Abbath frontman ends Finnish festival set after two minutes

Abbath frontman Olve Eikemo abruptly ended the band’s performance at Finland’s SaariHelvetti festival in Tampere on Friday, August 14, after playing for approximately two minutes.

During the opening song, ‘To War!’, Eikemo reportedly threw his guitar onto the stage and walked off, ending the set. Unlike his bandmates, Eikemo was not wearing his customary corpsepaint or stage armor during the appearance. Following the incident, drummer Ukri Suvilehto addressed the audience, explaining that the singer was struggling with health problems and apologizing for the interruption.

Festival organizers confirmed the set was cut short due to Eikemo’s health issues, though specific details regarding his condition have not been released. This follows a similar incident in November 2019 in Buenos Aires, where the band played only two songs before Eikemo later disclosed he was seeking rehabilitation for addiction.