#pinkpocalypse

This place was basically a big sports center attached to the hotel and the room a basketball arena. I could swear the gymnasium at my high school was about the same size. Imagine that! a rock concert in my school gym! (my high school was really big) o.O

I was unsure where to queue; there was a sign taped to the main door (where the above floor plan is) telling people to use the bowling alley door. You'd have to go downstairs from the main door to get to the gym (unless you wanted to be on the upstairs bleachers), and yet if you asked hotel reception how to get to the arena they'll mention the passageway that goes from the hotel to above the bowling alley. I guess the sign on the main door was more for the folks who normally use the facility for sports, but anyway I went to the side door because it'd let me in onto the lower floor.

By the time I found this there were a few people already hovering around at the entrance to the gym next to the bowling. They were not groupies I am familiar with. The security guy there was like "you can get something to eat from the [bowling alley] cafe" and I just started laughing because it's just like last Saturday.

It wasn't long until the band emerged from the door after their rehearsal, escorted by hotel staff to wherever their dinner was. I think this was around 6 o'clock.

Fans really weren't flooding to queue at this door so I conclude that the main door is where most were at. Security guy tried to make small talk and asked us where we were from (deliberately? mishearing every person the first time), I think I was farthest. He scanned our tickets a little before letting us in at 6:30, and lo and behold our entrance landed us right behind the stage and we could claim our first row spots easily :D

The friendly (from middle of nowhere) groupie couple pull up next to me shortly after, they'd come in through the main door. They're trying to get tickets to the next night's show in Kuopio because that's like ... right there less than an hour away.

I only saw a few people with student caps on; I had mine with me but being in the first row I wanted to be polite and put it away during the performance. I got the unfortunate spot where the lighting ruins all the pictures so I haven't got too many.

Hanna was on the way down to Eurovision (she's in the backing vocals team), so Stella did the duet part instead. Her voice doesn't have quite the same edge so it contributes a slightly gentler vibe which I think suits the song better.

Also I have not seen these green lights before??

Jonnu, who was otherwise substituting for Hanna, seemed a little stiff and needed some time to get comfortable in her role. Maybe she's only just learned the choreography.

Before the encore section I spied Jukka-Pekka off stage doing funny impressions, I can't remember of whom (think he was doing air guitar so possibly Mikko?). He does introduce himself as a circus artist and imitator so it's in character for him, and he probably does this often but you just don't see it when there's drapery around a proper stage.

The lady to my left must have made a note of me talking to the friendly groupies, because she complimented me afterward in English for my singing. (I don't go all out with every song, mind. But when I do I really do. It is kind of ok because I don't have the training to make it opera loud when I do that.)

The entrance by which we came in was now barricaded off for the stage stuff, so we all left through the back of the room and up and out through the front side of the building.

This was List A again; it might have been the primary list because of the duet.