[Heeplist] Uriah Heep Finnish tour

[Tapio Minkkinen]

Well, the tour is now over and I'm enjoying my vacation at summer  
cottage by the lake. Peace and quiet, no people, no music which is  
very nice as it was quite a week. Four Heep shows in five days,  
luckily this time most of the shows were here in Southern part of  
Finland so only ca. 800 kilometers to travel.

Thank you very much to all for your birthday wishes. As I told the  
Heep guys after the Salo show it was the best birthday party I have  
ever had and I thanked them for it. 500 guests, Uriah Heep playing and  
I didn't even have to pay anything for it!

On Thursday was the last night of the tour in Lahti, today the guys  
are playing in Alta in Northern Norway by the Arctic Ocean and the  
next show is in Germany. This last show in Lahti was probably the best  
one of them all so it was a good way to end the tour. As I mentioned  
in previous mails the venues have been very different and this was  
also a bit special. It was like an outdoor-indoor gig really because  
it was in a hall that has two opposite walls made completely of glass  
so you have the daylight coming in from two directions even though  
you're inside. The ceiling is made of wood and actually the whole  
building is, from website http://www.sibeliustalo.fi/en you cvan get a  
better picture. Heep played in the part in the middle with glass wall  
and this is in fact the lobby of the building but it's also used for  
concerts and works quite well.

The gig itself was as good and energetic as all the previous ones were  
even thought there have been some health problems. Mick has been  
suffering from bronchitis and his throat was so sore that at the first  
show last Saturday he could hardly speak, he got a  bit better and in  
Lahti he was able to speak but still no backing vocals. Before the  
fourth show in Salo Russell got sick, they thought it was food  
poisoning and Dave was also feeling a bit ill probably for the same  
reason but Russell was fine already in Lahti.

I think Bernie has been fantastic at these shows, I have been admiring  
his vocals and presence on stage. It could be that now that Mick is  
not in the best condition and has to focus on just playing Bernie  
feels there's more weight on his shoulders as the front man and he  
carries that responsiblity well.

Both the new songs have sounded great aso live and they have also been  
recieved well by the audiences, the new album has been out only a few  
days so I don't think many of the people had heard these songs before.

This last gig was very special for me personally as Mick made probably  
the only speach between songs that he has made on this whole tour  
where he mentioned I had my 50th birthday the day before and he also  
thanked me for the work I have done for the band over the years and  
that was very nice of him to do and felt great.

After the show there was an afterparty arranged by local concert  
sponsor at a bar he owned, Russell, Dave and Phil came. Afterwards  
when we had escorted the band members to their hotel I had an hour to  
wait for my bus. The bus left at 3.15 a.m. and it was hour's ride. I  
still had to walk four kilometers and it was 5 o'clock in the morning  
when I arrived at our Summer cottage.

A friend fo mine called Jari Mantila had his truck decorated last year  
with Into The Wild artwork and now he has done the same with Outsider  
artwork. It looks really fantastic. I think there are still some  
pictures at uriah-heep.com from last year and I will be sending some  
pictures of the new one and some more stories later. Now I have some  
lawn moaving to do.

The setlist was the same on all shows apart from the first one where  
there was only one hour playing time.

Uriah Heep Finnish tour 2014:
7 June Espoo Kivenlahtirock
8 June Kauhava Hotelli Kauhava
9 June Pori Promenadikeskus
10 June Salo Astrum-Areena
11 June Pori Sibeliustalo

The setlist:
- Against The Odds *
- Overload
- Sunrise
- Stealin'
- I'm Ready *
- Between Two Worlds *
- Can't Take That Away *
- One Minute
- Gypsy
- Look At Yourself
- July Morning
- Lady In Black

encores:
- Free 'N' Easy *
- Easy Livin'

* not played at Kivenlahtirock festival



-- 
TapioM.
tapio at uriah-heep.fi

www.uriah-heep.fi