A spy inside The Rasmus’ world [Canada]

It took only one song, In The Shadows, to open the American market to the Finnish group The Rasmus, who have been famous for ten years already in their native country. With this hit -which was composed in only a few minutes- the popularity of the band literally exploded: more than 1.500.000 copies of Dead Letters have been sold in the world, 50.000 in Canada (88% in Quebec). After a short concert last May at Club Soda, the guys were back in Quebec in November, and I had the chance to spend a day with them…
Friday, November 12th. Today it’s the BIG day. After two weeks of waiting I’ll finally meet the guys of The Rasmus, the four Finn’s of the moment: Lauri (vocals), Eero (bass), Pauli (guitar) and Aki (drum). I have to meet them at 3:30pm at the Metropolis in Montreal, where the group will be performing the same night. Excited I enter my car to head to the Metropolis, put the Dead Letters CD into my cd player and sing out loud (what? a girl has to get ready!). It’s a sunny day, the sky is clear, in brief; it’s a perfect day that’s coming.
I arrive and they tell me that the band isn’t there yet. With my photographer, I join the television show crews of Banzaï and Tête @ Kat who are waiting to interview the group. Time passes and still the band is not there yet. Jonathan from Universal Music tells me that Eero won’t be coming because he’s suffering from an ear infection due to the monitor he was wearing at the show in Toronto. “He’s going to stay in bed all day to keep his energy for the show tonight”, they explain. Sad because he is known to be the most talkative of the guys.
4:30 pm. It’s been an hour already that we are waiting and I imagine the arrival of the band in my head. Well, my little scenario is coming true because suddenly, there they are. Lauri, Aki and Pauli finally arrived. Smiling, the guys are more charismatic than what they seem in pictures or music videos. Suddenly, my nerves changed into excitement and I can’t wait to shake their hands and to make the first contact but I have to wait for the interviews to be over before I can do anything.

Like in Almost Famous
The moment is now. First, I get closer to Lauri, the singer who took off his sunglass and we can see his shiny eyes. We shook hands and I make my presentation. I dare a Finnish salutation for the occasion – I’ve learnt some lines by hearth, gift of a friend who went to Helsinki. Congenially, Aki says that my accent isn’t that bad! Ouf! The ice is broken! Lauri wants to know more about Star Inc., especially who reads it. Relieved that our magazine isn’t only for teenies, he’s happy: “Good, we won’t have to worry about swearing or not!” The drummer invites us ( the photographer and I ) to follow them in their dressing room where Pauli, the shyest of the band, escaped right after the television interviews. He explains that his friends and him are a bit tired but they will be top shape for their performance.
We leave the guys alone so they can rest for the fifteen minutes left before they’ll go to Musique Plus. A bit before 5:30pm, it’s time to go. Aki stays at the Metropolis to check his battery for the sound check. I take place in the van, behind Pauli and Lauri who talk in Finnish. I tell them that there are fans that arrived at 4am to have good places during the show. “I don’t know how to react about that… I mean, it’s a bit crazy. They brought blankets but it is so cold outside! But in the same time, I have a lot of respect for them” says Lauri.
Some minutes before going down in the studio, Pauli explains that he doesn’t like interviews. Another star who snobs promotion, heh? Not really. Actually, the artist is uncomfortable with all that attention. “I don’t like when the conversation is about me, I feel like I am self-centered. I usually try to avoid it but because Aki couldn’t come and Eero is sick, I had to be there.”
I tease him, is it a subtle message for me to stop asking questions?
He doesn’t answer but start laughing. This means he is shy but friendly.
5:50pm. The interview, which was held in front of many fans, is over.
No autograph session, the band is not on schedule. We go straight back to the Metropolis. After a short sound check and a meeting with some fans -winners of Le Journal de Montréal and Cool! contests- we go back to the dressing room. Pauli he’s reading quietly… a Star Inc.! I left some copies of the magazine in the dressing room but I didn’t think it would have such an impact on the guitarist! Around 6:45pm we have to leave the guys alone for a bit for them to have some time together before the show. I leave with the photographer to have a meal. Time to come back: 8:30pm.
More than an hour and a half later, I come back to the Metropolis. The guys took this time to go in Montreal but they are back and Eero is there too. Calm and relaxed, he shakes my hand. I ask how he feels and he says that he’s a bit better bacause the fever is gone. The guys jam but Pauli is still reading a Star Inc.!

Yoga session with Eero
Around 9pm, 30 minutes before the show, the four guys who have known each other since they were 15 years old, ask to be left alone to concentrate on the upcoming performance. I then go into the feverish crowd.
After an hour or so of pure energy The Rasmus literally put fire to there fans -as well as me- I join them back in their dressing room. It is approximately 11:15pm and after I congratulated them for their performance, they give me a beer to celebrate their successful show. The guys take the time to signed my CD (my teenie side took over the adult one for one moment) and we immortalize that moment by a toast to their great show. The pressure is gone: Lauri is more talkative and Aki kisses my hand! Eero and I start a conversation. We talk about music; he tells me he likes Muse and Norah Jones. After, I ask him about Sahaja Yoga meditation and it’s clear I scored a point. He asks if I am really interested. Eero has practiced Sahaja Yoga everyday for 15 minutes since 1999. “Would you accept to show us how it works?” I ask him. “Does it interest you really? And if I tell you how it works, will you try with me?” he inquires. “Certainly, deal.” I answer.
While the other members of the group are chatting around a table, Eero and I search for a quieter place for him explain to me how to meditate. Pauli asks what we are up to and I tell him that Eero and I are going to meditate a bit. By the look in his face, I can see he’s not interested into Sahaja Yoga. Eero will confirm that his fellows aren’t into spirituality for now because they prefer to party than meditate. “We’ve been close friends for years now and they respect me. But they don’t need spirituality in their life for the moment. They prefer to celebrate. It helps me to stay grounded.” For 30 minutes the peaceful soul of the band initiates me to the goodness of his meditation technique. Feet bare-naked I play the game.
It’s already midnight and we decide to go back and join the other guys who are still talking in Finnish with some technicians. Eero, who is tired, asks us if we could bring him back to their hotel. I say bye to the guys. Lauri, who has been the shyest during the day, hugs me and tell me to “take care”. I say bye to the others and I choose a Finnish word for Aki, who smiles to my kiitos.
My day with The Rasmus ends in front of the hotel L’Appartement on Sherbrooke Street, where Eero says bye to us. There is many thing waiting for the group in the forthcoming months. Next challenge? The Japanese market, after a well-deserved break for Christmas holiday, the guys are going to Japan to do some shows. Let’s hope The Rasmus wave will strike again…

*kiitos mean thank you

Virginie Gadoury

Share this article:

Tweet

Current&next releases

Latest news

© 2005-2005 The Rasmus Hellofasite | the Italian portal about The Rasmus | All rights reserved
This website is published under a Creative Commons Licence. It's strictly forbidden any unauthorized
reproduction partial or total of the layout and/or the contents.