The last time the fraternal Finnish prog rockers were in the ÜK was pre-2020 on the back of their seventh album, ‘War Is Over’, which I thought was absolutely stunning and led to me seeing them at Download and Bristol in 2018. With further writing in 2020 leading to the latest offering ‘Red Alert In The Blue Forest’ and the tour, another trip to Bristol was nailed in so myself and three other Steelhouse regulars piled into my car for a trip to an ex-boat, for that is what Thekla is – although I have to admit it was my first time there.
A nice surprise was the proximity of Thekla to the car park! Not even 50 yards, a good selling point for future gigs for me! The venue was a small capacity part of the ship with about 300 people in, far fewer than these guys deserve, but nonetheless they were hardened VHB fans from the T-shirts on view.
Supported by Devon prog rock trio Ethyrfield it looks like it should be a good night. These guys have been making impressions on the prog scene for a few years and this culminated in the Sunday morning hangover slot at Planet Rock Winters End this year. From reports I have read it was some wake up! bassist and lead vocalist Zach Cornish, guitarist Ben Cornish and drummer Dan Aston kicked off their 30-minute set on their first ÜK tour supporting with this. A quick listen on Spotify (other streaming sources etc…) made me think, I might enjoy this.
Kicking off with the rather grungy sounding ‘Sunstroke’ was a good way to get the crowd going. However, while the vocals are clear on the album it appears they have yet to get the mix right live as it was a bit muffled vocally. This is not to detract from the music or their ability, but it is something they need to sort out to gain a lot of followers from the tour. The more energetic ‘Free The Dog’ followed and the vocals were a bit less muddy.
Whilst Zach provided the main vocals, Ben provided very good vocal support when he wasn’t tearing his hand up and down the fretboard. Not so quietly, Dan sat at the back driving the rhythm section very solidly and unusually not very animated with very little in the way of “drum face” but no less capably than others I’ve seen, especially during ‘The Hunter’. ‘Serenity’ was the penultimate track and probably my favourite of the set. The heavier ‘Bitter Wishbone’ closed the set, a much more bass driven track but still a good way to end the set. Be good to see these guys again in my local, the Dragonffli, in July.
After a half an hour turnaround and spot on time at 8.30, Mikko, Kie, Jonne and keyboard player Robert Engstrand came on to the fading sounds of ‘Paranoid’ before launching into the superb ‘Day of Reckoning’ from ‘Red Alert…’. The quiet opening harmonies were on point before BAM! The instrumental opening picked up the beat into the first verse. The complex instrumentation from the album was easily replicated live and the guitar solos of Kie and Mikko really gave us an opening to remember.
‘Blue Forest’ was next up with Mikko counting off the notes before his vocals quietly carried the introduction to the harmonization of Kie and Jonne supported the choruses as well as on the album, up to the discordant minor note at the end of the final chorus just before the rimshots started the movement into the second part of the song and the crescendo which once again lifted the roof (or should I say hatch as we are on a ship) off the place. Two tracks from the new album-both on point and superbly performed.
A little social commentary from Mikko about the current issue of world affairs before launching into ‘Jerusalem’ from ‘War is Over’ (hmm, if only). I really cannot believe that a four-piece band can make so much noise and provide such a full auditory spectacle. The sound engineer did a superb job, it was virtually faultless.
As if he isn’t talented enough (guitar/backing vocals/mandolin/bongos/video director) Kie then gets to take lead vocal on ‘Coming Home’ with a gunshot vocal display. The wonderful ‘Flowers and Rust’ was the next track. However, the most emotive song off the new album probably had a lot of people reflecting on what’s gone on over the past two year-the song still makes me choke every time I hear it – the superb ‘All Of A Sudden You’re Yone. If you have recently lost someone important, I would suggest that you don’t watch the video: it will have you in bits; or it may help you with your loss, I don’t know which. I know as I am writing this, I am welling up again. I must be getting soft in my old age. With an amazing acoustic display halfway through for Kie to play too it is a superb track on the album and live.
‘Frozen Butterflies’, from ‘War Is Over’ picks the mood up a bit, but again it is an incredible track live. After all the emotion of the previous songs it was the audience’s turn to get involved in the singing of ‘Sunday Child’, from ‘New Day Rising’, and they did an outstanding job on the anthemic singalong. Mikko really seemed to enjoy the track so much that he was almost pleading with the audience to email the organisers of Steelhouse festival to get the band to play there again, and I for one would be VERY happy if it happened.
They pick up the pace with ‘You Don’t Know My Name’ before ‘The Promise’, which I feel has a really folky/Viking feel to it with the violin and drum beat, and the full bodied ten-minute epic ‘Peace Patrol’. Starting with the Aha like beat and rhythm the only thing missing was the saxophone that is on the album version. Had that been played live I would have been in heaven’ as it is probably the best saxophone playing I have heard since Clare Hirst played on Hazel O’Connor’s ‘Will You’. It so reminds me of ‘Dark Side Of The Moon’s ‘Us And Them’ by Dick Parry. It truly is an amazing track.
How can you follow that with an encore? Well, why would you not do ‘New Day Rising’? The crowd knew they had been in the presence of a superb group of musicians at the top of their game.
Gig of the year so far for me. I absolutely love the Von Hertzen Brothers’ music and the album was well worth the wait as is the tour. Get to a gig and see them soon!
- The tour continues:
