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Features Music

Bitch Alert

{mosimage}I really had to ask. What was the name again? Talking music over coffee on a grumpy
afternoon of the apologetic Finnish spring, the name was dropped like a coin on
the kitchen tile. Silence crept in. I show you – came the answer. Somebody
slipped the CD into the player, and on came sweeping, towering waves of sound,
and riding them the raspy, angry, vivid voice of a girl, irresistibly
commanding everybody's attention. "I wanna see your skeleton," she
snarled, "and I can feel your bones!" This is how I first met Bitch Alert.


T
he second meeting is slightly less spiritual
and certainly not so loud, but much more relaxed and, compared to what I'd
expected, reassuringly real. On the other end of the telephone line is Heinie
Immonen, lead singer and songwriter for the band.

"I'm sorry about my English, it must be
fuckin' rusty by now," she rushes to say, confirming two stereotypes at
once: the one about Finns apologising for their impeccable English, and the one
about the flippant attitude of rock musicians. Suddenly the choice of the band
name doesn't sound so strange anymore.

"In fact, originally we were called
simply Bitch, but when we signed to Poko Records, the label made us
change the name for copyright reasons. An '80s hard rock band was called the
same," Heinie explains. Reasonable, one could say, but, then, why
"Bitch" in the first place?

"At the time we thought that was just the
coolest name ever. That was the only reason. Sure, it's not a name your grandma
would like, but… luckily, at least my grandma doesn't speak English. And
after all, we were 15 or 16 at the time the band was founded. But we never
regretted the choice."

The "we" refers to the original
line-up of Bitch Alert (née Bitch), that is Heinie on guitars and
vocals, and friends Maria and Maritta, playing, respectively, the
bass and the drums. The trio got together in 1997. However, Maria soon chose to
leave the band, and it is with new bass player Kimmo that the band
finally got signed in 2000. (Just to avoid confusion, for those who are not
familiar with Finnish first names: yes, Kimmo is a guy.) Following the debut LP Pay for orgasm, the band has since then released four
albums, the latest of which is last year's I can feel your bones.



{mosimage}Riot grrrls

"We're not decidedly feminists,"
Heinie says, when I ask about the lyrics and the attitude. "We don't write
songs under a manifesto, and we don't consider ourselves political in any way.
On the other hand, most of our songs are very personal, and the person whose
view they are written from happens to be a young woman, so in this sense, you
can still say we are feminists. But I think the music is more important than
the lyrics anyway. Ideally, each of our songs would only have one line, one
sentence as lyrics."

The title of Bitch Alert's second album
(…rriot!) suggests a link to the riot grrrll movement –
the loose spiritual attitude at the meeting point of punk and feminism, started
almost two decades ago by bands like Bikini Kill and Bratmobile
–, and Heinie confirms.

"Bitch Alert is about girls – and of
course, boys – being themselves, having fun and being free to do whatever they
want, no matter how they are expected or told to behave by others," she
sums up.

2002's ...rriot! was
released in the UK too. Although it received some unexpected and positive
critical attention (notably from the Kerrang! magazine), and the 28-stop
promotional UK tour was considered a success, it didn't bring international
breakthrough for the band. Subsequent records haven't been released outside
Finland, either.

"We'd love to tour England again. Or the
US, or other countries of Europe. Being on tour is what we love the most. But I
just hate the business side of it; going on tour abroad is so expensive!"

And tight budgets are indeed quite a concern
for the band, whose three members all have day jobs to support their passion.

"Unless you're HIM or Rasmus,
or a similarly big act, in Finland you can't make a living solely with
music," Heinie comments.

Incidentally, this might have just changed. Just
as this issue of FREE! Magazine hits the streets, Bitch Alert are on
their way back from Los Angeles, after playing a showcase to "drunken
record company executives" at the Musexpo 2007 event, and with any bit of
luck, this has been an important step in going to "the next level,"
whatever that might turn out to be.

What is sure, on the other hand, that 10 years
on, the once-teen-band of Bitch Alert is as alive and kicking as it can be.

"Our last record was probably the
darkest, heaviest one so far, full of desperation. But if you listen close, you
can feel there is a light at the end of the tunnel, and there is always a
sparkle in the eyes. It's like the band. Although we got a bit bored with
touring Finland over and over again, we're still having a whole lot of fun
playing," she affirms.

This, in practice, means a couple of more
months of gathering inspiration, and a new tour in the autumn. And until then?

"I don't know, I've never been too good
at wise concluding remarks. Just have a nice fuckin' spring time!"

