I love the smell of new band shirt in the morning

Back when I was 8, my uncle made me a cassette which had the album Kuka teki huorin by Sielun veljet, and some other songs by them. Today, at about 9 pm he called me and said that he had one extra ticket to see Ismo Alanko (the singer and the founder of the aforementioned band, currently the icon of the Finnish rock scene for those not in the know), and that should I want it I had about 20 minutes to get to the Tavastia club before the gig started.

I put on my shoes, ignored the fact that the clothes I was wearing had absolutely nothing what you might call street credibility about them and rushed there.

I danced, sang and boogied to the beat the whole evening and nearly fainted when they played Säkenöivä voima - I've claimed that a Rammstein gig is a religious experience but they've got a lot to learn from Mr. Alanko. I found it mildly amusing to watch how the younger members of the audience liked the newer songs better, and how the old farts like me and my uncle (who, in fact, is only 7 years older than me) went totally apeshit over the punk-era songs. I have seen quite a few concerts at the good old Tavastia but never have I seen the audience so intense as it was tonight. It might be early to say this, but I think tonight was the best gig this year.

Yeah. Thankies to my uncle. 'Twas wonderful. I'm in for a shower and a good dose of sleep, in that order.


Woo. I did some video searching and here's Rakkaudesta, which has got to be the bestest love song ever made, and Elämä on hauras, a newer song. Not from tonight's gig but good enough for me ;)

FREEDOM!!!

It's now past midnight and it's still too hot to even consider sleeping. Though what would I care, I'm on holiday.

This was my last day at the Aukio UniCafe. One part of me is a bit sad, I've been there for more than 5 years and some of the people there I know I won't meet again until the next christmas party and I know the place inside out, I know the customers and how to operate the cranky dishwasher and the regularly crashing cash register system. The rest of me is cheering to be out of there for precisely the same reasons. I'll have to pop in to give back my keyes and to clean up my locker which I'm sure by now houses some lost tribes, bloodthirsty dust bunnies and sentient socks.

On to new things, and it's about time too!


Today's top track choice would be Loituma's Ievan polska, don't ask, which I've been trying to extract from my head for a couple of hours now. Finding this version of the song did not help at all.

This is it.

The proverbial it. My last weekend as a twenty-something. After this I don't have to make up excuses to stay in on Saturdays. Like I had to do so before, the last time I found myself in a bar was, um, about a month ago.

I have about a day and a half to become an astronaut, travel around the world and learn kung fu before I have to produce 2.4 children, buy a house and a white BMW and so forth. Like Marian Keyes said:

Now that I'm past my prime I've had to let go several visions of myself. Better versions, of course. I used to think that being alive was some sort of apprenticeship where I'd get to a certain age and all of a sudden I'd be able to do life. That out of nowhere I'd know how to twirl my hair into a fabulous smooth French pleat. Or that the day would dawn when I'd just somehow be able to time my leg-waxes to coincide with good weather. Or that I'd wake up one morning and suddenly be one of those people who can go out in their slip and look willowy and graceful and fey and right. But now I accept that it's never going to happen, that I'd just look like I'd gone out without getting dressed.

;)


Anyhow, to those who for one reason or another have nothing to do, you can always watch live broadcast from the European Winner dog show on the Finnish Kennel Club webpage. Me, I have some party planning to do.