13:26 Blaster Master failed me, but not the audience

Finland's own Madness, Blaster Master, made a comeback in March with their new album Tuffer than Roots. This band, who plays straight-forward working class ska in the english punk style blew my mind back in 1999 Provinssirock-festival. Ever since all the gigs have been worse than the previous one. And so was this. On the beach of Linnunlahti, however, people were kicking their heels. When one doesn't know of anything better, one can't complain. The old songs were still hitting fairly hard, though. The only factor that put a damper on the mood was that the lead vocalist had obviously learned how to sing. When you're talking about a style that's stemming from punk, which is supposed to be raw and rough, this is not a good thing. Putting a lot of effort into it and amatourishness should be a part of the scene.

The new songs had a lot of impressions from Jamaican ska. What kind of a trend is this now? Where are the Finnish ska and reggae with their street-cred disappearing to? It doesn't have a long history and I really wish, that the style won't remain just as a historical curiosity.

Over half the beach was dancing to fast-paced ska. Jumped when they were told to. Shouted, when it was expected of them. It might be, then, that the band hasn't changed to worse since my first infatuation in 1999. Maybe I have changed. To old and cynical.

Text by Markus Heikkilä
Photo by Matti Immonen
Translation by Jenni S.

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