Interesting and educative video. And now that after the success of the True Finns has shaken the foundations of the political and social world in Finland, it is worthy for a sector of the Finnish population to watch…
Category: FREE! Blog
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When visiting a new city, apart from the offer of restaurants, museus or monuments that a new place can offer, the curiosity about the local nightlife scene is undoubtedly one of the most searched items in the net and forums. New bars and clubs to explore are double exciting to discover when the light of the day deems and let the night evolve us, although in Helsinki on summer, you can still feel pretty much daylight in your eyes due to their geographical location.
This is not of course an exhaustive tourist guide with all possibilities to explore in such a big city as Helsinki is, but more a collection of personal observation and hints about my favorite and not so favorite places after having lived, studied and worked for several years in the Finnish capital.
The first important thing to take into account is that Finns drink a lot when going out. So do not be surprised if your perception of Helsinki and its habitants change drastically from daylight to nighttime. What during the day is a mass of quiet and shy people turn into a perfect machine of drinking when the party times of the night comes closer. Due to the price of alcoholic drinks being quite high all over the city (a pint of beer will cost between 5 -7.5 euro depending on the place you hang around), it is a normal tradition to gather with some friends in a house for a warming up drinking session before hitting the clubs and bars downtown.
Although most of the people go out reverently on Friday and Saturday nights, as in most big cities of Europe, actually Wednesdays and especially Thursdays are also days where you can find the bars pretty crowded. Remember that Helsinki is a University City, so during the scholar year, it is normal that many parties for University students take place on Thursday, because on Friday they come back to their hometowns for the weekend.
It is also recommended not to leave very late towards the nightclubs, partially because the neighbors can feel annoyed because of the noise, and partially because the unpleasant tradition of the queues in most of the popular Finnish nightclubs and bars. Even when the place can be half empty inside, for many Finnish clubs seem cool to make people wait outside in endless queues. This can be sometimes a good chance to make acquaintances and new friends while waiting, but believe me, on winter time, it is not so nice to wait half an hour queue with minus 25 degrees and a snowstorm over your heads.
On the other hand, dress code is usually pretty relaxed in most of the clubs in Finland. Just wearing jeans and sport shoes will allow you entrance with no problems, although of course for some more nose up luxury places, like Tiikkeri club, it is recommended to dress up accordingly
In basically all or most of the clubs and bars in Helsinki, you will have to pay for a service fee, using or not using the wardrobe, that is around 2.5 euro, and it is paid separately from the entrance fee. If you live your jacket, you will receive a ticket with the number, so try not to lose it, because getting your jacket back can turn into an odyssey if the bouncers and personnel are not friendly to trust on you.
Some of the easiest options for the visitors are located just in the heart of the city, like in Mannerheinmintie, the main avenue. There for example you can visit Apollo Live Club that seems pretty popular among Finns lately, but honestly, when I visited a couple of times, I got disappointed. The best part is that a count with live bands, but it is usually too crowded and customers are not the friendliest in Helsinki. Better options, also located close in Mannerheinmintie, is Cuba, a bar-club that counts with free entrance, and where it mixes a heterogeneous crowd of Finns who love Latino music and expatriates.
At this point, many of the readers will wonder how easy or difficult is to score and have some romantic fun with a Finn (let´s be honest, is that not the main reason why the single people go out ;) ).
Certain specific rules have to be followed in Finland that differ from other countries for example, it is normal that at the beginning of the night, the girls are the first ones “breaking the ice” on the dance floor. So it would not be uncommon in a club that you could go to the dance floor, and you would be surrounded by 40 women. But do not get mistaken, that does not necessarily mean that they are single. A bit later at night you will see how many of their boyfriends “pop out” magically out of nowhere. In Finland, the behavior of the people is much more independent than in other European countries, so a couple can be perfectly by their own with their common friends inside the same nightclub without having to be all the time sticked to each other´s back. So be sure that your target is single, if you do not want any unpleasant surprise when making your move.
All in all, mentality of Finnish people is quite open minded and relaxed about having some random fun and romance during the night. Although Finnish men are a bit shy by nature, alcohol makes them more open and friendly, although watch out, because sometimes, when they go off the hook, they can turn into a bit annoying or even agressive if a couple of too many vodka drinks were consumed.
