JOLLY JUMPERS are one of those bands that only seem to get better with time. The veteran band began its journey in 1980 and has made slow progress to the cult status they hold nowadays. When JOLLY JUMPERS published a set of concerts celebrating the 2006 release of the classic album “Mobile Babylon,” we had to see what had been cooked up. The place to meet legends is, of course, Tavastia in Helsinki, so we hit the show on Friday, July 17th, 2026.
The show was opened by Jukka Nousiainen playing his solo material. Nousiainen is also a member of the JOLLY JUMPERS, and he actually opened the show with a speech about how much the band has meant to him and how unbelievable it feels that he is now one of the members. Nousiainen is very much an underground favourite in his own right and has plenty of great tunes to play. Playing some electric guitar, rhodes and some drum machines, he summoned eerie versions of his songs to warm up the stage for the main event. One of the pearls of the show was one of his most atmospheric and gentle songs, “Yhteenkietoutuneet sydämet.” It took the audience to a silent focus, which ended with roaring applause. Nousiainen also informed that there are plans to re-record the song with the JOLLY JUMPERS band.
The main event was a 90-minute celebration of the best that JOLLY JUMPERS has to offer. They had informed before that “Mobile Babylon” won’t be played from start to finish, as some of the songs don’t feel like they work with the current band setup. Most of the classic album was played though and accompanied by a load of fan favourites from the entire career of closer to 50 years.
Vocalist Petri Hannuksela, together with lead guitarist Arimatti Jutila, are the central focal points on stage, Jutila bringing out more showmanship and Hannuksela controlling the stage with a more silent charisma. At the back, the rhythm duo of bassist Marko Leuanniemi and drummer Keijo Pirkola provide a tight background for the lead figures while Jukka Nousiainen, as the newest addition to the band howels between keyboards, melodica, and guitar, giving the band’s sound some additional depth.
While there are five JOLLY JUMPERS on the stage, the magic of the band is in the airy feel of space in the songs. There are bursts of energy, but mostly the calm bluesy tundra garage flows effortlessly and easily, instruments layering beautifully over Hannukselas calm vocals.
On that July night at Tavastia, JOLLY JUMPERS showed once again why their approach has lasted for closer to 50 years. Simple basic things done to the prime, a sense of knowing your trade, and a lot of ear for good melodies carry a long way. Check out the photos below!
Jukka Nousiainen
Jolly Jumpers
