Jytäkesä Go-Go has been going strong and growing since it kicked off after the COVID years. The festival caters to a nostalgia-infused list of artists, mainly targeting the now-grown-up youth of the ’90s. There have usually been some interesting comebacks at the festival, a foreign main act, and some alternative music scene favorites. Apart from that, there are usually some captivating newer names with a still recognizably retro approach.
Jytäkesä Go-Go takes place at the Suvilahti area. There are three stages outdoors and an indoor stage at the Tiivistämö premises. An abundance of acts means there are usually two or three acts running simultaneously, so one person can’t see everything the festival has to offer. Some of the stages are smaller, like the Tiivistämö, and don’t fit all the interested people, so one has to do some planning to catch the acts one wants to see.
The opening day on Friday, July 25th, kicked off with DUMARI JA SPUGET, the latest group of a true all-time legend in the Finnish music scene: Tuomari Nurmio. Nurmio has once again rearranged some of his old songs – a well-known habit of his – to suit the group and written new ones as well. The combo has been active close to 12 years, which makes it the longest-lasting one of Nurmio’s career. The band is in good playing form and has found a good chemistry, as proved by a nice, relaxed opening show for the festival.
Next up on the small Go-Go stage it was time for RÄJÄYTTÄJÄT to play. They are a trio: Jukka Nousiainen is the main vocalist and guitarist, also known for his solo career and playing with JOLLY JUMPERS. Bassist and secondary vocalist Mikko Siltanen plays with numerous bands along with his ROCK-SILTANEN project. The drums belong to Alex Reed, who also takes part in the vocals. The band has a history spanning well over ten years which translates to a well-knit unit delivering an act of back-to-basics rock’n’roll ranging from softer tones to some fast-driving fuzz mayhem.
Next up, we fitted ourselves into the sauna, also known as Tiivistämö, in order to see GRILLIJONO K.O. So did quite a few other people and as the band started the hall was filled up with people lining up even outside Tiivistämö. No wonder, as GRILLIJONO K.O. knows their thing. The band plays fast and tight but has a melodic side to their music as well. Soon, Tiivistämö was jumping, and a mosh pit started whirling. Not a shirt left dry after this show, we might guess.
Next, we returned to the Go-Go stage to see the skate punk act FLIPPIPUISTO. The band’s positive vibes fit well with the summer sun rising temperatures. The audience seemed to agree, as there was quickly a party going on in the crowd. Who wouldn’t like fast punk songs about partying with friends while drinking a beer with your mates?
Then it was time for DEMOLITION 23 to take the main stage. Former HANOI ROCKS members Michael Monroe, Sam Yaffa, and Nasty Suicide have put their old band from the mid-’90s together again a couple of years ago, and it’s a pleasure to see the veterans on stage again. Apart from Michael Monroe constantly getting tangled with his mic cable, the band took the stage with a confidence of veterans honed through decades of playing and hundreds of gigs.
Then, as one of the interesting comebacks of the festival, THEE ULTRA BIMBOOS performed on the Jytälava, the middle-sized stage of the festival. They had their active days at the change of the millennium, releasing their last record in 2003. The band is touted as one of the way-openers for women in the Finnish rock scene. The band’s surf-influenced rock music still does the trick these days, and one could see the comeback was important for their old fans. Although their playing still has a touch of rust and the tempos might have been slightly lowered from the old days, the band was a pleasure to witness and wrapped their audience around their little fingers.
The Friday evening ended with TURBONEGRO, the foreign main act of the festival. The Norwegian glam/punk rock act had done a good job activating their fan group, Turbojugend, at the festival, and people were chanting the classic “I Got Erection” tune. The band took the stage as dirty and rampant as their fans were hoping for. The band’s “new” frontman Duke of Nothing (he already replaced previous vocalist Hank von Helvete, who passed away a few years ago, in 2011) made the stage his own and the eager crowd was easy to get into sing-alongs. Finally, they were treated with the “I Got Erection” as well, and the band left the audience happy and wanting more after a good 75 minutes of a professional rock show. Check our photos here…
Dumari ja Spuget
Räjäyttäjät
Grillijono K.O.
Flippipuisto
Demolition 23
Thee Ultra Bimboos
Turbonegro
