Before the Dawn / Leafblade / Pressure Points
9.4.2010 Friday evening 10 pm, at Virgin Oil, a rather posh club in the heart of Helsinki. Three bands, very different in nature, have come here tonight and we´re more than interested to find out how those seemingly unfitting pieces will form a rounded whole.
Pressure Points started almost on time. There was barely time to say Hi to everybody and get the camera ready when the intro already sounded. After a short welcome by the band, the first photographers approached. But a relaxing mixture of chilly songs with dark and melodic melodies and psychedelic-progressive guitar riffs and then in turn hard sounds and growls invited more and more people closer to the stage. During the last song, Pressure Points really rocked it up one more time. Thus, we could warm up our neck muscles for what was to come later during the evening.
Two guys with guitars sit near a campfire… These two guys are Sean Jude (vocals and acoustic guitar) and Danny Cavanagh (acoustic guitar and backing vocals). I´m sure the fans directly in front of the stage knew that already, but I heard them for the first time. I was standing more in the back and simply listened and enjoyed the mystical and sombre melodies and lyrics. The sound and the clear voices spoke to me immediately. Especially Danny´s voice accompanying Sean´s sent shivers down my spine – I really wished I could sit next to a campfire right now. After this gig I tried to get some more information about Leafblade. I also met Sean at the Merch-stand and could have a little chat with him. He told me that he especially appreciates the friendliness of the Finns. I was impressed that he took some time for every fan. There were not yet that many, but there is at least one more now. By the way, the lyrics for “Beyond, beyond” (one song of the homonymous album) were actually inspired by a wood fire. Who would´ve thought? 😉
Before the Dawn started immediately after a short intro with full power and lots of “Wrath”. The space in front of the stage was completely filled with people. They probably also used this occasion to release all the backed-up aggression of the working week by headbanging as I did. The next song was “Faithless” followed by “End of Days”. Bassist and spanking clean vocalist Lars Eikind reminded the fans about the band´s new EP “Decade of Darkness”, which actually tops the Finnish charts right now. The gig went on with “Dying Sun” and “Monsters” from the “Soundscape of Silence” album and songs from previous albums.
Before the played the final (Dead)song, Lars asked the audience: “Do you have a good time?” Probably the response was not enthusiastic enough, because he concluded “Only half of you have a good time”. Nevertheless his in-between-song-banters were quite tame this evening. And we got one encore including “My Darkness” and “Away”.
Playlist: Wrath / Faithless / End of Days / Dying Sun / Monsters / Disappear / Scars / Morning Sun / Painless / The Black / Deadsong
Encore: My Darkness / Away
All in all, we were served a potpourri of all possible rock fancies – something to listen to mindfully, something to dream and something to properly rock out to.
Text: Grit Kabiersch, photos: Kathleen Gransalke
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