Raappana’s message of caring for one another and curbing conspicuous consumption resonated passionately with the Rento Stage audience. The leading figure of Finnish reggae, together with his more than explosive Sound Explosion Band, roused the whole beach into a dancing … Lue lisää »

Liljan loisto warmed up the crowd at Rento Stage with their rhythmic revisions of Finnish evergreen classics. The group was especially keen to take everybody back to Karelia. “The old times are the better times”, says singing guitarist Puppa J … Lue lisää »

  When Karri Miettinen, aka Paleface, marched on to the Rento Stage with just his guitar as the last performer of the night, the view over the undulating ocean of people must have been quite extraordinary. The gig, which began … Lue lisää »

Hooded Menace on a sunny summer day: feels nice just like metamphetamine withdrawals. Their doom and death cruising is slow, heavy and oppressing – and it works live, believe me. You can rarely witness a worshipping session of this calibre, … Lue lisää »

Saturday afternoon, clouds filling the sky over the Main Stage, the Von Hertzen Brothers take to the stage and suck the audience into a trance that is hard to describe in words. Everyone enjoys the gig in their own way. … Lue lisää »

Joensuu’s very own, the winner of the Rokit band contest, The Dirge Organ, conjured up danceable beats and catchy melodies for the enjoyment of a small but impassioned audience. The band boasts a hefty dose of potential and charisma. The … Lue lisää »

Right from the first chords, the front row girls smitten with Happoradio. Finnish rock with a big heart, hit after hit, first off Hirsipuu. Some girls a bit to the side are waving a sign saying “Aki we love you!” … Lue lisää »

Medeia is a peculiar group in that it has, technique-wise, the chops to play the most mathematical heavy metal, but despite this, the band pulls off its gigs in a classy manner bearing testimony to a great sense of style. … Lue lisää »

The ever more handsome Rekka Stage received its baptism by fire as Satellite Stories, an indie rock band from Oulu, climbed on. The band, praised by several music blogs and featured on the MTV series Jersey Shore(!), had the audience … Lue lisää »

“Who’s going to go photograph Happoradio?” “Is the Monroe review translated already?” “Does someone have the time to write a story about the volunteers?” Despite the yearly teething problems, the Ilosaarirock web press is once again churning out articles for … Lue lisää »