Martedì 22 Feb 2011, 14:37

Fri 18 Feb – Finnish Metal Expo

What to say first? FME / Finnish Metal Expo / Helsinki Metal Meeting was not that exciting experience for me this year as it has been before. Not that many 'awesome' bands, in fact there were more of those I personally was not interested in at all.

Leaving from Jyväskylä, Central Finland to Helsinki, my ride in Friday morning sent a text message "no can do", because of the weather. It was freezing cold, -34 or something and his car did not start or something. I was practically fucked, because I needed the ride. Would not pay 50 euros for the train. I still wonder why Finland has to be so fukkin expensive when it comes to moving from place A to B? For crying out loud it costs 10 euros minimum to travel to Germany! But then in your own country you have to pay 100 euros for going and coming back like 200 kilometres which is not a long way…. I'd rather walk if it was not this fucking cold, and if I had the time…

Went a bit offtopic… sorry. Trying to summarize the weekend as best as I can.

So, I found a couple of guys who were going to the same direction. But every single car was full, so I asked if one could text me wheter someone cancels. And someone did. At the same point I got arranged trip back to my home town.

So the travelling began, although late, about 4pm, about the time when first bands started playing in Helsinki. Listened music mostly and did geek stuff with my htc. In Helsinki bought a beer, took a subway and soon I was there. Some band was playing but I had to go to the bar to make an interview with Kvelertak. The band was really nice and welcoming although I was a bit nervous. It did not think it before but it was my first interview in english. Got it nicely done.

So in Friday I missed Mygrain, Dreamshade, Deathchain and For the Imperium, because of the travelling. I got to see and photograph Triptykon, Symfonia and Sabaton which all were pretty solid. Not any favourites, not really bad either.

Drank my vodka, couple of beers and jägermeister shots and was pretty wasted during the last bands. I was supposed to meet my friend from Nummirock 2010, but he was more wasted than I was and we never got to meet each other.

Crashed in my friend's place and got horribly hung over next morning but headed back to festival area before the opening. Called Raaka Pee of Turmion Kätilöt and arranged a meeting. Found him soon in backstage with Spellgoth and Bobby Undertaker and we went to the resting room to drink and chat. Very very nice and funny guys. Really nice interview coming soon!

Turmion Kätilöt started their soundcheck and I asked permission to drink their beer and it was fine with them. Got my nice drunken state up and running and soon went to the photograph area before their gig started. It was okay, not bad, not good. Seemed they liked it to be done soon enough by shouting crowd to shut up and talked shit about fucking the minors or something. No naked Spellgoth this time. In my opinion they played too many new songs, because the album was released after the gig and Turmion Kätilöt played first on Saturday… of course I was singing new songs because had the album promo already over a week before others.

I wasn't really in the mood for staying to see the other bands, so I left to meet my friends and get wasted. So I missed the rest of the bands on Saturday. It was fun though. Everyone stated the FME weekend was not so good overall and I partly agree. It was OK, nothing bigger. The crowd was not that wild, there were not that many people around… etc. The beer was expensive everywhere (6 euros), in the VIP area as well.

Stam1na won three titles in Finnish Metal Awards.

Met some friends including Dødkvlt on Saturday.

For one word to describe the FME-weekend: lame. For the drunken state, meeting friends and musicians: Fukkin awesome. The same goes for the experience, it was nice meeting Raaka Pee for the second time and talk shit with Turmion Kätilöt.

Will write official review and interviews soon in Metallimusiikki.net.

On the way back I noticed the driver was the guitarist of Soulfallen. Now I've met personally the singer and guitarist of the one of my favourite band.

Cheers & stay metal,

Rolle