The music
Comparing Bitch Alert to '90s grunge-rock
sweethearts Hole is inevitable, and admittedly, the comparison describes
aptly the mix of fuzzy rock, grunge, pop and punk that is Bitch Alert. In fact,
there is little in there that you haven't heard before, if you're a fan of
Courtney Love, Nirvana, the Smashing Pumpkins or, even, Muse.
And still, as is often the case, the end result sounds fresh and invigorating,
partly because of the catchy riffs and grooves, and, perhaps more importantly,
because of the rich and powerful vocals, frail and whispering in one second and
breaking into uninhibited shouting in the next instant. (Heinie's singing could
remind you of PJ Harvey as well as Juliette Lewis, and sometimes
even the monotonous, aggressive snarl of Liam Gallagher.) Bitch Alert,
then, is not the band if you're looking for sophisticated subtlety or craftily
used samples, it's merely catchy and truthful – like emo would be, without the
fakery.
"If you never heard of Bitch Alert
before, and want to take the easy way, listen to the …rriot! album,"
recommends Heinie. "If you want to listen to our punk side, you should go
for Songs for your wedding EP. If you're more into indie rock, Kill
your darlings would suit you best."
And if you'd like to know where Bitch Alert
could go next, give a listen to I can feel your bones. Or just visit the
band's myspace-site (www.myspace.com/bitchalert),
and decide for yourself if all their albums are merely a waste of plastic.
After all, independent choice is exactly what they are all about.

They sound like: Courtney Love finally got inspired!

Essential listening: The album I Can Feel Your Bones

The latest: spring break and showcase set in LA. Expect a return to stage in the autumn.

Categories
Concerts Music

Provinssirock 2007

{mosimage}Provinssirock
2007 was supposed to be the festival of the three queens, but one of them
didn’t show up. Amy Winehouse, the last diva on top of the charts, canceled
her performance just a few hours before she hit the stage on Sunday. Without
Amy, Tori Amos on Friday and Patti Smith on Saturday reigned over Seinäjoki.

Fashionably
late, Tori Amos appeared on stage in front of an enthusiastic crowd that packed
the big tent, excited in anticipation. As in her last album, American Doll
Posse, the singer played different roles. In the first act of the show, it was
Pip, brunette, rocking and sexy. Then it was Tori, long haired redhead,
elegant. The setlist was mostly based on American Doll Posse, but the fans
received these new songs as instant classics, shouting and singing along. The
performance was intense, with Amos showing off her strong charisma and
arrogance.

Due to an
unfortunate tour schedule, at the same time as Tori’s show, Flogging Molly had
their particular Irish party going on. On the other side of the festival area,
people jumped and danced the drunken lullabies of Dave King and his band. A
combination of traditional Irish music and Californian punk, Flogging Molly’s
music is much about passion, celebration and fun. One must be deaf and blind to
avoid being uplifted by the fiddle-driven punk with great melodies and stories.
A really good time.

{mosimage}But if
someone is meant to represent punk, that one is Patti Smith. She turned 60 last
December and was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame earlier this year,
but she still maintains a defiant attitude. Her voice sounded strong, she
gesticulated to underline the lyrics and ranted about the environment
preservation while a Palestinian flag rested on top of the amplifier during the
whole show. She sang classics like Space
Monkey, Free Money and the crowd
favorite Because the Night. In her
latest album, Twelve, Patti Smith covers some great rock hit and so she did in
Seinäjoki: Gimme Shelter, Soul Kitchen, Are You Experienced? and even Lou Reed’s Perfect Day and also Smith’s peculiar arrangement of Nirvana’s
Smells Like a Teen Spirit that is transformed into an acoustic jazzy ballad. But
in spite of being a solid show, there was a certain feeling of laid back
performance, lacking the wildness that those songs need. Energy was kept in the
can and it wasn’t until the last song (Rock
‘N’ Roll Nigger) when the band sounded loosed and at full speed.

The other
great concert on Saturday was supposed to be Velvet Revolver. The crowd was
really into it and the excitement of seeing three ex-Gunners on stage was high.
It’s great to see Slash and Duff McKagan perform, but there is something wrong
with this band. The who seems flat and lame. It is like a movie with a bad
unbelievable plot. Perhaps it is the singer Scott Weiland and his excessive
attitude. Or perhaps it is just the lack of chemistry or really good songs, but
Velvet Revolver’s performance provokes indifference and the feeling that
nothing great happened.

This year’s
edition of Provinssirock had fewer visitors than expected. The last minute
changes, cancellations and the schedule conflicts of the big names create many
difficulties for a festival that needs to start working to organize a top class
30th anniversary programme next year.

Photos by Eduardo Alonso 

Categories
Albums Music

Low: Drums and Guns

That I mention Jack and Meg White's
influential duo here is not by accident. Certainly, most of the  slow, gentle and angst-ridden songs of Low
doesn't sound anything even remotely close to the sped-up,
electronica-and-distortion-washed rock of the 'Stripes (although even a direct
comparison of the music wouldn't be totally off base in songs such as “Cold,
cold night”). But I find something in these two bands' attitude that is
essentially the same. It is the achievement of a monumental sound with
minimalist orchestration.

