Uniklubi, Suosikki Fall 2008
I'm sorry that I do not have the right reference to this one, but Uniklubi's official Forum broke and I cannot check right now. In case the problem can be solved without lack of data, I will add the correct reference later.
Note that in the last part there are quite a few gaps... I blame it on their Finnish, sometimes they simply do not use words that can be found in dictionaries XD I also missed out most of the headings. I'll leave it mostly unchanged, so you'll find a few comments an complaints.
This might be further revised once the forum works again, because I remember that Nightingale had made some annotations and hints to vocabulary. ...but enough chatter:
//edit: The forum works again so I can finally add the right sources. See below =)
***
FROM COURAGE TO INSANITY
Suosikki dared Uniklubi to do an honest and revealing interview. You, dear readers, dared the band to dress in Hip Hop-Style for a photo shooting. And Uniklubi do not fear taking the test.
Looking back 4 years to the summer of 2004 when you released your first record Rakkautta ja Piikkilankaa. How were you back then?
Teemu: The greatest band in the world. In reality, the feeling was blown up and we were being immature. We were little boys, real brats.
What was Uniklubi’s year 2005 like?
Jussi: We simply partied and sat in the tour bus, everything started up quickly. We wouldn’t play football anymore. The band was our whole life.
T: We used to be very immature, even a bit fatter. Vine made the band gain some 100 kilo, technical staff included. The lifestyle had changed and we turned the nights into days and the other way round.
And a year later?
T: 2006 was an interruption, after the summer our Kehä-tour came to an end. We took an eight months’ concert-break and slowly finished the songs for our third album. I started to go running and do sports. We all began to get annoyed with overweight, so we began to get rid of it, each for himself. I lost 15kg because of those thoughts.
J: Not everything turned around the band anymore. The old interests like football and swimming, or taking care about the everyday life became interesting again. I also made the huge decision to buy my first own flat.
How did 2007 go then?
T: The record Luotisade was released. The tour started in September and the photographer Jarkko Tiitinen soon joined our tour. He started to pick out the best shoots for our book that’s going to be published in November.
ALCOHOL AND WOOL SOCKS
What are you like now?
T: The view of life has changed a hell lot when we got to know new people. The viewing angle has gone from 40° to 180°. Somewhere all along we did understand that you cannot be constantly drunk or drinking in your free time, because otherwise you start burning the candle from both ends. The beginning of our career was quite mötleycrüe.
What do you mean with ’mötleycrüe’, Teemu?
T: A lot of fuss, substances and girls. At one of our aftershows, Janne ran through a glass door, Pasi showed his ass to some cops… when young men become frustrated and enthusiastically drink booze, they get all sorts of ideas…
Did publicity get to your heads at some point?
J: Maybe at some point in our beginning time things began to get into our heads. I was being careless with myself and towards those close to me. When I was doing stupid things while I was drunk, I thought that I could of course be that way because I’m playing in a rock band. Luckily enough, the thoughts changed quickly.
T: There definitely was this ”nose up”-attitude. The success had to be enjoyed to the fullest because before we had worked so much for it.
Which advantages do you have with publicity?
T: Getting clothes for free, going into the restaurant but passing by the queue, concerts for free… it is great.
Was there any point where you started to get really exhausted?
T: During the time that we worked on our second record it felt like there’s going to be nothing from it. The psyche broke in the studio probably because we were still touring with our first album at that time. Things were just done, duty is the best muse.
J: The time of the Kehä-tour was a tired one. I lived in Helsinki together with my girlfriend and the other people I was close to were in Tampere. It wasn’t nice to come from a show and immediately get into the train to Helsinki. Back then I didn’t realise it, but now after all I can say that I was really bad off.
TECHNICAL PROBLEMS - ALSO FOR THE SINGER
Jussi’s vocal cords have been under surgery because of a lump two years ago, which was the reason to cancel shows. How did it influence the feeling?
