Categories
Interviews Music

Trendy beats of change

{mosimage}Gocoo are a group
of seven female and four taiko drummers from Tokyo who manage to be super
trendy in a wide variety of music circles. Breaking with deeply rooted
traditions, they use taikos (Japanese drums) and other traditional acoustic
instruments to create a modern, free-spirited taiko music sound full of primal
beats and complex poly-rhythms, often accompanied by Japanese didgeridoo
virtuoso Goro. 

Very atypical
for a taiko group, Gocoo debuted at a techno festival, Rainbow 2000. They
reached cult status in the club scene of Tokyo, while at the same time gaining
respect in more traditional taiko music circles. They have since performed at a
wide range of events and venues, from major open air rock festivals like Fuji
Rock to rave parties, from Tokyo's cult clubs to the National Japanese Theatre,
and from big blues & roots events to traditional taiko festivals.

Gocoo
became
known internationally after they met and worked with British trance
trio Juno Reactor and were featured on the soundtracks of two Matrix
films. They performed in Europe for the first time in 2003, each year returning
for a more extensive tour, this year taking their exciting, energetic drum (and
light) show for the first time to Finland.

Kaoly Asano is the lead
drummer and founding member of Gocoo. She is by now one of Japan's most famous female
taiko drummers and also runs her own taiko school in Tokyo. Before kicking off their
European tour in Helsinki on July the 11th and 12th, she
was kind enough to give an interview to FREE! Magazine from Japan.

Many
people here in Finland are familiar with more traditional taiko music in the
style of for example Ondekoza. Your style is quite different, and you have even
played at rock festivals and techno events. Your music is sometimes even
referred to as 'trance-taiko' or 'techno-taiko'. Can you tell us a bit more
about the difference between more traditional taiko music and your taiko style?

The
style of groups like Kodo or Ondekoza, which seems to be more
traditional, is not so old. In fact it was created between 1950 and 1970. These
groups transformed taiko performances held at traditional festivals into a
formal stage art performance with theatrical elements. Gocoo's style however overcomes formal boundaries which leads to a more
natural music performance. As for trance, I would like to say, that there were
times when festivals and trance were the same. So I have the feeling that
playing trance music with the taiko is just natural. I admire the beauty of
stage art performances, but I have the feeling that there are limitations and
restrictions. For example, the performers often do not show emotions while
playing the taiko. Gocoo's performances are much more
emotional. We freely bring any rhythms into play that groups considered to be
traditional would probably not use. 

"By using the softness of
the female body, we found our own taiko style" – Kaoly Asano, Gocoo

Besides the fact that your taiko music is quite
unique and crosses several different musical boundaries, traditionally, taiko
drums used to be a men's thing. Gocoo is made up of seven female and four male
drummers, with you personally clearly playing a 'leading role' in the group. During the ten years of Gocoo's existence, what effect do you think your success has
had on traditional views in Japan? Has there been a change in general attitudes
towards women playing taiko drums?

In terms of 
the relation between women and taiko in our group and the influence on
traditional views in Japan, Gocoo created a completely new and original female
drumming style that did not exist before. In other words, by using the softness of the female body, we found our own
taiko style. The traditional relation between the taiko and women was
limited for example to women dancing to the sound of the taiko. Later women
used to be limited to play the taiko either in an extremely feminine, elegant
way or in the same way as men, masculine and brave. Not only at my taiko school
Tawoo, but all over Japan the number of women playing the taiko is increasing
rapidly. I believe that today the concept of the taiko being a man's thing doesn't exist anymore. Gocoo has contributed its share in the fact that different ways of female taiko play are getting
more and more accepted. 

You have performed with the legendary Kodo
taiko ensemble. What was that like?

We performed with two members of Kodo, Ryutaro
Kaneko and Tusbasa Hori. Since I have the feeling that both of them
belong to the "innovative wing" of Kodo, I think our session was quite different from how a performance
with all members of Kodo would have been. I have the feeling that if we mixed
Kodo's traditional style and Gocoo's style, spent more time together, created songs or shows together and
inspired each other in this way, there would have been very interesting
results. I very much would like to work together with them again.

