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| King Diamond's show in Tuska was aptly captured by my talented friend Maija Lahtinen. Click the picture to browse through more of her stunning work. |
The summer festival market in Finland is rather bloated, with numerous smaller events and at least one larger 2- or 3-day festival taking place each weekend throughout the summer. Many of the festivals take place in smaller cities and give a welcome boost to local economies. Traditionally the ticket prices have been relatively low, which has enabled people to visit several festivals each summer. In recent years, ticket prices have taken a steep rise, mostly because of artists demanding larger payments.
This has led to people being more picky about which events they attend. Particularly younger folk can only find so much money to spend, especially when unemployment is still on the rise. In the same time, some festivals are extending from 2 to 3 days and billing more international big-name artists, in order to attract more potential customers. One of the festivals where I'm working this summer, Jurassic Rock, has done just this. I truly hope that the gamble pays off and the headlining bands, System of a Down, Devin Townsend Project and Pendulum (DJ set), are enough of a reason for people to venture to Visulahti in August.
All in all, having discussed the issue with several friends and acquaintances, I'd almost have to say that well planned, scheduled and executed two day festivals are the way to go. They are easier for the working folk to fit into their weekly schedule and usually cost less, assuming the artists aren't all big-names. It would also seem like there is plenty of room for smaller events specializing in certain genres. A good example is Hammer Open Air, which is being organized for the fourth time this year. Overall, it's a demanding market and with dark forces looming beyond Finland's national borders, just waiting for their chance to grab a bite, it is important that we support the events that we want to see organized also in the years to come.
On a personal level, Tuska went as smoothly as ever and as usual there were next to no disturbances. I was working at the gate all weekend and I must say that one of the positive things about moving to Suvilahti from Kaisaniemi is that the area outside the festival is more manageable and far less restless. After three years, I think that Suvilahti, with its industrial milieu, is a fitting home for the festival, even if some of the surrounding buildings do sometimes give an unappealing echo of the music being played. Many disagree with me, including some of my friends, who annually boycott the actual festival and hold a "shadow Tuska" in Kaisaniemi Park. Still, there were plenty of friends attending and many of them took it upon themselves to cheer up my workday by stopping on their way in or out.
Band-wise, I was able to catch glimpses of Kreator, Testament, Betrayal At Bespin (which I mentioned here), Von, Nightwish and, of course, King Diamond. Nightwish's two hour finale on Sunday was rather tiring and the pyrotechnics were quite sad, but on the other hand Floor Jansen's performance was top notch and I feel as though she just might be the best singer the band's ever had. Compared to Turunen, her voice has far more color and I enjoyed her stage presence more. King Diamond was, simply put, spectacular. The stage itself was epic, not to even mention the Kings performance. After Friday, I couldn't help but to whistle Black Horsemen for the rest of the weekend and on Monday when we we're taking the main stage and the rest of the festival area apart.
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