Ok here is a rough translation of it... sorry for grammar faults
Don`t mess with...
Poets of the Fall
March 15th 2005, Helsinki
A concertreport by Nathalie Martin
Inspiring poets without airs and graces. Grade: Absolutely recommendable
Site of Crime: Tavastia, Helsinki
The alleged criminals: three poets and three friends
Time of act: almost 1 ½ hours
Witnesses: mostly Finns and some fans from UK/Germany
Singer Mark storms the stage in rapper outfit, Poets of the Fall hoodie and sunglasses and starts with „Don`t mess with me“
The lanky guy jumps wild and crazy while the first songs, rips his jacket off and throws it in the crowd. A fight starts then and he shouts visibly irritated „It`s just a jacket!“
While playing the Max Payne Song „Late Goodbye“ he goes through the audience somehow and gets to the fourth row. The – not only now arising – crowd is more worse than on a Slayer concert... too much female fans.
But the poets don`t play girlie musik by no means: Mark, guitarist Ollie and keyboard man Captain – who likes Apple I-Books definately – and also the supplementary second guitar, bass and drums – are playing the songs live much harder than on their SoL album.
And the Finns celebrate it completely, not till „3 AM“ but almost 90 minutes long. The band grant themselves a little rest at „Someone Special“, when Ollie grabs his accoustic-guitar, Mark sits down on his bar stool, Captain sinks on a platform and only the bass singer twitches his chords gently in the background.
Mark – who changed from cap to bowler-hat – searches for the contact with the audience again, climbs from the stage, walks through the audience, goes back and asks „today is thursday, is that a good day?“ Everything sreams „Hyvä!“ (that means good), but Mark doesn`t accept it and means „Maybe tomorrow is a better day?“ You can only hear this unique christmaspresent live yet.... maybe a piece for the new CD?
The singer shouts now a bit less reflective „Should i STAY or should i go?“ The crowd sreams soulful with hundert voices „STAY!“ But that seems to be too quiet for him, cause first when they reach their maximum volume he`s satisfied and sings „Stay“. After that he shouts „Give me an L!“ and in best cheerleader style the heated up audience gives a „L-I-F-T“.
The musicians leave the stage too early. The mass wants more and the returning band has trouble to calm them down. After some „shhhh`s“, Mark can whistle „With Silence comes Peace...“ and begin to sing „Sleep“.
Who wonders all the time where the fabulous „Illusion & Dream“ is: This really last song finishes this sweeping concert. A compliment to the guys from the sound technics for the excellent sound.
But the evening isn`t over with that: The poets don`t show airs and graces. Mark, Olli and Captain are busy writing autographs on booklets, just bought t-shirts, tickets and by paperabsence on arms. They`re posing for pics – witch are taken by the mobile in Nokialand – not only with female fans; some guys eternalised too.
The one who missed the band so far should get enough chances : The history of the poets just started.
Text and pictures: Nathalie Martin
translated by Rasputin