The Night That Was Moonsorrow

I laughed to myself at how appropriate the band I was heading to see that night was, Moonsorrow, as one of the craziest thunderstorms recorded in the city, raged down on the people of Sydney, everyone shuffling around like minions looking for any form of transport to get them out of the gripping wet cold. Walking to trains, trains to bus, bus to a taxi and then on my feet again, I ran as quick as I could to what is fast becoming my second home, the Manning Bar to witness a night of beautiful Finnish Pagan metal magic.

Unfortunately I missed the opening band Dead River Runs Dry, who describe themselves and their music as "A charred black slab of ruthless venom that only Australia could spit out".I had listened to their 2012 release WINTER 2012, filled with black metal goodness but I'm sure I would've enjoyed watching and hearing them live as well. Hoping to catch them the next time.

I entered the venue, wet and exhausted but my body ready for a night of metal, just as Germ's members were doing their sound-check. Germ, are slowly becoming one of my favourite local acts. The first time I caught them was, when they opened for Enslaved and honestly I was all a mix of shock and awe. As a haunting and beautiful symphonic intro plays, the dark, hooded and masked figures of Germ come on stage, reminding me of bats. Now there is something special about this band which I absolutely admire, they lead you into believing that they are all about the black metal symphony when the vocalist, Tim Yatras, with a mystic, depressive demeanor  powers in, with screams that remind me of banshees, piercing through the ghostly black metal  melody. My word, does he have some insane vocal chords. this is definitely not something a lot of people would like, let alone consider music but I was beyond impressed especially the second time around. The guitar segments are a treat to the senses, I had my eye constantly on the lead guitarist and my eyes were close to popping out of their sockets! His hands move at a supersonic speed. The band as a whole is awesome to watch, the vocalist disappearing in dramatic pauses, only to come back and unleash those vocals with even more gusto. An epic part of their performance is when the multi-talented Tim unleashes his brutal less depressive side on the drums, tribal-ing up the sound and the mood a notch. It truly is something you need to develop a taste for but trust me, once you see these guys, you'll wrap your head around their style which is intense, unique and beautifully depressing. 

Finally, the heroes of the night, the gorgeous Finnish men of Moonsorrow. There's just something about Scandinavia and mythology that psychs my brains out. Throw in some metal and you've lost me. That kind of music literally takes you into a whole other world, and with Moonsorrow? It's all about the dark and eerie depths of the mysterious and historical land of Finland. Adorning red paint  that was splashed across their bodies and faces, entering the stage to the beautiful symphonic, key filled intro of Tyven as frontman, Ville Sorvali strides in topless, his band mates dressed in black leather outfits, I knew I was in for a heavy and fun night. 

With a powerful presence, the Finnish Viking outfit burst into Sankarihauta with such a blistering sound that I could feel my ear drums vibrate. Horses neighing in the background, that mid-paced pounding of the drums, majestic riffs, the sound of swords slaying, gives you full visuals of  brutal armies charging at each other in a struggle to win a battle. Ville's voice is something else. The chanting, elements of flute and chants just adds to the beauty of the Finnish epic based track. They definitely brought out the charming side of metal too. There's a small guitar solo towards the end of the track that sounds even more perfect live. You cannot help but love this band that dedicate their music to the folk tales and epics of their country.  

There were the traditional war horns and beers raised in respect, a fan dressed in a kilt, Moonsorrow started off on a highly energetic note. The guitarist causing a riot with his mad headbanging,along with the vocalist, it was so much fun to watch! One of my favourite things about this band is that each member contributes to the singing, be it leads or backing vocals. Various pitches and vocal tones add to the magnanimity of their melodic folk music as well as doing justice to the length of these songs. Seriously, these guys are contenders against the likes of legendary band Opeth and their awesomely long tracks. 