You already mentioned your own taiko school,
Tawoo Taiko Dojo in Tokyo. What do you hope to achieve with the school?

Tawoo is a place where everyone, no matter how
old, male or female, can learn to play the taiko. The door is always open for
anybody, anytime. I want Tawoo to be a place where all of us can meet and
experience our own real strength (energy, ability, loveliness, health,
possibility, straightforwardness as a whole) through the taiko.

Is the main focus in the teachings at the
school also on less traditional, more free-spirited taiko music like that of
Gocoo?

At Tawoo as well as with Gocoo I focus on an
unconventional drumming style. By allowing my students to play the taiko freely
and move their bodies freely, the restrictions which they have absorbed while growing
up begin to dissolve. In this way a mental liberation takes place, and their
real self appears. The amazing thing about the taiko is that we are able to
meet our self by playing it. And this leads us to face other people. We are
able to establish a deep communication with our self and with each other.

Do you have many female students?

70% to 80% of my students at Tawoo are female.

"We were able to meet
Juno Reactor because of a strong thunderstorm" – Kaoly Asano

In 2002 and 2003 you co-operated with Juno
Reactor, with whom you worked on the single Hotaka and later on
their CD Zwara EP. You also recorded the tunes "Tea
House" and "Tetsujin" with them for the soundtracks of The
Matrix Reloaded and The Matrix Revolutions. How did the collaborations with
Juno Reactor come about?

We met Juno Reactor at the Hotaka-sai
festival in August 2001 where both of us were performing. Juno Reactor were
watching our show that day. A few days later they asked us to take part in a
recording session. We then spent three days recording at lake Yamanakako, close
to mount Fuji. A few songs were created with the recording material. One of
them is "Tea House" which was later used for Matrix Reloaded.
Actually, if Gocoo had performed at the Hotaka-sai festival as scheduled, it
would have been very unlikely that we had met Juno Reactor. Their show was
scheduled for the next day. But due to a strong
thunderstorm at the evening of our show, our performance was postponed to the
next day and we were able to meet Juno Reactor. To show that there is a
connection between our acquaintance and the Hotaka-Sai festival, Juno Reactor
named one of their pieces "Hotaka".

{mosimage}Do you have any future plans with Juno Reactor
or any other well-known artists?

We don't have any particular plans
right now, but we would love to work with them again one day. And not only to
record some tracks, but also to perform on stage with them. I liked Juno
Reactor's music before and we are fond of their productions
and arrangements. Gocoo's tunes, that were used for
songs like Hotaka, Zwara or Tea House, are
also very popular at our concerts. This year in October, we will work together
with Richard Yuen, a famous musician and music producer in Shanghai. In
Shanghai we are going to work together with Chinese musicians.

Your music also features on the soundtrack of
the popular role-play computer game Gothic 3. Are you yourself a game
enthusiast?

I personally almost never play computer games.
But besides Gothic 3, Gocoo's music is also featured in
other computer games sold in Japan, such as Sengoku Basara. Usually the
soundtrack of computer games is also computer generated. So I am very happy
that some producers find it interesting to include the sound of real music
instruments into their games.

Can fans expect more collaborations from Gocoo
with well-known game manufacturers?

If we have a chance, we would love to work
together with other game manufacturers again in the future. 

"Taiko music can be
enjoyed just in the same way as rock or pop music" – Kaoly Asano

Since 2003 you have been on tour in Europe
every year. This year, for the first time, you will also perform in Finland.
What has performing in Europe been like for you?

In
Japan there are sometimes prejudices about taiko music. The taiko is often seen
as an instrument for traditional events, not suitable for popular music.
Although this prejudice recently became weaker, the idea emerged that only
taiko as a stage art is something that can be appreciated. 

I believe that taiko music can
be enjoyed just in the same way as rock or pop music. In Europe our audience
easily senses this and enjoys our music. The taiko is for sure a traditional
Japanese instrument. However its purpose is not only to keep traditions alive,
but to create good, modern music. To perform in Europe is a very exciting
experience for us.

Have you ever visited Finland privately?

Unfortunately not. This will be the first time.
Friends who have visited your country told me that Finland is a wonderful
place. I am very much looking forward to visiting it.


Gocoo

Wednesday 11.7, 7.30 pm

Thursday 12.7, 7.30 pm

Savoy Theatre, Kasarmikatu 46-48, Helsinki

Tickets: 38/35 e

Gocoo – Official website for Europe

Categories
Cinema Features

Children of Men

{mosimage}Alfonso
Cuarón belongs to
the new generation of Mexican directors that keep conquering the Hollywood cinema industry, at the same level than those other two greatest representatives of this new Mexican wave: Guillermo del Toro and
Alejando González Iñárritu.

Iremember watching three years ago his film Y Tu Mama También (2002) at my
place, together  with my two Mexican
flatmates that I had at that time, and I faced that film in the same way that I
was facing days ago Children of Men, just with no particular hope of
finding anything special. In both cases Cuarón´s movies really got me by
surprise. I liked a
lot Y Tu Mama También. I considered that the director had been able to
create a very personal new style of “road movie”. This new film has still many
features of road movie as well, being the feeling in a certain way similar to
years ago. Cuarón achieves one of the freshest science fiction movies of the
last years.

The film is
based on the book The Children of Men by P.D. James, and brings
us into the year 2027, in a violent city of London that reflects the chaos and lost of
hope of all the humankind. Immigration is brutally fought back by a
semi-totalitarian government and meanwhile, the youngest man on earth has died
at the age of 18, and the women are not able to get pregnant anymore. People
live immersed in an existence with no hope, since no more children run in the
parks and the streets, but then a miracle happens when suddenly a new baby is
going to be born in this brave new world.

Clive
Owen finds a role
just made tailor-sized for him. After his shocking appearance as
“taking-no-shit  hero” in Sin City,
this time the character has more human features, more weaknesses that make them
at the same time closer to the spectator. Julianne Moore and Michael
Caine have surprisingly small roles, but decisive to catch the audience
into the plot. Caine, same than the good wines, just seem to be better and more
adorable actor with the past of time, and as the old hippie smoker Jasper, he
looks superb.

There is no
space here for a future time imagined full of hyper-intelligent robots or other
overwhelming special effects. The action is very natural all over the film, and
that is one of the features that shock the viewer: its realism. A couple of
scenes like the chase between the motorbike and the car in the woods, or the
birth of Kee's baby in a filthy room will be recorded inside you memory for a
long time.

Cuarón is
able to show that he does not need elves and orcs to create an amazing trip for
his actors. He just need to surrender them by all the miseries of the humankind
(where to start: war, terrorism, egoism, intolerance search of power, racism…)
to make us feel uneasy facing the thought that maybe this imaginary future
could not be so far from a real one in a couple of decades…

Undoubtedly,
one of the nicest surprises of this year.

Children of Men

Director:
Alfonso Cuarón

Cast:  Clive Owen, Julianne Moore, Michael Caine, Claire-Hope Ashitey

Rating: 5 

Categories
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
Books Features

Cartoon tracks


{mosimage}Comic artist and illustrator Marko Turunen (b. 1973) recently
received the much appreciated Puupäähattu Prize handed by The Finnish Comic
Society. His latest album Lihat puntarissa (Meats On the Scale)
combines ordinary with extraordinary, animal figures with domestic violence and
alcoholism, all served in fiercely bright colours and flavoured with black
humour. “My mother has told me that life is suffering and so it is meant to
be”, Turunen states appropriately, “but I refuse to see life merely as a
painful journey”.

Turunen continues by describing
life as an absurd theatre play, which is the way it appears in his comics as
well. The characters include a small but sadistic bunny who kills and practises
wild sexual relationships, a dog who is attracted to a squirrel and a jealous
giraffe who drinks too much and hits his wife. The topics are sometimes
difficult and even cruel, but mostly the cartoons only depict what is happening
inside our homes all the time.

However, the carefully added humour,
in addition to the sympathetic animal characters, together make the atmosphere
occasionally lighter and reader friendlier. For Turunen this is a conscious
effect, but he denies ever trying to please the masses.

“My continuing guideline is to
make pure comic, in which the graphics and the text complement each other”, he
states. “A completely functional result is more important than the question
whether anyone is able to enjoy it in the end.”

Indeed, for Turunen his art is also
very personal. He includes a great deal of real life events into his comics.

{mosimage}
“In a way, the books function as
note tags on life. I also wish for the books to appear as historical documents
and to portray the period”, he concludes.

The documentary nature is visible
in Turunen's elaborate usage of actual place names, buildings and labels. These
he records through photography, since he feels bothered by the attention that
public drawing awakens.

Whether Turunen enjoys the
attention or not, his work has become widely appreciated, even outside Finland.
Some of his comics have been translated into English, French, German and
Italian. Turunen however seems to enjoy the independent underground status of
Finnish comic scene. Together with Annemari
Hietanen he runs a small publishing company Daada Books.

The name Daada comes from a radio
programme, in which a little boy called and complained that his mother was
making him wear a daada-shirt. When asked what this meant, he replied by
explaining that a daada-shirt was way too small and ugly. The story gives a
very modest impression of Turunen and his work, but even small characters and
ugly topics can have a massive impact.

Trivia

{mosimage}

Can you identify these three
tracks of very common Finnish animals? Here is what Marko Turunen came up with
(the correct answers can be found at the bottom of this page):

1. jättiläiskarvatasku (giant fur
pocket)

Eats potatoes and wood. A
familiar sight around piles of firewood, sheds and potato cellars. Not
dangerous for people.

2. putkipiru (plumb devil)

Eats human beings. Enjoys large
population centres. Lives in sewers and plumbs.

3. lehtokääpiö (grove midget)

Rests during summers and eats
hibernating bears during winter time.

Correct answers: 1. field mouse
2. squirrel 3. hare

Categories
Art Exhibitions

Us and them

{mosimage}
Once every three years something exciting
happens in Jyväskylä – LUMO the International Photography Triennial comes to
town. This year celebrates the 7th LUMO event with the theme of ‘us’ and like the previous six, promises
everything one should expect of an internationally renowned triennial.

The theme of ‘us’ has attracted photographers whose work challenges notions of
communality and identity. The exhibition has been designed to test the
boundaries of cultural preconceptions and socio-political phenomena. This year
photographers are arriving from four different continents to dismantle and
magnify stereotypes of the exotic, pioneer mythologies, forgotten recent
history and the concealed present.

Images and subject matter are both unsettling
and controversial. Particularly in the works of South African artist Pieter
Hugo, where in the series Looking Aside
(2005) we are faced with images such as that of Londiwe Wendy Mkhize. Discomfort arises when the
seemingly ‘white’-skinned girl is recognised for her features as a native South
African. From the perspective of a Northern European it seems difficult to
grasp that the skin colour that is generally accepted and desired in the
Western world is quite literally a disease for those outside the European
genetic paradigm.

Likewise, fellow South African artist Mikhael Subotzky
has produced images which expose what life is like inside and after prison. For
the series Die Vier Hoeke (2005) Subotzky visited Pollsmoor Prison, Nelson Mandela’s former
lock-up, to reveal conditions in which numerous native South African prisoners
are literally piled into single cells. The cells consist of several bunk beds
on which the lucky ones have a chance to sleep. The not-so-lucky ones are
forced to sleep back-to-back on the cold cement floor.

In the works of Cairo-based Lara Baladi cultural-hybridity
is expressed through blends of religious iconography, nature photographs and
pop culture relics. The brightly coloured panoramic montage of Justice for the Mother (2007) draws many associations to the Beatles’ Sgt Pepper album
cover, and not surprisingly the Beatles’ Lone Hearts Club Band has been placed
in this mythological paradise underneath a giant rhinoceros.

