Ruisrock 2005
Like every year, one of the oldest rock happenings is taking place in the idyllic island of Ruissalo in Turku: Ruisrock! And this year just as well around 71.000 pilgrims have followed the call of the bands and marched there. But this year additionally there’s something to celebrate, Ruisrock’s 35th anniversary! And so this time we’ll get full 3 days instead of the usual 2, filled with music til your ears bleed, and a line-up you wouldn’t believe your eyes and ears. (MK)
interactive photo gallery at the end of the text
Photo: Kata
FRIDAY
FANTOMAS
The opening day the heavy rain tries to steal the entire show by giving every festivalgoer a whole body wash. Luckily by the time Fantomas climb up the stage the sun is smiling between the clouds. No doubt that Mike Patton is a talented musician and a very handsome guy but one could wonder if his “therapy project” would be as popular as it is now if nobody had ever heard of Patton before. Ex-Faith No More frontman has found an extraordinary playground called Fantomas for himself and his other famous friends, including e.g. Buzz Osborne from the Melvins and Dave Lombardo from Slayer, to experience music in a different way. For whatever reason they have quite a few fanatic fans, but there are also those who just don´t get this jingle and clatter mixed with unbelievable sounds created by Patton´s own voice and topped with samplers and heavy guitar riffs. Tonight on stage instead of the Slayer drummer we can admire a different legendary drummer: Terry Bozzio. Fantomas is definitely one of the weirdest bands in the world. (Kata)
CHILDREN OF BODOM
Photo: Melanie Haack
One of the few Friday´s shows is performed by The Children of Bodom. Continuously being on the road has ennobled this group to the crème de la crème of Finnish metal. Alexi Laiho threatens the crowd with playing Britney Spears but instead we get to hear “In Your Face” from the forthcoming album ´Are You Dead Yet?´ (Note! You should check out their latest ep with a Britney cover version ;-)) Their set includes a bunch of songs from “Hate Crew Deathroll”, but they serve us some specialities as well. According to Alexi Laiho this is the first time ever they play Knuckleduster live in Finland. Also something new is a cool American car on stage. Somehow the stage décor reminds of Broadway shows. Anyone ever seen any Broadway shows knows that this is a compliment. Unfortunately the nature also wants to give its own little performance called heavy metal thunder. But the Bodom guys show their guts by continuing their show under pouring rain and dangerously close lightning. Well done, COB! (Kata)
RAMMSTEIN
The evening´s headliners Rammstein know how to put up an entertaining show, too. They could serve a decent musical experience only by playing but it´s not enough for these Germans. They want a perfect show. The stage, which is a special order from Russia, is filled up with stuff from no less than 16 trucks including burning microphones and human cooking pot among others. In the course of years Rammstein have given a birth to many hit songs and we hear them all – “Mein Teil”, “Sehnsucht”, “Reise Reise”, “Du Hast”, “Amerika”, “Rammstein” to just name a few. (Kata)
Photo: Melanie Kircher
SATURDAY
The festival area fills quite slow on the early afternoon, and as it wasn’t any different to be expected of the hard drinking Finns, there is hangover-mood almost everywhere. (MK)
SONATA ARCTICA
Photo: Melanie Kircher
However, as Sonata Arctica play, folks start to mosh instantly, and the space front of stage is quite packed though. During ”Blinded No More” a string of the bass breaks, but Marko doesn’t care about it at all, and keeps on picking the remaining strings, while some technicians take care of the matter. Just as expected we get to listen some epic fireworks à la Sonata, featuring amongst others ”Victoria’s Secret”, ”Shamandalie” and of course ”Don’t Say A Word”. (MK)
TERÄSBETONI
Photo: Melanie Kircher
Next comes ”ferroconcrete” – Teräsbetoni are on stage! Although I’m still not quite sure, if this is supposed to be just a joke or really serious, those guys have kicked ass and cleared up in Suomi like hell. And now the bunch goes about, to conquer Germany, and plays at Wacken. Comparison? Beyond any comparison! Just experience yourself. Often they’re also called ”Finnish Manowar”. Although the lyrics are in Finnish, the music gets you in good mood anyways and invites to mosh. In first row there are some girls holding a sign saying ”pants down!” Might the song ”Orjatar” (female slave) be dedicated to them? Of course the break-through hit ”Taivas Lyö Tulta” (heaven spits fire) is played, too, wich the crowd sings along word by word. (MK)
