Hellfest today marks a historic moment for Jinjer, having received permission from the Ministry of Culture to leave Ukraine to be able to tour and raise aid funds for their war-torn country.
Jinjer – Hellfest 2022 – 19 June 2022
Words: Dany Jones
Photography: Ya Cheng
Before Jinjer start, a human wall literally forms under the scorching sun, and it is virtually impossible to get anywhere near the stage. The sea of people that have shown up for Jinjer is truly endless.
May it be to pay respect, to celebrate them, or simply because they have collected this many fans over the years, this band has well and truly risen from the underground.
Tatiana Shmayluk, sounding and looking as fierce as ever, takes a moment to pause between songs to say, “as you know, something has happened, and we are here because we wanna tell you that we want our country back.” They then unleash Home Back.
The immense compassion, love and support are palpable, and that extends even from other artists. Lacuna Coil’s songstress Cristina Scabbia poses for a picture with fellow Heavy Metal heroine Tatiana in a very affectionate embrace.
She then posts on her socials with the caption of how much they love their Ukraine friends and that she is delighted that they are safe and sound and managed to tour.
Today, Jinjer sound as brutal as ever. However, there is a new meaning in every word sung, a sheer intensity that is rather unsettling. After an explosive opening with the new Call Me A Symbol, they shoot their numbers one after the other.
The familiar Pisces goes down a storm, and they close the set with Colossus, which is where they extract a Ukraine flag and hold it up high in the sky for the farewell stage photo.
Jinjer are currently on a European tour, and we wish our Ukraine friends all the very best.
There are ways to help Ukraine. Please visit the links below for more information.
UNHCR – The UN Refugee Agency – www.unhcr.org
UNICEF – www.unicef.org
Médecins Sans Frontières – Doctors Without Borders – www.msf.org
International Red Cross – www.icrc.org/en
Jinjer, Hellfest 2022 Setlist
Call Me a Symbol
On the Top
Disclosure!
Perennial
Teacher, Teacher!
Home Back
Pisces
Vortex
Colossus
Hellfest 2022 will be held over two weekends in June, featuring 350 artists on six stages. For more information visit www.hellfest.fr/en/
You can read all the MetalTalk Hellfest coverage at metaltalk.net/tag/hellfest-2022
This year there is also a virtual edition, Hellfest From Home. For more details visit fromhome.hellfest.fr