The cultural infiltration of communism is subtly
reflected in the works of Cuban photographers José A. Figueroa and Alejandro González. In
the series The Cuban Sixties Figueroa attempts to capture
the rebellious undercurrent of youth who craved for individuality in the face
of mass conformity, and in the series the City
of Havana (2005), González captures quiet reminders of Cuba’s past
political unrest. Lenin
Park is revisited with
its monuments, abandoned equipment and old army trucks that picnicking families
and grazing cows seem oblivious to.

Finally, in addition to Charlotte
Haslund-Christensen’s questioning of authenticity through re-capturing poses of
Danish explorers in Natives: The Danes (2006), Young Finnish Artists of the Year
2007, Jaana and Tiina Penttinen capture the dynamics of family and friend
relations in the confines of cultural protocol in their series Hyvät Tavat (Good
Manners, 2006).

Other featured photographers include Dale
Yudelman (South Africa), Raúl Cordero (Cuba)
and Rana ElNemr (Egypt).
LUMO ’07 ‘us’ runs June 9th
– September 30th, at Gallery Harmonia Jyväskylä.

Categories
Articles Misc

July’s jewels

July is a beautiful time of the year and
would be a strong contender if I had to choose a favourite month, although
December's not bad either. However, this year July is packed full of special
personal events that have made it one of the most anticipated Julys of recent
memory and is set to give the remaining months self-esteem issues that will
result in countless visits to the Seasonal Shrink.

The very first day of July marks the fifth anniversary
of moving to Finland in order to begin a new life away from the hustle and
bustle of the UK. In fact after five years I have yet to see any hustle, let
alone bustle, in Helsinki, so I can safely proclaim, "Mission
accomplished, so far." Personal landmarks, such as these, encourage the evaluation
of life and the progress of lifestyle decisions, but if you think I am going to
bare my soul to you guys and girls then think again you emotional vultures.

Okay, I'll throw you a bone. Upon my
arrival in Finland I was asked by my wife's family if I wanted a name day
because I continually complained that everybody had one, except yours truly. The
name 'Esa' was closest to mine and was celebrated on July 6th, a Finnish flag
day, so everybody pencilled it into their diaries, but the so-called luck of
the seventh month decided to bestow its fortunes upon somebody else: my
daughter.

July 6th 2005 was the day my daughter made
her debut into this world and now my name day has been relegated behind her
birthday and Eino Leino Day, which really isn't poetic justice. After two years
of being ignored I have returned to the cynical opinion that name days are a
waste of money and are merely invented by card companies and florists. Call me
bitter, call me petty, but I really don't care, although I will convince my
daughter in later years that the flags are flying just for her.

July is month number seven, a lucky number
and, thereby, a lucky month to some, as I mentioned earlier. This year the
month is particularly auspicious due to an avalanche of sevens, with July 7th
2007 inspiring our imaginations far more than the horror associated with last
year's June 6th 2006 (666). 7/7/07 is also special to me because it is the day
my little brother has chosen to tie the knot with his fiancée and requested a
Best Man speech from me. Nerves, second thoughts and sickness will be on my
mind, but then again I can't worry about the feelings of my brother's fiancée
all day.

A family wedding, my daughter's second
birthday, an ignored name day, five years away from England, an aunt's 50th
birthday, my wife's uncle and his wife both turn 80, plus a good number of
barbeques with the prerequisite burgers, sausages and ribs washed down with a
few ice-cold bottles of lager, are all pencilled in my July 2007 diary… the
aroma of grass is also welcome.

Categories
Articles Misc

Acting out and about

I can’t lie
to save my life but sometimes I do get tempted to use my acting abilities
outside the stage, often in most dubious circumstances. Like once when I was
chilling out in a London park with a friend. I saw these twins enter through
the iron gates and the urge to act came upon me. They wore identical dark suits
that had seen better days, and, as proper English gentlemen should, sported oak
walking sticks. The choice of the colour purple for both their hair and their
socks suggested an eccentricity I’m hopelessly weak for. With rhythmical steps
they headed towards a park bench and sat down.