SENTENCED
Photo: Melanie Kircher
Therafter a band is on, which I’m personally really looking forward to, as I have never seen them live: Sentenced! While the intro is played, which sounds like a funeral song, a coffin is carried in and placed on the stage. Quite fitting to that the opener is ”Excuse Me While I Kill Myself”. On it goes with songs from the current – and unfortunately last Sentenced album ”The Funeral Album”, like ”May Today Become The Day” and ”Everfrost”. I’m a little disappointed though, as the performance lacks some enthusiasm. The band indeed seems to be tired of touring, and most of all singer Ville Laihiala devotes himself preferably to his beer, which he considers better than an orgasm. Well, then cheers! The coffin is carried out again, there’s no encore. But the audience likes it anyways, and also I can’t really complain. (MK)
HEVI KARAOKE
Photo: Kata
Before the next gig to watch I go on a tour across the festival, and also this time there is really nothing, that you couldn’t find here, something for everyone, whatever you desire. You can eat til you burst, buy a new outfit, bath, go for a bungee-jump, and if you still don’t feel sick enough, go to Hevi Karaoke (yes, it’s really spelled that way!) and sing a song. Here I am now – but only to enjoy and report, the place must not get empty 😉 This whole thing has developped to be a real boom, and their crew came here with a professional stage and a huge screen. The queue of singers is huge, and the waiting time can be up to 2 hours. But once again I’m really astonished, how well John Doe can sing over here. (MK)
NEGATIVE
Photo: Melanie Kircher
Negative now finally have a later playing time, in the evening, and have splashed out concerning stage design and performance. The first rows are – had you expected anything else? – firmly ruled by young females, and also the rest of the place is bursting of people. The drums are placed on a platform, and on both sides there are ramps decorated with roses, with some kind of bridge behind the drums. That’s where a totally energetic Jonne runs about, flirting and joking with the audience. Already the opener ”L.A. Feeding Fire” kicks ass. Aside songs like the recently in Germany released single ”The Moment Of Our Love”, ”Bleeding”, ”Still Alive”, ”Frozen To Lose It All” there is this time to my great delight a polished-up demo, ”God Likes Your Style”, which reminds a lot of Nirvana. As encore they play ”Until You’re Mine”, but although Sentenced are here as well, unfortunatley without duet partner Ville Laihiala…(MK)
69 EYES
Photo: Melanie Kircher
Then it’s time to look for your sunglasses, and put on your leather jacket: The 69 Eyes are coming! Although the guys meanwhile seem to be adhered to those helloween – sceleton – leatherjackets (tastes are just a personal matter, sorry) the overall mood is quite good. In the beginning the microphone is quite low, but this error is corrected during the gig. Mostly they play songs from the album ”Devils” like the of course the title song, ”Feel Berlin” or ”Lost Boys”, but also older songs like ”Gothic Girl”, ”Brandon Lee” or my favourite song ”Framed in Blood”. Am I mistaken, or does the crowd seem to rock more to those older classics of the Eyes, too…? (MK)
MOKOMA
Before I go to my grande finale of the evening, which is HIM, I shortly stop by at Mokoma, something for the little harder metalheads amongst us. Vocals are here, too in Finnish, but that doesn’t matter: with this kind of growls it probably could also be Chinese backwards, the mood just fits. For some to me unexplainable reason someone always screams ”PARANOOOIIID!!”, on almost every concert. Has anybody an explanation for me??? (MK)
THE SOUNDTRACK OF OUR LIVES
Photo: Kata
Swedish psychedelic rockers The Soundtrack Of Our Lives aren´t the big audience´s favourite group or people just enjoy more lying in the sun by the sea. The field isn´t even a half full, but in the front row die-hard fans swing Swedish flags while the singer Ebbot Lundberg preaches like in a gospel concert. The gig gets more biblical aspects when during encores Ebbot jumps off the stage and runs to the sea to baptize himself or maybe he is just hot. (Kata)
HIM
Photo: Melanie Kircher
