So yeah, if you haven’t read the music post – Private Line has announced they’ll have a new album soon.

One of my friends, Karen, said that she believes more in unicorns than she does in that album.

We’ll see…. XD

vvv Also, what had to happen, happened… vvv

Friday was a bit of a special occasion, as I attended what might be my last Uniklubi concert for this trip to Finland. For the occasion, I drew the “usual” promo pics, which are not really promotional at all if you really think of it, because I don’t really want them to come see my comics anyway.
IN ANY CASE.
2 years ago they did an interview for their MySpace, in which they were showed printed of my comics concerning them. They did seem to find them funny and everything. But it still made me really nervous to kinda “reveal” myself as the author.
The show itself was great, even if I knew only like, 3/5 of the songs, and the lyrics only to maybe 4 songs. The stage seemed a bit to small for the energy they had to give, which is a bit of a shame too. Great all the same
I waited when they were done, and with lots of support from the people I was there with, I successfully managed to get Teemu, Antti and Jussi to sign my drawings.
Teemu was first, and as I handed the drawing I said he might recognize them – he laughed and said he did. He might have complimented them but I realize I was half listening and already shaking from a previous encounter, so, fail. But well. No bricking
I managed to catch Antti thanks to Nora, who pointed to him in the lobby after I had thought he’d slipped away. He laughed at the drawings too, though he didn’t say anything about recognizing them.
Finally, Janne was intercepted just before he headed off, and he said he had seen those “many times”, which I guess meant that the interview wasn’t the only time, and it vaguely worries me. Anyway. As with the others, I gave him a copy and wished him good night

As for the “previous encounter” that made me shaky, I finally managed to get Antti Anatomia’s reaction on my drawing from September. He said it was awesome, and that he’d seen one of each band member too. I told him it too me 9 hours for his alone, for all the details, and I added that I hate his dreads. They look awesome but they’re he’ll to draw. He nodded gravely and replied, “I know.” XD We had a short conversation about a Canadian band I didn’t really know (but that I will check out : Anvil) and I wish him good night.

All in all, a success, even if I’m still missing Jussi’s and Pasi’s signatures. Ah well

Here they are:

Unsigned: to be replaced by copies without my huge logo on when I finally get them signed.

                          

Doodle post yet again, still because I spend most of my free time finishing the Negative pictures – that I managed to get signed yesterday night See them below

One of my first drawings of Love XD

Waury as a ninja…

Wiwian as a ninja…

Aaaaand the Negative pics

Got no comment from Antti, as he was sick and zoomed into the bus and didn’t come out. But Jonne was nice enough to pass on the pen and drawings, and he drew a scar on the right cheek

Jay hugged me when I gave him his copy after he signed mine

Jonne liked his picture a lot, and as he finished signing it, he asked if he could have a copy – of course, that’s why I print 6 many copies of each drawing And then he asked me to sign it XD

Larry said, “Nice picture” with a grin, but I caught him last and he was heading back to the bus, which was preparing to leave, so didn’t have much time for a longer impression :3

Näkki asked if it was him when I gave him his copy XD No, no, it’s of a random person >_> XD He also asked if I drew it and said it was very nice

I have to thank Melissa for joining me for the evening, waiting with me in the cold and helping me a lot with getting my drawings signed Also thank you to Nadine, Sabine, Kati and Catharina for the great evening

P.S.: The glossy stuff on photo prints… it dissolves with water >.<

                          

In random other news, tonight was the end of Tammerfest. I’ve only been to 3 gigs, but they were all great

Day Eleven were really great. Janne (Octopussy) was jumping everywhere and generally having a good time. Kimmo (Glaring Finn) sported awesome heart-shaped glasses with blinking red lights. It doesn’t get any cooler And they played Montage, which is my favorite song off their latest album, Matador. <3

Poets Of The Fall were amazing. Now I understand why their last 2 gigs in Tampere were sold out. They have great chemistry onstage and it feels like they couldn’t be truly happy doing anything else. Marko (Butterfly Ballerina) seemed to have every single cell of his being animated by the music. It’s quite contagious

Negative were just awesome. As I’ve said before, I love Neon, so seeing them for a third time in less than 5 months was not overdoing it Though seriously, they were overdressed. I mean, erm, it was already hot, no need for those vests and jackets, right? Also, Antti got a nice arm for throwing roses to the crowd :3 Wish we’d have been closer to catch some.

But we weren’t. We had a nice spot higher than the stage (“we” as in my friends and I, including Pinkass), from which we could see the whole thing. I was also surprised when 2 girls waiting beside us asked me if I was the one drawing the comics (so weird to have people recognize me! but nice ) and I drew Rumors for them ^_^ I still don’t know how they actually knew it was me… but hei, if you were those 2 girls, hello You easily made my night

I actually got many more ideas for comics now, so next week should resume the schedule as usual. We’ll take a break from the Wiwian/mic/Theon love drama for a little while and I’m gonna try to draw other characters for a change XD
(also I need to come up with the rest of the drama, though I already know the underlying story. They live in my head, after all.)

That’s about it. Almost 4am now, sleep for me X) Have a nice weekend everyone!!!

