Hi everyone, just got back from Helsinki where I saw Dinosaur Jr on Monday night. It was just a great show if a little loud. I shouldn’t complain as I was right on the barrier in front of J. I saw them at the same venue in 2010 and it was definitely way louder this time around. Forgot my ear plugs as my friend kindly reminded me 5 minutes before showtime. I made do with my train ticket screwed up and shoved in one ear and my kebab receipt in the other. Proved to be very effective if not particularly comfortable! No real surprises in the set. J had all Marshall heads (no Hiwatt) and two Fender combos, one to the left on the floor and one at head height. His cabs looked quite new and I wonder if he just hired some for the tour. Murph’s snare broke as did Lou’s Rickenbacker. Something to do with one of the switches but I couldn’t really see from where I was standing. He had a bright red P bass as a substitute and he seemed a little embarrassed by it. It fell off his strap about every three songs too. J wandered into the audience behind us during the Finnish hardcore support bands set and seemed to be into them. He filmed a song on his phone before strolling away. Their drummer sat in and beat the hell out of the drum kit on Training Ground. Murph looked happy to get a rest! I got J’s set list at the end and I have attached a photo of it. Fill in the gaps at your leisure! They played SWAN instead of GARGO. Had a chat with roadie Graham at the end and he was a really nice guy. No surprises for the guitarists. J uses 10s now as he thinks they sound just as good as heavier strings. His bridge saddles go straight across (no intonation variation) and he has a wedge under the bridge to lift it even higher than the max height setting. I first saw Dino at Brixton Academy on 28.02.93, (almost) exactly 20 years ago and they are way better now. Another night to remember!!!