T: We were on Jussi’s side and we were stressed because of it all. It was possible that he couldn’t have gone on singing anymore. In the end the surgery wasn’t a huge process: already a few weeks later Jussi could sing again.
How did you handle the situation, Jussi?
J: The lump ate up the motivation. It felt like it wasn’t fun to sing when everything was that hard. After the surgery I was like a new man. The fact that I was getting better and all the time better during the Luotisade-tour brought back the belief that it’s gonna be alright.
Did you take care of your voice?
J: I took singing lessons and gave rest to my voice. I’m scared that the lump comes again, there’s a 95% possibility for it to happen. I’m always under medical care [note: i.e. by a doctor, not medication!]; there on my vocal cords might be a blood vessel that causes the growing of the lump. The whole thing should be getting better, when the vessel could be closed.
What do you fight about?
J: Mostly about what’s going to be done and what not. We’re arguing about new songs - which one is bad and which isn’t. Usually we decide democratically.
T: I always used to be the controlling one. I was very impatient everything had to be done immediately. The guys once told me their opinion about that once, and that was probably the biggest occasion, and that wasn’t a big thing.
How would you describe your band mates?
J: Teemu is a bull, Janne the brother, Pasi a friend and Antti the punctual one (thx to Midnightsun for ‘jämpti’)
T: Jussi and I have a special connection that can be noticed in the music. We’re writing songs separately, but it feels like they’re coming from the same pen. During the tour I’m sharing the hotel rooms with Janne most of the time. Pastori (Pasi) is our daredevil but never makes a fuss about himself, and after he’s had many drinks he’s a talkative, social and funny man. Matikainen (Antti) is the wisest in the heart and the band’s daddy. It’s my and Antti’s task to care about the things concerning the band.
[**i have no idea about the Heading** [what a way to begin the second part!] ]
_____ . How many times have you been arrested?
T: Once. I was in a fight nine years ago. I had to pay penalty.
J: Once when, as a 13 year old, I blew up the letter boxes of a whole block with fireworks together with a friend. We were caught right in the act. We had to buy about 20 letter boxes and to go to everyone in person - so that we could of course ask for forgiveness. We were really ashamed and the detonating ended then.
What sort of teenagers have you been?
T: I was a wild kid, but from my point of view really clever. In my elementary school diploma I had an average of 7.8. The first year of secondary school went quite well, but then I lost interest in studying.
J: I was a coy adventurer and dreamer. I looked for excitement in my life from sneaking into abandoned houses and ringing at doorbells at night. I was going around in gang of popular guys and I was also a bit of a ladies' man, too.
Jussi, when was the first time you had a girlfriend?
J: In third grade. I was with a girl the whole lower grade. [note: elementary school. It’s really hard to put Finnish school system in English words -.-] In 7th grade I met my second [note: he says "next" but it sounds stupid in English] girlfriend, who I went out with for the time in middle school. I occasionally sang for girls. I don't know if they were attracted to that. I already had the first band in 3rd grade. It was named Roni ja Ryövärit.
Fact is even more amazing than fiction. What’s the most ridiculous rumour that you’ve heard about yourselves?
T: Someone wrote in discussion forums that I had pissed on the crowd at a festival.
J: I don’t know if the rumour is true, but however I laughed when I read, that the Uniklubi-guys sat naked in the bar on the ship to Sweden.
GIRLS, GIRLS, GIRLS
Are there a lot of groupies around your band?
T: When one’s keen on getting to bed with a rocker, then that isn’t a bad thing. Probaly each in our bands has been with a groupie at one point. In the beginning it was new and wondrous that were were even able to select out of several girls.
Can a rockstar be faithful?
T: Hell yes. It’s important that there’s someone at home, whom it is nice to be with. A good relationship holds your life and everyday life together. As a single the tour-rhythm easily stays in your head: sleeping till five in the evening and getting drunk each night.