Powering through some of their most brilliant work, 'Kivenkantaja', 'Pimea', 'Kylaan Paasa' which has a definite didgeridoo or atleast something like it featuring in spurts throughout the length of the track, riffs beng hammered all over the place and powerful screams with some beautiful symphonic segments in between all of this. The rhythmic clapping during this track followed by the traditional 'Oi Oi' yells, Marco Tarvonen's insane drumming,  really got the crowd going completely bonkers.Truly makes you want to go to war or atleast break something just to have this song playing in the background. Another one of my favourites Jotunheim blasted out. WHAT A TRACK. 19 beautiful minutes of sheer folk awesomeness. I was in a complete trance listening to this track, which begins with a beautiful instrumental passage, slow paced melodic guitar riffs opening your mind to the beauty of the Scandinavian country. The sound of birds, the soft sounding keys, send you into a calm state before without any sort of warning suddenly transcends into a beautiful balance of crushing folk and black metal, the vocals both growls and the backing chants in an atmosphere of  heavy and acoustic add to the charm of this track. One of their most amazing songs yet!

After a conversation with the crowd about their homeland, Moonsorrow prepared the adoring audience for their final 15 minute track of  the night, with one of the most amazing tracks ever composed by Moonsorrow, from their 2011 album "Varjoina kuljemme kuolleiden maasa", the crowd was in a riot as 'Kuolleiden Maa' echoed through the air. The power of this song is magnificent as is the charisma of the Finnish five-piece, gracing our shores for the very first time. It was a beautiful night, bringing together metalheads from all over Sydney to witness one of the greatest folk metal bands of all time. Yes it was one hell of a night, the night that was Moonsorrow.

The Night That Was Behemoth (literally)

Behemoth. The very sound of that name is enough to give you a chill down your spine. It creates visuals of a beastly power that has an inevitable magnificence and can grip the minds of people in an instant. Needless to say, that is exactly the persona of Polish blackened death metal band Behemoth. The moment Soundworks touring dropped this announcement, I felt an array of emotions rush through my head all in a matter of seconds. I could hardly believe it yet again that the year I get to Sydney, a band I go crazy for was heading my way.

The first act of that epic night were Sydney's five piece death metal outfit Exekute . I had never come across these guys before but that's the beauty and advantage of getting to a gig early, you discover some pretty amazing bands/musicians which you may have been previously ignorant to. How were Exekute you may ask? My favourite phrase, 'Sheer Brutality', wouldn't even begin to define how good they were.  The rather large crowd were already losing their shit as the band came on stage., I was taken by surprise when I saw a rather peaceful, looking and short human take to the front of the stage, and I couldn't help but think stereotypically for a second, because he did not seem to look like the frontman of a death metal band. Oh, how insanely wrong I was, because looks are truly deceiving. From the very start, Fred Jaya  unleashed the power of his brutal vocals, with me having to constantly lift my jaw up off the ground. For a person just walking in, no one would've suspected that this was just the start of the show. Circle pits had broken out, fans head banging all over the place, it was insane! One song that stood out to me was 'Sledgehammer Symmetry', crushing vocals, mad heavy riffs , drumming at a supersonic pace,  it was a masterpiece. You do not want to miss out on these guys the next time they're playing.

 Italian metal maestros, Hour Of Penance were up next and being a big fan,  I was beyond psyched to see this band live.  After a few minutes of sound-check, the band graced the crazed fans gathered in high numbers at the  Manning Bar. As hoped by me, the first song of the set was 'Ascension' which is one of my all time favourite HoP tracks, and my favourite off their 2012 release 'Sedition'. Truth be told, I was a little bummed when there were issues with the sound, with the usually powerful Paolo's voice not being heard quite clearly. Moving away from his mic, there were random sounds, the backing track being heard more significantly than the sounds of the instruments. But Hour Of Penance being Hour Of Penance, they moved past the sound problems soon enough, only to put on a show deadly enough to brutalize your eardrums. These guys are the epitome of perfection live! 'Decimate the Ancestry of the Only God', another epic track left my brain rattling inside my head, because decimate is what they did. The band's music has a sound that can bring you to your knees and the way in which they delivered this song was not only perfect, but so friggin effortless that it just makes you think. I really hope they come back to our side of the hemisphere again soon.

Post Hour Of Penance, I was getting so restless, as was the rest of the metalhead bunch, all of us anticipating what was most certainly going to be one of the most memorable nights of our lives. Minute after minute with the tension of waiting increasing, and after what seemed like an eternity, the lights dimmed. Death growls, roars and whistles pierced through the Manning Bar as it was filled with the doomish melody. Thus appeared on a Sydney stage for the second time in their illustrious career, the hooded, ghostly figures of  Behemoth, taking majestic strides, heads bowed down. It was absolutely magical and the show hadn't even started yet. To call it a show, to me, would be criminal, because it was so much more than that.

