The Rasmus: love in a Finnish style [Argentina]

In their short visit to Buenos Aires, the finish foursome found fans at each step. Almost a rasmusmania, feed with the best feeling so everyone will get their autograph or photo. And we followed them minute by minute.

Three days in Buenos Aires were enough for The Rasmus to unleash Hysteria on each step, thousand of kilometres from their natal Helsinki. Three days of which they used every minute to visit radio stations, Tv channels, play a couple of acoustic sets and sign hundreds of autographs. Even though some might not have heard, Buenos Aires breath rasmusmania and Soy Rock marked each of the finish musicians.
Work started early for Lauri Ylönen, Pauli Rantasalmi, Aki Hakala and Eero Heinonen on the day following their arrival. At ten am everyone had to be ready at he hotel lobby to go to MTV studios to the first interview of the day. Very punctual they turn up one by one, all in rigorous black except Eero, he chose a Hindu shirt with a medallion with a woman’s picture hanging from his neck. “whats that?” “I bought it on Asia, during a tour we made a while ago. I haven’t drank in seven years and practice meditation every morning when I wake up. That lady you see there is the founder of the maditation discipline I practise”. Lauri, same as in pictures and videos, adorned his hair with 2 or 3 black feathers, of course. “For me, feathers give a sense of freedom and that’s why I wear them”. Pauli and Aki had no occult messages on their clothes and wore the forst cleans clothes that had at hand, that wasn’t much. Before reaching MTV’s studios they had to take four bags full of dirty laundry on a laundry shop close to the hotel. Almost no-one was aware that the four finish guys will be walking the streets of Retiro where MTV Buenos Aires is located, reason why their presence was unnoticed. The calm before the Storm!
Next stop was Hit FM, on the heart of Buenos Aires. Just as the Van was at about 50 meters from the radio station hysterical shouting was heard. Some 150 fans throw themselves at the red van that was parked a few steps from the door. Inside and in the studios were the interview was held, there was another 30 (they were 40) fans holding back screams, full of pictures, flags, and Rasmus bags 100% unofficial. That was the minimum toll to be five steps from the same fellows who’s posters where all over the walls. 3 part interview in which Lauri was the one that got most questions, but Eero was the one that answered them with most enthusiasm.
(little blue square: presents from Buenos Aires they took national football t-shirts, alfajores (Argentinean sweet) and albums by the most popular local bands as souvenirs)

11:00 First interview in Buenos Aires, at MTV studios.
12:30 HIT FM first show of patience singing everything they were handed.
12:45 Eero tries to get to the van and his way is blocked by fans
(this line is completely wrong! It was outside 100FM and Eero came out willingly to sign autographs before the acoustic set!)
16:00 acoustic set at Channel 9, after answering some questions to Daisy May Queen
19:00 last work of the day. Acoustic at 100FM and then to the hotel.
13:00 To the photo album the four Rasmus guys pose together for the picture with Mora, from Soy rock Magazine and Matías Serra from universal music.

They recognised to be exited about the show next day, cause they had excellent comments of the local audience. At the end of the interview, the 30 (40!!) fans had to be contained cause they knew that was the only chance for a picture. Even a mother asked autographs for her daughter who wasn’t able to go… with the second date of the day “finnished”, they had to leave the radio and run, the few 3 meters to get in the van. I felt a Rock Star for 10 seconds!!. A brake of 2 hours gave us just enough time to get lunch somewhere in Palermo, not far away from Channel 9, the next stop on The Rasmus’ agenda.
On the way to the restaurant, 9 de Julio Av. On its rush hour wasn’t much of a help, on the contrary. The van stopped on the middle of the street and some fans on their way back home from HIT FM realised that the red van was filled with their finish idols. Being watched by taxi drivers and people around, a group of girls under 16 dressed head to toe in black, black school bags and black eye lined eyes. Shouting started, handing of pictures and pleading the guys for autographs. As the van woks ten meters and stops again, the ritual continues. “who are they?” asked a street seller. On that way of 5 blocks, the musicians must have signed the same stuff five times, and posed for the same pictures (uncomfortable, ugly, from inside the van to the street) a similar amount of times. They didn’t care. After the escape from 9 de Julio Av. And already at a restaurant in Palermo, Lauri (that would not take out the feathers for eating), Eero, Aki and Pauli felled theirs stomachs with salads, pizzas and some pasta. “what does people think of the Ché Guebara?” was the question made by Eero that surprised me during desert. Beyond his point of view and his meditation practise, he gave a clear impression that he worries about what’s going on around him. After answering him the chat went on about poverty on Latin America to finish on the situation in Venezuela!