Minimalism in this case is not merely an
eloquent way of saying simplicity: with the combination of a handful of weird
noise samples, a soft drum pattern, an apologetic bassline and heart-breakingly
painful vocals, Low creates a rich, massive and at the same time fragile flow
of sounds, the slowness of which accentuates the importance of the small
details.

“Drums and Guns,” the eighth album of the band is probably not the record you want to
listen to before a night out. It is not easy listening – merely by its
slowness, it demands your full attention –, but you might just find yourself
captivated by its depth.

Categories
Albums Music

Natasha Bedingfield: N.B.

The best attempts on her second album, N.B.,
come close: “I wanna have your babies” is a similarly joy- and tuneful
confession of feelings, and the opening track “How do you do” also
impresses (evoking Gwen Stefani without being, alas, terribly annoying).

But the rest of the album fails to create
anything memorable. Natasha's voice is simply wasted in the uninspired
presentation of meant-to-be-r'n'b songs that sound, mostly, like a corporate
marketing plan to appeal to the American market. The whole record is coated in
the sugary icing of “smooth” drum loops and “slick” bass lines, so the result
is a radio-friendly, danceable r'n'b record, which is, by the way, utterly
boring. If not for this generic, over-produced presentation, songs like “Say
it again” (evoking none other than the Red Hot Chili Peppers) or the
haunting “Tricky Angel” could have been great.

But as it seems, you're better off
downloading “I wanna have your babies” and “How do you do,” and hope that she
will do an acoustic performance sometime, where her voice could truly shine. That
would be amazing.

Categories
Albums Music

Gruff Rhys: Candylion

Main roles are cast to the acostic
guitars, Beatles-esque drums and Rhys' distinctively nasal and always low-key
vocals, but the essence of Candylion lies in the details, the carefully
placed samples of backward guitars, strings, harmonica riffs and weird, mellow
noises. Expect a few surprises too: 
"Lonesome Words" sounds like a melancholic tribute to
spaghetti western, the hymnical folk of "Con Carino" is
followed by Welsh-language "Gyrru gyrru gyrru," a dynamic
piece of driving soundtrack, while the title track is merely a sweet and simple
example of great songwriting. The 14-minute closing track "Skylon!"
is also worth a mention on its own: a tale of a plane hijacking, full of quiet
anxiety, that hints to what a collaboration between Thom Yorke and Bob
Dylan would sound like.

Come to think of it, it's a bit of a
mystery how all these elements can work together. But for certain they do. And
if the result is not exactly revolutionary in any way, it is tasty indeed.

Categories
Albums Music

Arctic Monkeys – Favourite Worst Nightmare

The prasising reviews and the soaring sales
are hardly a surprise, and the Monkeys were indeed aware of the positive
prejudice that was to welcome their next move. „We knew that whatever we do on
the second album, it will get played on the radio, so we thought we might as
well do something interesting this time,” said singer-songwriter Alex Turner
in an interview.

It is then a bit of a surprise that „Favourite
Worst Nightmare” does not take on radically new ways; in fact, it delivers
pretty much the same of the energetic, crafty, somewhat barren and
quintessentially British rock music that was introduced on its predecessor. The
guitar and the vocals are as much a rhythm instrument here as the drums (having
said that, drummer Matt Helders' performance is jaw-droppingly amazing
throughout the album), and songs are as far from being theatrical as possible.

The slight changes in orchestration may point to new
directions for the band – if they stick to this work ethic, we'll hear it in
one year –, but if there is a major difference between their first two LPs, it
is in the general mood: this time, everything is darker, and the dominant
sentiment is no longer that of irony, it is plain anger.

And the Arctic Monkeys is still one of the best bands
around these days.

Categories
Interviews Music

Another shot on the rocks

The second coming of rockers Hanoi Rocks has lasted already six years. That’s as long as the classic period of the band lasted in the eighties. Obviously, these last six years haven’t been as intense, but the new Hanoi Rocks almost has their third album ready since its rebirth to be release in September.

Like Jagger and Richards, The Muddy Twins are two very different characters: in a colourful pink jacket, Monroe speaks and moves fast and loud, whilst McCoy breathes deeply and mutters. One is the diva, the other, the gypsy. But both sound positive about the upcoming album: “it’s going to be a very strong record”, the singer says. “Now the band is perfectly balanced, which it was not before when we were still searching around”, the guitarist adds.

Former Electric Boys members, Swedes Conny Bloom (guitar) and Andy (AC) Christell (bass), brought the needed stability to the band in 2005. “It took until now to make the band into a strong unit”. This unity will be reflected on the new album. “For this record we have worked as a band from the start”, Monroe explains. “On the previous album we started recording just Andy, our drummer Lacu and me. It took a long time and there were lots of overdubs, so it was difficult to mix. Now we have the basics: drums, guitars, bass, vocals and some overdubs, but not much: just a few solos, some sax and percussion. And everybody has contributed to the song writing, even Lacu!”

