Lauri, a friend who wishes well to you [France]

Last October we were in the magic of Finland, “Hide From The Sun” promotion inevitable. After their Parisian concert and for this third part Rasmussien (=Rasmus fans are like that), we immerse ourselves into the live side of the band with Lauri, the singer, et the bassist more unassuming Eero.
The success of “Dead Letters” led the band to travel all over the world for 2 years. At dawn of the tour which crown “Hide From The Sun”, Eero recall himself the concerts which regulated their life since the beginning of Rasmus. “I think we have good memories linked to these 2 last years because there were lots of change compared with our debut due to the fact that it was the first time that we had an international success. But we have also very good memories linked to our debut when we played in Finland. We had the time to swim because there are lots of lakes in our country” remembers Eero. Lauri, him, more enthusiastic, breaking off : “We stopped the bus only to do a dive before to set off again. Actually, when I remember, we were more relaxed. We did a concert in the north of Finland and we stayed for one week to fish and drink instead of, now, we must leave in another country the next day. Today, we give us a spanking if that was the case ! I have really good memories of our debut and above all I think we had the time to fix them”.

From Z-Juniors to The Rasmus
Come back to their debut. When we have 10 and we dream to be in place of their idols, often we imagine stuff with naivety without to think about the downside. “When I was a kid, I thought that musicians had private plane ! I watched those bands of the 80′s who spent their whole money in private jet and drugs. Nowadays, lots of bands that I know don’t touch drugs. They are too much concentrated to do good concerts so they don’t drink before to play. It’s quite different than before, more serious but I don’t know if it’s good. Maybe we should find the right middle”, exclaims Lauri. When they created Z-juniors, their first band, Lauri and Eero never thought that music will bring them lots of more than a way to spend the time agreeably. “Firstly, it was a hobbie for us. I started to play drums then guitar before to be a singer. I think that be together in a band gave us trust in ourselves because we felt to belong to something important and to do a cool stuff. Be in a band give you the opportunity to be proud of what you do, in one way or another to gain confidence in you. Already at that time, there wasn’t really one stuff which linked us to each other but several stuff like listen to the same music, we liked the same bands like Metallica, Pearl Jam, Nirvana, Stone Temple Pilots.”

A decent person in every way
15 years later and then they are adulated it’s their turn. But, contrary to their models who flirted with danger and proscription, The Rasmus are good. One day with them and you’ll be convinced that they are nice guys in every way. “We are 12 guys in the bus and most of them are old friends from Helsinki who, now, work for us. So, that’s cool and reassuring to have them by our sides. We try to keep the same relationship with everyone like if it was a family. So, you know everyone do what he wants to do, like to read, watch DVD, some smoke, sleep or confide in. I think these persons around you make you keep your feet on the ground.” Eero added. “In my opinion, it’s very important in a band that everyone respect and act according to the character of another one. I think it’s one of the reasons why we are stable in our lifes.”

Keep the energy for the gig
In good Finnish who respects himself, Lauri likes simple happiness. A bit fill him with wonder. “Of course, I love gigs but there’re also those small things like when you leave the place where you have just played, and you put your earphones in the ears and you watch the road which unfold. I find this moment of the day great. I think the tour in its entirety is a kind of reward compared with all the work given.” By nature unassuming, the band expose them only when they are on stage….if that ! Sometimes when a day didn’t satisfy him, the singer prefers stay in his world. “Everything which happen in the day affect a lot the way I’ll be on stage the night. Whether it’s on waking up to the free time before the gig. That’s why as a general rule, I try to get rid of everything which is likely to bother me such as interviews in order to keep my energy for the evening which awaited me and be only concentrated on the concert. I like also to do some stuff before to play. Instead of to stay in the hotel, I prefer to visit the town where I am because it inspires me.”

I am shy but I’m treating myself
When Lauri spends a good day to go for a walk, it gives him “good mood for the concert. It gets me the feeling to know a little bit more the audience. For me, there’s no bad concert. Nevertheless, there’s where it happens physically something as well. I don’t know how to describe it but it’s as if more energy comes out of me. I notice there’re people who are open to what I bring out and a connexion has cause between my eyes and theirs. Even if sometimes, on some concerts, by excess of shyness, I prefer to wear sunglasses and cover my face in my hat…” Eero confirms what Lauri said : “In the band, there’re several personalities who are quite shy who don’t necessarily like to be on display. Often, Lauri doesn’t like to be seen but like he explained it sometimes there’s a good alchemy between him, the band and the audience. At that time, he’s really in his element”. While their last Parisian concert (in an Elysée Montmartre in the fine weather) is still in the memory of everyone, we wonder what kind of facet Lauri will show us on stage. Because we must admit, we have there a figure complex and full of contradictions.

Lauri, the moody
Date and place of birth: 23rd April 1979 in Helsinki
Name of his first band: We had already a band together when we were 10 and we covered
Status Quo. We were called Z-Juniors and I played drums but no one saw me behind my drums.
First song which was significant for him: 3dr Feelgood” by Mötley Crüe
The most important book: “Siddhartha” by Hermann Hesse
Fault and quality: I can really annoy when I’m tired or when I have a hangover. I can be very good or very bad company. My best quality is maybe the fact to be honest.
Pride to be a Finnish: The more we travel throughout the world, the more I respect Finland. I like finnish people like they are right and they say what they think. They aren’t smooth talker because they are honest. On top of that, I like finnish nature, it’s still very pure like a country. There’s no pollution, it’s very healthy. Everything is very relaxing there even in the big cities.

Eero, the zen
Date and place of birth: 27th November 1979 in Helsinki
Name of his first band: Z-Juniors
First song which was significant for him : “Heart Shaped Box” by Nirvana
The most important book: every biography of Martin Luther King
Fault and quality: I’m a very bad driver and I annoy everyone. About my quality, I hope it’s the fact to don’t react easily to the insults of the other and to be calm in view of events.

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