Nergal, the man is a legend and has an aura about him that just orders respect. Corpse paint, a chickenfoot garland and his ghoul-like black hooded glory, he yells to the crowd, "It's good to be alive!", the response being the deafening roars of Behemoth's devotees. I could feel a tear roll down my face, inspired by a man who for over a year has given Leukaemia the finger and come back more powerful, more brutal and brought it out in Behemoth's music. As the majestic figures of Orion and Seth took their place on either side of the frontman, and former Decapitated drummer Krimh, there was an intense feeling floating in the air as the well known opening to 'Ov Fire and Void, ripped out sending the maddened crowd into an absolute frenzy.  With every song that was played, the energy kept rising, my neck unforgivably losing all sensation, the blood rushing to my head. Never before had I been in such a crazy atmosphere, but I wanted more. Everyone did! Just when I thought my life couldn't get any better, the polish death metallers burst into their newest song 'Blow Your Trumpets Gabriel' off their upcoming album 'Satanic'. Needless to say, I lost it. Fist pumping, screaming, I literally am at a loss of how to describe what the scene was like that night. This was only half-way through the set.

Playing more favourites, Decades of Therion, At The Left Hand Ov God, Chant for Eschaton 2000, there was just so much emotion, energy and power at The Manning Bar. Orion and Seth blasted their respective guitars delivering riffs that melted face and made you want to break something. They play with such a deadly speed, the stage presence commanding the utmost respect for one of the greatest black metal bands in the world. Inferno being absent was filled in by Kerim 'Krimh' Lechner who was a first class beast on that drum kit. I swear when you see this man drumming, you have no idea what is going on because you can see no feet, no hands and no fingers, beasting his drum kit at a shattering speed, his muscles and demonic face bringing the hearts in my eyes out. Suddenly, out of nowhere, painted in white and adorned in fake blood comes a figure who beat the shit out of the drums, adding an indefinite tribal flavour to the night. Ending their amazing set with the likes of 'Lucifer', Nergal wearing his famed Apostasy mask, looking more brutal than ever, Behemoth ripped through their final track of the night, the crowd going crazy one last time. Dramatically slowing down, the lights dimming until we were left in complete darkness, the sounds of the guitars fading out, the heavy breathing of fans, it was an absolute blessing to have witnessed what we did, and with a limp body I left, The night that was Behemoth.

I always try and avoid using public washrooms. I will HOLD IT if I have to. But the few times i have ventured off into the world of the commoners peeing facilities, I have ALWAYS, and I mean ALWAYS come across that species of women who are putting on their face for atleast the second or third time that day. At a gig recently, a metal gig, I went in to change and I see a girl there with her whole friggin make up kit spread out on across the length of two sinks.

SOME GIRLS IN PUBLIC BATHROOMS:



OTHER GIRLS IN PUBLIC BATHROOMS:




And then there's ME.


                                                 


Gotta love those hand dryers man.

Why I think Medicines are allbawlz.

I was a little bit on the not-too-well side last week. My new job, which I shall be writing about soon because it's rather interesting, has been keeping me on my feet. From work at the end of the week it's usually straight to gigs. Sunday is when I crawl into my blanket and disappear, lost in an abyss of sleep and recurring dreams. As is common when you see someone who isn't in the 'pink of health' as they say, I was told a number of times to consume little demonic pellets that supposedly are powerful enough to fight the demonic little shits in your body that cause you to have whatever it is that you are down with. Let me get straight to it.

I DO NOT APPRECIATE THE CONCEPT OF MEDICATION. It does not help me in the least. I've seen it, my family has seen it. Yet people don't believe me when I say they do nothing to help me when my health is on the offside. It's funny because my body just does not react to medications. But ten thousand gallons of water, a few bars of cocoa and a long run and hey! I'm back in action. Weird? I belive so. But welcome to my world children, where the Weird dominates and the Eccentric rule.