I was
mesmerised. I had no other option but to talk to them. I grabbed my friend’s
camera and walked up to them. I put on my most innocent face and rolled my r’s a bit to create the air of a
foreigner not used to the social code of the British Isles. I told them I was a
photography student from Finland making a project about twins and I asked if I
could take a photo of them. Without hesitation they posed for me in a way that
immediately betrayed a background in show business.

An hour
later when kissing the twins goodbye I had heard stories from the set of Wizard
of Oz and from singing for the troops in the World War II. They showed me the
steps of the musicals they’d performed in and reminisced about the good old
days with Lawrence Olivier. Before hugging me the very last time they told me
I’d make a lovely actress but advised me to stay well clear of the show
business. ‘It’s a rotten business, it is.’, they said in perfect harmony.

I did feel
guilty for my deceit. But then again we all enjoyed the little encounter and no
one was harmed during the scene. I think these delightful gentlemen had
pleasure posing for the photographer played by me and I have the photos to
prove that I once acted with these kings of show business, even if the stage
was grass fringe.

Categories
Outside Finland Travel

Stylish Stockholm

Only hop, skip and a boat ride away from old Helsinki is the capital of Sweden and the home of 1,7 million of hip and trendy people. Stockholm is easy to get to, but hard to forget. Who wouldn’t fall in love with the beautiful old part of the city and the creative and contemporary cosmopolitan atmosphere of Stockholm?

Sweden and Finland have love and hate relationship. It is because of our long history together and apart, but nowadays it is all about competing in everything, for example in music and ice hockey. Some of you may remember that we just bit Sweden  in both sports this year! We
Finns have to admit though that there are lot of great Swedish things; like Absolut Vodka, ABBA and Pippi Longstocking.

Stockholm

The weather in Stockholm is same we have in Helsinki, but sometimes just a hint warmer. After all it is to south from here! When visiting the city in winter, it is a cool and trendy, but cold city to hang out. That is why I recommend you to go right now, when the air is warm and nights are light.

Bridges and boutiques of Stockholm

The whole area of  Stockholm is build on 14
islands and the city itself on 7 islands, so almost everywhere you go you will be surrounded by water. The most spectacular part of the city is the Old Town with its old and beautiful buildings. The Royal family lives there as well.

For obvious reason there are lot of bridges and if you take a walk instead of taxi from the ferry to the city central you will discover some of these beautiful waterways. Especially walk in the old town, called Gamla Stan, is worth of doing. What the heck, you may even see the king and his family, if you stalk long enough on the corner of the Royal Palace. If you get tired of shopping or chasing the princesses of Sweden, you can relax in one of the many parks of the city.

Stockholm is very vivid and cosmopolitan city, mostly because more than 15% of its population are
immigrants or other expatriates. There are lot of cosy cafes, restaurants with all kind of menus and bouncy night clubs, like Café Opera that has been the exclusive party central of Stockholm
for 25 years now. But it is one to mention, there are lot of other great clubs in the city and many of them don’t close until 5.

Swedes know design and fashion. For some reason they always look good and show up wearing the right clothes in every occasion. So, when in Sweden, do as the Swedes do! Best shopping street in Stockholm is drottninggatan. But there are more places to buy your little piece of Sweden than the crowded shopping street and malls. Pop in one of those boutiques in the narrow alleys of the old city or in Östermalm, the art and antique district. The prices are pretty much the same as in Finland.
It hasn’t been longer than a decade, when we Finnish Fashionistas use to make trips to Stockholm
just to buy clothes and accessories. But today we can go there and just enjoy the atmosphere instead of purchasing everything we see, because we finally have H&M and Nilson in Finland too.

