As we roll inexorably into the festive season, thoughts naturally turn towards mince pies, Christmas parties, cheesy Xmas songs and overindulging in your tipple of choice. Last night, just one of these was in good supply, thankfully NOT the cheesy songs! As my brother and I worked our way through our third pint of ale of the evening, The Bros took to the stage at the intimate and surprisingly loud The Garage venue in Islington, London. It was the last date of a short UK tour that began five days earlier at Troon Winter Storm Festival.
Mikko stated at the beginning that this was going to be a very long set, and he wasn’t kidding. While it felt like a greatest hits show with songs taken from six of their nine albums, the lion’s share were understandably from their latest record In Murmuration.
The brothers rocked through their set with only brief moments of respite, with tracks like All Of A Sudden You’re Gone offering a chance to catch one’s breath. And although we’d been informed it would be a long set, it didn’t feel like there was any fat on the bone or filler. Mikko’s voice is even more impressive live than on record, and he hit each note with both precession and oomph delivering a passionate, powerful performance.
Jonne’s bass was powerful, and seemed more present than on the records. There’s something more immediate and visceral about hearing music performed directly in front of you rather than coming through your headphones. You can see the effort, the sweat going into the playing and the energy is palpable. His vocals were spot on too, with Jonne and Kie lending their voices to the harmonies.
Speaking of Kie, I was not prepared for the whirring dervish that is Kie von Hertzen wrangling his well weathered, gig battered guitar on stage. He never stood still, and looked supremely comfortable, completely in his happy place, smiling, rocking out, wrestling tones and tunes from his guitar that David Gilmour would be proud of.
We can’t forget the boys at the back either. Sami Kuoppamäki is a remarkable drummer and is revered as both a former member of the legendary Kingston Wall and as a hugely in demand session drummer, prolific in jazz and rock. He kept the band in check and provided the eager pulse to the musical proceedings. But it’s the multi instrumentalist Markus Pajakkala who really brought something special to the evening with his woodwind. Peace Patrol without the sax solo is not the same experience. We very nearly didn’t have it at all as an over enthusiastic Mikko trod on a vital mic cable at the exact moment that Markus stepped forward to blow his solo. Comedy gold! Luckily Jonne saved the day with another mic, but for a moment the BIG moment of the song and arguably the show nearly didn’t happen!
It was a fabulous gig and I cannot wait for the brothers and their band to come back to the UK. If you’ve not had a chance to see them yet, make sure you do next time they’re anywhere near you. You’re in for a great fun proper rock ‘n’ roll show. One of the best bands out there at the minute.
Jim’s Adventures In Music 