Opening up for Pain this time around here at Knaack was a Finnish band called Brother Firetribe. Their mysterious name had given me no insight into what style of music they might be playing, so it was with some hesitation I entered the overcrowded concert room. I clearly remembered the varying quality there had been in the support acts last time we saw Pain on tour in Germany (the Poems Of Extinction tour in 2007).
I was therefore quite surprised when they came out playing a melodic 80ies rock/metal mix, which made me think of groups like Europe and Bon Jovi. Not quite what I had expected from a Pain support, but later I found out that the guitarist of Brother Firetribe, Emppu Vuorinen, is the same guy who handles guitar duties in Nightwish, who Pain just supported on their tour, so I guess this is how they ended up together...

“Of course you already have both our albums” vocalist Pekka Ansio Heino said to the assembled people, and he was answered by a few spread Yeah’s. “Yeah, I knew it!”
It wasn’t humour the band lacked, I can tell you that. They were very believable in their style, even though they are of a much later date than the bands they were likened to which is rather impressive.
They also seemed to have a great time on stage, and worked very well together as a group, giving a lively performance. The only thing lacking was a bigger reaction from the crowd, which took it all very calmly. That however, I would put down to the fact that we were all so packed in the hall that there was no real room to do anything except to just stand there.

“So there are some people from Finland here?” Again Heino was answered by some Yeah’s, proving him right. “You’re weird...”
As I said, the fun wasn’t lacking, and the silences after the songs were quickly filled by applause and whistles.
And for good reasons, Brother Firetribe had a lot of things going for them. Their show was good, the lights worked well and the sound wasn’t too bad. The keyboards, masterfully played by Tomppa Nikulainen were a bit lost from time to time, but hey, it’s a live gig, nobody expects perfection.
The set was ended with the stadium rocking I Am Rock, and when it was done it felt like time had just flown by. They had a 30 minute set, but it felt like they could have given it an all nighter if need be.

Setlist:

Who Will You Run To Now
Runaways
Break Out
One Single Breath
I’m On Fire
Heart Full Of Fire
I Am Rock