What can I say, Uniklubi were great!
I just don't understand why they're treated as a teenny band over in Finland and slagged off by so many so-called grown ups! They really are quite rocky.
Headed to the venue, Nosturi, and the teenies had been queueing for ages, bless em, so lots of screaming girls down the front.
Bloody lovely little venue, nice balcony, video screens, amazing sound, no queues at the bar. Top night out! The "support band" was the local "School of Rock"! Lots of local kids obviously doing their first gigs etc. Some good and some very bad. It was funny. One lot crucified a HIM cover, but some were half decent.
Uniklubi came on at 11. I love the album but didn't know what to expect live. They still aint that well known, only 2 singles and 1 album, and as I said are seen as a real teeny band over there. Everyone laughs at me for liking them and most grown ups slag them off.
And they were bloody brilliant. They look great on stage, rock out, look like a proper band, and Jussi's voice is amazing, loads better than the album. I loved them. Not a very long set as only one album, just an hour, but it was only 8 Euros to get in. Got some good video footage.
We then went down to On The Rocks to see Jussi 69 DJ-ing and Uniklubi came down too. Sue, our friend, managed to get into a conversation with Janne, Uniklubi's guitarist, about going to see them in Turku the next night, and after 26 lonkeros each (a lemon and gin drink) we decided we were going. Dunno how, but we were!
So next day we looked at trains, nope couldn't get back. Could we hire a car, I only had the plastic bit of my licence, not the paper. Luckily it was the guy who hired us one last time we were there a few weeks ago and he remembered us and said it would still be on the system, so we hopped in the car and drove to Turku! (about hour and a half west of Helsinki.)
The kiddies were queueing again at the venue, Turku Palatsi, so we went down the pub, and a couple of the band came in. Asked them when they were on and then got the drinks in as we had a couple of hours!
Smallish venue, and not too many there. Not quite as good as the night before but the lights were loads better so we've got some cool photos, a few up here:
www.forfoxsake.com/Uniklubi/finland.htm. Teemu and Jussi snogged on stage and Jayne nearly fell off the chair she was standing on!
But the funniest bit was after the gig. All the kids piled over to one side of the room and queued and then started taking pics. We went over to see what was going on...and it was a meet and greet!! We pissed ourselves laughing and queued with the teenies. It was very funny. The band were behind the food counter!! We were gonna go up and ask for bacon and beans and a coke. They were doing autographs on bits of paper, and I got there and the guitarist pushed one towards me and I pushed it back and went "er, no, you're alright cheers"! It was so funny.
And what do I say to Jussi Uniklubi on my first time of meeting him? "What was wrong with your voice tonight it weren't as good as last night". How to make an impression eh?! Dozy mare! I didn't mean to say it was rubbish, I meant it in a kind of worried he had a bad throat way! Anyway, Antti the drummer agreed with me that Helsinki had been better! They were a bit fazed that we'd even heard of them in England, never mind come to see them! Teemu, the bass player, has fabulous English, very posh like Ville, and he was very chatty. We got some pics, Jussi is pulling a silly face on the one with me, and they were really lovely guys.
Can't wait to see them again at the festivals.