I was about 8 when I had to take my first meds. Atleast that's as far back as I can remember. I was at my gran's place when I fell pretty sick. She instantly brought out an entire pharmacy and placed it before me. Luckily I only had to take two but even that I wasn't too keen on. This is something I tell people when asked what is it that I'm scared of: It's swallowing medication. That is my fear. Not spiders, not the dark, not heights, not spoons. Medicines. I DO NOT LIKE THEM. She attempted to make me swallow two of them, which took me about 15 minutes because I kept drinking water in preparation to swallow the little buggers but eventually my fear got the better of me and along with the medication came out lunch.

It's been 13 years since that little ordeal and even though I have conquered that fear, considering I take supplements everyday, I still don't like medication. And haven't taken any in the past few years. Unless I REALLY have to. Which has been only a couple of times. I haven't been to a doctor in years as well. Many people tell me that that isn't a good thing because I need to be 'aware' of how my body is. Which just leads me to believe how much more stupid humanity gets everyday because, I would be more aware of MY own body than someone who's actually PAID to BE AWARE and to generously write out lengthy prescriptions subsequently making pharmaceutical companies bask in the glory of wealth and you to gradually lose your mind and what's in your wallet.

I know it's a strong point of you but hey, I'm Aquarian. That's how we roll. What do I do if I fall sick though you may ask?

1. Exercise. Vigourous exercise. It is my belief that you need to sweat out whatever's inhabiting your body and get it out of your system.

2. Music. Calms your mind, your body and keeps you on the positive side of things even on your sicket, most disgusting day.

3. Eat like a starved little street urchin. I eat. ALOT when I'm not well. I had four dinners last week in a period of 3 hours. Excessive consumption of cocoa is also advised by me. When I have the flu, I eat cartons of ice cream. Fight fire with fire I always say. Eventually it'll explode the shit out of the place leading to an abyss of nothingness.

4. Watch stand-up. I remember my mum telling me about this one guy who had Cancer. Like stage three cancer. He spent all his time watching everything that was funny in the hospital and BAM. Remission! To this day I keep that in mind, sick, not sick. At the end of the day, you need to be happy and what better way to do that then watch videos of Dylan Moran and Danny Bhoy and people leaping off of trampolines falling flat on their schnozes.


Someone told me once that I was a first class hypocrite because I have a thing against medicines but I take supplements. How are they different. Really. Human stupidity levels radar going BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP.

Supplements, especially the ones I take are organic and are solely consumed to make up for the nutrition that is lost out when you don't get enough from the food you eat. It's to keep your cells healthy, rejuvenated and to keep your immune system the boss of it all. Smell medication you pick up from the dentist. Go on. I ask you. You will most certainly lose the will to smell after you have smelled some of them. Smelt? Smelled? Friggin english.


I want to eat Malteasers in the rain now and listen to Insomnium.

Goodbye Mortals.

The Night That Was Lambshuggah

All I can say is, a few years from now, I am definitely going to rub in the faces of my future kids ( and other people of course) that I was present for what could very well be the most epic night of my life so far. I knew from the very second that Soundwave Touring announced a double headliner tour with two of the biggest names in the metal world, that I would be there, even if I had to sell a friggin limb. The two bands that I listen to all the time, two bands who are so insanely different and unique, two bands that can literally shred your ears and rip your face off with their sheer awesomeness.

The queue was insane. people were sloshed, psyched and it just seemed like the perfect night to witness the metal magic of Lamb Of God and Meshuggah. Finally inside, I was in two minds because the Roundhouse has this brilliant balcony giving you a full view of the venue. Eventually I ended up down, and look up about 20 minutes later to see Blythe casually doing some photography and Chris Adler lazing around watching the crowd with that gorgeous beard of his. At around 8.15 the Swedish Djent-lemen, pioneers of a wave of a new musical genre, made themselves present before the gradually building up crowd at the Roundhouse, giving  perfect meaning to the saying 'The Calm Before The Storm'. Taking to the stage in an abyss of darkness, Meshuggah burst into 'Swarm', which pretty much melted my very face off. And it was just the first song! The Swedish outfit played quite a few tracks off of their latest album, 'Koloss', such as 'The Hurt That Finds You First', 'Do Not Look Down', and of course 'Demiurge'. 'Demiurge' with it's massive sound was positively brutal live. My man Fredrik Thordendal, Hagstrom and Lovgren were majestic, shredding guitar ever so effortlessly and Tomas Haake being a beast.It was beautiful to watch, although the light show I felt could've been toned down a bit as the band was not entirely visible. 'I Am Colossus' made my heart do funny things to say the least. The band has this powerful aura when performing and watching them while listening to some of my favourite tracks just made me appreciate even more how intense and skilled they are as well as the intricate nature of their music. Jens Kidman was an absolute stunner, his vocals captivating the place, ricocheting off the walls of the Roundhouse, possibly giving new meaning to a literal 'breakdown'. Throughout their set, Meshuggah made it clear that their sole purpose was to destruct eardrums with their deafening and brutal sounds and destruct they did. Ending their set for the night with a couple of tracks off of 'Catch Thirtythree' and another tight song, 'The Last Vigil', it was a performance that will stay fresh in my head for a long, long time to come.

