Early Post!
9.7.2022

Tonight is the night … the big concert in the  Olympic Stadion of Helsinki.
This concert was planned to be the very last concert of  Sunrise Avenue, but then corona fuck us all.

Never mind. The concert is scheduled for tonight, without restrictions!
Taking bus and train and findinf my way to Oopera. Olympic Stadion I am coming.

It is something special, the  way towards the stadium. More and more people are joining us or we are joining those, going in front of us. A herd of people is wandering towards the stadium.
I am relaxed, no need to hurry. Got a ticket for a seat.

In front of the stadium they are selling earplugs. Got my own noise reduction on board, it is called hearing impairment.

Another look at the map: Where do I have to go? Sitting at A2!

Now I am walking towards the three red arrows.
At the gate they got digital check points, as they have it at airports for your boarding pass.
Hold your ticket towards it, got it read, pass the gate.
Quick back pack check – done.

Now lets check, at least some parts of,  the stadium.
It is so impressive. I am always touched, being at such a historical place.

After checking the map, I realize, that I am passing the stage right by my side.

Not a VIP but same direction.
Buying some stuff at the merch-stand, which I usually don’t do, but hey last chance!
OK very last chance was in berlin (9/2/2022), but there the queue was around  500 meters.
In Helsinki: just five minutes to wait for my new

Vorher einmal am Merch-Stand was kaufen, mache ich sonst nie, but it is the last chance!
Gut in Berlin wäre auch noch Chance gewesen (2.9.2022), da war die Warteschlange aber gefühlt einen halben Kilometer. Hier warte ich knapp fünf Minuten für meinen sports backpack and my ooster.
Another stand sells cups – I take two, one for  Sanna-Leena and one for me.

On the left hand you can catch a view at  Töölön pallokenttä –  ballfield of  Töölö!

Because it is lovely:

Amazing, the building is of 1952.
I am walking up these stairs. Have to go to bathroom and get myself something got eat.
Then I am taking my seat and watching the hustle and bustle in the filling field.

From my perspective stage looks right now like a huge dick, particular by the slight curve it makes.

Such a seat on top is something nice. You are able to watch things, you usually don’t see. Ok a bit bad for concert pix.

In the end there will be around 70,000 people watching this concert. I have never been with so many people on a gig.

In the VIP area you stand at tables, got something to drink, eat some bits and look quite board to the field. For concert pix your place is just as modest as mine. But my ticket was cheaper. 😀

What are you doing when supportive  act is boring you? Happens to me all the time. But I don’t want to stroll around. So I am having a look here and there of the area and taking pix.

Yeah, more people are coming in.

Sometimes ist is a  bit strange, to see those empty places, like the ones in the back, left to the stage. But to sell tickets for those places won’t make any sense. You can’t see anything.

What thrills me are those big metal piles with the gigantic loudspeakers.
There is also a kind of camera crane, running busy from one side to the other. The concert will be filmed and also streamed.  Sanna-Leena will be watching in Kivikko.

Again the moment, while I think: what a shame, the stadium won’t bne filled. Coz the seats remain so long empty.
But all of a sudden: every seat is taken!

 

Now is the moment!
The show begins!

I just took a few pictures but some videos. So you might get an impression.

I am always thrilled by the shows of my band, this band – Sunrise Avenue. The  band whom I will desperately miss after lights will be switched out after the last concert in September.

Here in Helsinki the field is rocking but the seats remain in a very strange way quiet. Mostly finnish people, a bit reserved. The seats behind me are all empty and so I jump over the border and start to dance. More and more people get up, start clapping their hands, dance and sing along with me.
In the end the whole block is dancing. In Berlin just some people. So Helsinki never disapointed me with concerts.

Setlist

• Thank You for Everything
• Choose to Be Me
• Unholy Ground
• Heartbreak Century
• Beautiful
• Afterglow
• Forever Yours
• I Can Break Your Heart
• Lifesaver
• Home
• Hurtsville
• I Help You Hate Me
• Little Bit Love
• Never Let Go
• Welcome to My Life / Stormy End
• Question Marks
• Point of No Return
• Nothing Is Over
• Keyboard Solo
• Fairytale Gone Bad
• Wonderland
• Hollywood Hills

Details

While watching the videos, you can see that there where some small clips in the background.
Some background information, a small tour through Helsinki (Forever Yours), to explain in a kind of childlike appearance, what you are able to be – love Samu for that – musician get on jackets or say hi. You can’t describe everything.

Absolute fantastic: Samu had had a special designed jean jacket for every show. A finnish artist has dealt with him and the location. Just have a look here. You can also see the jackets bigger on that channel.
Every night one fan in golden circle got the jacket of the night. Loved it and would also have loved to be down there.

Videos: sorry for the quality. To far away and even if I would have had a better iPhone, thanks to the dear son for inheriting, it never will be a DSLR camera.

 

Videos

Way back home

Concert was over around 11:30 pm. Olympic stadium was very quickly empty. Berlin had had much more trouble in September with fewer people.
Again Helsinki is the winner.

Weather: it is raining. The whole way to  Rautatieasema it is raining.  Both sides of Mannerheimintie  streams of  people.
Tried to make a picture, but somewhat blurry.

streams of people on their way home.Somewhat wet I arrive at busstation. Bus  92N brings me home save. But I completely understand my friend  Sanna-Leena who told me, that it would be a looooooooong way.
Bus seems to ride for hours.

• Rautatientori
• Kaisaniemenpuisto
• Hakaniemi
• Hanasaari
• Suvilahti
• Kalasatama (M)
• Kulosaari
• Tupasaari
• Kipparlahti
• Herttoniemi (M)
• Konemestarinkatu
• Mekaanikonkatu
• Muuntajankatu
• Pikkupurontie
• Roihupelto
  I am somewhere in nowhere
• Metrovarikko
• Myllypuron Jäähalli
• Kauppamyllyntie
• Mamsellimyllynkatu
• Kolsintie
  could fall asleep
• Neulapadontie
• Orpaanporras
• Myllytuvantie
• Karistimentie
• Myllypuro (M)
  yay, I know this place, have been there before.
  HOPE
• Lallukankuja
• Karjatanhuanpolku
• Häyhäntie
• Humikkalankuja
• Naapurintie
• Porttikuja
• Porttitie
• Kontula
  are we there soon?
• Keinulaudantie
• Kurkiauranpolku
  everything is dark
• Kurkiaispolku
• Harmaahaikarankuja
• Kuovipolku
• Kurkimäentie
  finally!

home at  1:20 am!