The Right Spirit

Much like in love or war, almost everything is allowed in a rock concert.

On November sixteenth 2015 the British metalcore band Bring Me The Horizon performed in Helsinki. The concert was a part of their tour “That’s The Spirit”. It was held at a local club called the Cable Factory.

As we got there we could hear the music from the other side of the huge building. The second support band, Beartooth, was just finishing as we walked in. I was excited before the show had even begun! During the sound-check they were playing awesome bands like Arctic Monkeys and Gorillaz in the background. I felt like dancing already.

You could see that the crowd was waiting anxiously for the show to start. Most were wearing shirts or hoodies with album covers on them. I saw so many shirts with the text “That’s the spirit” written across, I won’t even try to guess how many there were.

Everyone screaming

As the band walked on stage, I could feel the excitement dripping from the ceiling. They were ready to start playing and everybody was there to listen. They started off with the gloomy but compelling sound of Doomed, which was also the opening of their new album. Immediately after that Happy song took over with its raw power. Almost everyone I could see was screaming along to the chorus. The setlist consisted of older tunes like Blessed with a curse and Chelsea smile mixed together with hits from Bring Me The Horizon’s brand new album.

Everyone who’s ever been to a rock concert knows how it goes. For a while the whole crowd is consumed by this exciting feeling. Much like in love or war, almost everything is allowed in a rock concert. There’s always someone trying to get up higher. There are people climbing on each other’s shoulders, waving hands, jumping up and down. Mobile phones in the air while everybody’s trying to get a good picture or a video.

Excitement for under-eighteens

I was singing along louder than ever but I couldn’t even hear my own voice. When I laid my hand on my chest, I couldn’t separate my own heartbeat from the beat of the music. The lights were amazing! Behind the band members was a big screen. At times it would read catch phrases or lyrics and we would sing along, pumping our fists in the air. I was wearing jeans and a sleeveless shirt and it was already hot in there for me. I don’t know how the ones wearing hoodies and beanies could stand the heat! I was literally wiping sweat off my forehead in the middle of dancing.

These kind of events are the only portal to clubs for the under-eighteens, which makes them even more exciting. Not because it feels cool or all grown up to be at a club, but because you rarely get the chance to go when you’re underaged. I’m fifteen, and at the time I was only fourteen, so these kind of events really are rare for me. This is because of my parents and because gigs for under-eighteens are not so common here in Helsinki. My girlfriend, who was there with me, was fifteen at the time. I’m extremely happy that I still got the chance to go

- there is nothing quite like a great concert.
Text by: Kaisa Vahteristo, 15 years, Nurmijärvi, Finland
Photo by: MCK-photography (CC by 3.0 )