My sister suggested going to Lapko’s (Finnish alternative rock band) gig at the Doo-Bop Club, and Lapko being a band I might have at some point listened to, and this sounding like an actual event in the great town of Vaasa, I got very excited. Tickets were 14€ at the door and we got in early to secure places – my understanding of going early to door that open at 9 PM being at latest 8.30 was mayble slightly exaggerated – no event is that big in Vaasa, I guess. We got in after 9.30 all right – the trip to the bar was an adventure in itself as my sister had dressed me in platform shoes and cycled us both into town.
I haven’t been to the venue much before, as during my teenage / adult years in Vaasa (that be until 2009 when I left) Doo-Bop Club was mainly peopled by Finnish Swedish folks, and sorry to say, that Finnish speakers rarely mixed with Swedish speakers. It’s a little cellar in the centre of Vaasa, the bar itself being rather un-specific and characterless at first sight becomes of secondary importance when considering the fact that it might be the only bar with truly good live music.
The music was guitar- and drum-heavy, so I was pretty satisfied. I’m a permanent resident in Ignorance Town when it comes to Finnish music, despite my personal connections to the “scene”, so this piece of text is not even going to try to sound savvy about music. The Club was full up and I saw mostly just glimpses of the band-members, all light-brown haired Finnish guys from the “lookable” end of the scale of Finnish men (in other words, they did not look as much like potatoes as the standard Finnish male). A charismatic bunch, and the singer in his black sleeveless top and with a guitar at his hips roared to the microphone with such high-pitched fervour that I’m sure some of the girl- and semi-gay members of the audience were pissing their pants. It’s an interesting thing this halo around rock ‘n roll stars.
Lapko played full on from the beginning of the gig to the end, allowing me to sink into a dream-like torpor waving myself slightly on the suddenly-comfortable platforms. I’m usually interested in lyrics, but here I did not pay attention until the band played ‘Friends Are Flowers’ chorus, which lists “ice cream, flowers and pussy”, and some creepo standing behind me started whispering “pussy” into my ear. Thank you creeps all around the world, you can really ruin a moment so well!
Anyway, the music must have struck a chord in me, because I didn’t just stay analysing the lyrics. Finland has a handful of rock musicians with a high singing voice, who have through some miracle gained a pleasant Kimi Räikköinen -free English accent, and I was pleased to get to know Lapko as one of these. The band members mingled with the audience after the gig, and I’m proud to say I even got to help one of them up the stairs. All sweet lads, and very comely and savory music. A Good Friday, indeed-o.
Band: http://www.lapko.com/
Club: http://doobop.fi/
Be Afraid of the Woolf 