Review: RA, Haloo Helsinki & Carmen Gray

The reason to go to Helsinki again wasn't one anybody wished for. Since it was important to me I'll write it down here:
On January 1st, 2008 Kate Allsworth died peacefully after an one year fight against cancer. For all those that couldn't take part in the funeral services in the beginning of January in England two meetings were arranged in Tampere and Helsinki. So I took part in the Helsinki meeting.
Carmen Gray were one of Kate's favorite bands and I liked them since my very first listen of their current CD "The Portrait of Carmen Gray" (2006). I always wished but never managed to see them before - so I was happy to see them even this wasn't a good reason!

Carmen Gray played this evening at Kanneltalo. It's western Helsinki's cultural centre, which is located by Kannelmäki railway station, near the Kehä I ring road. So you have to take the M Train from the city center to get there (or a car, but I don't have a car in Finland).

Before Carmen Gray started we saw two other bands:
Ra are three boys, actually very young. Long blonde hair was flying around their heads on stage and they did a good newcomer metal show, even the singers voice has still to grow.
Somehow they reminded me on little Sturm und Drang.
They played a thirty minutes set out of own song with English and Finnish lyrics. When they were done, the audience wanted an encore. So three stunning guys on stage thought about what to do and ended up with Black Sabbath's Paranoid.

Haloo Helsinki was second this evening. With her female singing bassist they can be put in the category "ok but boring", some rock with sleazy touch and Finnish lyrics. Actually nothing that kept in my mind at all.

Finally Carmen Gray entered the stage - not as we thought at 7pm but at 9pm (which crashed my schedule and so I had to leave earlier unfortunately).
Kanneltalo is not a concert venue in a known form at all, it's theaterstyled. Since this was a -s- gig of course some girls where fronted in the middle of stage and lots of other people were seated in the rows behind. Actually nobody of them in the back got up during the concert which was really strang for me - I could never imagine to keep seated on a concert I like!
Compared to the CD the songs have been a little lame in the beginning but it became better with the forthgoing gig.
The set was mixed of songs from the one and a half years old debut "The Portrait of Carmen Gray" (one of the best poppy rock albums in the last years, but that's maybe only my oppinion) and new songs of the forthcoming album.
"Lost in my mind again" was played this evening only for Kate, where ever she is now and she is better there. Be sure that this was the very first concert ever I cried and I hope this will be the last. Anyway I wasn't the only one with tears in the eyes.
As said before, I couldn't stay until the end but hope to see these guys on stage again soon!
They are worth it!
(And please audience: do not sit around in venues and look like anybody forced you there!)

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