Medeia of modern metal was responsive for the roughest ride on Sunday evening. The energic pounding wasn’t diminished by the beautiful weather, as usually happens to metal bands in daylight. The devoted performance created a strangely good mood for the gig, which in turn formed an interesting contrast to the songs, which are very gloomy. Especially the guitarist Samuli Peltola was on fire, his fingers blitzing on the fretboard in shattering speed, even if there weren’t any real guitar solos in the songs.
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The hiphop veteran Common, previously Commom Sense, entertained the audience on Sunday evening. At first the audience enjoyed and experienced to the energetic and innovative rap music on their own terms, but later on the artist literally told Finland what to do and how to be, along the lines of “Finland, throw your hands up!”. And Finland followed.(more…)

The tent of third stage was quickly full when Mad Caddies started their gig. The audience was a suitable celebration mood and the awaited guest from California instantly kickstarted dancing. The group is proficient in combining traditional ska and reggae rhythms to punk-rock, and including shades of old jazz via trombone and slide trombone.

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One of the most interesting artists in this years Ilosaarirock must’ve been Romanian Fanfare Ciocârlia. When selecting bands Ilosaarirock organizers are famous for the open mindness towards new names. Rentolava’s fourth act on Sunday afternoon is fairly unknown name to the Finnish audience but definitely will be remembered after today’s show.(more…)

On Friday morning the most obstinate festival guerillas crawled out of their tents and the newly arrived folk made their way towards the festival area in sun’s warm embrace. At the same time in the bowels of Joensuu Science Park an influential international squad discussed the sides of festival organising and music business usually invisible to the ordinary festival goer. (more…)

Lauri Tähkä & Elonkerjuu performed at Ilosaarirock now for the first time, but didn’t fail to raise the famous and familiar hysteria in the audience. The band has toured around Finland six weeks in a row, but tirelessly tested the audience’s choral singing abilities on Sunday evening.
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The listeners welcomed the Kashmir from Denmark with much rejoicing. The crowds had found their way from the sunny afternoon to YleX tent well before the show even started. Moody, melodic rock was apparently in demand.(more…)

It’s hard to believe that punk used to be the expressive medium of angry young men. The sight of the four duly aged men of Ypö-Viis on the third stage on Sunday afternoon tell something completely diffenrent. They are obviously in a good mood, but it isn’t likely that anyone’s arrived to the tent to witness angst caused by social evils.

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Makes me wonder if people had forgot to set their alarm clocks last night, as Smokesuit had to perform to an unfortunately small audience. Despite of this setback, the group offered a powerful rock show full of sweat. Their recently released debute album Through the Void proved grunge isn’t dead, and in fact is very much alive - at least in Seinäjoki, which is the westcoast town where they’re from.(more…)

Energetic and, according to the vocalist Varis, hangoverish Kumikameli played to an enthusiastic crowd in a sunny weather. Listeners were aplenty in front of the truck stage. The gig was pretty short, but quite possibly long enough for the musicians themselves… (more…)