Klamydia's gig at Vantaa's Fire Kiss: A total catastrophe, Vesku Jokinen admits his blunder | Review & Guide

Right then, here we are. Sadly, the worst fears of many Finnish rock fans have come true. Everyone in Vantaa was expecting an explosive tour opener, but in the end Klamydia's gig at Vantaa's Fire Kiss was so bad you'd want your money back. And that's not even an exaggeration.

Now that I've had a couple of days to breathe, I can say I haven't seen a shambles like that in years. The gig was meant to be the starting gun for a new spring, but it turned out to be more of a straight dive into the bog. Vesku Jokinen himself admitted the next morning what everyone there already knew: the bloke was in an absolutely shocking state. "I was fucking pissed and I was fucking shit," Jokinen wrote in his usual honest fashion on his social media, and there was nothing more to add.

Why did this become a complete fiasco? Here's the straight review

Expectations were high, but even during the first few songs, the atmosphere in front of the stage turned awkward. This is the point where we do the Klamydia's Fire Kiss gig review – and it's cold comfort. According to eyewitnesses, Vesku wasn't just slurring; the whole thing went completely bonkers. Middle fingers were flying, the audience was called "arseholes", and at one point Vesku walked off stage, forcing his bandmates to come and fetch him.

• Fitness level zero: The singer himself admitted he'd been knocking back Koskenkorva "like a prick" rather than "civilised wine". It showed and sounded in every single note.
• The audience sang for the band: Not a good sign when you have to do most of the shouting and singing yourself because the frontman can't stay upright or forgets the words.
• The band's frustration: The disappointment was written all over the musicians' faces. That's what happens when a pro has to stand there while their own frontman is on the verge of passing out.

How to get through this? A guide for fans and the band

This was, as Vesku himself put it, "the world's worst tour start". But now we're talking about what we learn from this and how to move forward – i.e. how to use Klamydia's Fire Kiss gig – read: how to handle this disaster and avoid it in future.

One thing's for sure: running headfirst into a wall isn't a sustainable strategy. Even though Vesku is a legend and mistakes happen, fans won't easily forget if they've travelled 600 kilometres to see this show. Luckily, the next night at Köyliö's Lallinen, they promised to be "a bit more sober". That's the only right direction.

My own recommendation, i.e. this Klamydia's Fire Kiss gig guide, is clear: Vesku, now you swallow your pride, buy a round for those who bothered to shout for you, and play such a tight set that your eternal classic status remains intact. Punk's not dead, but stumbling around drunk on stage is starting to be a pretty dead thing.

Finally, I have to say that although the night was a disappointment for many, there's a tragicomic undercurrent to it all. Vesku himself summed it up best: "I've done 3,000 gigs well. If there's now one mistake, what the fuck can you do about it?" Well, nothing, but now just forget the flop and focus on why we all love Klamydia. The next gig at Lallinen is under pressure, but hopefully they'll pull off a 6-0 victory there.