As previously stated, Finnish ladies are quite independent and strong, so do not be surprised if some of them just make the first move on you. Nevertheless, this is the country of equality! Also, in some circumstances, small talk is not so needed like in other countries. It is normal that in the dance floor people start to rub and dance with each other quite flirtatiously without having exchanged a word, but once again, you have to read the signals correctly if you do not want to get anybody angry for miscalculating your attack…
Although gay scene is not as big as in other European capitals, there are also a couple of reference places to go. DTM (Don´t Tell Mamma) in Iso Roobertinkatu in Punavuori district is one of the most popular ones, but be ready to pay 8 euro entrance at weekends. Close to it there is the free entrance Lost & Found, which in later years has become more and more hetero friendly. Legend said that Ville Valo, the charismatic leader of the love metal band H.I.M. used to hang around there, but honestly, I have never seen him, and I have visited the place quite often, being very popular among students in Helsinki too.
Being Finland the country of heavy metal music, if you dig it, you cannot skip visiting the most legendary metal club in town, Tavastia, located in Kamppi district, where basically all the most famous bands play or have played at some point of their careers. It is not unusual that local artists hang around there, and the list of concerts through the year is pretty good. Not far from it, also in Kamppi, are located Bäkkäri and Heavy Corner, two good options for metalheads if you want to continue the party after watching a gig. If you prefer a bit more classic rock and alternative pop atmosphere, Bar Loose is your choice. The changed to a bigger venue a couple of years ago, and they offer also a great selection of live gigs at their down floor, while upstairs is always nice to have some beers or a coffee with friends. One of my favorites in town.
If you like Irish pubs and a very international atmosphere, your best choice is Molly Malone´s, near the Railway Station Square, that offers live concerts every night, and that recently had been enlarged, with a new dance floor. It is packed with the foreign community of Finland, but also the more international oriented Finns go there. If you like an atmosphere more 100% Finnish, try the very popular Kaarle XII nightclub, known commonly by natives as “Kalle”. In its 2 floors you can find very different atmospheres and kind of music, and a bunch of Finnish animal parties ready to give their best. The entrance is free on Thursday, a very good day to visit because many locals start their long weekend there.
All in all, Helsinki is a vibrant city with many more great venues offered to enjoy the night. Just go out, explore it, and probably after warming up your body with a couple of drinks, you will have a better view of an important side of Finnish culture. Or maybe you will find some Scandinavian romance and love…!
http://www.kaarle.com/fi/
http://www.cubacafe.fi/
http://www.apolloliveclub.fi/
http://www.mollymalones.fi/
http://www.lostandfound.fi/
FREE! Magazine and Dynamic Arts Records bring you the best of the land of heavy metal: Suomi Perkele Finland!!!
Now you have the chance to get 1 of the 3 copies autographed by the members of the band of the new album from Napolen SkullFukk: Swollen & Torture Metal.
Just answer correctly the question below and send it by email to free@freemagazine.fi , writing in the subject field “Napolen Skullfukk contest”. Good luck metal heads!
Question: What is the name of the vocalist of Napolen Skullfukk?
A) Jonne Nikula
B) John Holmes
C) R. Kurimus
D) Pentti Suomalainen
FREE! Magazine and EA Music want to celebrate with you the 10th anniversary of the legendary electronic music band Ladytron!
So just send us the correct answer to the question below to free@freemagazine.fi , writing “Ladytron contest” in the subject field of your email, and you can get 1 of the 3 CDs “Ladytron – Best of 00-10” that we have to give away to our lucky winners!
Question: In what city was Ladytron formed?
A) Manchester
B) Berlin
C) London
D) Liverpool
Good luck!!!
Ladytron – Best of 00 – 10
Categories
Hadouken competition. Win 2 CDs!!!
FREE! Magazine, EA Trax and Surface Noise Records invite you to get to know one of the hottest bands from UK: Hadouken!!! And what better way to celebrate their recent release of the second album than offering to our readers a great prize: a pack with both the first album from Hadouken, Music for an Accelerated Culture + their newest For the Masses.
Send us the right answer for the question below to free@freemagazine.fi, indicating in the subject field “Hadouken competition”, and you can be the lucky winner of both CDs!!!
In which country was the album For the Masses recorded?:
A) Finland
B) Estonia
C) Belgium
D) Holland
E) Great Britain
Good luck!!!
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Ponyo on the Cliff competition
FREE! Magazine and Panvision invite you to see one of the most amazing Japanese animation movies! Just send the correct answer to the question below to antonio.diaz@freemagazine.fi, writing in the subject field “Ponyo on the Cliff competition”, and you can be the lucky winner of one of the 5 DVDs of Ponyo on the Cliff we have to give away!*
What is the name of the director of Ponyo on the Cliff?
- John Lasseter
- Aki Kaurismäki
- Hayao Miyazaki
- Osamu Tezuka
* Prices will be delivered by post only for winners located inside Finland’s borders.
