FU MANCHU is a legend of stoner rock with a career spanning over 30 years. When they announced their visit to the Tavara-asema in Tampere, backed up by the Tampere-based fuzz unit MARA BALLS, we, of course, had to see if the veterans still had their legendary live energy, and how the dynamics with the local retro rockers would turn out. Thus, come Saturday, June 15th, 2024, we were there to see it all unfold in Tampere.
Tavara-asema turned out to be an ideal fit for the show, with a nicely filled hall by the start of the FU MANCHU set. Medium-sized venues like this are not in abundance in Finland, and this one had all the basic services functioning well, enough room to move around, and a great location right next to the railway station.
The night opened with MARA BALLS, who recently released their fourth album, “Virtaa.” With the new album, the band has taken a turn to a somewhat lighter style of music compared to their first two albums with their heavy, fuzz-infused rocking. It was interesting to see if their live show had also taken a turn to a lighter playing. However, the show was mostly comprised of their older material, opening with the classic “Mitä sä odotat?” from their debut album.
The crowd naturally enjoyed hearing their favorite hits, and the beautiful chemistry the trio of Maria Mattila, Antti Palmu, and Aapo Palonen has is always a joy to watch on stage. Vocalist Mattila, who also goes by the artist name MARA BALLS, is, of course, the focal point here, but it seems year after year the dynamic duo behind her gets a larger part on stage as well.
MARA BALLS finished with the crowd, which had by now filled the premises well, warmed up, and it was time for the main event to take place. From the start of the show, FU MANCHU left no questions about their match fitness. The band is no relic but a very relevant force on stage that many younger artists can still look up to.
FU MANCHU’s newest record, “The Return of Tomorrow,” was set to be released on June 20th, and the show in Tampere was part of their tour to promote the new album. The setlist had three songs from the new album, but the majority of the set was a collection of classic songs from different stages of their career, like the show-starting “Eatin’ Dust” and the encore “King of the Road.” This was, of course, what most of the audience had been waiting for as well.
As the audience was not the youngest either, the partying was not all that wild, but the band did manage to draw their audience in close, with dancing, fist-pumping, and, of course, singing along. The playing was tight, the sound was good, and the band seemed to enjoy themselves. The only negative one can point out is that the show could have been even longer than the bit over an hour we witnessed in Tampere. Check our photos of the evening below…
Mara Balls
Fu Manchu
Photos by Arto Alho
