Absence makes the heart grow fonder. Sometimes absence also makes kick-ass music. This was shown to be true by Stella, who took to the Main Stage after a two-year tour break, their fourth album and a name change for one … Lue lisää »

The Latebirds, a band started ten years ago, is performing at Ilosaarirock for the first time. The Sue Stage tent is filling up quite nicely as the first chords hit the air. It’s a gig of interesting opposites, as I … Lue lisää »

Rokkilokin Rentoshow (Rocking Seagull’s Relaxavaganza, or something, I dunno) couldn’t have lived up to its name more. People started to trickle in, unnoticeably, little by little, spreading over the turf with a few souls finding their way to the boogie … Lue lisää »

Combine a truck load of punk attitude with black metal vocals and the mentality of an axe murderer, then season the sauce with with generous handful of killer riffs and the result is either a total disaster or a perfect … Lue lisää »

The structures of the Sue Stage tent were hot iron red when Omnium Gatherum let out their melodic death metal. This wasn’t their first visit to Joensuu, we have had the privilege to witness their performances before. The audience was … Lue lisää »

The sun kept shining, while the crowds at Main Stage saw the famously energetic stage show of Stam1na. The fans were calling for the band anxiously before the start, with a large crowd of diehards in front of the stage. … Lue lisää »

At last, an assignment at Rento Stage. Sun, sand beneath bare feet, smiling and scantily clad people. Beautiful. Oh boy, is this chilled out or what… For you this is probably a common occurence, but my time at the festival … Lue lisää »

If you still felt a bit sleepy when the gates of the festival opened on Sunday, Minä ja Ville Ahonen offered a soft introduction to the last festival day. Their sound was minimal and at times ethereal; the atmosphere was … Lue lisää »

That Samuli Putro is a fine man. He and his friends kick of the Sunday at the Main Stage. The weather is nearing perfection, with the sun shining down upon the festival crowds. Älä sammu aurinko (“Don’t stop shining, sun”) … Lue lisää »

Reaching Rento Stage’s first performer on Sunday requires plenty of effort and mental fortitude from many festival goers as well as this web press representative. Making my way past the Main Stage I immediately regret missing the first few minutes … Lue lisää »