03-04-2008 Paganfest

Venue: 013, Tilburg (Netherlands)
By: Elvira Visser

The Swiss band Eluveitie had to start after the Dutch support band who I missed out because of the long waiting row in front of the cloakroom. Bit sad, because it is nice that Paganfest gives the opportunity for a national band to play as part of the Paganfest. I think Eluveitie did a great job in getting the audience going, although the venue was still half filled and people where slowly finding a place in front of the stage or meeting friends. The sound of Eluveitie is formed by mixing traditional Celtic folk music with metal. It was also the only band who had folk instruments with them on stage and not on tape.

I think the crowd liked Moonsorrow least, or they were just not that much cheering. Saw people chatting a lot and just nodding their heads. Well knowing the some friends who where anxious waiting for the beer songs of Korpiklaani this is a little bit different. Moonsorrow is is more heavy then the other bands, and their looks on stage as well. They are covered in (fake) blood. Being inspired by black metal and folk a creative mix is what they bring on stage. The overall sound of the band with the screaming growling voice of Ville Sorvali is a lot more metal then the other bands tonight. Mitja- Harvilahti was walking around on the stage all the time, a great guitar player to watch.

The crowd was already totally in the mood for Korpiklaani to enter the stage. They cheered as somebody on the stage was doing a quick line-check with one of the guitars. Rows in front of the bar showed people were reading. This was going to be a real beer party. And as soon as Korpiklaani entered the stage the audience was moving, dancing, cheering, screaming and throwing their beers in the air. On stage as always the antlers on the microphone stand. And the guys running around building a party. Korpilkaani had to play some of the songs, the crowd screamed for those songs when a song was ended. Like “Beer, Beer” and Wooden Pints”. When Korpiklaani gave what they wanted the hole venue went nuts. A great party it was!

It was the first time for Ensiferum to play in the Netherlands and I think they had a good time. When entering the stage a loud cheer came from the audience. The band set their first steps on stage but singer Perti Lindroos was wearing a orange Viking hat, this much to the liking of the crowd. After they played two songs Petri said that the Dutch audience was a lot more wild then the German audience the day before. That made the audience cheer even more. I think from that point on, nothing could go wrong. It even seemed the Dutch had learned the Finnish sung lyrics by heart and sung along. I think this was a great band to end the show, and I think Ensiferum liked it themselves as they wrote on their tour diary: I can only say “insane crowd”.

That pretty much sums it all up for me as well. A good thing with this Paganfest is that the people are so in this party and dancing around mood that it just makes you a happy person. You can randomly talk to people, and all having a great time. Then seeing the bands on stage with smiles on their faces and you feel another plash of beer on your back,then you know, this is Paganfest.

More pictures of this gig available at photographicretentions.nl