J: They can. I cheated at times. It was such a bad feeling that I had to tell it. I was given forgiveness. I myself forgave cheating, but it still isn’t ok.
What actually happens backstage?
T: Waiting, smoking, drinking… Once backstage in Kitee some time early in the morning there were a few lost girls that were drinking red wine with their little fingers pointing up. In the room was a table full of empty bottles. At some point Janne jumped onto the table and made an earthquake, or made the table sway. So there went 1/3 of the glasses. In the end I destroyed an acoustic guitar at the foot of the table. The girls watched us in wonder.
What are the shows like in Finland?
J: Nice! The audience is having fun. In Finland people are just usually too drunk because the stage times are so late. That’s a bad thing. You don’t have to be completely sober when watching a show, but it would be nice if the audience remembered something of the gig a day later.
T: The bigger the city, the more people hang around in the audience doing nothing. People usually come to see the gig in a good mood. Sometimes even the bigger guys pat our shoulders.
[Next heading I couldn’t translate. Something with ”bar...”]
What means does a Tampere-rocker have to sit in bars [actually it’s café!] from day to day?
T: They know that alcohol always finds money. If you have to loan money for meal or rent, then you hardly get it. [!?]
From your point of view, what sort of music is coming from Finland?
T: Lots of good one, but also lots of shitty music. I know that some people think our music is horrible also.
J: _____ [note: well. Something with Helsinki-centred and getting rid of that luckily enough, but he doesn’t make sense *g*]
What kind of music can you not stand listening to?
J: Idols is really soulless junk - even though Anna Abreu is great - beautiful voice and beautiful girl. I was laughing when some time ago I saw a picture of Pete Seppälä in a charity-calendar, his guiding principle is sex, drugs & rock’n’roll. I just thought mind what you’re talking about, Pete. It’s a dangerous life and he’s still a role model for young people.
How does it feel to be an idol?
J: It’s of course great that people like our band. I don’t see myself as a boy on glossy pictures or a role model, even though I’m not a bad man either. Admiration isn’t distracting as long as it’s a healthy one.
Are there any bad experiences with fans?
T: There are a few weird things coming from abroad. According to a certain guy we have promised to pay a German girl’s studies in Finland, because she’s done some scientology-reformation to us. She threatened to take us to court if we didn’t do so. Those kinds of things go into one ear and get out of the other.
There are surely also good experiences?
J: What stayed in my mind was that after my vocal cord-surgery I got those cute Muumi-sheets and a nice “get better”-card. I used the sheets, of course!
[Here goes the last heading I couldn’t translate]
The next studioalbum will be released in February. What will it be like?
T: We’re finding out about or borders and overly trying is left out. We intensified that sort of (thought? Tutina = shudder!) that we either go into the woods or make finnish-speaking rock’n’roll history. We don’t bargain over melodies, and we’re doing new things concerning the arrangements. It’s not interesting anymore if our music is, according to Jone Nikula’s point of view, rock music. Now we’re doing songs on condition that whether they’re then pop, punk or whatever else [they’ll be done.]
J: There’s less extra _____ and _____ [Note: something like: "less extra playing around and overly experementing]. The songs have been rehearsed in live-conditions, so you surely get the playing atmosphere. [note: i.e.: the live atmosphere]
Are you nervous about the record’s success?
J: When doing a records there’s always a little stress haunting in the mind. Human imagination looks at things in a way that everything is turned inside out. But one always knows that when living and doing something different [groovy? aslant? oblique?]!
In November, Rakkaudesta hulluteen, the photobook abour Uniklubi will be releaste. Does it include any revelations?
T: It’s damn great, Jarkko Tiitinen has a good view. The pictures display exactly the same feelings as in the moment they were done. It’s a great memory you can recall even in 30 years.
J: In the book it turns out that not everything is certainly not always as funny as one could imagine. In some situations there were rather weak ______. Rakkaudesta hulluuteen is an honest work.
