Interview with Jo & Juhis in Helsinki - English Version

(Underground Attack)

03.01.2007 von Melanie Schupp

How did you spend your New Years Eve?

Jo: In a sauna with loads of beer 200 kilometres northeast from Helsinki.

Juhis: It is called Hirvensalmi. It´s in the Western part of Savo.

Is this where your family lives?

Juhis: No. Actually it´s from my family the place where the sauna is. It´s owned by my dad but it is just for vacation.

How long have you been in the band?

Jo: Three years.

Juhis: I think we named the band Sleazy Dream when Pete came; the first rehearsals were in February or April 2003.

And what does your name mean? Do you have many sleazy dreams?

(Laughter)

Juhis: It depends on what think what “sleazy” means. Sometimes even love can be sleazy in this world full of hatred. So it depends on your own definition of “sleazy”.

When did you meet each other?

Jo: We met like 10 or 15 years ago in an ice hockey practice.

Juhis (laughs): Yeah we played in the same ice hockey team. And we met – obviously – when I came to the first workout.

Jo: We met Arska like... six...

Juhis: It was 1999.

Jo: We put an ad to a newspaper or was it internet?

Juhis: Yes, it was on the internet.

Jo: Anyway... he answered our add and became the bass player. And the drummer Pete came in through a friend because we needed a drummer at that time.

And it worked from the first minute?

Jo: I don’t know but it works now. (Laughter)

Juhis (laughs): Yes, it was good enough for Rock n Roll.

Alright. Have you played many shows outside of Finland?

Jo: Last year we had our first shows outside Finland.

Where?

Juhis: In Germany and in Russia.

Jo: And a couple of shows in Turku.

What was the audience like in these two countries?

Jo: In Russia, they were a bit fanatic.

Juhis: But it was a festival.

Are they more fanatic than Germans? Cause German fans do have the image of being very fanatic fans.

Juhis: I do not know. Because the places were very different. When we played in Munich, there was this youth centre. And of course the people were young and had loads of energy. And in Russia, we played at the festival where people were drunk. So they had loads of energy as well. But I think in general the foreign audience has been better than the Finish.

Jo: In Finland, people are more reserved.

Juhis: Yes. But they are listening. They show their respect by listening to the band and not jumping around.

Maybe they´re just too shy...

(Laughter)

Juhis: Yes maybe... or they´re not drunk enough.

Are there any plans to play in Germany again?

Juhis: Sure. But we haven´t made any plans yet.

You only went to Munich...?

Juhis: Yes. Actually, we tried to book as many gigs as we could get but we only had two shows.

Yeah I think it is not easy to fill the clubs if they don´t know the band.

Juhis: Yes but it is always hard because we don’t have a release. We don´t have a single to play on the radio. So we have to do a lot of email work and a lot of convincing people who have never heard our music. If we had an album in stores so that any DJ could play it in clubs that would be much easier.

Do you have an EP?

Juhis: Yes. Here it is.

What would you say should the DJ play? Which one is the best?

Juhis: All of them. But the first one is the shortest it is kind of... it’s the radio hit.

Savage Side.

Juhis: It’s the shortest that´s why. But the others are as good as “Savage Side”... or maybe they are better.

What’s the story of your logo?

Jo: I was just listening to John Lennon. It´s like a love thing and there´s an “S” and a “D” combined. Of course, it looks a little bit like the heartagram of HIM. I just tried to combine the “S” and the “D”.

Juhis: We decided that this would be a good logo because you can draw it in one line. Cause if you have something like Aerosmith you can never draw it on the toilet wall... and that´s the best advertising!

And will you play at some festivals next year?

Juhis: In Russia. And there are some plans for doing festival shows in Slovakia... but it´s just plans yet. In Finland it´s nearly impossible to play at good festivals when you don´t have a release.

Is there another release planned?

Juhis: We just promote ourselves with the EP to find a label.

Do you already have many fans in Finland?

Juhis: Well we have done a few songs in Helsinki and I can recognize some familiar faces. We can sell out places like Semi-final.

How many people get into Semi-final?

Jo: Not so many... 160 I think.

What was your smallest gig? How many people went to your first shows?

Jo: I think the first gig was at some students’ party. So there were many people. But one day we played in Lahti and there were about 20 people.

Juhis: It´s difficult as we don´t have a single yet. But my space has helped a lot. I think this is even a reason why this interview is happening.

Yes, myspace is a great platform!