"We haven’t changed! Only the ones with enough identity survive" – Andy McCoy

{mosimage}No matter what, every new step of Hanoi Rocks will be compared to its past. “We haven’t changed! Only the ones with enough identity survive”, says McCoy. For Mike Monroe, that’s the only way to go: “Trends come and go. We don’t try to follow anything and we do not compromise ourselves for money or anything. It’s essential to survive, even to sleep and look at yourself in the mirror. Some of those bands in the 80s took the easy way out. They made a lot of money then, but now they are worn out and miserable. They are stuck in the eighties and they look like parodies of themselves. That’s what happens when you sell your soul!”

After so many years in show business, the blonde singer knows that it is difficult to trust anyone: “More than 90% of the people in this business are crooks. In the first three years of the reunion we had a lot of people that were supposed to be managing the band but they were actually damaging the band. Big money was wasted. It was totally out of control. It’s not enough to have the greatest band in the world; one also needs a great team behind it. Now we are lucky and we have it”.

Hanoi N’ Roses

Hanoi Rocks was a great influence on Guns N’ Roses. Some even say that if they wouldn’t have split up 1985, the Finns would have been a stadium band as big as Guns N’ Roses was later on. Both bands collaborated with each other and Michael Monroe appeared on the epic Use Your Illusion albums playing sax and harmonica on one song, and also adding some vocals to Ain’t It Fun on The Spaghetti Incident?

But does Michael know when Chinese Democracy will be released? “No. Perhaps by the time there’s democracy in China. Axl Rose has always been nice to me and I wish him good luck, but I wish he had the old band today. Those guys had a great chemistry. It’s what happens when big money gets in the way. It’s what destroys bands. People start talking to each other through lawyers. I don’t envy Axl’s situation. Doing the same record for ten years is not normal anymore”.

The single Fashion is out now.

You can watch the video at
www.myspace.com/hanoirocksofficial

Categories
Features Music

Sounds good! Get your earplugs in!

Appropriately in this metal-mad country, the first events are loud and proud of it.

Sauna Open Air Metal (7-9 June) in Tampere’s Eteläpuisto kicks the season off with a big bang – if you don’t find Megadeth, Heaven and Hell, Type O Negative scary. Promoter Jussi Santalahti comments “This year’s will be the best ever (12,000/day) as I got the bands I wanted at this time, so next year we may need a new venue.”  

Provinssirock (15-17 June) is held in woods outside Seinäjoki in outback Pohjanmaa. This is for youngsters to expend energy, make and lose mates. As there’s nowhere near enough accommodation, most tent it. Very social, each one touching cloth with the next. Minimal privacy. 

The site is split between five stages, crowds troop from one to another via a stream. With an average age of 20, everything’s over-indulged. Mature people (25+) may think twice unless they have a safe nest. Camping areas resemble refugee camps after a war with bodies scattered around. First Aid does brisk business. 

Despite its location, Provinssirock attracts eclectic artistes: Marilyn Manson, Manic Street Preachers, Faith No More, Suede, REM and Black Sabbath. So this year’s Scissor Sisters, Patti Smith, Amy Winehouse and MUCC may not seem a theme, but there’s something for everyone whose still compos mentus – or not. Promoter Juha Koivisto informs “We’re now a stopover between Sweden and Russia while for others, Scandinavia is a big market.” 

Tuska Open Air Metal Festival at Helsinki’s central Kaisaniemi Park. A triple treat (29 June-1 July) for the jet black set with music that splits ears and atoms. But that matters not to the 11,000 inside. Although a guaranteed sell-out, fear not – join the throng outside where you’ll be able to hear the ‘lyrics’ clearly growled.  

Tuska 2007 is the 10th and features subtle masters of the dark arts as W.A.S.P., Pain, Hatesphere, and Children of Bodom (a local band whose name derives from a bloody unsolved triple murder 50 years ago). Power, doom, goth, thrash are all here for this must-see metal bash. And don’t be cowed by the fans, as Promoter Jouni Markkanen says “They’re much nicer than they look!”  

Simultaneously, Puistoblues on Saturday (30 June) is a picnic on pasture by a lake for ‘mature’ types. 2007 is the festival’s pearl anniversary. It’s volunteer-organised by blues lovers in quaint Järvenpää, but no worries – it’s a train ride from Helsinki with transport at the station to ferry fans to the venue at a set rate. 

Puistoblues’s legends over 30 years lists John Lee Hooker, Bo Diddley, George Thorogood, BB King, Jeff Healy, Santana. But recent lack of star names and wet weather mean it’s on a financial tightrope. If it’s sunny, 14,000 can relax comfortably on the gentle slope and appreciate Johnny Winter, Keb Mo and supports for 49 euro. 