Till we had to leave to Channel 9, where Daisy May Queen (by far the most ridiculous name on the local showbiz) to record a special, that included an interview, in depth, of course and an acoustic set of 20 minutes. As in TV everything is slow and stressing, they had to wait for a while at the dressing room, watch Carla Conte pass by, she never found out who were the guys that greeted her in English. After the sound check, dealing with hysterical producers and, once all the checks were done, to shoot!
Almost at 6 pm all of us were inside the van, that tried to leave the studio by the gate at Conde street. Wasn’t easy. About 50 fans that weren’t allowed in the shooting wanted their revenge b throwing themselves at the van. That obstacle overcome and already in our way to 100FM, u didn’t have to be a detective to realise that we were being followed by taxis and cars loaded by fans that took a chance on every traffic light to jump out of their cars and stick to the van windows. The most strange example was give by a man in his 40′s that had a picture of the girl with him on her bedroom with a The Rasmus poster n the wall. The strange prize f the day. At the door of the radio station, another contention wall allowed security to stop the 100 fans. Once inside everything was ready for the acoustic’s sound check. Even though it was the 4th date of the day the finish guys wont lose their energy and good humour. You can tell that that “star tired from fans” attitude is not for them. While they waited for the acoustic on a room on the second floor – a moment to relax with sodas, beer and sandwiches- there were also there some “sons of VIP” that got into he room for their picture and autograph. None of them complained or stopped signing what they were put in front. Admirable!. With the auditorium full of fans we went downstairs, and there recorded a ½ an hour special. With all done, back to the hotel.
Next day, the only date was an interview and meet &greet at Disney radio around nun. Yet again soup and fans everywhere. Already four pm, is time to go to the stadium, were the concert will be held at 9pm. At Livertador Av., outside the Pepsi Music stadium, Lauri was shocked/surprised to see at least 200 meters of fans sitting waiting at the queue for the doors to be open. What did the feather’s guy do? He got half his body out of the window and open his arms as a greeting. When the first fan that the queue realised, shouted in surprise and about 20 fans head to toe in black run across the Av. to the van. With the band already inside the stadium, it was only a matter of waiting for the show to begin. That’s what they were here for, after all. But that’s another story.

(red square on the right)
“Crazy for Lauri”
Girls, boys, parents. On March 29th the fins “Coparon” (informal word for “fell”) the Pepsi Music Stadium with a show for all audiences.

That day was like no-other for The Rasmus fans, even more for those at the Pepsi Music stadium that took part in this young and dark mass that lasted about 2 hours. The hairdo’s at the best Lauri Ylönen style had multiplied, and parents weren’t surprised at all. Even more: a few even joined the crowd on the hit’s catchy choruses, not to say the “pogo”.
Completely dressed in black Eero Heinonen, Pauli Rantasalmi and Aki Hakala joined Lauri, that rocked the stage the stage not only for his attitude but also for his constant communication with the audience. Was enough to say “its fucken great estar aqui!” (its fucken great to be here) to win the crowd’s heart, girls and boys all in love with these finish guys, capable of making sensitive fans to shed a few tears. “Night after night” was the song chosen to start the show, from their last album “Hide from The Sun”, in which the band makes clear to be out of the shadows. From the same album “Lucifer’s Angel” was next, but the complete craziness arrived by the hand of “Guilty” (dead letters). Among others “Last Generation” and “Immortal” gave way to the acoustic set. Wrapped up on a Finland flag Lauri joined his friends to play some songs from their old albums, even those that weren’t released in Argentina, in front of a faithful crowd that new every song. After High adrenaline moments with “In My Life”, “Heart of Misery” and “No Fear”, came The Rasmus hymn (speaking of “Rakaslaulu”). Not solemn at all, the finish band play with passion and enthusiasm while “their kids” followed them as cosy hosts. But the most exited person was, for sure, Tarja Turunen, nightwish’s ex singer and fellow Finn living in Argentina, who watched them from he field hugged to her Argentinean husband. The hit song “In The Shadows” was the song before the final “Don’t Let Go”. Exited band and Please audience!

Quotes in red:
“what does people thing of Ché Guebara?” (Eero)
“For me, feathers give a sense of freedom and that’s why I wear them” (Lauri)

text on the picture: “On action!, Lauri and Pauli own the stage at Pepsi Music Stadium”

Little blue square on page 30:
“Obsession” One of the few words that Pauli learn beforehand was “¡minitas!” (Argentinean word for: hot/beautiful woman) and from time to time will repeat in a sexy tone “¡minitas, muchas minitas!” (hot/beautiful women, many hot/beautiful women!).

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