Representative to Finland Freddy Lim (林昶佐) built connections with local politicians and others through a heavy metal concert with Finnish bands in Helsinki on Thursday.

At “F:F:F-Formosa:Finland:Fest,” on Thursday at concert venue Tiivistamo, Lim, playing with Chthonic (閃靈) — including his wife, Doris Yeh (葉湘怡), leader and bassist of their band — were joined by fellow Taiwanese bands Crescent Lament (恆月三途) and Flesh Juicer (血肉果汁機), along with three Finnish acts: Korpiklaani, Lost Society and Olli Vanska.

Visual, fashion and culinary artists from Taiwan also took part, according to the festival Web site.

Photo: CNA

Lim said the event drew unusually strong participation from Finnish politicians, many of whom had shown little interest in Taiwan’s activities before.

The representative office was surprised when many of those who had declined past invitations confirmed their attendance.

“Some even asked a week before the event if they could bring more friends,” Lim said.

Describing the concert as part of Taiwan’s evolving diplomatic strategy, Lim said it built a bridge connecting Taiwan and the world through sensibility rather than sense.

The event was organized by Taiwan’s General Association of Chinese Culture, with support from the foreign and culture ministries.

Lim served two terms as a lawmaker from 2016 to last year. He cofounded the New Power Party before joining the Democratic Progressive Party in November 2023. Before entering politics, he was known for being a member of Chthonic.

Lim said the representative office conducted detailed research on guests’ interests and tailored its invitations accordingly to broaden the event beyond traditional diplomacy.

Lim has faced questions about his lack of diplomatic experience and acknowledged he was nervous when he assumed the representative post in late July.

Lim said he has gradually found his rhythm, as local politicians have started inviting him to new heavy metal bars or sharing concert information with him.

In what he described as the “heavy metal capital of the world,” Lim said he found in music a natural expression of his diverse identities and leveraged it for diplomacy.