Original article by: Aino-Kuutamo Isotorppa
Published in: Suosikki, 11/2008
Note that in the last part there are quite a few gaps... I blame it on their Finnish, sometimes they simply do not use words that can be found in dictionaries XD I also missed out most of the headings. I'll leave it mostly unchanged, so you'll find a few comments an complaints.
This might be further revised once the forum works again, because I remember that Nightingale had made some annotations and hints to vocabulary. ...but enough chatter:
//edit: The forum works again so I can finally add the right sources. See below =)
***
FROM COURAGE TO INSANITY
Suosikki dared Uniklubi to do an honest and revealing interview. You, dear readers, dared the band to dress in Hip Hop-Style for a photo shooting. And Uniklubi do not fear taking the test.
Looking back 4 years to the summer of 2004 when you released your first record Rakkautta ja Piikkilankaa. How were you back then?
Teemu: The greatest band in the world. In reality, the feeling was blown up and we were being immature. We were little boys, real brats.
What was Uniklubi’s year 2005 like?
Jussi: We simply partied and sat in the tour bus, everything started up quickly. We wouldn’t play football anymore. The band was our whole life.
T: We used to be very immature, even a bit fatter. Vine made the band gain some 100 kilo, technical staff included. The lifestyle had changed and we turned the nights into days and the other way round.
And a year later?
T: 2006 was an interruption, after the summer our Kehä-tour came to an end. We took an eight months’ concert-break and slowly finished the songs for our third album. I started to go running and do sports. We all began to get annoyed with overweight, so we began to get rid of it, each for himself. I lost 15kg because of those thoughts.
J: Not everything turned around the band anymore. The old interests like football and swimming, or taking care about the everyday life became interesting again. I also made the huge decision to buy my first own flat.
How did 2007 go then?
T: The record Luotisade was released. The tour started in September and the photographer Jarkko Tiitinen soon joined our tour. He started to pick out the best shoots for our book that’s going to be published in November.
ALCOHOL AND WOOL SOCKS
What are you like now?
T: The view of life has changed a hell lot when we got to know new people. The viewing angle has gone from 40° to 180°. Somewhere all along we did understand that you cannot be constantly drunk or drinking in your free time, because otherwise you start burning the candle from both ends. The beginning of our career was quite mötleycrüe.
What do you mean with ’mötleycrüe’, Teemu?
T: A lot of fuss, substances and girls. At one of our aftershows, Janne ran through a glass door, Pasi showed his ass to some cops… when young men become frustrated and enthusiastically drink booze, they get all sorts of ideas…
Did publicity get to your heads at some point?
J: Maybe at some point in our beginning time things began to get into our heads. I was being careless with myself and towards those close to me. When I was doing stupid things while I was drunk, I thought that I could of course be that way because I’m playing in a rock band. Luckily enough, the thoughts changed quickly.
T: There definitely was this ”nose up”-attitude. The success had to be enjoyed to the fullest because before we had worked so much for it.
Which advantages do you have with publicity?
T: Getting clothes for free, going into the restaurant but passing by the queue, concerts for free… it is great.
Was there any point where you started to get really exhausted?
T: During the time that we worked on our second record it felt like there’s going to be nothing from it. The psyche broke in the studio probably because we were still touring with our first album at that time. Things were just done, duty is the best muse.
J: The time of the Kehä-tour was a tired one. I lived in Helsinki together with my girlfriend and the other people I was close to were in Tampere. It wasn’t nice to come from a show and immediately get into the train to Helsinki. Back then I didn’t realise it, but now after all I can say that I was really bad off.
TECHNICAL PROBLEMS - ALSO FOR THE SINGER
Jussi’s vocal cords have been under surgery because of a lump two years ago, which was the reason to cancel shows. How did it influence the feeling?
T: We were on Jussi’s side and we were stressed because of it all. It was possible that he couldn’t have gone on singing anymore. In the end the surgery wasn’t a huge process: already a few weeks later Jussi could sing again.
