Erja Lyytinen The Bullingdon Oxford 14-10-26
Celebrating her 50th birthday with the release of her live album package consisting of a double CD, double vinyl and a full-length DVD, which was recorded at the prestigious House of Culture, known as “Kultsa” in Helsinki Finland on 21st March 2026.
Erja Lyytinen – 50th Birthday Live 2026, the live album was released by Tuohi Records on Friday October 9 and is available to order on CD and vinyl HERE, and digitally HERE.
The album was rave reviewed on these pages at the following link recently
https://www.rockgig.co.uk/2026/10/erja-lyytinennew-live-album-50th.html
And now as Erja put it you now get an intimate hot and sweaty gig of the same release.
And she wasn't wrong with temperatures off the scale and the band inches from you and you could feel every note through the floor.
Finland's Queen Of The Slide Guitar started with Ball And Chain the first of 8 songs from last years excellent Smell The Roses album.
Erja's slide guitar prowess is world renowned and in such an intimate setting seeing her work is mind blowing as her hands dance across the frets.
Her band Heikki Saarenkunnas on bass and backing vocals and Jesse Lehto on drums like all great rock trio's react to every nuance and the band interplay is wonderful taking the music up and down from a whisper to full on band workouts in an instance.
They both show so much enjoyment in every note and at such close proximity fantastic to see and feel every note played and the intricacy in their rhythm's too.
Smell The Roses and the extra word added Bitch was superb with the rolling guitar riff and the pace increases after the chorus with the rhythm team locked in.
I have mentioned previously after seeing Erja that she is not just a slide guitarist and for this show there was no slide played for 6 songs and her lengthy solo in Dragonfly was a showcase in her skills with finger tapping and at one point shredding with world class ability. Superb.
Going To Hell sees an intricate guitar riff played and in the second verse interspersed with melodic guitar soloing and Erja showing off her vocal talents too.
Abyss was Erja's favourite song from the Smell The Roses album and here it shines with its huge heavy guitar riff and 70's inspired progressive rock traits. Heikki's deep bass rumbles are ground breaking and he makes every note count and the wah infused guitar solo ends the song on a high.
Wings To Fly sees a return of the slide guitar and the slower paced feel sees Erja's voice soar in the verse. As Erja's lengthy slide solo peaks as does the band in perfext unison with Jesse's drum fills and increase in pace world class.
Stoney Creek has a great rolling guitar riff with Heikki's bass complimenting perfectly and great mid song breakdown to a whisper with Heikki's bass increasing in volume and pace and velocity as the band join him too.
The Ring ended the set with a bang with Jesse pounding his way through the song and the chorus sang back to Erja loudly and the exemplary slide guitar solo a highlight of the night.
After loud applause of course we got one more song and Wedding Day ends the night in a blur of guitar riffs and Jesse's drums with slide guitar add libbing in the chorus and a lengthy band workout mid song with Erja's back to the shredding and at this point she was so close to me I could have joined in !!
A quite brilliant night showing it doesn't matter how many are there or the size of the venue its the connection between the whites of the eyes of the band and crowd that counts.
2 nights of the UK tour left and Erja promised to return next year get so yourself along you won't be disappointed.
All photos credited to John Rawstron and used with thanks.