Attractive attractions

Those who cannot get enough of culture should check out the House of Culture, Kulturhuset in Swedish, where the galleries, stages, shops and restaurants keep you satisfied for hours! Also Vasamuseet and Moderna Museet are worth of seeing. One of the things not to miss, if you walk in the old city, is the Stockholm’s Cathedral.

If you are more into sports and activities than old culture, you may want to see Globen, the sport and entertainment arena, which has a unique shape: it’s a massive ball! You also may want to go to Eriksdalsbadet which is Stockholm’s largest aquatic Centre with a 50-metre pool, adventure bats, spa and gym. The outdoor pool is open during summer.

If you stay for longer and with kids, you may want to do a day trip to the zoo, called Kolmården. The zoo is one of Sweden’s most popular tourist destinations and only 90 minutes south of Stockholm. I was there when I was a kid and believe me: that’s a great adventure for little ones!

The love boats

Even
when you can fly to Stockholm in an hour, I suggest you to take the over night ferry to get there. It is
experience of its own. You can have massage or facial, have a nice dinner and drink colourful cocktails on the deck while watching the sunset. These ships are known internationally as love boats. So who knows, you may even meet the Mr. Right or if not, there are plenty of Mr. Right Nows on board! If it happens
that you drink too many GTs, “The It Drink” in Nordic, you really should try your best and get up early and go to the deck to see the most beautiful summer view of the archipelago of Sweden. The countless islands look amazing in the morning light.

If you are planning to take the ferry I strongly recommend you to stay in Stockholm few days in between, because the partying is usually so severe that you maybe thankful to have one day to recover from it and then have enough time and energy to discover the city. Too many people don’t even leave the boat on
their trip and that is a pity, because they miss out a lot! By the way: you can
also get off on the Åland on your way to Stockholm.

Stockholm

Åland Islands belong to Finland, but people living on them speak Swedish and that would be soft descending to the Swedish world and great way to see something new.

After all of these years that I have been exploring Stockholm,
I still don’t know what it is that makes it so much more glamorous than Helsinki. Maybe it is the certain self-confidence and style Swedes have? Or maybe it is just because the grass always seems to be greener on the other side?

STOCKHOLM


For
more information

www.visit-stockholm.com


www.visitsweden.com


Ferries
to Stockholm

www.vikingline.fi

www.tallinksilja.com

A
cabin for 4 people starting from 110e


Hotels
http://www.stockholmhotell.net/


Flights
from Helsinki
starting from 110e

www.finnair.fi

www.sas.fi

www.kilroy.fi


Metro map

http://www.urbanrail.net/index.html

(Just
click Stockholm.
Here you can find metro maps in every city on the globe!)

Categories
Antonio's blog Blogs

Summer of music

{mosimage}
I look back in time and remember my summer times in Spain.
Temperatures of 40 degrees, ventilators trying to suffocate the baking hot, the
excursions to the beach (not to the beach in Madrid…obviously…so I mean really
long excursions driving many hours…), the ice creams melting 10 seconds after
you bought them… Now here in Finland
you never know what the new day will bring. Will it be warm? Should I wear
shorts or should I take a pullover with me?. And honestly, who the fuck cares?

Summer is here, and you have an amazing offer of concerts in small and big
venues for all kind of tastes. And if you do not want to stay all the time in
Finland, take a break = take a boat, and visit some of our Baltic countries
such as Estonia or Latvia; Tallinn and Riga are developing their own amazing
scene for concerts step by step, and more and more bands are visiting there.
Last year I was lucky enough to see Depeche Mode and Metallica in
Tallinn, and
this year my beloved Aerosmith will have the chance to taste a bit of
Vana Tallinn to mix with Finlandia vodka during their European tour… So if you
are not dead, you are not broke, and there are still tickets available, what
are you waiting to choose your summer concerts and festivals before it is too
late? Aerosmith

