Our last gig of the year was Stam1na and Stoned Statues at Tavara-Asema in Tampere. The venue was packed and the mood was sparking with anticipation – welcome warm from the biting frost outside. Stoned Statues earned their place and were a magnificent opening act for Stam1na. Jenna even came on stage and joined Antti on vocals for one song during Stam1na’s set.

It had been a while since I’ve seen Stam1na and the aesthetic of their newest album “X” was a lot more profound and visible in their live show than I expected. In their background animation and shirts but also in their presence and sound. It definitely felt different for them in a really quintessential way, even more honed in and focused than previous albums and live shows. It was an honor to be there when Sakara Records presented them with their platinum albums for “X” and Tuomo Saikkonen (Mokoma/founding member of Sakara Records) joined them on stage for a few songs!

I couldn’t have imagined a better way to end the 2023 gig year. On to the next!

STONED STATUES:

STAM1NA: