Flow Festival 2024 – Helsinki, Finland – 9/10/11-08-2024
There is no summer without Flow Festival!
Once again, the best summer festival in the Nordic countries returned for its 2024 edition. Flow Festival 2024 set a new record with 92,000 people in the former industrial area of Suvilahti in Helsinki. This year’s lineup was one of the most varied and interesting, with artists and bands including: PULP, PJ HARVEY, IDLES, YVES TUMOR, HALSEY, BLONDE REDHEAD, FRED AGAIN…, MARCOS VALLE, RAYE, MALLA, GASELLIT, JAMES BLAKE, JANELLE MONÁE, THE STANCE BROTHERS, ALVVAYS, JESSIE WARE, KOKOKO, THE HOLY, PRECIOUS BLOOM, etc. Below is a summary of the 3-day festival, with the exception that it contains a summary of the live performances of rock, alternative music, and jazz artists and bands:
FRIDAY 9:
THE HOLY
We started our Friday adventure at the Balloon 360 open-air stage. There, the Finnish band THE HOLY was performing, their last performance for Flow Festival and their last festival in general, as they will retire after their upcoming autumn tour around Finland.
As it was a special occasion, the group’s lineup was expanded to 10 people: three drummers, three guitarists, a bassist, a keyboardist, a violinist and a trumpet player who also was charge of the backing vocals.
The band worked hard to make their explosive alternative rock and krautrock sound elevate us to a dimension full of captivating riffs, celestial keyboards, energetic drums and melancholic vocals.
Eetu, Pyry, Laura, Eero, Mikko, and company delighted us for 60 minutes with the best of their repertoire. They left the entire audience asking for more. A great way to say goodbye.
Be sure to check out the band’s third and final album, «Ländmark» released earlier this year by PME Records.
NABIHAH IQBAL
An hour later on the same Balloon 360 stage, the English producer, DJ and musician of Pakistani origin NABIHAH IQBAL and her band performed.
One of the best performances of Friday, with an interesting mix of indie rock, electronica, dream pop, and post-punk. A true sonic revelation.
A perfect 60-minute set with a total of eleven songs, most of them from their second studio album «Dreamer» released in 2023.
From this magical set we highlight two covers played in a shoegaze version and executed masterfully, “Be Quiet and Drive” by DEFTONES and “A Forest” by THE CURE.
BLONDE REDHEAD
Continuing with Friday’s performance, we found ourselves on the Black Tent stage for the performance of the American trio BLONDE REDHEAD. The band consists of Kazu Makino on vocals, keyboards, and rhythm guitar; twin brothers Simone Pace on drums and keyboards; and Amedeo Pace on lead guitar, keyboards, and vocals.
The stage was too small for the band since they have visited the city of Helsinki on several occasions (2015, 2010 and 2008) and the Finnish audience loves them madly thanks to that good combination of stylised dream pop and meticulous indie rock.
A perfect set of twelve songs, including «23», «Falling Man», «Elephant Woman», «Kiss Her Kiss Her,» «Snowman» and “SW». Makino and the Pace brothers excelled, bringing a calm, relaxed, and dreamy sound.
IDLES
And then on the Silver Arena stage, the most anticipated acts of the night, IDLES. The band led by Joe Talbot showed us all their power, charisma, and enormous sound on stage. The British band opened with the introspective and slow «IDEA 01».
Although later came a handful of songs that got our adrenaline pumping, such as «Gift Horse”, «Mr. Motivator» and «The Wheel”. These are songs from the band’s more recent recording period, but they are still true battle pieces against the system that so oppresses the people!
In the last half hour of the concert, the band’s classic songs and audience favourites, «Never Fight a Man With a Perm”, «Danny Nedelko» and «I’m Scum”, arrived. These are full-blown anthems that loudly proclaim the fundamental idea on which the band IDLES is built: anti-monarchy, hate capitalism, and pro-immigrant/refugee.
And finally, they closed out a brilliant sixty-minute set with the ferocious and fast-paced «Rottweiler» from their best album, «Joy as an Act of Resistance» (2018). The crowd unleashed all their pent-up rage on this final track, moshing and shouting the lyrics out loud. IDLES once again proved they are the true masters of live performances.
JANELLE MONÁE
And we closed the Friday session a few hours later on the same Silver Arena stage with the American JANELLE MONÁE, the queen of progressive and avant-garde soul.
Among the songs performed by Janelle and her band are «Make Me Feel”, “Float», «I Like That”, and «Champagne Shit”. The rest of the songs can be found on the studio albums «The ArchAndroid» (2010) and «The Electric Lady» (2013). Each song was accompanied by the aforementioned band and a pair of party-ready dancers.