Now the beauty of a double headliner such as this, and despite this being me stating the obvious, is that, it wasn't over. The now packed Roundhouse, people pouring into every nook and cranny possible, it was Lamb Of God time. After what seemed like eons of a wait, they burst onto the stage like raging bullets. I had tears seeing Randy Blythe, considering the ordeal that the man has been through. For him to return on such a massive note, proves that music can break any barrier and he proved it that night. The crowd lost their shit when all of the classics such as 'Ghost Walking', 'Ruin', 'Walk With Me In Hell', 'Omerta' and 'Contractor' blasted on. The atmosphere was signature to that of an LoG concert, a brutal wall of death, circle pits with people giving two shits about losing limbs, not to mention all them headbangers. Chris Adler was the epitome of perfection as Campbell, Morton and Willie Adler brutalized. At this point my neck was, hanging by a thread, literally. Back on stage for an encore, and which I found hilarious, was a random appearance by Michael Starr of Steel Panther who are soon to be touring Australia too. It was a rather amusing and interesting appearance at that, with Starr asking the ladies in the crowd to flash him, generally tripping on Randy and after a point it just got weird, and he was escorted off stage leaving Randy with an extremely shiny blue vest. Putting on said vest, Randy broke into my all time favourite 'Redneck' while I simultaneously went on to break my neck. It was amazing. The love for the band was overwhelming and it just goes to show how strong the metal brotherhood Down Under is.

Ending their epic set with Black Label, Lamb of God left the stage with a heavily satisfied crowd. Randy Blythe -The man is a legend and I have so much respect for him. That night meant the world to me and I'm so happy that I was a part of it. Watching two of the greatest bands that ever existed on the same night put on a show that brutalized minds and bodies, it was perfect. 

Marshall Mathers - Rap God

Eminem. Someone I grew up listening to. The man is a legend. And he continues to live up to his legacy of being a 'Rap God' as declared on one of his tracks off his latest, The Marshall Mathers LP 2. Regardless of the excessive use of colorful language, Eminem has evolved as a rapper and as a person which is seemingly obvious with this album. I only like a few tracks, but those few are REALLY something.

The Night That Was Circles

It was a Saturday evening after a long, long day at work, as I went to the awesome Bald Faced Stag Hotel for a night of live music. The Stag is one venue I really love hanging out at, because it's a comfortable, personal venue, not too big. You get to see the bands floating around, being themselves, setting up. The act for that night was Circles, who I've over the past few weeks since the release of 'Infinitas', which is nothing  less than magnificent and a musical masterpiece.


First up were Beggars Orchestra, five piece outfit from my hometown, Sydney. I'll get right to it. I was blown away. Even as I'm writing this I'm not sure how exactly to describe these guys but they were fantastic. Something that I have noticed ever since I started attending a lot of gigs here is that the opening acts never really get the support they deserve. People always arrive late for the headliners which annoys me because that's how you miss out on some brilliant music. But Beggars Orchestra had the small venue quite full with a lot of people I've seen for a first act. I actually put it down on my phone that night to listen to these guys in abundance when I got home because they were amazing. Melodic, powerful, heavy, that gorgeous pairing of death growls with clean vocals, Beggars Orchestra were there to mesmerize, and did so effortlessly. Like I always say, it's difficult to explain and describe music in words, you need to hear and feel it to know what it's like. They are definitely worth the listen and more.

