Slipknot @ Jäähalli, Helsinki, Finland 15/2 – 15
Everything has a beginning, but everything also has an end. And this was the final date on what we refer to as the “SlipKnot” week, even though it was a bit all over the place. It was a bittersweet taste in my mouth when I woke up that morning, and the reality hit me even harder when Argo left to go home to Estonia.
But, fear not! As I was sitting in my dismay, in my beautiful room at Omena Yrjönkatu, which was very messy because it’s me, the lovely Jasmin hit me up for dinner before I headed over to Jäähalli. Said and done.
I had been thinking a LOT about what to wear. And with that said, I mean I had no clue at all in what so ever. I thought maybe a Lordi shirt and some pants, but then I figured I’d just go with a stripped down version of what I was wearing in Stockholm. Said and done.
So, Jasmin and I met up outside the hotel and headed down to McDonalds for a sweet dinner. And it was sweet already. Lots of talking, catching up, laughter and gasps and just pure epicness. Eventually of course, I had to leave as Jasmin guided me to the trams that would take me to Jäähalli.
Because of the awesome company, I was actually getting pretty late to the venue! Not my kind of style huh? Shows you how much good company can do! But just as I got into the bathrooms, the LONG intro of King 810 started so you could say I made it just in time! Ran downstairs and didn’t miss a second of King 810.
Well, there isn’t a lot more to say about King 810 that hasn’t already been said. I assume it was the same setlist, and the band was on top, just as in Stockholm. Still miss that little cameo of the crew member of course but you can’t get everything!
So, after they left the stage it was time for the fairly short wait for SlipKnot. I had checked on the events page – SlipKnot would start at 20.20 (odd time anyone?) and precisely 20.24 did “XIX” start echoing from the speakers. And as it did so, I felt some people pushing from the side. I was like “Oh come on, not back here?” and then I realized what was going on.
They were preparing for a moshpit.
And I was basically the star of the show.
So I basically, in true “Wait and Bleed” mannor yelled out a “GOOD BYE!” and ran the opposite direction. Some time in the future, you WILL see me in a moshpit to “Surfacing”, but not today. Not here, not now.
With that said, the curtain raise up and they hit it off with “Scarcastrophe”. Within the first few sounds of the guitar, the arena pretty much exploded. Had this been a 2-floor building, the floor would have broken. They continued on with “The Heretic Anthem” just as in Stockholm, tightly followed my “My Plague”. Damn. You could cut the tension with a knife you know? You could sense that this was something special.
Which it kinda was, you know. It was the tour finale of the Prepare for Hell tour in Europe. But on the same time – there isn’t a whole lot to say. The band was on top – just as they were back in Stockholm, perhaps a little more on the edge. They followed suit with “The Devil in I” and “Psychosocial” and later on “The Negative One” – and I tell you.
Being in the arena, regardless of arena really, when these three songs are being blasted… Well, they call the tour prepare for hell, right? Because it is. But it’s a good hell. The kind of hell one would commonly refer to as heaven. At least if you’re a hyper, jumping, headbanging metalhead that is. And I am all of this. So hell, nah, more heaven.
But it was right here it happened. When it was supposed to have been “Three Nil” we instead heard the lyrics telling us “I wanna slit your throat and fuck the wound…”
And in all honesty, at first I didn’t even realize what happened. I sang along to all the lyrics, jumped at the right spots, and headbanged and what not. But I never realized what happened. Neither did I when “Eyeless” was exchanged for “Opium of the People”.
I didn’t realize what was happening until they started playing “Dead Memories” were there was supposed to be “Vermillion”. And at first I froze.
And then my eyes grew big. So big they almost popped out of my head. Grabbed my camera quick, need to record this shit for Michelle. Halfway in the verse I realize NO I SHOULD FUCKING CALL HER. Started digging for my phone, managed to call her. My bill is going to be sky high, but it’s worth it if you let your best friend hear her favorite song live.
Afterwards they continued on as “normal” – meaning “Dead Memories” was followed by “Before I Forget” and “Duality” before the next surprise of the night came – Where there was expected, from my side, to be “Wait and Bleed” we instead got “The Blister Exists”. Hello mindfuck. And after this… hihihi. My favorite moment was here.
Sure. I’ve only seen this band two times now. But already after the gig in Stockholm did “Spit it Out” become my favorite moment of the entire show you. And I guess you all know what I’m talking about. Yep. That’s right. According to Corey, the Helsinki crowd was the fastest in all of Europe to get the fuck down on the fucking ground. Doesn’t even surprise me. AND GOD DAMN THIS MOMENT PEOPLE. If you ever have the chance to experience a SlipKnot show, do so from the middle of the crowd. Might seem a little… speaking against myself, but seriously, there’s nothing like being in there, sitting down with all these people around you, and all of you, ON THE SAME TIME just jumps the fuck up. Oh my fucking god man, as Corey’d say.
This piece of action was of course followed by their, I suppose new, jumpfest “Custer”. Seriously, if the arena wasn’t already blown up, this was the moment when it happened.
After “Custer”, they left the stage, leaving us all chanting wanting more, and of course, like the good band they are, they returned. Starting off with “742617000027” and then driving RIGHT into “(sic)” just made your inner organs kind of explode. I’ve used that word a lot in this entry, I do realize, but how else am I to explain an explosive show?
“(sic)” was followed by “People=Shit” before they wrapped the whole thing up with the moshers little favorite “Surfacing”. Like I said in the beginning, ONE DAY I will be in the mosh, but it’s gonna take some time. Like, I need to get Iron Man’s costume first. And a few pillows. And a sumi-wrestlers outfit. But until then, have fun people.
After “Surfacing” they thanked for the night and left the stage and soon we were all ushered out of the arena by Geoff, their right hand, if you like.
It was with a fairly heavy heart I left Jäähalli. It was a bittersweet taste in your mouth, when this one week you’ve looked forward to for SO LONG is just over. Just like that. Gone. Away. No more.
As the loser I am, I didn’t find the tram-station so I end up walking all the way back to the hotel. Which was pretty sweet, it only took about half an hour and it was kinda nice to walk home and calm down a little bit from the extreme amount of endorphins that had just been released inside the ice hall.
Seriously though, from the bottom of my heart.
Thank you SlipKnot, for these two shows. They were amazing, and I can’t even wait for Graspop to come now. NOW. NOW.
// Sara
Sara Hammerzmith 
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