Probably one of the most expected performances of the festival, especially, as those guys hardly play anymore in their home country Finlan. But at first Bam Margera together with this time even his parents are on stage. Am only I asking myself, what he always does or wants there? Well, who cares, now the gig starts, and a Ville Valo with a big grin and apparently really good mood starts to ”She’ll be right here in my arms…” The crowd goes wild, and the ground really TREMBLES, and not just figuratively said, but truly. Can an island drown? Directly after this ”Join Me”, and quite a row of other hits like ”Your Sweet 666”, ”Wicked Game”, ”Soul On Fire” and ”It’s All Tears”. Finally the long awaited new piece is played, ”Vampire Heart”. Well, nothing very special, but very much HIM and catchy. Also here we get no encore, but the folks are satisfied also without, and watch the fireworks, which end this day at the festival. (MK)
Photo: Melanie Kircher
I follow the general ”Zombiewalk”, the about 2 km long trot in a caravane of exhausted festival attendees, who walk along the foggy shore back to the mainland… Exhausted, but happy! (MK)
SUNDAY
Photo: Melanie Kircher
Actually I would have liked to see both, Flogging Molly and Within Temptation, but unfortunately both bands play almost at the same time. So the decision was made for Within Temptation, and I just shortly stop by at Flogging Molly while marching by, just to catch an impression. (MK)
FLOGGING MOLLY
Flogging Molly play some kind of ”Irish Metal”, with classic fiddels and accordeon, combined with e-guitars. A very interesting mixture.
In between I discover a ”colleague” in a tree! On the hunt for the perfect photo? That’s what I call passion! I can’t keep up with that, thanks to first class unsportiness… (MK)
WITHIN TEMPTATION
Photo: Melanie Kircher
Within Temptation have a boombastic stage design, with 2 huge angels and pillars with Elbish writing. Sharon wears a white dress, reminding a lot of a wedding dress, and sweeps across the stage, from one end to the other Her singing is accompanied by fireworks and hellish flames of the pyrotechnician. Theire set goes through all the albums of the Dutchmen, like amongst others ”I’ll Be On My Way”, ”Stand My Ground”, ”The Dancethe beautiful ballad ”Angels”, ”Memories” and of course ”Mother Earth”. One great masterpiece after another, which carries the people away into another world for a while. Sharon thanks the audience with a ”Kiitos” (thanks), and receives applause and exultation in return. (MK)
HANOI ROCKS
Photo: Kata
Finnish veteran glam rockers Hanoi Rocks create some kind of unintentional chaos onstage mainly by the singer Mike Monroe. He runs around and climbs up the stage structures like a maniac and shouts “fucking motherfuckers” between songs. The guitarist Andy McCoy, who usually is the main master of troubles, seems calm and cheerful. Old classics like “Don´t You Ever Leave Me” and “Tragedy” are the spine of their set list. They even try to prolong their playing time. But someone on backstage had enough and switch off the electricity in the middle of the song. Their farewell gig was back in 1985. Why are they here now? (Kata)
THE HELLACOPTERS
Photo: Melanie Kircher
The Hellacopters never betray. They start with “Gotta Get Some Action”. Yes, that´s what we want and we get it. Despite of that they have turned the course towards more mature style a.k.a. grandpa rock on their latest album “Rock And Roll Is Dead” they still rock hard. Their stage manoeuvres are quite expressionless but the music is everything on this gig. They probably have difficult task to make a set list as they have so many good songs to choose. On today´s list there are “Toys And Flavors”, “Everything´s On TV”, “By The Grace of God” and “Soulseller” among others. Against their newest album title The Hellacopters keep rock and roll alive! (Kata)
THE HIVES
The Hives´ ever-funny singer Howling Pelle Almqvist is equal to his name. Pelle means a clown in Finnish. The front man amuses himself and audience by shouting Finnish swear words and creating some new Finnish words.
Between his quips it is also possible to hear some of the Swedish punk rockers´ best musical creations like “Main Offender”, “Hate To Say I Told You So” and “A.K.A. I-D-I-O-T”. As always when you have a good time it´s over too soon. So is this gig which speeds by like an express train. Even though you don´t like their music the Hives´ gigs are worth to see only because of Pelle´s hyperactive performance. (Kata)
The organisers really have splashed out to their anniversary, just like mentioned in the beginning, and so I give the whole thing the whole of 9 ! See you 2006! (MK)
text & photos: Melanie Kircher, Katri-Kata-Kari