It was almost a year ago when MESSA was scheduled to perform at the 6th edition of the Blow Up Festival. Not long before the show, the band had a car accident, which, luckily, had no fatal consequences but left the band unable to perform for a while. So, it’s no surprise that their first Finnish appearance – this time scheduled at Kuudes Linja on September 29th, 2023 – ended up filling the entire venue with their eager fans.
Opening the night was Tampere-based post-rock act HORTE, whose ethereal sound is a culmination of the influences of their members, including KAIRON;IRSE!, PH (formerly known as EnPHin), and DARK BUDDHA RISING, resulting in an experimental blend of shoegaze and synths that create a mesmerizing yet somewhat gentle atmosphere, thanks also to the contribution of Riikka Pekkala. This set the stage properly for the headliners, who seemed very excited to play in front of their Finnish audience.
Carving a path toward success with their music and engaging live shows, MESSA focused on their latest, widely acclaimed record, “Close” (and at the merch stand, there was also the “Live at Roadburn” vinyl from their 2022 performance on the main stage of Tilburg’s 013). The Italians immediately captivated the crowd thanks to the beautiful vocals and performance of singer Sara Bianchin, as well as the brilliant guitar riffs from the duo of Alberto Piccolo and Marco “Mark Sade” Zanin. “Dark Horse,” “Suspended,” “Pilgrim,” and “Rubedo,” are just some of the highlights of this intense show that immersed the audience in their world from beginning to end. The band seemed very pleased with the response, and we hope this bodes well for their return to Finnish soil sometime soon (perhaps a festival appearance next year?). Check out our photo gallery here…
HORTE
MESSA
Photos by Marco Manzi