After a quick break during which the next band were setting up and the crowd were fueling themselves with a round of drinks, Red Bee took to the stage. I liked what I heard, although initially the band was lacking a bit in stage presence. But that changed as they performed an energetic set, getting people psyched out of their wits, headbanging, jumping around and enjoying the heavy grooves and riffs Red Bee has to offer. The band was pretty funny and seemed quite at ease, pausing for occasional banter and conversation with the crowd in between songs. They ended their set with the vocalist declaring three parts to the final song: Clean Tone, Slightly Distorted and the 'Lose your Effing Shit' part. That was enough to make the crowd go bonkers, and was an awesome end to their set!

Dawn Heist were the final act before Circles came on, and are also from Sydney. Another band that I haven't heard much of but definitely making it a point to. Once the band started playing, I couldn't help thinking that they have a scintillating and  unique sound, one that you couldn't really classify under one particular genre. There's just so much going on, brutal djent-influenced breakdowns, that trippy techno/electro music in the background, the clarity of the clean vocals supported by the sheer brutality of raspy growls. They have an amazing energy on stage as well and it was such a pleasure watching them and listening to them live! I am fast becoming a big fan of them.

Finally, the moment everyone had been waiting for, all the way from Melbourne, CIRCLES. My word, they were WAY more awesome than I had expected them to be. Kicking off their epic set with one of my favourite tracks of 'Infinitas', 'Another Me', vocalist 'Perry' had me in a complete trance. The emotion and energy he emanates when singing instantly takes you into a completely different world. With the progression in their music, at first your in a state of calm before those riffs and breakdowns attack the senses and literally make you lose your mind. The lyrics, which are quite audible, add so much depth and feeling to the tracks. 'Erased' was another definite stand out from the set for me. That beautiful symphonic intro, mystic chants of 'don't want to be trapped by fear' gradually  transcending into those heavy djent riffs, and beautiful ambient melodies merging in the background, Perry powerfully yelling ' Nothing really matters now'. Damn, those lyrics are intense! You cannot help but move your head in time to their fast yet melodic tunes.

The band as a whole put on a great show, power-packed and electrifying. For a debut album by this amazingly talented band, it's a friggin masterpiece to say the least. CIRCLES have an aura about them which certainly goes against any stereotypical definititon of djent and progressive metal, combining the two to create something that is unimaginably mind-blowing and beautiful.

It was a perfect night at the Stag with some insane music and amazing support for the opening bands and finally the magic and awesomeness that is CIRCLES.

The Night That Was Korpiklaani

There are just those some bands that stand out among the rest, for whatever reason. Korpiklaani are one of those bands for me. Being my first ever folk metal band that I listened to, I've always been fond of the Finnish six-piece ever since I heard the always epic and famous track, 'Vodka'. Little did I know that I would get to see that track performed live this soon.

When Korpiklaani announced their first ever Australian tour, I was nothing short of friggin excited. Like I said, their music just cannot be missed and you can't help but like the band that dedicates it's music to the goodness of alcohol. The most ironic thing that night was definitely the fact that I don't drink but I love a band whose lyrical themes are primarily about drinking. I made my way to the Manning Bar, eagerly awaiting the doors to open and once they did, my excitement knew no bounds. There were still a few minutes for it all to start while Trollgasm were doing their sound-check, so I hung around the merch stands with a friend, until I spot that HAT. It was none other than the awesome Kalle 'Cane' Savijarvi, guitarist of Korpiklaani. He was just floating around and actually came in the direction I was standing, when I seized the opportunity to take a fan-girl picture.

It's always nice to meet the bands, especially before a gig, psychs me out even more and so far I've been really lucky meeting a few! Dubbo-based band Trollgasm kicked off the night and did a pretty good job at getting the crowd all set for the magic of Korpiklaani. I had never heard them before, but I liked what I heard. Fast-paced, folkey, little bits of symphony incorporated by a violinist.