In conclusion, we could say that JANELLE MONÁE is the living embodiment of PRINCE, a multifaceted artist who sings, dances, and can play several musical instruments. She also puts on a show on stage with unparalleled charisma. We danced to the rhythms of funk, soul, pop, and hip hop!
SATURDAY 10:
VERNERI POHJOLA: MONKEY MIND
And on the second day of the festival, we headed to the open-air Balloon 360 stage in the early afternoon to enjoy the Finnish trumpeter VERNERI POHJOLA, who presented his new album and musical project «Monkey Mind” (2023).
POHJOLA was accompanied by a dream team of jazz musicians: Jasper Høiby on double bass, Olavi Louhivuori on drums, Kit Downes on piano and Tuomo Prättälä on keyboards.
These musicians were the same as on the studio album, the live version was very dynamic and innovative as it fused traditional instruments with modern ones, generating a very characteristic sound.
The quintet played mostly songs from the aforementioned album, but we highlight the moment when the famous Finnish saxophonist Linda Fredriksson came on stage to accompany them on the pieces “Avance!” and “Save This One for When You Need It”.
Verneri Pohjola and company offered us a breath of fresh air. European jazz performed by top-tier musicians, unparalleled live. A set not to be missed!
PRECIOUS BLOOM
And a few hours later on the same Balloon 360 stage we had a pleasant surprise with the band PRECIOUS BLOOM, originally from the city of Jakarta, Indonesia.
The duo of Adinda Dwimadasari on vocals and Aradea Barandana on bass was accompanied by a trio of musicians on guitar, drums and keyboards.
Dreamy music that circulated between 1980s Indonesian city pop, world music, and Latin jazz. Adding to the repetitive beats of Aradea‘s production are the almost hypnotic vocal melodies of Adinda.
A charming 10-song set got everyone in attendance moving. Highlights included “Jezeneah», «Teka Taki Asmara» and «Trip to the Bahamas”. All from the studio album «Consequences» (2023).
Once again, the Balloon 360 stage brings us a new band that makes us think about new musical styles and sonic boundaries. PRECIOUS BLOOM is the discovery of the summer!
THE STANCE BROTHERS
A few hours later, on the same Balloon 360 stage, we had the opportunity to see Mr. Teppo «Teddy Rok» Mäkynen with his project THE STANCE BROTHERS.
Teppo was surrounded by a trio of experienced musicians who accompanied him on a fun journey in which the crunchiest funk and jazz intermingled with the grooviest soul.
Most of the songs performed were from the latest studio album, «Duktus» (2023). An innovative work released by the wonderful Finnish label We Jazz Records.
A fantastic set by Teppo and company. Rhythmic funk laden with synthesised sounds for the enjoyment of everyone in attendance. There was dancing, fun, but above all, a pleasant time. Which is the most important thing!
PJ HARVEY
We concluded Saturday’s performance with a superb concert by English artist Polly Jean Harvey, better known as PJ HARVEY, on the Main Stage. A large, excited audience looked on, eager to see their favourite artist perform.
The English artist was surrounded by a select group of musicians who have accompanied her on tour for many years: John Parish on guitar and other instruments; Jean-Marc Butty on drums and percussion; James Johnston on keyboards and various instruments; and Giovanni Ferrario on guitar and bass.
The hour-plus concert flew by with an 18-song set. PJ HARVEY gave us a tour of seven of her full-length albums. Among the songs we enjoyed the most were: “To Bring You My Love”, “Down By The Water”, “Let England Shake”, “Black Hearted Love” and “Man-Size”.
IIn conclusion, a fantastic concert from start to finish, packed with great moments and songs. The passing of time hasn’t affected PJ HARVEY; she retains that emotional power in each of her pieces, which connects with every fan. A truly interesting live performance that made us cry while also made us scream with rage. Perfect in every way!
SUNDAY 11:
LASSY-ESKOLA: NORDIC STEW
We kicked off the third and final day of Flow Festival on our favourite stage Balloon 360. Being an open-air stage, it was affected by the rain, but the party didn’t stop.
On this stage, we were able to witness an energetic set by the duo TIMO LASSY (saxophone) and JUKKA ESKOLA (trumpet), who presented their latest album, «Nordic Stew» (2024).
The duo was accompanied by a select group of experienced musicians, under the watchful eye of the audience, who sought refuge on the stage as the gentle rain fell steadily.
