FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Feb 13, 2009
Contact: media
ilosaarirock.fi
New look and first performers published
The Ilosaarirock Festival has revealed its new, fresh look for the summer of 2009 and published the first news of the program. The festival will be held from 17th to 19th of July in Joensuu, Finland and, true to its style, the festival will again bring you a fantastic variety of music from chill-out rhythms to heavier grunting.
In July, the Ilosarirock Festival will present the long-awaited American groups The Dillinger Escape Plan (USA) and Walls of Jericho (USA), the Swedish thrash metal group The Haunted, the long standing death metal legend Obituary (USA) and the Japanese Melt-Banana. Stars at Rentolava include the Jamaican reggae artist Beenie Man and the Nigerian afrobeat virtuoso Femi Kuti with his band The Positive Force.
As for Finnish groups, the Ilosaarirock Festival will present such acts as Children of Bodom – with one of the few gigs they'll be doing in the summer – PMMP and Disco Ensemble. Search for the performers continues, as also this summer more than 80 bands will take to the stage over the three festival days.
The tickets will be sold from 4th of May onwards and the rest of the program will be finalised over the spring.
– The program is about half way finished and we're still working hard on it. Already we've managed to establish that Ilosaarirock festival will stay true to its style with plenty of exciting, yet so far lesser known groups taking to the stage. We still haven't been aiming to gather megastars, but focused on finding the best groups from the marginal, says Panu Hattunen of Joensuu Pop Musician's Association.
After years of wooing, the American metal noise mayhem Dillinger Escape Plan, rarely seen in Finland, has been confirmed to appear at the festival. It's impossible to put The Dillinger Escape Plan in just one genre, as their music has got elements from hardcore, metal, punk, progressive rock and jazz. The Beenie Man (JAM) at Rentolava is one of the brightest stars of dancehall reggae today.
Ilosaarirock Festival Clubs
The programme for the fringe events of Ilosaarirock Festival is also coming together now. The most famous performer of the Ice Rink Clubs is probably the main act of Metelli Club, Obituary (USA). The internationally applauded Finnish groups Swallow the Sun and Insomnium will join the Obituary to raise the Saturday night fever. An example of what's on offer at the Closing Club on Sunday is the horror country group The Coffinshakers. The first confirmed performers for the Sulo Club that kicks off the festival on Friday night are Swedish Anna Järvinen, who will be releasing her new album soon, and the Finnish Irina, Sara and Scandinavian Music Group. The punk club Töminä is shaken by, among others, Cutdown, Deathbed, Hero Dishonest, Presley Bastards and the Finnish hardcore legend Riistetyt.
For more information about the Ilosaarirock Festival and promotional band pictures:
www.ilosaarirock.fi
Interviews:
Markku Pyykkönen
+358 50 354 9068
markku.pyykkonenilosaarirock.fi
Panu Hattunen
+358 50 506 7405
panu.hattunenilosaarirock.fi
