URIAH HEEP at RUISROCK Festival Turku, Finland 12th August 1978
Third ever concert for Uriah Heep in Finland The second time at Ruisrock - Exactly six years after the first ever concert in Finland
URIAH HEEP at RUISROCK FESTIVAL 1978
THE BOAT TRIP
Before the show the band were taken on a boat cruise in the beautiful achipelago surrounding the festival site which is situtated on an island called Ruissalo just outside Turku. This story is taken from Help! magazine and is written by Pekka Helos who also took the pictures.
"Uriah Heep charged themselves for Ruisrock on a boat cruise in Turku archipelago. Help! took the exhausted globetrotters in the middle of the most beautiful Finnish nature. Fantastic! said the Heepsters. Work and hurries were forgotten for a moment, it was time for some fishing and relaxing before returning to Ruissalo."
"The new vocalist John Lawton piloted Nauticat stylishly towards Turku. Ken Hensley was happy to just stand and watch because he said he's much better in reading notes than nautical charts."
"While fishing Trevor Bolder wasn't worried if the new 'Fallen Angel' album released later this Autumn will put the band back to the top of the charts."
"Mick Box can play both the guitar and the boat bell - with style!"
"Lee Kerslake was the most eager to soak his bait but also he had to be satisfied with the food that was brought along."
"Mick Box is making a film from the band's travels. Finland will have a beautiful part in the film for private use only."
"- Does this kind of nature still exist? wondered Mick Box, the founder member of Uriah Heep when he saw a proper achipelago for the first time. At first he seemed reserved about the boat cruise. Of course it's no use to catch sea sickness just a couple of hours before the Ruisrock performance. HIs mind changed however, when the magnificinet Nauticat boat passed peacefully by the scenic islands of Turku. On the way back the band even wanted to take care of the wheel. - We usually only see only the hotels, places where we eat, taxis and the stage in cities where we play. There isn't a proper free time when you're on tour, either we are performing or waiting at the hotel for whatever is it we're waiting for at the time... This cruise is just fantastic, said John Lawton.
The boat cruise started from Ruissalo near the festival site. The captain Markku Juva headed for good fishing waters but the result wasn't very good. The reason might have been that the band kept on singing 'I Am Sailing' constantly. - Let's come back in the morning, surely we'll get some fish then, suggested Lee Kerslake. - What kind of fish do the Finns eat by the way, how many people does it take to pull the fish from the water? Lee was the most eager fisherman and trolled constantly during the cruise but didn't have any luck. His fishing stories were great still. - I got fish this size from The Caribians, explained Lee showing fish at least 1,5 meters long."