69 Eyes Lost Boys find Edinburgh Just Drive Tour ‘25.

La Belle Edinburgh/South of Salem/69 Eyes

Review by Gary Roebuck, images by Callum roebuck

Friday 3rd October.

South of Salem hit the stage to give us 60 minutes of what we’ve come to expect of them with the usual pyrotechnics and goth rock.

The customary haunting intro and strobe lights like we’re so used to set the tone for what was to become the standard for the rest of the night.

“Everyone lets hear you scream” asked Joey and we were off.

“Let us Prey” set opener had the energy at pulsating level Dee on bass and Denis on guitar were off and running with James on drums catapulting us into a Goth Rock gig of the highest order.

No time was wasted as we blasted into “Jet Black Eyes” and the audience were already singing word for word and I’ve heard SOS before but this was one tight knit outing, Denis with a cord shredding instrumental mid song before another vocal onslaught where Joey saluted the crowd participation as “better than last night” took us into “Made to be Mine” what a trio to open this co headline with 69Eyes and already Joey had the crowd in the palm of his hand with James finishing of with a drum energy sapping finale.

“Static” and Bad Habits” followed as the set reached mid point with barely a break amid searing strobe lights and pyros going off.

What follows is the bands one and only cover the Savage Garden classic “To the moon and Back” although my one point is why oh why with so many of your own absolute crackers we are blessed with a belting if not better attempt including a blood curdling instrumental from Denis.

James and Dee then depart the scene as Joey and Denis deliver the surprise of the night with an astonishing acoustic “Villain” guys just wow – this was one of many spine tingling moments.

The boys rejoin for the final 4 tunes and the energy ramps up with the anthemic “Demons” the haunting intro and darkness in the venue this tune gets me every time the guys really get into your heart and head with these lyrics and it’s hard not to feel the emotion with another customary cord shredding instrumental.

“Hellbound Heart” rocks up the beat again after a couple of mellower tunes and again as throughout we have the light dancing coffins, pyrotechnics and sheer lighting show.

What a classic dark and moody show whereby the audience has sang at the top of its lungs in appreciation.

“Pretty little Nightmare” delivers before the guys salute us with set closer the anthemic not out of stadium tune “Cold day in Hell” it gives us one last crashing drums, relentless bass and bad ass guitar as the end nears with lights dancing and pyro against the dark backdrop giving us a firework ending to an energy sapping hour and that was it.

Highlights of the night for me is Denis guitar licking cord energy, James thunderstruck on drums and Dee delivering the bad ass bass with Joey doing what he does delivering his customary flawless vocals whilst keeping the audience who were much anticipating the highly acclaimed 69Eyes enthralled. –

Halloween is coming “Coven fans”.

Here we go – “69 Eyes Lost Boys find Edinburgh”

“69 Eyes” the Finnish Goth Rock Megastars from Helsinki are hailed on stage by a vocal that I have never witnessed before in any “Edinburgh” gig I’ve attended.

The adulation from the opening drum and cord intro to the final throws was a dream to behold.

The audience in the capacity sold out crowd from teenager to the older rockers amongst us could only await eagerly what these “Finnish vampires” were going to deliver having been mesmerizing us since the late ‘80,s but none of that was going to detract us having not visited us for a while in Scotland.

The guys appeared on stage amid dark shadows as they each took their place and queue the screaming began.

Devils from the same titled 7th album with it’s drum intro set the scene deep bass, twin guitars and with more black eyeliner and makeup than a “New York” catwalk and that was just the audience we were already on backing vocals with the legend that is the charismatic and live wire Jyrki front and centre vocals along with Bazie on lead guitar,Timo-Timo on rhythm guitar, Archzie on bass and finally the starter on the drums Jussi this is one energy infused band now into their 36th year.

Jyrki dressed all in black and shades delivers a vocal throughout without as much as a breather while Bazie delivers a chord perfect set along with Timo-Timo who looks as though he’d just stepped out of Terminator on guitar and with Archzie and Jussi this is one tight knit rhythm section, we then lead into ”Feel Berlin” released in 2004 where mid song we see Jussi tee-shirt less,

I’ve not heard an audience like this in La Belle before – what adulation,”Perfect Skin” the first single from album”Angels” is next where we are seeing an act with no gimmicks, no stage ammunition just a floor to explore and the energy exuded is thrown back tenfold by an exuberant crowd packed in on this Friday night of Goth rock.

FronmanJyrki ever the showman delivers on “Betty Blue” another of the early millennium tunes has an energetic opening with moody vocals and again more searching bass and drumbeat and a tingling duo of guitar – “Scottish Vampires” as we are alluded to for the first time here is returned with deafening volume from the adoring crowd.

“Gotta Rock” gives us one of the latest tunes with it’s distinctive tone lending it’s self to moody vocals and backing vocals throughout it’s given the band a vocal different to most goth rock bands with us Scottish vampires rocking along.

“Drive” dating back to early 2022 which this tour takes its name from has Jyrki bouncing on stage flanked by the guys the dark stage throughout and flashing lights to the drumbeat adds an atmospheric mood.

“The Chair” another early millennium tune and we get told “it’s finally good we get to meet you guys” starts with a haunting red glow over the stage before Jyrki opens before mid song explodes,Archzie with goatie and dangling earring on bass, Timo-TimoTerminator like and Jussi find the beats effortlessly.

Half an hour in and no let up as mid set “Never say Die” taken from the “Angels” album explodes to a smoke engulfed stage that shadows the band before dancing lights engulf us with the audience staying enthralled, “Gothic Girl” from all of 25 years ago and this is one of my favourites follows from the guys 6th album and “Darkness in You” with it’s moody vocals is an absolute anthem of a tune that would not be out of place delivered in a stadium what a chorus, what a riff by these “Lost Boys” and it’s great to see a band with no stage antics just 5 musicians doing what they love, with Jyrki strutting the stage he is “class frontman”personified.

“Wasting the Dawn” searching lights dark stage opens with Jyrki,s dark locks flowing is giving tonight his all.

As we get unfortunately to the end of the set well what better a trio than “Brandon Lee” sees us staying in the late 90,s early 00,s opens to a haunting green like shadow “Dance D’Amour” has Jyrki wishing to share Halloween together, before the Helsinki rockers close the set with a celebration question “Do you wanna Rock”,? is asked which had the crowd in a frenzy with an extraordinary “Lost Boys” from over 20 years ago still as fresh as ever – what a finale and what a set these guys delivered.

Having spoken to Bazie after the set it was alluded to that it was over a decade since the last “Scottish” gig please guys don’t let “The Just Drive” tour bus that left Edinburgh be the last –