After Tuska moshers head for Ruisrock in Ruissalo park outside Turku – so no decibel difficulties here. The mid-July weekend (6th-8th) has a bigger capacity (30,000) with a 3-day pass at €90 great value – if your eardrums don’t implode. 

Europe’s second-oldest festival (Holland’s Pinkpop was first) celebrates its 38th with bands on five stages, two inside a tent! As a trial, in addition to the small one for 800 people, Promoter Juhani Merimaa will erect a 10,000-capacity big top. Why? 

“It’s for bands wanting to use their lightshows. Here the sun sets at 11pm and after 3 hours twilight it’s up again. For foreign acts that’s strange, Mew and Tool played late last year to get the best effects. If more want to do it this year, we don’t have the slots.” 

Ruisrock’s music mix comprises The Flaming Lips, The Ark (fresh from Eurovision success?), Mastodon and The Hives. Look out for the Stockholm ferries behind the main stage around 8 and 9 pm. A sight which caused Oasis’ Liam Gallagher to mouth “What the ****!” 

Ilosaarirock (14-15 July) is on an island in the river that flows through Joensuu and will claim its 10th consecutive sell-out. Mainly for local yokels as accommodation is sparse unless a mosquito symphony in a tent appeals. This year’s not-so-magnetic acts are heavyish: Anthony B, The Business, CunninLynguists, HIM and Opeth. 

{mosimage}For old-timer Pori Jazz (14-22 July) it’s the last 4 days where famous names perform in Kirjurinluoto Park across from the city on the river Aura’s far bank. This is the 42nd edition of the festival and its age shows. Artistic Director-Founder Jyrki Kangas admits “We regenerate the festival every 10 years and now we must attract new audiences too.” 

As most jazzmen have blown their last note, that audience has shrivelled apace, so Pori Jazz became an all-round festival. There’s a gamut of venues and the Jazz Street, but the big guns perform at Kirjurin Arena where Sting attracted a record 36,000 last summer. Warning: Pori is small with limited facilities. 

So schools, homes, practically anywhere will let you lie on a mattress (bring your own sleeping bag) for money. It may feel unusual staying in a stranger’s home (if they’re away it costs more), but you’re only supposed to sleep there…. It’s a very Finnish egalitarian thing, which may not suit those from class-structured societies. Snoozing in vehicles is popular too. 

Prices vary but it’s the festival where you can usually buy a ticket at the door. Thursday and Friday see Natalie Cole and Sly and the Family Stone top the bill, Saturday has Steely Dan and maybe Elvis Costello, who is a serial late-canceller á la eight years ago, thus the uncertainty. Pray hard Elvis fans. 

Sunday is ‘picnic day’ though Pori Jazz’s hallmark is fans flopped on the grass at KA with bottles and snacks on blankets. 2007’s finale is strong: veterans Blood, Sweat and Tears, John Scofield and Medeski as the festival closes with reggae legend Bob Marley’s son Ziggy. Jazz? 

Ankkarock’s timing (5-6 August) pushes meteorological luck. As Promoter Merimaa said after a muddy weekend “It was more like a duck pond than Duck Rock (its English name)”. Heavy again: Nine Inch Nails, Japanese rock Dir En Grey and The Ark are familiar names as you may have noticed. Look up the website for further details.  

But these all depend on the ‘fan in the sky’ blessing them with good weather for a memorable occasion. Amen, hallelujah and amaze the horde. 


Categories
Interviews Music

A piece of Arctic Metal music

FREE! Magazine had a relaxed talk in a central hotel of Helsinki with Toni Kakko (vocals) and Henrik “Henkka” Klingenberg (keyboards), who kindly explained the story behind the band’s origins:

How was the music scene in Kemi, your native town, where you started?

Toni: There were a few metal bands. I am still living there, and it is a nice, quiet place. A couple of times a year, the youth organisations have concerts or competitions for new bands. This is the way we started as well.

You had curious names for the band at the beginning. The first one was Tricky Beans, and then you changed to Tricky Means…

Toni: Tricky Beans came into being in May 1996, when we had our first show. We did not have any name at that time. We had to come up with a name. We had this really stupid song called Tricky Beans, so we decided to take that name and then change it later, but the show went pretty well, and people got to know us in Kemi under that name, so we could not really change it. We got stuck with Tricky Beans: a weird name for a band. Then in 1997, we started rehearsing these Stratovarius songs, more of a metal type of music, and then we changed it to Tricky Means. Then in 1999, we got the recording contract and it was clear we needed a new and better name. A friend of us came up with the present name Sonata Arctica, and I think it suits us pretty well.

The band that changed their lives

Were you a fan of Stratovarius?

Toni: Yeah, absolutely! Stratovarius’ albums were a big hit for me. That was the time when I started singing and writing that kind of material.