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FREE! goes to Eurovision
Actually, our “Euro-week” started last Sunday, early in the morning when both editors appeared on Subtv thanks to the invitation of Markku from Finland, this special and genuine ambassador of Finnish culture who, with tones of humour, discovers the particular secrets of living in Suomi. It was fun, and we had a good time with the guys there in the studio, although we were a bit nervous in front of the camera since we are most used to other media where our face is not so directly “visible” for the audience, as radio shows. Minutes later, in their backstage, we took revenge and shot with our video-camera a short and funny interview with Markku from Finland that we hope we will be able to show you soon in our website.
The week started amazingly fast and busy on Monday. Lots of interviews that included an interesting visit to Suomelinna, and lot of events to be covered and promotion to be done. Late at night wee checked the anniversary party of Bar Loose at Tavastia but before that, we had a new “Eurovision bath” at the official welcoming party at Finlandia Hall. Everybody was there, the artists, the journalists, the fans…
FREE! Magazine editors, dressed with our glamorous t shirts (if you were at the party you cannot miss two Spanish guys with red fluorescent t shirts that can be spotted 1 kilometer away with our slogan “Take me, I ´m FREE” on the back…) jumped into the crowd with no idea of who singer was who (The girl from Moldova seemed not to appreciate much my lack of knowledge about her…) and pretty soon, well equipped with some beers in our hand, had interested conversations there with other journalists colleagues, with our beloved Spanish ambassador, with Markku from Finland who came to greet us again (we should sign a contract with these guys… better expressed they should sign a contract with us) and also with some waiters and workers in the “naarikka”. Half Finlandia Talo was crowded with Spanish people everywhere; it seems that our native country really loves the event… And even one waiter was Spanish (Antonio…same that our ambassador Antonio… nice name indeed…sometimes even crazy editors have that name too ;) ) .
We have notice a lack of organization at some venues like Messukeskus, where the information point seems to be made to create the opposite reaction, but we must recognize that the welcome party was fabulous. Good and varied music, excellent food and a great atmosphere. Everybody was having a good time, specially the happy people from the gay community. All the fans taking pictures with their favourite singers, and a lot of Finnish pretty people around. Ola Salo, who is not Finnish but Swedish from the participant band The Ark also showed up there, acting as the real rock-star he is (for good and for bad sake) and practically same status quo yesterday Tuesday at Vanha, where the same people seemed to be holding the same glasses of wine in a new party. This time the editors took it easier, since there is (even) lots of work still to be done.
Maybe you like Eurovision, maybe you hate it, but you cannot deny the special attraction of having the chance to drink beer for FREE!
Categories
Say with a song
Dozens of events, concerts and street parties (let’s pray for good weather so everybody will be able to enjoy the outdoors happenings) that will export the image of Finland to the rest of the world. You may like it or not, but definitely you cannot deny the impact of the contest worldwide. In any case, if you live near the centre of Helsinki, there is no way to escape from the Eurovision fever. So as a wise man once said, if you cannot defeat them…join them!
There will be thousands of visitors coming during the following weeks. For many of those, the Helsinki Tourist Office is the first place where you can collect information about the cultural events and the wide amount of possibilities that the city and the country have to offer. There you can find FREE! too. Or not?
Some of you may have found the absence of copies of FREE! Magazine at the Tourist Office during the previous month strange. It seems that our cover crossed the line for the people responsible there, and they preferred to “store” our magazine in the back room. If you had the chance to see the cover, you can judge for yourself if it deserved such a punishment. If you didn't see it, visit our website and download the last issue.
In any case, we find it very sad that our audience was not allowed to enjoy the diverse articles we prepared with such effort just because of a personal opinion about an illustration that had no other purpose than teasing the curiosity of the reader. It seems that some censorship practices are still in use, even in such a freedom loving country as Finland.
So for the rest of you who grabbed a copy of the present issue, do not just stop at this editorial. Turn the pages and discover the exciting contents we have, from the most unusual Finnish literature to the trendiest indie rock bands. Or just forget your worries and shake your body exploring the contemporary dance Finland has to offer.
Go to concerts, watch the new exciting film titles that arrive to the big screen, and basically enjoy life…with no censorship. Be FREE!
Categories
Cheap, crazy and yellow
“It all started twenty years ago – tells mr Karl Stockmann, director of Stockmann's
department stores in Finland – we’re member of a department stores association
and at the time the Galerie Lafayette was doing something similar. We liked the
idea, we studied it and we started. We believed so much in it we even registered
the name Hullut päivät – Crazy days”.The name clearly hints at the amazingly
low prices the most diverse items have on the four ‘crazy days’, but had this
been the only peculiarity of the Hullut Päivät you wouldn’t have been able to
tell them from any other ordinary sale.The craze starts with
the distribution, by mail if you’re a faithful Stockmann customer, of the yellow
booklet where all the different items on sales during the four crazy days are
listed.