How did you handle the situation, Jussi?
J: The lump ate up the motivation. It felt like it wasn’t fun to sing when everything was that hard. After the surgery I was like a new man. The fact that I was getting better and all the time better during the Luotisade-tour brought back the belief that it’s gonna be alright.
Did you take care of your voice?
J: I took singing lessons and gave rest to my voice. I’m scared that the lump comes again, there’s a 95% possibility for it to happen. I’m always under medical care [note: i.e. by a doctor, not medication!]; there on my vocal cords might be a blood vessel that causes the growing of the lump. The whole thing should be getting better, when the vessel could be closed.
What do you fight about?
J: Mostly about what’s going to be done and what not. We’re arguing about new songs - which one is bad and which isn’t. Usually we decide democratically.
T: I always used to be the controlling one. I was very impatient everything had to be done immediately. The guys once told me their opinion about that once, and that was probably the biggest occasion, and that wasn’t a big thing.
How would you describe your band mates?
J: Teemu is a bull, Janne the brother, Pasi a friend and Antti the punctual one (thx to Midnightsun for ‘jämpti’)
T: Jussi and I have a special connection that can be noticed in the music. We’re writing songs separately, but it feels like they’re coming from the same pen. During the tour I’m sharing the hotel rooms with Janne most of the time. Pastori (Pasi) is our daredevil but never makes a fuss about himself, and after he’s had many drinks he’s a talkative, social and funny man. Matikainen (Antti) is the wisest in the heart and the band’s daddy. It’s my and Antti’s task to care about the things concerning the band.
[**i have no idea about the Heading** [what a way to begin the second part!] ]
_____ . How many times have you been arrested?
T: Once. I was in a fight nine years ago. I had to pay penalty.
J: Once when, as a 13 year old, I blew up the letter boxes of a whole block with fireworks together with a friend. We were caught right in the act. We had to buy about 20 letter boxes and to go to everyone in person - so that we could of course ask for forgiveness. We were really ashamed and the detonating ended then.
What sort of teenagers have you been?
T: I was a wild kid, but from my point of view really clever. In my elementary school diploma I had an average of 7.8. The first year of secondary school went quite well, but then I lost interest in studying.
J: I was a coy adventurer and dreamer. I looked for excitement in my life from sneaking into abandoned houses and ringing at doorbells at night. I was going around in gang of popular guys and I was also a bit of a ladies' man, too.
Jussi, when was the first time you had a girlfriend?
J: In third grade. I was with a girl the whole lower grade. [note: elementary school. It’s really hard to put Finnish school system in English words -.-] In 7th grade I met my second [note: he says "next" but it sounds stupid in English] girlfriend, who I went out with for the time in middle school. I occasionally sang for girls. I don't know if they were attracted to that. I already had the first band in 3rd grade. It was named Roni ja Ryövärit.
Fact is even more amazing than fiction. What’s the most ridiculous rumour that you’ve heard about yourselves?
T: Someone wrote in discussion forums that I had pissed on the crowd at a festival.
J: I don’t know if the rumour is true, but however I laughed when I read, that the Uniklubi-guys sat naked in the bar on the ship to Sweden.
GIRLS, GIRLS, GIRLS
Are there a lot of groupies around your band?
T: When one’s keen on getting to bed with a rocker, then that isn’t a bad thing. Probaly each in our bands has been with a groupie at one point. In the beginning it was new and wondrous that were were even able to select out of several girls.
Can a rockstar be faithful?
T: Hell yes. It’s important that there’s someone at home, whom it is nice to be with. A good relationship holds your life and everyday life together. As a single the tour-rhythm easily stays in your head: sleeping till five in the evening and getting drunk each night.
J: They can. I cheated at times. It was such a bad feeling that I had to tell it. I was given forgiveness. I myself forgave cheating, but it still isn’t ok.