Do you remember when you listened to them for first time?

Toni: It was Visions album, in the summer of 1997.I first heard it on TV. They had already 2 videos from that album, The Kiss of Judas and then Black Diamond: that was a “big bang” for me…I remember that I walked inside the music store, and I had Stratovarius album in one hand and this Hanson album in the other. I put the Stratovarius album back in the shelf and I bought the Hanson album. The next day I went to the store and I bought Stratovarius album as well.

You corrected the mistake!

Absolutely. I am very sorry about that, because I wouldn’t be here if I have not bought it.

And how was the tour with them after releasing your first album Ecliptica?

Who? It was very funny. We had just finished mastering the first album, and we just went to the Spinefarm office with the new album, and the boss said “hey guys, you have some warm up gigs”. I thought that maybe it was Helloween or something like that, and he said “7 weeks in Europe with Stratovarius and Rhapsody.” And I was like “Goddamn shit!” It was huge, it was really scary – it was like “oh god, this is it!”

And a bit later you were touring with Alice Cooper…

Toni: Yeah, two shows in Finland.

Did you have the chance to talk to him?

Toni: Not really. I was walking outside of Helsinki Hockey Arena, a bouncer stopped me, and I saw a tall man there…and it was Alice Cooper. He looked at me and I nodded and he nodded, and I was like “Guau, he can actually see me.” That was the closest I was to him. But Dio was very cool. He came to talk to us. He had nothing to prove. He was really great.

After all these years playing in so many places, where is the craziest audience at your shows?

Toni: I think in South America: Brazil, Chile… they have so hot blooded there!
 

{mosimage}The Finnish recruitment procedure

Henrik, when you entered the band, I read that the selection procedure was a bit “special”: basically consisting of getting drunk together with the band…

Henrik: I was at first like: “Are we playing something?” We drank for a while and talked, and we played a couple of songs, and they were filming trying to get me annoyed to see how I reacted. So, we played a bit and then we went back to the bar.

Toni: We knew he could play, that was not the question. We wanted to see his personality, since we were going to be spending a lot of time with this guy on the bus, in bars, etc. So, we wanted to see the reaction.

Did you have a hangover the next day?

Henrik: A little… Well, actually we got really drunk…

Toni: I did not participate in the bar session that time.

Hopefully you did not have to repeat the interview again and again…

Henrik: It was all right…

Toni: It gave us the chance to see how he is in real life: to be sure that he did not turn out be a real asshole.

I suppose many people have asked you about the Nightwish split, since you were playing with them the same night they gave their last gig. What is your opinion about what happened and all the polemic that surrounded it?

Toni: Well, shit happens really. If it is the only way to keep the band going, it has to be done.

Would you like to tour with them again soon?

Toni: Well, I have not met the new singer yet, but why not. I am friends with Tuomas mainly…

Henrik: We would still very happily tour with them, of course.

Toni: Absolutely. I mean, if I would have to choose one band to tour again with, it would probably be Nightwish.

Henrik: Yeah, apart from Metallica. The Tallinn concert last year was excellent. I have tickets for the show in Helsinki as well.

H.I.M. is going to be playing that night with them… feeling jealous?

Henrik: Good for them. It’s ok. I don’t care: I am going to see Metallica, anyway, so I don’t care who is supporting them.

You have quite a long tour ahead of you this year. Any special place you are particularly excited about visiting?

Toni: Australia.

Henrik: And for me personally, South America. I have not played there. But Australia is the place everybody in the band is waiting for, because nobody has ever been there.

 

Box of curiosities:

Sonata Arctica has a song called San Sebastian that was played for first time live in the year 2000 in the city of… San Sebastian.

Henrik used to train different martial arts and contact sports, such as boxing, but he had to quit because of the risk of hurting his hands. Since then, he has gained 13 kilograms.

Toni’s favourite cities to visit are New York and Salzburg.

Categories
Interviews Music

Sitar lady

Although she is only 25, she has had a long career and has long since stopped being just Ravi Shankar’s daughter. Born in London, she is a sitar player and composer and started being taught by her father when she was nine. She gave her first public performance at the age of 13. Today she’s a well-known artist. In 2000, she was the first woman to perform at The Ramakrishna Centre in Calcutta. She was chosen by the Indian Television Academy and the newspaper India Times as one of four Women of the Year. Furthermore, she appeared three years ago in Time Magazine Asia as one of their twenty Asian heroes.

She still loves playing Indian classical music and doing concerts with her father, who is known all over the world as the one that brought classical Indian music onto the world stage, thanks to his association with The Beatles and his charisma. "Getting to perform with my father is one of the most amazing things I get to do, especially now that we are father-daughter, teacher-student, and also true collaborators after having performed together for over a decade", she said proudly.

