Soulful start for the main stage
“And we’re off!” or “Yes yes yes yes yes”, as the announcer Kaarle Viikate put it. The actual festival has now started, with style and rhythm.
Had not an unnamed Turku-based definition of “average” ruined the title, Tuomo Prättälä could be described as the true Finnish ambassador of soul. For a long time Tuomo has been known as the multitalent of the Finnish rhythm music scene, and finally had a breakthrough with his own group last year. The fast pace success also provided him the possibility to open Ilosaarirock’s Saturday on the main stage already this summer.
Tuomo kept the atmosphere free and easy enough for a Saturday afternoon without switching on the sweaty soul gear. The gig was opened by a new song, Ordinary, that created dusky feeling that wasn’t disturbed even by the brisk wind blowing from the direction of the lake. From the other new songs, a great future can be predicted without a doubt at least to the catchy Love and Friendship.
Of the more familiar songs, My Thing and 26 worked beautifully, and by the time So Surreal started playing, dancing in front of the stage was more of a rule than exception. During Ballroom Girl the band had a chance to present their skills. Aki Haarala’s guitars, as well as the dialogue between Abdissa Assefa’s percussions and Mikko Kaakkuriniemi’s drums received the deserved appreciation of the audience.
The gig closed awesomely with Don’t Take It Too Hard. The festival weekend has been officially set rolling.
Text: Jussi Suvanto
Translation: Hanna Laaksonen