This gave us a live performance of this interesting yet refreshing blend of Nordic jazz, New Orleans rhythms, and acrobat patterns. A true delicacy that the audience savoured with great appetite!
ALVVAYS
After a few hours of rain, we headed to the indoor Black Tent stage to enjoy the indie pop of the Canadian band ALVVAYS. The Canadian quintet captivated us with their pop melodies full of distortion and psychedelia.
This group, made up of Molly Rankin on vocals and rhythm guitar, Kerri MacLellan on keyboards and backing vocals, Alec O’Hanley on lead guitar and backing vocals, Lukas Cheung on bass, and Sheridan Riley on drums and backing vocals, made the most of their vast arsenal of songs with catchy rock melodies.
A long set filled with shoegaze guitars and dream pop-style vocals. The band performed sixteen powerful songs: “Pharmacist”, “After the Earthquake”, “In Undertow”, “Many Mirrors”, “Very Online Guy”, “Adult Diversion”, “Hey”, “Tom Verlaine”, “Belinda Says”, “Pressed”, “Velveteen”, “Dreams Tonite”, “Atop a Cake,” “Archie, Marry Me”, “Pomeranian Spinster” and “Easy on Your Own?”.
ALVVAYS touched our hearts. Incredible from start to finish, full of emotions and angelic melodies that pierced your heart with intermittent bursts of distortion. Just what we needed after a rainy Sunday afternoon. Relaxed pop rock in modern times!
MARCOS VALLE
Later on the Balloon 360 stage, there was an incredible performance by Brazilian music (bossa nova and samba) legend MARCOS VALLE.
The Brazilian musician was accompanied by his wife Patricia Alvi on backing and lead vocals, along with an excellent band of experienced musicians.
Valle rejuvenated everyone in attendance with his soft voice, the sweet tones of his keyboard, the perfect backing vocals of his wife Patricia, and the unforgettable instrumentation of his accompanying musicians.
Valle and company’s set was perfect, offering us a journey through Brazilian music while also fusing it with various styles such as jazz, soul, rock, and dance music.
At eighty-one years old, maestro Marcos Valle appears on stage like a young man with tireless energy who just wants the audience to sing and dance!
JAMES BLAKE
We then ran to the large indoor Silver Arena stage to witness the performance of acclaimed English singer, songwriter and producer JAMES BLAKE.
Blake only needed his voice and keyboards, accompanied by just two musicians: drums and guitar/keyboards. Smooth alternative melodies in the vein of R&B, soul, electronica, and ambient pop.
Dim lights and a minimalist stage served as the backdrop for Blake to envelop us with his signature intimate sounds, before an audience that silently contemplated the English singer’s angelic voice.
Just 10 songs were enough for him to impress us with his vocal prowess and unparalleled ingenuity on the keyboards. From that set, we highlight two covers that were among the most moving: «The Limit to Your Love» by FEIST and «Godspeed» by FRANK OCEAN.
PULP
And the last band for this Sunday night at Flow Festival 2024 was none other than the legendary PULP. The English quartet drew a large crowd of fans to the Main Stage.
Jarvis Cocker, Candida Doyle, Nick Banks and Mark Webber took the stage accompanied by a handful of backing musicians: Andrew McKinney on bass, Emma Smith on violin and guitar, Adam Betts on percussion, guitar, and keyboards, and Richard Jones on viola, keyboards, and backing vocals.
PULP on stage is unparalleled, delivering energetic, sublime, and thought-provoking moments: Jarvis, a true gentleman, leading the way with his intelligent humor, presenting him as one of the finest showmen of his generation; Candida, a highly skilled keyboardist with a reserved personality but a great support on backing vocals; Nick was exquisite on his drum parts, always offering the perfect touch at every moment; and Mark, the missing piece, uniting all of the band’s aforementioned elements thanks to his distinctive chords and spatial melody.
We highlight the moment when the band performed «Do You Remember the First Time?» while Jarvis threw Finnish sweets to the audience. It couldn’t have been funnier than that. PULP offered us an emotional and unforgettable concert full of nostalgia and interesting moments, with a 16-song setlist. Highlights included «Common People”, “Sunrise», and «A Sunset» with the great English musician Richard Hawley, as well as classic hits like «Disco 2000″ “Babies», «This is Hardcore”, and «Something Changed”.
In short, Flow Festival 2024 is the party not only of the summer but also of the year. This festival brings together the bands and artists of the moment, as well as those iconic groups you have to see at least once in your life, and also those underground sounds that are making a strong entrance and will one day become mainstream. For just three days a year, Helsinki becomes the capital of music, and Flow Festival is the festival of festivals. An event like no other!
