Ελληνικά
Last Updated on 01:38 PM by Lilliana Tseka
Report by Themis Karageorgos & Vassilis Nitsos
One of the most distinctive features of the Greek metal community is experiencing events and trends with a little delay, despite the fact that the rest of the world community seems to have grown out of them or left them far behind the moment we discover them. The folk genre falls into that exact category, in which contrary to the globalization, it touched enormous sizes during the last few years while at the same time it faced the mockery of our country’s crowd. With the exception of adorable Skyclad whom Greece embraced with warmth from the very first moment, the rest of the folk scene didn’t win our conservative audience. We knew that. But now, judging by the ticket sales, it seems that the Greek crowd had embraced this scene and values this genre, even if deferred. After Eluveite’s last year’s ticket success, it was time for the Finns Korpiklaani to visit our lands. Jeez, all I wanted to write was three lines as a preface…
The truth is that I’ve been expecting this gig for quite some time now. You see, I consider the gigs as a form of entertainment and redemption. And what’s better than a pure folk party with alcohol flowing abundant and an endless feast unfolding throughout the concert.
I should confess I didn’t arrive in time to see the support band performing and frankly I really wanted to enjoy Arkona from Russia. I hope to catch them some other time with the first given opportunity, since their music has a more dancing / polka approach and I find it excessively attractive to my taste and it would be a good chance to check how it sounds live.
With a new album in their luggage it was only natural for the Finns to base their setlist on it. The performed almost the entire record live in Eightball Club, which even though it wasn’t fully packed, the vibe from the crowd was amazing. Of course we listened to tracks from “Noita” as well and from other previous releases. Since it was their first time in Greece I really hope they’ll come back. It would be awesome if the setlist of their next visit would be even longer in order to fit more songs from older records.
The performance of the band fluctuated at high levels and since I’ve so far been a gentleman, Korpiklaani literally and figuratively tore the place down. In other words, they were FUCKING AMAZING. Jonne Järvelä roamed on stage, restless, with an upbeat mood thus causing frantic dances. I don’t want to be unfair to the other members, who also gave their best, however Korpi’s frontman was the heart of everything. Pleasure was generally found on all of the attendees’ faces, while the band seemed excited throughout the entire concert. I cannot convey everything that happened in detail, so I hope for a full concert video to be uploaded on YouTube, as it usually happens for the gigs held in this venue. What I remember most vividly are the reactions of the crowd to “Vodka” (great hit) and “Wooden Pints” (epic) that sealed a great event. At least that’s what I remember as the last ones….
Personally speaking this was one of the most interesting concerts I have attended. For nearly two hours (a quarter to two actually) I felt like I was traveling to the worlds of past, freed from the sterile urban reality that currently alienates the man from his natural environment, Mother Earth.
