LORDI, who are already well known in Finland—especially due to their 2006 Eurovision victory with the song “Hard Rock Hallelujah“—celebrated their new album, “Limited Deadition,” with two shows in Finland. The first was at Tavara-asema in Tampere on Friday, March 21st, followed by a show at Tavastia in Helsinki the next day, on Saturday, March 22nd.
When I arrived at Tavastia, I was surprised to see how many people had come early to watch the warm-up show from RABBIT CULT. Even though I got to the venue only moments after the doors opened, the line was so long that I missed my time in the photo pit, which was a pity because I was hoping to get some cool close-ups.
RABBIT CULT is more familiar to me from social media than from their music, and I was really surprised by the choice of them playing before LORDI. But when I finally got inside, it was clear that the audience was definitely into their energy. This electro-pop-spiced bunny metal duo has a unique approach to both their music and their show, which felt refreshing. I think I need to see another one of their own shows without the stage being filled with the headliner’s props restricting their performance.
When it was time for the night’s headliners, it was obvious that the latest arrivals had squeezed into the venue, making the place feel really packed. And not just the venue overall—the photo pit as well. Tavastia-klubi‘s photo pit is usually a really tight space, even when I’m the only photographer there, but this time there were probably around ten photographers in total. Since moving around was impossible, I decided to give up my spot after the second song and move to the side of the stage. That ended up being a good decision because I got some nice shots from there when they brought out the smoke cannon.
Overall, it was great to see LORDI on stage again, as my last time was at Tuska festival a decade ago. Back then, I must admit I didn’t really pay much attention to their show, but this time I did, and I definitely loved all the little details they incorporated. During the speeches, the show felt like a stand-up comedy gig with constant joking. It was also nice to see each band member getting their own little solo moment.
I usually try to move towards the cloakroom during the last song because, by that point, nothing too special typically happens, and the queue there takes a lot of time. This time, however, it cost me—I completely missed the surprise appearance of Erika Vikman. Check our photo gallery here…
Rabbit Cult
Lordi
Photos by Richard Forsman
