Paluu Kouluun 24.11.2009
Here you can find the translation of the article appeared in IltaSanomat from 24.11.2009 after the guys have had their anniversary gig in their old school, Suutarila High School in Helsinki. By clicking on the picture inserted on the left side you can see it in a bigger version. Thank you to Oana for it. Translation was made by me.
The Rasmus excited about the festive gig in their old school.
The Finnish school rarely hosts a gig for a band that has sold over one million discs.
It was yesterday when The Rasmus came back to Helsinki’s Suutarila High School to celebrate 15 years of their career.
In the same sports hall did the world-wide known band play their first gig back in time.
-It was a hard place to get on the stage, singer Lauri Ylönen told to IS about an hour after the event.
-I was excited than ever before.
He also mentioned that the crowd felt somehow “everyone adult”, because almost everyone was of thirty-something, them being their old school friends, parents and friends of the band members, also some of the buddies from the music industry.
And what’s more, there was one more familiar person in the room: Julius, 1, who saw his father for the first time on stage.
Ylönen told at the Liquid song that he was telling a story about the cover of Soundi to Julius.
-There was Angus Young on it, but the boy told “Daddy play the guitar!” How about that???
Much has changed in 15 years. During the years from the energetic teenage band The Rasmus it became an enviably professional and still energetic band. All of the members of the band now have a family. The making of the songs have also changed, and are made in the own rooms by Skype-calls and change of emails: Ylönen lives in Helsinki, and the guitarist Pauli Rantasalmi in Singapore.
-And still we are dreaming about even more. We were naïve, but in our opinion the best in the world, Rantasalmi tells.
At the school gig The Rasmus also celebrated the release of their new compilation album.
The band is in one of the most interesting situations in their career. They are making a new album at the moment, but there is no information about deals with a record company.
-Next year we will definitely publish something, Ylönen promised.
During this time we can think about memories from school of Eero Heinonen. He had been in the teacher’s room while the central school radio’s microphone was open.
-Then I said in the microphone that teaching ends for everyone for all the students. In all the classes there was a terrible noise and everyone left home, Heinonen adds.
-Of course then I had a talk with the principal.
In the Helsinki Suutarila High School there were many well-known band members grown up. Rasmus is one that is best known internationally, but the school also raised members also of TikTak and Indica.
Strong earnings in music activity do not involve only talented and gifted pupils, but also enthusiastic teachers. Before the record company career, probably the best known of these was Pekka Ruuska.
Before at the Suutarila school have played only Lauri Ylönen, Pauli Rantasalmi and Eero Heinonen. Drummer Aki Hakala followed his studies in Espoo.
Yesterday there were plenty of Lauri’s and Eero’s classmates in the audience.
-The boys played for all the intermediate classes, they remembered.
-I was surprised about that gig which was in this place. Lauri was shy most of the time. He have never sung any worse, Minttu Muranen remembers.
Lauri was in the third form a talented drummer and pianist –his energetic hustle remained still hidden on the stage.
-We’re not counting the music lessons. Started only to play if the teacher told so. Didn’t really see him at the lessons, Miia Rantakömi tells.
Although sometimes a various number of subjects/lessons went on for the sake of rock, he did well at the lessons.
-Class average mark was over 9, Minna Skogberg notes.
