Summer may have officially ended, but the energy of Helsinki’s music scene was is from fading away as September kicked off with a bang. On September 6th, 2023, Tavastia was host to a thrilling night of music featuring Irish pop sensation TOUCAN and the quirky Icelandic Eurovision 2022 participant, Daði Freyr. Check out our photo gallery here…
For many in the audience, TOUCAN was an exciting new discovery. Their dreamy pop sound, driven by guitars and spiced up with saxophone and keyboards, set the stage for an enchanting evening. TOUCAN, the solo project of Conor Clancy, captured the audience’s attention, and their darker song “Gold” shone brightly as a standout. Conor Clancy proved to be an exceptional entertainer, successfully coaxing the typically reserved Finnish audience to sing, dance, and actively engage with the music. It was an impressive feat and a testament to his charismatic stage presence.
As the night progressed, it was time for the headliner, Daði Freyr. The stage was adorned with humor, featuring a giant inflatable version of Daði Freyr himself, along with an array of musical instruments. The evening commenced with a heartfelt speech by Daði, expressing gratitude towards the audience. During the set, it turned out that Daði Freyr shows go together with a lot of spontaneity as Daði completely disrespected the order of his setlist, as pointed out by his colleagues on stage, after which he proclaimed it’s his show and he can do what he wants – in the end, he did end up following the order of the setlist though, at least, we think so.
Daði Freyr‘s pop music filled every corner of Tavastia, igniting the crowd’s enthusiasm. His speeches between songs were both funny and quirky, as he attempted to learn some Finnish phrases, managing to humorously utter only “Kippis” [Finnish for cheers]. “Thank you” and a curse word were too complex for the Icelandic musician, making him utter Finnish-sounding gibberish. When he successfully pronounced kippis, the audience went bananas.
The setlist was filled with tracks from his latest album, “I Made an Album” and Daði Freyr passionately urged those who hadn’t listened to it yet to rectify that immediately. Okay, originally, he did tell them to get out, but hey, he is allowed to be disappointed!
In summary, the night was a delightful blend of humor and exceptional music, resulting in a performance that was both entertaining and solid. The audience was treated to a plethora of amazing songs, but perhaps the ultimate highlight was the rendition of the Eurovision classic “Think About Things.” As the first show of September’s club season, the evening with TOUCAN and Daði Freyr at Tavastia undoubtedly set the bar high, promising an exciting season of live music ahead.
Text and photos by Laureline Tilkin
