URSUS FACTORY have been referred to as “the most important band in Finnish rock.” Their live shows are hugely energetic and known for sporting numerous visitors and having many surprising elements. So naturally, we headed out to see what the dynamic duo of Jussi Pelkonen and Aleksi Ripatti had come up with on their three back-to-back nights celebrating their latest album, “I,” at Tavastia-klubi. The show we visited was the third and last one, on Saturday March 18th, 2023.
URSUS FACTORY opened the evening’s show body-painted in the new album’s cover photo -style and were accompanied by a string quartet playing the new album in play order. The new songs are a fine take on the different sides and versatility of the band. There are catchy pop-rock tunes such as single “Sadetakin pintaan,” clever winks to traditional songs, such as the record’s second song “Perintö,” which combines a raw rock verse with lyrics about a modern day society gone wrong, to the beautiful hymn-like choral parts that play on the lyrics from Jean Sibelius‘ “Finlandia.” On “6/6,” on the other hand, the band edges quite close to the quirky hard rock style of THE DARKNESS. After the string quartet, the stage was visited by a group of drummers beating on all sorts of metal trash: oven trays, pots, tin cans. The wild beating and drumming provided energy and the concert was well on course.
After the six songs from the new record were done, it was time for the band to serve the audience some of the favorites from their 10-year-long journey. There was singing along, a moshpit, and crowd surfing going on, as hits such as “Don’t Stop Believin’,” “Oot Pomo,” or “Mitä mies mitä äijä” hit the airwaves. The concert served as yet further proof that URSUS FACTORY have the essential quality of a good rock band: they grab their audience and hold their attention for as long as they want to. The show was close to 2 hours long, yet it seemed to last just the right amount of time. Not too many artists can hold the intensity of a show for that long.
Here are the photos from Tavastia-klubi.
Ursus Factory
Photos by Arto Alho