But she is developing her own style. That’s why she created the Anoushka Shankar Project a couple of years ago, which was conceived "to differentiate between the classical career I had built over years, and the experimental direction I've gone in the last few years". Through this project she is able to work "outside of, but inspired by, classical Indian frameworks and compose for a combination of Indian and Western music and musicians".

{mosimage}This summer she will be playing a combination of new compositions of hers based on ragas (Indian classical melody forms) created by her father over the last few decades, and also some acoustic versions of material from her last album Rise. With her will be her long-time collaborator, the legendary tabla player Tanmoy Bose, brilliant Carnatic (South Indian) flutist Ravichandra Kulur, and two jazz musicians who study Indian music with her father: drummer Jesse Charnow, and pianist/saxophonist Leo Dombecki.

Shankar explains that "we are playing my compositions but I give the musicians a lot of room to improvise, and we have a great rapport and dynamic chemistry, which is something people like most about our shows".

This will by her first time in Finland –"though I saw the coast once from a boat I had taken from St. Petersburg! ". Anoushka told us that "more than anything I am excited to come to your country and play my music there for the first time. I don't have expectations necessarily, but I hope to have some time to explore, and I really hope that people appreciate the music". 

Anoushka ShankarTuesday 22 May, 7.30pm
Savoy Theatre, Kasarmikatu 46-48, Helsinki

Categories
Concerts Music

They Might Be Giants (On Stage)

If Rubik were merely preceded by their reputation it would be almost impossible to live up to the expectations, but in their case it's also a matter of word-of-mouth, a solid debut album, Bad Conscience Patrol, and a kick-ass single, City And The Streets, which singer Artturi Taira believed was what drew most of the people to Tavastia. What ever their reasons for being there, the audience showed no sign of being let down. Instead, the band picked the crowd up instantly and wrapped them in a carpt of sounds and moods until the very end, which eventually came all too soon. For such a young band Rubik has quite a lot of experience and a long history together, as  their sure-handed playing, and in the ease and passion with which they throw themselves into the songs. While on album form they may at times come across slightly dry and academic, there's no trace of that on stage. 

There's a dynamic in Rubik's music that comes across even stronger live, as move from pounding a mallet to smothering a whisper with surprising ease. While Rubik on their debut album rely on rich arrangements to lift their angular and slightly hysterical prog-pop above the rest, their live sound seems no less lush and diverse. The band has grasped the importance of icing on the cake. The mesmerizing mood changes were emphasised by some very nice lighting effects and at times the combined effect was enough to transcend the walls of the club: looking up, you almost expected to see a blanket of stars and not the blackened ventilation pipes, or an approaching balloon! As a less successful gimmick some Rubik-balloons were floating around over the audience, but they soon turned from a nice visual touch to an annoyance. 

Judging from the starry-eyed mob gathered at Tavastia, Rubik have certainly found their audience in Finland. On stage they come across as an even bigger band than they perhaps actually are, which has nothing to do with cocksure arrogance, but wells from a firm belief in doing their own thing. Go see them live, you'll be rewarded.

Categories
Features Music

It’s our song!


The contest started in January. Depending on their roots, participates were divided in four different groups: Afrovision, Arabvision, Latinvision and Asiavision. The winners of each group went to the final which will be held this Saturday.


The lucky finalists are:

 

 

Afrovision
Prince Levy (Ivory Coast)
Sofy Kapepula (Kongo)

Arabvision
Aida Murad (Irak)
Samantha Marie José Sayegh (Lebanon)

Asiavision
Eva Wong (Malaysia)
Anfisa Proskuryakova (Ulan-Ude, Siberia)

Latinvision
Tatiana Pereira (Brazil)
Fabiane Laube (Brazil)

The grand finale is hosted by Aria Arai and Jani Toivola. The winner will received 2,000 euro and cola products for a whole year.

Read more about this contest: Ourvision, (Y)our Music! by Silvia Costantini

Ourvision Song Contest Grand Finale

Saturday 5.5. 8-11 p.m.
Savoy-teatteri,
Kasarmikatu 46-48, Helsinki

Tickets: 8 euro (half price for students, pensioners and unemployed people)

