Ankkarock Festival

english version

05.08.2007 Korso / Vantaa

Von: Ron Moger

Ankkarock has, for past years, been a free festival in southern Finland but of course the 'price was right' as it still managed to provide quality entertainment. This year, people have paid but still travelled from all over Finland, Europe and indeed the whole world to come here. But will it prove to be continued value for money, even with the paid entrance?

Saturday

The Saturday gets off to a mixed start as the opening acts including Poisonblack start up to awaken the weekend audience, and by late morning, they seem ready for anything,

Originally meant to appear are Russia’s Leningrad, however line-up issues result in associated band Spitfire appearing as replacements on the bill. This isn’t a complete disappointment to fans as members of Leningrad appear in Spitfire anyway, and so their billing is a logical, and apparently successful, alternative.

On the second stage, the Von Hertzen Brothers are going down a storm. The few people that only know them from their various bands (including Don Huonot and Egotrippi) seem equally at home with this. Older, wiser, they pull an impressive crowd and don't let them down, not a foot is put wrong and you can’t help but think that bigger things await them elsewhere in Europe.
Kottteollisuus are hard, heavy, and come across as a Finnish alternative to the Black Label Society, which can never be said for Hanoi Rocks; It’s maybe a cliched way to describe the band as looking tired, but you'd only notice it for a split second as they hit the stage and, at one point, climb the stage, with double the energy of other bands half their age.'Don't you ever leave me' and 'Round the band' sit comfortably alongside tracks from their newest album 'Fashion', they manage to brighten up an already sunny day with their glamtastic on stage antics. More!

As has been reported in the months leading up to this performance, The Gathering are here at Ankkarock to perform their last performance with lead singer Anneke van Giersbergen and although there might be a sad element to it all, especially including the the final goodbye from Anneke herself, they enter into the performance as if it’s their first and they intend to continue for years to come. It’s a shame she can’t go along for the ride, but this is an appropriate, and touching, farewell.

The Sounds are as good as they’ve ever been, Maja Ivarsson is the nearest Sweden has so far come to producing it’s own Debbie Harry and she exudes every element of that stars sex appeal and stage presence,

Sunday

Lapko, although already admittedly having built a solid fanbase, and could rest on their laurels as a result, especially as this is a home crowd, but they nevertheless give an energetic and admittedly sweaty performance.
The day goes on, and it gets hotter, but Amorphis in their long haired glory hardly seem to suffer as they play a sober set to a manic audience; consisting mainly of past glories, the band still sound relevant and up to minute.
Also leading the home teams are Disco Ensemble who, even though their brand of indie-punk left me impressed from an entertainment point of view , their lack of tune development left me musically sold, but not without the impression that better things are to come from this band.

By the time The 69 Eyes are introduced on stage, the front crowd is ready to explode, and the band do not disappoint. They deliver a professional set that even threatens to put the Hanoi Rocks to shame. A mixture of tried and tested classics played alongside tracks from their most recent offering 'Angels', the band hardly put a foot wrong, even when lead singer Jyrki 69 drops his microphone it’s twisted around to look like a deliberate audience interaction piece that few other acts could’ve got away with. Class.

Still apparently fresh from their stand-out performance at this year’s Eurovision Song Contest, The Ark are still on form and their lead singer, Ola Salo, is as Glam as ever, through numerous costume changes he keeps energy levels high despite their music not being perhaps as original as it could be, you can’t deny the pure entertainment factor this band provides. Also entertaining are Japan’s Dir En Grey, although Im not sure that it’s for good reasons. You can’t deny the enthusiasm or pure rock energy they generate, but it’s hard to appreciate what they’re doing when you spend half the set thinking theyre going to jump off the stage and beat you up, but maybe that’s the attraction as well?!
The Nine Inch Nails have been around for almost 20 years now and this shines through in their professionalism on stage. As the admit themselves, they've been to Finland many times this year but it seems the crowd wouldn’t want them ever to leave. March of the pigs is received warmly by the crowd as an old favourite among newer material, the unfortunately shorted version of 'Hurt' being a strangely low point. The fireworks ending the day contrast with the bands downbeat subject matters. But maybe that’s the point; something this miserable really CAN be this fun.

At the closing act, NIN goodbyes and goodnights mark the end of the festival. The leaving crowd seem tired but satisfied. So was it worth paying for?

Oh yes. Every penny. Sell your grandma if you have to.