy about that. This time I was able to enjoy the gig fully and so I did. I laughed, sang, danced, jumped, clapped and waved my hands, and generally went mad (and was covered in mud from the waist down, it was like in Woodstock there!)
The feeling was just right, the audience wild and the band absolutely fabulous. Mark jumped and climbed and slided and splashed, he had the time of his life on that wet stage!I was a little afraid that he would hurt himself, and he did actually tumble to his knees but was up in a sec, like nothing had happened. The rain finally stopped a few songs before the gig did and I closed my umbrella and moved to the first row. Somewhere along the gig Jaakko whispered something to Mark, but when he was about to told us what it was, Jaakko told him not to. We demanded to know what it was, but they didn't tell us!
After the gig we started to wonder, if there still were those promised free sausages left, but one of the arrangers told that there weren't. We started to complain and told that we had came all this way from Helsinki, Tampere, Germany and God-knows-where-else just because of the free sausages!
The fireworks was just a perfect way to end the show. All the way home I smiled and grinned, so that my face hurt .PotF has really managed to spread out positivity and good spirit and now we are spreading it too, I just can't stop smiling.
One last thought: in the last report I told that being on the PotF gig is a way for me to grasp the moment. But it is also a way out of this dreary reality, a way to celebrate, to separate the workdays and the weekend. Other people might take alcohol or drugs to achieve the same effect,
I just take PotF.
The Kaisaniemi weekend-report, part 1: Happy Happy Joy Joy And Bribing The Band
The date: 4.6.2005
The Place: Helsinki, Kaisaniemi, YleXpop
The Album: Signs of Life
When I arrived in Helsinki, I met the other fans and finally got myself a pair of wristbans.
We moved near the stage. None of us weren't able to get in the first row though, it was already packed with teenagers. It was kind of weird not being able to be in the first row..
Mark didn't do 110 m hurdles up there, nor did he do any karate moves. But he did do some moves that he had obviously learned in tai chi lessons (for example standing on one foot without a slightest tremble). He ran, jumped, rolled and actually sang on his back for a while but you would never have noticed it in his voice, he was amazing. He actually said that although the stage was a big one, he was afraid of falling down on it, it was like a skateboard to him. The guys seem to have fun and yeah, it was a great gig.
But personally I didn't enjoy it as much as clubgigs. The stage was too high and too far away and the audience.. Well there were some fans (other than just us I mean) but it was afterall a free concert with other bands too. So that familyfeeling wasn't there. The guys have taught us too well; it isn't enough just to see and hear the gig anymore, we have to feel it too, we have to connect with the band and with each other...
After the gig we were told, that we had a whole restaurant booked for us (or at least the terrace) and the band would meet us there. We were waiting there kind of silently, sure sign that we were nervous.
We joked that we should have had laptops with us, so we could have enthuse in the chat =)
And then the band arrived. It was really, really nice that the whole band was there, and that they all shook hands with us and hugged us =) Now the whole band seems much more close.
And it was a HUGE honour, that we could be there when the gold records were given. So a BIG thank you to the management! They could have done that on the stage, but they decided to do it on the terrace.
And then the bribing really started =)I had participated with the card and the presents as well, but I wanted to give something more personal too, so I had made a card with morphos and a few poetic lines.
The call to Donna was something so sweet,and as Tiia said,something not so many "rock stars" would do for a fan. And we got to hear Mark's Gorgeous Irish Accent (tm) once again. At some point I actually started thinking, what would it be like if he talked that way in finnish too..But nah, it wouldn't work :P
A lot of smiles, laughs, hugs and warm thoughs and words and then it was over, right when it had just started. I wished that we had had more time,but I was grateful nonetheless. And I had a huge grin on my face that hasn't wear off even now.
The Place: Helsinki, Kaisaniemi, YleXpop
The Album: Signs of Life
When I arrived in Helsinki, I met the other fans and finally got myself a pair of wristbans.
We moved near the stage. None of us weren't able to get in the first row though, it was already packed with teenagers. It was kind of weird not being able to be in the first row..
Mark didn't do 110 m hurdles up there, nor did he do any karate moves. But he did do some moves that he had obviously learned in tai chi lessons (for example standing on one foot without a slightest tremble). He ran, jumped, rolled and actually sang on his back for a while but you would never have noticed it in his voice, he was amazing. He actually said that although the stage was a big one, he was afraid of falling down on it, it was like a skateboard to him. The guys seem to have fun and yeah, it was a great gig.
But personally I didn't enjoy it as much as clubgigs. The stage was too high and too far away and the audience.. Well there were some fans (other than just us I mean) but it was afterall a free concert with other bands too. So that familyfeeling wasn't there. The guys have taught us too well; it isn't enough just to see and hear the gig anymore, we have to feel it too, we have to connect with the band and with each other...
After the gig we were told, that we had a whole restaurant booked for us (or at least the terrace) and the band would meet us there. We were waiting there kind of silently, sure sign that we were nervous.
We joked that we should have had laptops with us, so we could have enthuse in the chat =)
And then the band arrived. It was really, really nice that the whole band was there, and that they all shook hands with us and hugged us =) Now the whole band seems much more close.
And it was a HUGE honour, that we could be there when the gold records were given. So a BIG thank you to the management! They could have done that on the stage, but they decided to do it on the terrace.
And then the bribing really started =)I had participated with the card and the presents as well, but I wanted to give something more personal too, so I had made a card with morphos and a few poetic lines.
The call to Donna was something so sweet,and as Tiia said,something not so many "rock stars" would do for a fan. And we got to hear Mark's Gorgeous Irish Accent (tm) once again. At some point I actually started thinking, what would it be like if he talked that way in finnish too..But nah, it wouldn't work :P
A lot of smiles, laughs, hugs and warm thoughs and words and then it was over, right when it had just started. I wished that we had had more time,but I was grateful nonetheless. And I had a huge grin on my face that hasn't wear off even now.
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