The Ilosaari web press headed towards Rekka Stage under the afternoon sun. Judging by the debut album of the local Joensuu band Holik, there was some serious rocking out to do. And sure enough, at the front of the stage a sizeable group of festival goers sporting fan t-shirts was already waiting. The gig had a fittingly summery start as Olli, the vocalist, pulled out a water pistol and sprayed the most enthusiastic fans in the front row. The band had an impressive stage presence from the get-go. The web press crew was charmed by the singer’s crisp voice and the the playful performance by Antti, the guitarist, and Kimmo, the bassist. The hometown boys were full of energy from the moment they set foot on the stage.
The audience jiggled to the beat of the songs, and the track Deadweight even had the Holik fans dancing wildly. Even though the band claims it does not fall into any specific musical genre the Holik rock kept rolling with a consistent style from one song to the next. Although a fair number of festival folk had gathered at the front of the stage the crowd was not quite as big as the band’s enthusiastic and skillful performance would have rightfully deserved. Considering the group’s effervescent show one could hardly believe the ruomours that one of the band members was suffering from sleep deprivation after tinkering with the stage decorations until the small hours the night before. The guys obviously enjoyed themselves and towards the end of the set the audience even got to witness some high voltage guitar acrobatics. The web press approves.
Text: webpress
Photo: Sampsa Geijer
Translation: Juha Peuhkuri