Juhis: You haven´t seen us playing yet. Every time we play we have to convince the people to come, and after the show, they come to us saying, “You did a great show!” Last EP we had about 500 copies and they were all sold out. And it wasn´t in stores we just sold them at the concerts. In Munich, mostly everyone in the youth centre bought it.

What was the funniest thing that ever happened on stage?

Jo: A couple of month ago Juhis just had two guitars for a gig. And on the second song, he broke one string. Then he changed the guitar and on the third song, he broke another string and he was like “What the fuck...?”

Juhis: Yes and then I had to borrow the headliners´ guitar. He even changed my strings.
And one funny thing was... we had a second guitarist before and I remember one show in Turku. On one of the last songs, he broke one string and in the end, he just had two strings left on his guitar!
But I think the funniest things happen in the audience.

Jo: Yes, there was a show in “On the rocks” a couple of month ago. There was this 70-year-old woman. She was partying in front of the stage. That was funny.

Maybe your biggest fan, who knows how fanatic she is?
Could you describe each band member with one word?

Jo: Arska is kukkohuuli.

What´s that?

Juhis: It´s kind of a joke. It doesn´t mean anything we just started to call him kukkohuuli. Because when we went to Munich, we told the people to call him kukkohuuli. And he was like “What the hell is going on here? How do they know that this is my nickname?”

Pete our drummer is funny.

Is he often doing jokes or does he look funny?

Juhis: No he’s just funny. Of course he jokes a lot.

Jo: He is a positive person.

Juhis: He is always happy.

Jo: Juhis is angry.

Juhis: And Jo is musical.

What was the most amazing experience you´ve ever had?

Juhis: To me it was probably... last year when we played outside Finland. That was the most amazing thing because I couldn´t believe that it was so easy. I thought it would be much harder.

In Russia, the show was very nice. There were many people and after the show, we met one Russian guy who spoke a little bit Finish language. We talked to him and he wanted to take us to some bars. And anyone told us before “Don´t go with local people. You’ll only get in trouble!” But we went with him. And we went to a cheaper place and anyone of us was so drunk.

Jo: And after we left the bar, we just walked to a taxi stand. And there were about four Russian people. They started to hit us without any reason. We just jumped into the taxi and the last thing I can remember before we closed the door is this fist coming straight into my face. We closed the door and then we realized that we had lost the address of our hostel.

Juhis: Yes, I lost it.

Jo: And we sat in different cabs so we had no idea where to go.

Lost in Russia...

Juhis: I was very drunk. But I remembered the way. But it wasn´t all that bad... I felt pretty happy all the time.

Imagine... if you would be very famous one day would you take care on how you would behave in public?

Juhis: I don´t know... I hope that it wouldn´t have any effect on my. Of course it will but... actually I don´t even want to think about it. Because the start is sooo far away, right now. I have to concentrate on basic things. How to get there if I want to get there.

Jo: I don´t think that people would change. Cause if you are an asshole you´ll keep being an asshole. And if not you won´t become an asshole just because you´re famous.

Juhis: Well... you´ll get loads of pressure and it just depends on how you can deal with it.
It´s fine if you can live with it, if you accept it. But if you try to fight back then you might start threating other people.

What´s your favourite place in Finland and all over the world?

Jo: In Finland, I think it´s the place we went on New Years Eve.

Juhis: Yes. I like Helsinki and Tampere.

Jo: But if you are happy it doesn´t matter where you are. Of course, you´ll get a little bit of belief if you have the chance to get out of this shitty weather into the warm sun. That might make you a bit happier.

Juhis: There is one park in Barcelona. It´s one of the most beautiful places I´ve ever been. So that’s one of my favourite places. I like going there, drinking a bottle of wine by myself and think of things. That makes me feel happy.

What would you sell your soul for?

Juhis: I think I´ve sold it already. But I haven´t received the payment yet.

Jo: I haven´t actually thought about if I have a soul or something like that. Maybe I have to think of it.

Can you tell me your personal album top 5?

Jo: At the moment I think it´s a Queen album and of course everything of Hanoi Rocks. And “Appetite for Destruction” is one of the most important albums in my point of view... I think this was the first time I personally heard Rock.

Juhis: I agree with Jo. Of course Led Zeppelin and of course all the things Guns n Roses did. And The Beatles “Abbey Road”. I can’t tell you a top five because there are so many.

That’s it. Is there something else you would like to tell us?

Juhis: You should come and watch our shows!