Categories
Concerts Music

Resistance was futile

Ladytron pioneered during the early 21st century electroclash boom, but has prevailed while many others have given up. The Liverpudlian foursome is fronted by two cutting edge entertainment units, Mira Aroyo, a Bulgarian import, and Helen Marnie. The males, Daniel Hunt and Reuben Wu, stay in the shadows and concentrate on knob-twiddling and as of late, guitar maltreatment.  Their 2001 debut album 604 laid the groundwork with its cool, detached female vocals and vintage 1980 sounds coupled with fuzzy glam/punk for street cred. It was followed by the darker, more honed Light And Magic in 2002. For the next three years the band toured and worked on their latest, Witching Hour, which was released in 2005 and featured a matured, slightly more mainstream sound. The crossover from pure electronica to a broader pop sound has admittedly boosted Ladytron's popularity and songs from Witching Hour were received with much enthusiasm. But at times the new tour line-up with added bass and drums proved problematic with older songs: some of the innovative beats were drowned by the drummer's heavy-handed treatment of his kit. The impassively sexy cult hit Seventeen suffered especially, since its trademark bouncy drum machine loops were replaced by a monotonic thumping. On the other hand the added instruments did fatten the sound and worked fine for the most part.  In terms of visual style Ladytron has always been a fascinating mix of socialist uniformity, robotics and 80's futurism. The band has since switched uniforms and gender-concealing haircuts to sexier kimonos and the two frontwomen are taking some steps away from lurking behind their Korg synthesisers. Not much movement took place on stage though, but the lights and background visuals were atmospheric enough. The most lyrical moments were undoubtedly a chilling rendition of Soft Power, with its dystopian lyrics (we're not sleeping at the wheel / the wheel is turning the machine / that kills / for us…) echoing in the dark, or the dismal techno anthem Fighting In Built Areas, with Mira's Bulgarian vocals sounding about as warm and human as a dentist's drill. Aside from sending shivers down your spine the Ladytron apparatus also managed to compel most of the club to twist and shout, especially to older, more punky tunes such as the irresistible Playgirl. And after all, underneath the clinical, unfeeling machine surface there were very human feelings at work: things like loneliness, fear and longing. Moving away from a tight, well thought out concept seems to have brought more shades (of grey and black) into Ladytron's soundscapes, but also deeper human emotion. But that doesn't mean cracks in the system. Resistance is futile against the Korg.

Categories
Albums Music

Mors Principium Est – Liberation=Termination

The initial song is one of the most powerful on the album and goes direct to your brain, fast drums and a powerful voice from singer Ville (who joined the band in 2000 replacing Jori in the vocal tasks).

Even when the sound is raw, there is space for good melodies to be heard. The sound is strong but clear, not like other bands of a similar style where you can hardly understand a single word pronounced by the singer. In this case, Most Principium Est. has success in mixing a more classic death style with a careful presentation of the melodies, flourished by keyboards and sound effects that do not overwhelm the power of the guitar blazing solos.

As an example, the female background vocals and other looping effects ornate the second track, The animal within, one of the most recommended on the album. The band sounds compact, clear and focused in general terms. It is clear that they have achieved a more solid sound after the past of years and what is very important, a personal powerful style for a melodic trash band that finds a good balance with the quality of the compositions.

As well, the design of the album cover is one of the best I have seen in recent times. If you like good melodic metal, do not miss them if you have the chance to see them on tour in the future!

Categories
Concerts Music

Tusks, Trunk and Ghetto Grooves

Upon arrival we were informed the opening act, arctic afro-beat posse Rhythm Funk Masters had just finished their set. Luckily they had left the crowd warmed up for DJ pair Infekto and Mr. Willy, who whipped up plate after plate of more or less eclectic funk gems and kept the floor moving. To break up the party it took the eagerly awaited Tuomo, who unwittingly started his set with some smooth balladry, and it took a few songs beofore he gained true command over the audience. Before setting out on the Motown path with his first solo outing, My Thing, Tuomo Prättälä has made his mark in noted jazz and nu-soul line-ups such as Huba, Q-continuum and Ilmiliekki Quartet. The lush orcherstrations audible on My Thing were replaced by a more stripped down sound, which permitted leeway the band was happy exploit for more protracted jams. The centre of attention was of course mr. Prättälä, seated firmly behind his Rhodes piano, which he stroked in a manner reminiscent of a young Stevie Wonder, singing with a silky smooth voice like a true gentleman. It was easy to see how he has managed to conquer the hearts and minds of the Finnish public.

Between the sets it was time for an excursion downstairs to the smaller Semifinal, but several meters before entering the club we hit a wall of human flesh. Inside we caught a glimpse of ”Finland's R. Kelly”, R'n'B prankster Stig Dogg brandishing what I hope was a microphone. Tonight his brand of humour was not quite appealing enough to merit squeezing through a crowd as dense as Rick James's cornrows.

Staying for the most part in more mellow territory Tuomo left my dancing feet calling out for some down and dirty deep funk, and that was just what The New Mastersounds delivered. With an overall sound resembling the funk stylings of The Meters bolstered by featured guest vocalist Corinne Greyson, the band wasted no time on stage. Seconds into their set they had turned the club floor into a steaming cauldron of twitching and swaying bodies, and while periodically taking it down a notch, they kept a steady, danceable groove going. The band played meticulously like a well oiled funk machine, but made it all seem so easy and organic, even downright gritty. Soulful vocals by the sassy miss Grayson softened things up in a couple of songs. Still, favouring endless funk jams the Mastersounds were more for the feet and less for the heart.