Troldhaugen were up next and WOW. If it were possible, my eyes almost popped out of their sockets. The stage presence of this band is like nothing I have ever seen. One by one each member of this crazy, progressive, folk metal band entered the stage on a rather silent, very sophisticated note, the sophistication rather significant with their classy outfits, blazers, vests, the whole enchilada. Two minutes later, without any prior warning, Troldhaugen blasted into what was definitely one of the most energetic performances I've seen. I LOVE their music, which has some fine elements of swing and jazz fused with the awesomeness of good ol' folk metal. They reminded me a lot of Diablo Swing Orchestra and Weird Al. But my, did it certainly get the crowd going! The vocalist was definitely my favourite, with his insane eyes lighting up and looking rather demonic but in a hilarious way. He danced, jumped, did some really fancy stints on stage and kept the crowd really entertained. If this madness wasn't enough to handle, from heavy folk swing metal, the music transcended into the ever famous 'Call Me Maybe'. I burst out laughing as did everyone else present, it was just too much! It didn't stop with that, because a few minutes later,Troldhaugen introduced to the world a new concept of dubstep and metal. Absolutely brilliant, humorous, this band is definitely one you cannot miss if they head your way.

After what seemed like an eternity to me, it was the moment I had been waiting for since August. Members of the six piece Finnish group made their way on to the stage with  awesome folk music playing away in the background, while drummer Matti 'Matson' started clapping, getting the now packed crowd at the Manning even more psyched. On they came one by one, with Cane declaring with a huge grin " We are Korpiklaani! Now it's time to partaaaay!" And party we did! It was such a happy atmosphere and I knew that I was in for an amazing, fun night! I wasn't wrong =)

Jonne, the vocalist, made a grand entrance and burst into song, beginning the set on a heavy, fun note with 'Tuonelan Tuvilla'. It only got crazier from that point with some of the best Korpiklaani tracks being played such as 'Juodaan Viilna', 'Wooden pints', 'Rauta', 'Ievan Polka', and of course 'Vodka' which was FINALLY played after much yelling and screaming from the crowd.  Jonne was AMAZING. Powerful, gruff vocals that was enough to make you want to break something and run around the place like a crazy, drunk person! Which is exactly what it was. People headbanging, dancing their versions of Finnish folk, not to mention a special appearance made by the Pope, a guy who clearly made quite an impact on the audience, crowd surfing.

Sami, the accordion player was tops, not to mention the sheer awesomeness of the Violin-Guitar fusions. Cane and Jonne were an absolute riot and you couldn't help but laugh when seeing the two Finnishmen running up and down the stage, arms flailing, hair flying and generally having the time of their lives.The energy was outstanding throughout the set, fans going crazier with every song that played, throwing themselves at each other, beer and spit showers being the thing of the night. And by crazy I mean a woman in the crowd flinging her bra on to the stage with the amused members of Korpiklaani watching their vocalist respectfully and enthusiastically hang it on the mic stand.

It was an amazing set by Korpiklaani at The Manning Bar, ending it with a three song encore, the last track of the night being 'Beer Beer', another favourite of mine. Jonne took the oppurtunity to prance around with a beer bottle on his head, before he downed it all. You'd think after three and a half hours that it was the end of a great show, but the energy levels in the room that night, especially at the end seemed to prove otherwise.

 It's hard to put down in words the atmosphere that night. It was a fun metal party of sorts and at the end of it all, I can only remember that I was one happy metalhead. You had to be there to know what it was, but it was definitely one of the best times I've ever had, one of the best gigs I've been to. Korpiklaani signed off saying this was their first time Down Under but definitely not their last.

GUY ON THE TRAIN LOOKING AT MY EARS: 



SO I STARE BACK:

 

I kid you not, that is literally how that scene went. For about 5 minutes.



It was hilarious. This happens atleast twice a week. My ears bring up some mad conversations. One guy actually asked me if I was a fan of pain. Dodge alert. But you know the really funny thing? People think I've gone wack in the head for having an abormal number of piercings on my ears. Just when I thought I'd seen it all, I came across a girl recently, (now many), who had her cheeks pierced. And now I don't mean the down south cheeks, although with the current decline in the length of shorts that girls wear these days, I wouldn't be surprised if I happen to see those cheeks too. Anyhoo, her cheeks man. Her friggin cheeks. Family are you reading this? Just below her eyes. I mean, where does the back of the piercing even go?

So on that rather shocking note, strange man I met on the train, there seem to be a whole lot more individuals in the human population who fancy pain. I'm certainly not one of them.