Jay Valena Photography

The second edition of the popular Paganfest tour came to Los Angeles on May 17th, with headlining folk-metal band Korpiklaani and openers Primordial and Moonsorrow.

Shooting notes: This was another difficult shoot at the House of Blues, with an overabundance of monotone stage lighting and not enough white highlighting to provide balance. I was forced to use my external flash for a few photos, but I utilized the existing lighting wherever possible. Most shots were taken at f/2.8 with 1/45th or 1/60th of a second shutter speeds.

Dozens of crowdsurfers made for a more challenging (and somewhat exciting) shoot, and the photographers in the photopit had to keep checking over their shoulders for bodies careening through the air. Photographers also had to keep on their toes to keep up with the energetic performances of the band members on stage, most notably the singer of Primordial.

Show review: Unfortunately I arrived too late to catch openers Swashbuckle and Blackguard due to traffic, but I was able to be there for the beginning of Moonsorrow‘s set. While their setlist didn’t include any of the longer, darker, and more complex songs off of their last two releases, they played plenty of crowd-pleasing songs off of their earlier albums. They declared their song Pakanajuhla the “official party anthem of Paganfest”, and the audience responded accordingly by joining the band in their handclaps and folksy chants.

The concert took on a very different tone once Irish folk/black metallers Primordial took the stage, however. Their set consisted of darker, more serious material that was given an edge by Naihmass Nemtheanga’s extremely strong vocal performance. While most of the band members weren’t very active on stage, singer Nemtheanga seemed to be overflowing with energy – he took to the stage with an intensity and attitude so piercing that it would be difficult to call his performance anything less than enigmatic. His unique on-stage appearance (enhanced by corpse paint) ensured that nearly everyone in the venue had their eyes on him.

Once finnish folk metallers Korpiklaani took the stage, the mood of the concert had lightened considerably. With songs written about their Finnish lifestyle and getting drunk off beer, they ventured into simple and playful musical territory that ensured a fun concert experience. The band were all smiles and it’s safe to say the audience were too, as there was plenty of singing along and circle pitting. Their setlist drew songs from all of their six albums, with a focus on their latter material released for Nuclear Blast.

Overall, the Paganfest tour had a successful night in Los Angeles – none of the aforementioned bands had performed in America prior to this tour, so it certainly must have been an enjoyable experience for them. Considering the success of the first two Paganfests, one can only wonder what’s in store for the third.

-Jay Valena