                          

21:22: We are in Nosturi, waiting for the show to begin. The stage is decorated with street memorabilia – urban background, lamp post – and a sign that says, “Live To Ride”. The lineup was changed pretty much last minute, as the opening band – The Winyls – is missing its drummer, stuck in France because of the eruption in Iceland. Damn volcanoes v__v Earlier I had an email informing me of the new lineup, which includes The Grammers as replacement.

We’re also getting St. Felix, which according to their flyers, is “a new Finnish indie-rock band, pronounced SEINT FIILIKS” (I swear it’s what’s written, we have picture proof, see below). That one comes as a total surprise since we thought we only had one opening band.

St. Felix
They begin on time, which is a plus. We decided to call the singer Special, in a very loving way. He looks like he took a bit too much caffeine, especially compared to the other band members (who are much calmer). But definitely entertaining.
Waury: The music is interesting, though to our ears it sounds like the Hellofatester era of The Rasmus, with a small hint of INTO. The bassist looked like the glaring Finn.
“Giants never never can stop the weather”
We’re kinda lame so we keep making references to bands we know. A Billy Talent moment, a part sounding like Guano Apes, and now some kind of rap à la Papa Roach.
Though I won’t personnally run to get their album from the gig only, I do believe they’re worth giving a shot.
Pinkass: They’re not bad, but it’s not a particular sound, so it didn’t hook me. I’d listen to it on the radio.

The Grammers
Two guitarists, the drummer, a keyboardist (less work for PK), a bassist and the singer: the stage is a bit crowded.
Pinkass: they really sound like a band from the 80′s. The singer is a bit à la Axl Rose, with songs that have a neverending ending.
Waury: Personally I think it’s good music, though not quite my style. Never got hooked on the classic so it doesn’t exactly talk to me.
Pinkass: Of course the blond guitarist’s long hair is perfect. They have a good energy onstage, they’re not static (especially considering the limited available space), though that goes with the type of music they’re playing. St. Felix was a bit weirder, which is fine considering it was an indie band.
Waury: We misheard the title of one of their songs into “Sauna de Sauron”, which was actually “So Long Sorrow”. That’s a win.

Negative

Pinkass: HOT. DAMN. We left satisfied.
Waury: The only time I’d seen them before was at Tammerfest in 2008, with Gary, and that was definitely not one of their best. This time completely made up for it.
Pinkass: They seemed to have found their balance, to really be just them, without overdoing glitters and accessories.

The stage has been a bit modified. The street decoration stayed, but they had added many neon signs – among which a huge horse which was (but shouldn’t have been) on its back. They also had a screen in the background.

Jonne looked quite tired at the beginning of the show, but as the gig progressed he seemed to regain energy. The whole lot of them seemed to be very happy to be there.
They opened with Won’t Let Go, which at once set the venue ablaze. Motherfucker followed, during which Jonne did look quite angry. After All preceeded Moment Of Our Love, which was a nice highlight of the gig for us, partly because we love the song, but also because we haven’t listened much to Karma Killer (we don’t know the new songs that much). Giving Up! gave way to a new song, No One Can Save [Me]. After hearing End Of The Line off MySpace, NOCSM is definitely promising Neon to be a good album.

Waury: I was delighted when they started playing My My/Hey Hey, as it’s still one of my favorite from them.
Pinkass: It was a really really good one.

In My Heaven is one of the first songs we – as outsiders from Camada – ever heard from them, and that was also a special one for us.
After that song, they all left the stage, and only Jonne returned, bearing an acoustic guitar. He played Still Alive alone, or as alone as you be when the whole crowd is singing with you. That was a really beautiful.
He went on a new song, still alone onstage, that is definitely already one of our favorite from the upcoming album: Fucking Worthless. Don’t let the title fool you: it was a very sweet, adorable song:

“You’re so fucking perfect / You’re so fucking cute / I’m so fucking worthless / When I’m not around you”

The whole crowd, mainly composed of girls, went AWWWW. The rest of the band came in toward the end, taking the song a bit more to the rock side.
The Ornament was next, and they ended the main set with Planet Of The Sun, which was sung along to like an anthem.
They left the stage for a while, waiting for us to get a bit impatient, and finally returned for a 3-song encore. Frozen To Lose It All was first, followed by yet another new song, Love That I Lost (in which he says he’s had enough), and they ended the show with Sinner’s Night / Misty Morning (which made me very happy cause it’s my favorite off Anorectic /Waury).

As the final notes stretched into a typical end-of-show neverending ending, Jonne kept demanding cheers by stepping up to the edge of the stage, repeatedly and in various fashions, all of which were each time greeted with screams and applause. When the last instrument died out – not before Jonne climbed on, fell off, then climbed again Jay’s drums to jump off them – the rest of the band joined him up front for the traditional salutes and throwing of roses. Antti had a few ones sticking out from his pants, some of which got partly broken. Though neither of us managed to catch one (they almost threw them all to the other side of the venue, of course), we did managed to find a broken stem, and one of Antti’s plectrums he’d previously stuck to his forehead (in sweat or spit).

Mission accomplished!

The gallery of my host is being stupid at the moment, so please go
>> HERE <<
(photobucket) for the gig’s pictures by Pinkass!