Rolling Stones and Finland
23 July to 3 October 1960
Brian Jones
hitch-hikes around Scandinavia with his guitar.
There is no evidence that he ever visited Finland, however.
3 April 1965
According to some sources, especially Bill Wyman, Stones play a
outdoor show in Helsinki on this date. If the show really took
place, there was no audience present. Bonanno's 1990 book claims
Bill had an eye operation in London on the same day!
Summer 1965
"(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction" tops some single chart in Finland.
25 June 1965
Coinciding with the Mid Summer party in Finland, a outdoor show
is played at the
Yyteri beach in
Pori, which is
regarded as Stones' first gig in Finland. Among a crowd of tens of
thousands, 70 people are arrested. Kari Kuuva is opening. The show is still Stones most
northern ever. Stones stays during their visit at
Hotel
Seurahuone in Turku.
May 1966
Aftermath tops the album chart in Finland.
6 December 1969
Jefferson Airplane is one of the groups which are opening for Stones
at the infamous Altamont free concert in Livermore,
California. That band's guitarist, Jorma Kaukonen, has a finnish father.
2 September 1970
Arriving from their first tour date in Malmö, Stones play
Olympiastadion in
Helsinki in front of just 5,000
fans (high ticket prices). Mick Taylor's first show in Finland. Buddy Guy and
Junior Wells are opening acts.
Stones are staying at the expensive hotel Kalastajatorppa.
May 1971
Sticky Fingers tops the album chart in Finland.
October 1974
Tapani Tapanainen, who just like Kaukonen (see above) is a man
with a finnish name, is listed as assistant engineer on the new
album It's Only Rock'n Roll. He does the same job on the next
albums Black And Blue and Love You Live.
autumn 1980
The cassette album "The Best of the Rolling Stones" is released.
The compilation, which is licensed from Decca, contains familiar
hit singles from the sixties. It goes top 10 in Finland with the
help of TV advertisement.
12 April 1986
"Harlem Shuffle" tops the singles chart in Finland.
22 October 1988
Keith Richards in interviewed for finnish TV2 in Oslo. The
interview is aired, along with the promo video for Take It So
Hard on 30 December in Rockstop.
November 1989
A show in August 1990 is scheduled for Olympiastadion in Helsinki.
The concert will never take place, as the Urban Jungle tour
cancels Moscow as well from the plans.
May 1990
Steel Wheels becomes Stones' first ever gold record in Finland,
after selling more than 25,000 copies. The boys receive their
award while playing Gothenburg, Sweden, in early August.
30 July 1992
Bill Wyman cancels Willie and the Poor Boys'
show scheduled for 3 Aug. at Kaivo, Helsinki.
10 November 1992
Mick Taylor plays a solo gig at Tavastia,
Helsinki.
11 November 1992
Mick Taylor plays a solo gig in
Järvenpää.
8 December 1994
Stones break all box-office records for ticket sales in
Finland, as their show scheduled for next June goes on sale.
27,000 tickets are sold in eight hours, and 37,000 in the
first day.
6 June 1995
Stones play a sellout
show
at Olympiastadion,
Helsinki during their
Voodoo Lounge tour.
The 52,607 crowd is the biggest for any concert in the history
of Finland. Ron Wood's first concert in Finland. Stones stay for
only a few hours in the country, coming from
Stockholm
and heading straight for the
Oslo
hotel after the gig. Robert Cray band opens.
23 May 1996
Mick Taylor plays at the Kainuun Jazzkevät festival in
Kajaani.
8 December 1997
Tickets go on sale for Stones 1998 Helsinki show.
41,000 tickets are sold in the first day,
and more than 43,000 by the end of the second.
5 August 1998
In front of 45,236 people, Stones play a sellout show at
Olympiastadion in
Helsinki, as a part of their
tour Bridges to Babylon. Seahorses open.
16 December 2002
Tickets go on sale for Stones 2003 Helsinki show. Tens of thousands are sold in the first day.
January 2003
Forty Licks becomes Stones' second gold record in Finland,
after selling more than 15,000 copies.
2003
Mick Taylor plays five shows with Wentus Blues Band on their tour of Finland:
16 April, Tampere, Ravintola Panama
17 April, Helsinki, On The Rocks
18 April, Turku, Varsinais-Suomen Maalaisten Talo, Feenix
19 April, Vaasa, Strampen
20 April, Kokkola, Best Western Hotel Seurahuone
16 July 2003
Stones play
Olympiastadion in
Helsinki in front of 45,000 people, as a
part of their tour Licks. ZZ Top and Hellacopters are opening.
2004
Mick Taylor plays five shows with Wentus Blues Band on their tour of Finland:
10 July, Pieksämäki, Hotelli Savonsolmu, festival
12 July, Kouvola, Mulligans
13 July, Helsinki, Tavastia
14 July, Tampere, Ravintola Panama, 5th Tammerfest festival
15 July, Turku, Klubi
2005
Mick Taylor plays with Wentus Blues Band on the indoors blues festival:
March, Helsinki, VR:n makasiinit
2006
Mick Taylor plays with Wentus Blues Band:
September, Helsinki, Aleksanterinteatteri
1 August 2007
Stones play a sellout show at
Olympiastadion in
Helsinki in front of 36,000 people, as a
part of their tour A Bigger Bang. Toots and the Maytals are opening.
Last updated on the 8th of August 2007. Jens Backlund.
Athletic games at Olympiastadion in Helsinki