What actually happens backstage?
T: Waiting, smoking, drinking… Once backstage in Kitee some time early in the morning there were a few lost girls that were drinking red wine with their little fingers pointing up. In the room was a table full of empty bottles. At some point Janne jumped onto the table and made an earthquake, or made the table sway. So there went 1/3 of the glasses. In the end I destroyed an acoustic guitar at the foot of the table. The girls watched us in wonder.
What are the shows like in Finland?
J: Nice! The audience is having fun. In Finland people are just usually too drunk because the stage times are so late. That’s a bad thing. You don’t have to be completely sober when watching a show, but it would be nice if the audience remembered something of the gig a day later.
T: The bigger the city, the more people hang around in the audience doing nothing. People usually come to see the gig in a good mood. Sometimes even the bigger guys pat our shoulders.
[Next heading I couldn’t translate. Something with ”bar...”]
What means does a Tampere-rocker have to sit in bars [actually it’s café!] from day to day?
T: They know that alcohol always finds money. If you have to loan money for meal or rent, then you hardly get it. [!?]
From your point of view, what sort of music is coming from Finland?
T: Lots of good one, but also lots of shitty music. I know that some people think our music is horrible also.
J: _____ [note: well. Something with Helsinki-centred and getting rid of that luckily enough, but he doesn’t make sense *g*]
What kind of music can you not stand listening to?
J: Idols is really soulless junk - even though Anna Abreu is great - beautiful voice and beautiful girl. I was laughing when some time ago I saw a picture of Pete Seppälä in a charity-calendar, his guiding principle is sex, drugs & rock’n’roll. I just thought mind what you’re talking about, Pete. It’s a dangerous life and he’s still a role model for young people.
How does it feel to be an idol?
J: It’s of course great that people like our band. I don’t see myself as a boy on glossy pictures or a role model, even though I’m not a bad man either. Admiration isn’t distracting as long as it’s a healthy one.
Are there any bad experiences with fans?
T: There are a few weird things coming from abroad. According to a certain guy we have promised to pay a German girl’s studies in Finland, because she’s done some scientology-reformation to us. She threatened to take us to court if we didn’t do so. Those kinds of things go into one ear and get out of the other.
There are surely also good experiences?
J: What stayed in my mind was that after my vocal cord-surgery I got those cute Muumi-sheets and a nice “get better”-card. I used the sheets, of course!
[Here goes the last heading I couldn’t translate]
The next studioalbum will be released in February. What will it be like?
T: We’re finding out about or borders and overly trying is left out. We intensified that sort of (thought? Tutina = shudder!) that we either go into the woods or make finnish-speaking rock’n’roll history. We don’t bargain over melodies, and we’re doing new things concerning the arrangements. It’s not interesting anymore if our music is, according to Jone Nikula’s point of view, rock music. Now we’re doing songs on condition that whether they’re then pop, punk or whatever else [they’ll be done.]
J: There’s less extra _____ and _____ [Note: something like: "less extra playing around and overly experementing]. The songs have been rehearsed in live-conditions, so you surely get the playing atmosphere. [note: i.e.: the live atmosphere]
Are you nervous about the record’s success?
J: When doing a records there’s always a little stress haunting in the mind. Human imagination looks at things in a way that everything is turned inside out. But one always knows that when living and doing something different [groovy? aslant? oblique?]!
In November, Rakkaudesta hulluteen, the photobook abour Uniklubi will be releaste. Does it include any revelations?
T: It’s damn great, Jarkko Tiitinen has a good view. The pictures display exactly the same feelings as in the moment they were done. It’s a great memory you can recall even in 30 years.
J: In the book it turns out that not everything is certainly not always as funny as one could imagine. In some situations there were rather weak ______. Rakkaudesta hulluuteen is an honest work.
Original article by: Aino-Kuutamo Isotorppa
Published in: Suosikki, 11/2008