OUTSIDER ON THE INSIDE

Here’s the thing. I am a Finn. Well, officially anyway. That’s what my passport says. In my head and probably in my heart I am...well, I don’t know, er, confused.

I’ve lived in England for most of my adult life, some 16 years now. In that time I’ve visited the “motherland” less than five times.
I can still speak Finnish, of course, but in a weird sort of 80’s style. All the new sayings and slang I have to read/listen to couple of times or have someone explain them to me.
Even then some of them don’t make any sense or I just find them hilarious, especially if they’ve been loosely translated from English.

So when Ilosaari Rokki’s web-meister extraordinaire Rysky asked me to contribute to the Rokki website’s English section, I thought hmm, this is going be interesting.
The idea, he said, is that I can look and listen to the comings and goings of various Rokki folk with the eyes and ears of an outsider.

Outsider on the Finn-side.

And I totally agree.

I am Finnish enough to know what’s what and but at the same time because I haven’t lived in the country for so long and no longer understand what it’s current rock generation is all about, I can observe them with the curiosity of a foreigner. The Finns are certainly an interesting breed, especially when you let them loose in a Rokki kind of setting.

The other thing that intrigued me was the fact that the biggest current rock/pop name in Finland could walk right past me and I wouldn’t even know who they are.
A really big star could be throwing a tantrum because their backstage area wasn’t up to scratch and I would just think “who is this spoilt prat?”

And any music I’m going to hear over the three days by new Finnish bands will be like listening to the first demo-tape they sent to a record company although they might be platinum selling artists.

This, my friends,is going to be interesting...Lots of love, Lärwi xxx