Live @ Klubi, 03.06.2010

October 8th, 2010

After a 14 month break from gigging it was time for us to get up on stage again, this time at Klubi, Turku with the always awesome Five Minutes for Myself and another local rock band called Bad King. Or is it wrong to say “up on the stage” if the stage is only about knee high? Though, for Jouni that is high enough (it’s football season and his ankles are in as good a shape as Christiano Ronaldo is good in staying on his feet after any kind of contact). We had to lift him up. As you know, we had drummer related problems, hence the long break in gigging. It seems that with this sort of whimpy and generic poprock it’s kind of hard to keep a drummer. We’re the underground level’s Mamba. Well, not really, we have no roadies to fire. Read on to know who got fired this time.

As said, it was 14 months from the previous gig, we found Henkka wandering around the streets of Turku only about three months earlier, and due to all sorts of time constrains, we didn’t have that much rehearsals. I think one of the songs got played through only at one or two of the rehearsals. To top it off, I got myself a really pleasent angina-like a disease, and had virtually no voice on Tuesday (gig was on Thursday). So all in all, expectations were really high. We had all the possibilities to make what Ashlee Simpson did on Saturday Night Live. Except that we didn’t do the concert as playback, and we didn’t have quite as big an audience. Nevertheless, at moments I really felt like playing a different song than the rest of the guys (due to the fact that at times I think I really did play a different song).

I was feeling a bit better on Thursday, and in soundcheck my voice seemed to be in such order that I could produce a Nylon beat -like nasal sound. I didn’t feel like a million bucks, but felt like I could survive the show and we decided not to cancel.

Kari & Henri
I had to have my back to the crowd, cause I had a huge bugger hanging from my nose.

Johannes & Henri
“Check out Guitar George, he knows all the chords.”

Jouni & Henri
The physical presence -department.

I did survive the show, but my personal performance wasn’t the best. About halfway through I started to struggle with my voice, and had to alter the melody lines a bit to avoid sounding like a (nasal) teenager with a cracking and breaking voice. In addition to voice trouble I had blackouts through-out the show. You know those things when you suddenly have no idea what is the next chord. Usually you do remember them if you don’t think too much; your fingers just know where to go. And hardly ever the audience notices these, but still they don’t make the player feel comfortable. Then I managed to play one song in wrong tune. Repeat is played with a dropped-D tune, and I completely forgot to tune back to standard after the song. I only noticed this on the last chord of the song. Better late than never, right? But after the gig we analyzed the song through, and I believe I didn’t use the low-E string at all in the song, so haha to you Mr Murphy! In your face!

I guess there is a reason why doctors say one shouldn’t sing with a sore throat or do a live concert while being sick. Or as James Hetfield once put it (when Bob Rock asked him to sing after James had had the worst voice breakdown of his career): “You want to hear vocals? Go sing it. I wouldn’t ask you to drum if your arm fell off, would I?” I actually tried that, but Jouni and Johannes were a bit reluctant to step up for the job. Johannes rehearsed a few songs, but let’s face it, one can’t do miracles in a few days.

Singer
Maybe we should contact this company to avoid having similar problems in the future?

Though I mostly pointed out things gone wrong in the gig, it wasn’t as bad as one might think. We actually did a pretty decent job. What, am I losing my touch?!? Where is the negativity?!? Maybe I’m still sick. But as said, a good gig. Henkka did an excellent job, he was on top of his game and one could really count on him.

New song #1
Repeat
New song #2
362
Old new song #1 (entitled UB in the previous journals)
New song #3
Stay Silent

Maybe I should begin naming the songs with a timestamp. Then there would be no problem in duplicate names (except in a hundred years, but hopefully I have written my best songs by then and don’t have to keep trying anymore), and I wouldn’t have to ponder whether to name the songs with the boring the-first-line-of-the-chorus convention or try to come up with a fancy headline which sums up the whole lyrics. I can’t use the working titles ’cause then everyone would know from whom I stole the ideas from.

Johannes & Kari
Some of us know how to dress up for the occasion.

Johannes & Kari
Imagine Michael Jackson singing to the instruments: “It don’t matter if you’re black or white.”

I don’t know what else to say about the gig. I actually don’t remember much of it. Both Bad King and Five Minutes for Myself sounded good. FMFM had studied the latest trends of fashion and had found out that 90’s is so 2010 and to celebrate this, they played a Pandora song, I believe it was Don’t You Know. I also have to give props for Lari for believing in himself and his shredding skills. If you didn’t get this one, you can blame yourself. You should’ve dragged your ass to Klubi.

Now, since I don’t have anything to say, I let the rest of the group reveal what’s on their hearts. Jouni, Johannes & Henkka, any thoughts on the gig, life, death or the state of the world?

    Jouni:
    All that weird liquid on the backstage’s floor.. That was my mistake..

    Johannes:
    “I am all out of words, I have nothing more to say.”

    Henkka:
    Hmm… sounds familiar. Oh yes! That’s a killer song!

    Johannes:
    You killed it live. Or better put, nailed it.

    Henkka:
    Thanks. I think I did a decent job, especially when taking into account the kebab incident.

    Johannes:
    Oh yes. What is it with you drummers and spicy food?

    Henkka:
    Don’t know. I personally like it, but my stomach doesn’t always agree.

    Johannes:
    You should ask some tips from Jouni, he used to be an expert when it came to kebabs. And by the way, that could make an excellent album title, “The Kebab Incident”

    Jouni:
    That sounds like something Kari could’ve come up with.

    Johannes:
    I know. I guess I’ve been infected with a hint of Kariness. Do you know if there’s a cure?

    Jouni:
    Yes. Smile and try to be positive.

    Henkka:
    Jouni, any tips regarding kebabs?

    Jouni:
    I know nothing about them.

    Henkka:
    What’s the thing with you guys and kebabs? I’ve read all sorts of references to them, but no one seems to be keen on talking about the subject.

    Johannes:
    I think it’s something that Kari came up with. He had seen a DVD in which Jone Nikula told that all bands should have a “story”, something that makes the band interesting.

    Henkka:
    And all he could come up with was kebab??

    Johannes:
    Don’t look at me, it wasn’t my idea. You better not talk to Kari about it, though. He still thinks it was a great idea.

    Henkka:
    Man, what have I gotten myself into…

    Jouni:
    We have a completely healthy relationship with food. Unlike some have with grammar.

    Johannes:
    Comma is your friend, respect it.

    Henkka:
    This is not real…

That’s a wrap on the Klubi gig. Quoting Jari Porttila: “But what do you think the next happen now”?

-Kari