We had a couple of fantastic gigs once again up in Lapland this past weekend, complete with driving over 3400km in total to bring our specific flavor of southern rock to the Arctic Circle.

On Friday night in Saariselkä, we played the annual Jänkhällä Jytisee biker bash at Santa’s Hotel.  With about an estimated 500-plus folks on hand out of a weekend attendance of 2500, filling out the hotel nightclub, we worked the bikers into a fevered frenzy.  People wore wide smiles, beamed with good vibes and danced the night away to Crossfyre’s originals and select cover songs.  Our hotel suite was indeed sweet, with three rooms and a living room, complete with sauna and kitchen quarters.  There’s something to be said also for northern hospitality, with several meals on the house for the band while we were there.

Arriving in Rovaniemi with our bassist Dan to get picked up for the tour

Jänhällä Jytisee saw some pretty awesome bike stunts like this one (photo: Juha Kauppinen)

This photo captures the great atmosphere of our Friday night gig (photo: Juha Kauppinen)

Our second Lapland gig in Ivalo, just 30km north of Saariselkä, offered fantastic food and excellent accommodations, also.  Ravintola Kultahippu is Ivalo’s premiere pub and live music establishment and the folks up there really appreciate good, live entertainment.  We had this bar and pub rocking, drawing all manner of younger and older clientelle to the dance floor to shake their blues away to Crossfyre’s music.  I have to say that Ivalo reminded me a lot of Mänttä, where I used to live when I first moved to Finland.  It’s pretty barren and ascetic, with little in the way of window dressing and frills.

Rämö is an old friend of the band from up North, as StarBuck clowns around

The Crossfyre Crossmobile signals the arrival of the band in Ivalo

Stopping off at the world-famous Santa’s Village in Rovaniemi

Next up: the City of Porvoo’s Moonriver 2014 summer festival on Friday, August 29, with our set starting on stage at 22:00.  For this gig, our second founding member and second guitarist,Jay Jay Asikainen, will be coming in from Florida.  Be sure to come out and see this great spectacular!

Ain’t no place the like the Arctic Circle!