{mosimage}A quick glance immediately reveals what’s different: all the items will
be on sale on different days, and if you really want to buy that pair of shoes
you’ll have to go on Wednesday, whilst the flight ticket to Barcelona – only 160
€ – could be yours on Saturday but not on Thursday! Every day different items
are being sold, and what you could get on Thursday is not at all what you can
buy on Friday. But beware: not all the reduced-price items are listed on the
booklet, and really all sort of goods are on sale, even cars!
Yellow is the
color of the Hullut Päivät – “to distinguih them from ordinary sales – tells us
Mr Stockmann – whose color is red”.
Inside Stockmann, twice a year, from
Wednesday to Saturday, Stockmann everything is yellow: yellow flags, yellow
banners, yellow ghosts, yellow t-shirted shop assistants, you can even eat
yellow ghost-shaped
pastries.
And this craze
it’s being exported: last Autumn to Moscow and before to the Baltic
states. No wonder: “ we organize the Hullut Päiväit twice a year, and of
course it depends, but they make for about the 10% of our yearly turn over” Mr
Stockmann says.
Categories
FREE! Porn
Our cover story
aims at giving a glimpse into the porn industry in Finland. Even when being a relatively
small market, there are several native stars with interesting opinions to be
heard. The small size of the market also makes it perfect for new genres and
trends in making porn films, such as amateur commercial short films.
The music market
in Finland
is also small, but Finnish bands are ready to jump overseas. Some days ago,
several bands traveled to Austin, Texas, to participate in the South by
Southwest festival – this must be one of the largest music festivals in the world.
Over one week, it unites hundred of bands of any style and origin. Eleven bands
from Finland played there: Callisto, Lodger, KTU, I Walk the Line, Rubik,
Astrid Swan, Lapko, Disco Emsemble, Irina Bjorklund & Peter Fox,
22-Pistepirkko and The Crash. This is a good example that Finnish rock music is
something other than Lordi. In this issue you will read about the band Rubik discussing
their debut album only a few days before leaving to the United States. Before
traveling to Texas, Kimmo Pohjonen (of KTU) also spoke to FREE! Magazine. He is
an interesting character who spans different genres with his accordion, from
folk to avant garde, when not scoring music for films.
Don’t stop there!
You will find many more fascinating topics on comics, exhibitions, opera,
historical figures, curiosities and cinema, plus the best tips for your FREE!
time.
Whether you decide
to relax and watch some porn or prepare your schedule for the massive number of
summer festivals, we are sure that spring will be an exciting warming up season
for you. Of course, full of FREE! experiences!
Categories
Will you take me?
FREE! Magazine
offers a new look at Finnish culture. But hey, it’s in English. That’s
right! There is already a good bunch of immigrants in Finland. Maybe
you are even one of them. We are sure many of them miss reading a
magazine or a newspaper they can easily understand.
However, FREE!
is not only for immigrants. Even more than Swedish, English is the
second language in Finland. How often do you hear the English language
while walking down Esplanadi or shopping in Kamppi? Finns are very
exposed to foreign media and the Internet has blurred the language
boundaries making English the common ground.
Still, the language does not explain why FREE!
is different. Our magazine features original in-depth articles and
interviews, with the aim of showing the wide array of cultural
happenings and products in Finland. If, for some reason or another, we
are all stuck in the country, let’s have some fun. It has a lot to
offer. FREE! is created in an honest and passionate way.
Within
the pages of the first issue, you will find author Mikael Niemi talking
about his latest book and the Keränen brothers of 22-Pistepirkko
pass-by to comment upon their albums and projects. Comic artist Kaisa
Leka starts her tour around the world in our pages, while drummer Jay
Burnside explains the secrets of the new Flaming Sideburns album; even
the Ovi Bad Boys sneak into the FREE! pages.
You might
wonder what does culture means. To us, culture is about fun. It is
about entertainment. Let’s put political fights aside, let’s forget the
work problems. Take a big box of popcorn and watch a movie; pour a
glass of your favorite drink and read a book. But we are not naïve
either, so don’t expect only pop stories…
The team of FREE!
Magazine has worked more hours than a 7-Eleven to create its high
quality content and design. We hope you appreciate it. Visit our
website and tell us your feedback. We want FREE! to become a magazine for everyone.
Every month FREE!
Magazine will hit the streets with new exciting content and design.
Next time you see it, don’t leave it alone in the corner, just…
Take me! I’m FREE!