During last weeks, I have started to have my own share of action. FREE!
Magazine heavy metal fan section (meaning… me) was in Sauna Open Air
listening to Dave Mustaine and friends. Megadeth gave a great concert
and it was an excellent end for the first day of festival. It was also very
nice to see the good health that Sonata Arctica keeps showing on live
gigs. We had the interview with them a few weeks ago, and they really can
connect with big audiences. No wonder why they are one of the biggest Finnish
bands at the moment, their new album Unia sounds powerful and with very nice melodies.
At the end of the festival I reached my maximum state of happinnes for two
reasons: I sneaked off some food from the backstage area, and I saw Heaven
and Hell. Dio looks like falling into pieces, but the power of his
voice remains the same. In any case, too short concert, I must say, they did
not even play until the electricity had to be cut off. Less than 2 hours of
concert… it could have been better, it could have been worse…

Last week I also had the chance to assist to Genesis concert at the
Olympic Stadium. I have never been a great fan (in a way I should feel relieved
not to be such a big fan as Bateman's character in American Psycho), but
I truly enjoyed the show. Phil Collins is a great frontman and knows how
to entertaint the audience, and I also really liked the the design of the
stage, simulating a kind of futuristic city of machines expelling smoke all
over the audience.

And this week end more and more… Tuska festival is coming…   (a friend of mine from Spain keeps reminding
me that Tuska sounds like a dog´s name… 
What do you think, guys? Then Roskilde
in Denmark…
and then I will have to run away to New Zealand to pick up strawberries
to recover from such an intensive summer!

Categories
Cinema DVD

Fur

{mosimage}Diane Arbus, (born Diane Nemerov), was a photographer married with Allan
Arbus (and later divorced), that became famous for her personal style of
portraying “freaks”, those people living apart from the normal American
post-second world war society.

Fur: An imaginary portrait of Diane Arbus is
based on the book by Patricia Bosworth, and shows us once more how good
actress Nicole Kidman can be. A character totally made for the Australian red
haired talent, who masters like nobody else in Hollywood the art of releasing sensuality
behind a faked shyness. Together with her, the “recovered” Robert Downey Jr who
is living a second golden era with his appearance in this or other recent
titles like Zodiac.

The action is
centered in a particular stage of Diane’s life, when she starts to open her
eyes to the world and open her body to the forbidden side of sensuality that
always attracted her. Still married, she is giving the first steps into freedom
and emancipation. So for those who are expecting a detailed biography of the
photographer, better look for other sources. The film is centered basically in
the relation between the ambiguous two main roles, Diane and Mr. Sweeney, but Ty
Burrell, in the role of Diane’s husband, is a perfect third wheel for
conducting the action.

The collection of
freaks show their human side in a film subtly intended to break the borders of
discrimination and alienation in the world. Many will not understand the movie
and will get bored, but for others, me included, director Steven ShainbergSecretary) achieves a different and
entertaining film.
(who already shocked many conservative minds with his previous little essay
about love and sadomasochism)

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
Misc News

Headliner Amy Winehouse cancels Provinssirock

The British soul singer had already arrived in Finland on Saturday, but never made it to the festival ground in Seinäjoki. According to her manager she suffered such a bad throat ache on Sunday morning (17 June), that a doctor ordered her to go home and get rest.

Amy Winehouse was one of the most anticipated contemporary foreign acts of this year’s festival summer in Finland.

Young Finnish metal band Sturm und Drang took her spot in the festival’s big tent. Remaining performers on Sunday included Scissor Sisters from New York, fellow Americans Lamb of God and Finnish The 69 Eyes and Jonna Tervomaa.

Earlier the event had to put up with cancellations from British band The View and Finnish metal group Stam1na, who also had to pull back because of medical reasons.

Provinssirock is Finland’s biggest rock festival. This year’s other foreign headliners included Patti Smith and Band (USA), Velvet Revolver (USA), Tori Amos (USA), Aiden (USA), The Go! Team (UK), Flogging Molly (USA) and MUCC (Japan).

 

Amy Winehouse – official website

Provinssirock

 


Related:

newsflash Don Johnson Big Band and Mokoma replace cancelled acts