Higher, faster, harder and louder – Moon Shot live at Tavastia, Helsinki 11.5.

The night of May 11th on a Saturday was the date chosen to celebrate the release of the newest album by the supergroup Moon Shot. Three years after the release of their debut, it was time to perform the new tracks of Power in a practically packed Tavastia.

Half an hour before the show started, it was already possible to see a good number of fans at the venue, many wearing the band’s (beautiful) merchandise. As a warm-up, a playlist made by the band members’ influences, from Helmet to Queen, was a sample of what kind of mood the night would have.

After the intro began at 9:30 pm, Jussi Ylikoski slowly entered the stage a few seconds before the lights went out and the sound of “Life is A Killer” starts the show, already with a pulsating and contagious energy, both from the audience and the musicians.

“Blackened Spiral”, also from the newest record, shows a groovy line from the legendary bassist Henkka Seppälä, always smiling while greeting fans and old friends in the audience. The third track of the night came when the lights turned completely red and it was time for “Blood Looks Cool”, easily a hit in the group’s discography and received with great euphoria by the audience.

From red to blue lights, “Into the Trouble” shows that in addition to being a unique performer, Ville Malja is also a great vocalist, with a powerful performance. Before drummer Mikko Hakila’s groove on “Arms Around Me”, Malja gave a short speech about the strength we as people possess and Moon Shot’s music has this positive message as a strong element in their art.

“Shadow Boxer” continued the night with a beautiful interpretation by Ville, using his body’s gestures to express the feelings of the song. And in case you haven’t seen the vocalist live, he is a force of nature and easily one of the best frontmen that ever came out from Finland. Before “Second Chance” another speech, showing the band’s gratitude towards the fans (some traveled from other countries to be there), who have been supporting the band with their love for the last four years.

While Henkka’s bass took the spotlight in the intro to the title track “The Power”, it was interesting to observe the large number of young people who were present that night, showing the strength of the band’s fanbase and how their music communicates with the new generation.

“Kiss the Ghost” has some Jussi’s inspired riffs in it, that work very tight with the rest of the band. The keyboard intro via backing track brings to life the beautiful ballad “Marlboro Man”, and it is very nice to see the camaraderie between the musicians, joking and laughing around. Another unforgettable moment is the audience chorus in the final part of “Big Bang”, perfectly closing this first part of the setlist.

The return of the encore has Ville wearing a hood, almost looking like a prophet while declaiming the verses of the sequence “Ride Faster” and “Caterpillar”, this last one an excellent song from the first album of 2021. In another brief speech, Ville and the rest of the band show their gratitude, this time towards the crew, mentioning the names of the team that accompanies the group.

The second and final encore begins with the intro loop for “Confession”, another great work by the guitars. While Jussi continues to dictate the rhythm, Jesse does an excellent job on backing vocals. Almost at the end of the show a mosh-pit started, to the positive surprise of the musicians while some fans had fun listening to the sound of “Agony Walk”.

The last track of the night comes in the positivity of “Yes”, which was very interesting to witness that night. It felt like they put the energy and intensity of an arena show inside a club. You could feel the synergy and excitement going through fans and band. And it was with the final verses of “Yes, we can do this together” that another show was successfully concluded.

Moon Shot has a very unique vitality and a very special approach at what they do. Whether it’s the quality of the promotional material, music videos or the meticulous design of their stage, there is a visible honesty in what Ville, Jussi, Henkka and Mikko really believe and how they express their art. Witnessing this type of show not only invigorates the soul, but makes us believe in better days, and that is priceless.

You can listen to MOON SHOT‘s newest album “Power” here: