New Tour Video 
Mai
05
Apr
23
New Blog of Samu und Co. Haver fun
-> Blog
Apr
09
Mrz
15
Message of Samu and Co:
We just heard that “Hollywood Hills” has sold DOUBLE PLATINUM in Sweden. This is really awesome, thanks to all our fans in our loving neighboring country! Tack så mycket.
Gratulation
Mrz
10
Mrz
08
On The Way To Bratislava
We just crossed the “water border” of Buda and Pest. The capital of Hungary used to be two separated cities in the past separated by the river Danube, but now it’s Budapest, one of the old continent’s prettiest cities. I’d been to the Budapest airport at least ten times waiting for our connecting flight to Greece or somewhere, but now we finally got into the city. Our driver Sebastien told us that Budapest, Bratislava and Prague are definitely worth checking out and he wasn’t wrong about the first city at all. I have been to Bratislava but to Prague never. I think I will need to do a little trip to both city centers.
Before the tour I felt really unsure if we’d get any audience in the “new” countries such as France, Holland or Hungary, but now all the doubt is gone. I can’t describe how great the night was again tonight. The club was very rock ‘n’ roll tonight. It was a bit cold when we arrived in the morning and the locals said they usually have metal and heavy metal bands only. Looked like that. Don’t get me wrong, it was cool.
(As I am writing this blog, I am sitting next to Sami. We are listening to American country music LOUD and we’re dreaming of the road trip through North America, the one we’re gonna make later this year. NY, Miami, Nashville, Oklahoma, Las Vegas, LA and San Francisco. At least. Sami is the sweetest guy on the planet. He is one of the very few guys who can really start crying when he hears a beautiful country song. Dixie Chick’s Traveling Soldier always gets us both…)
Anyway… I had a few interviews today with local media. It’s so amazing that even here in Hungary they have played Fairytale Gone Bad already years ago and everyone knew how to sing Hollywood Hills from start to end. Why the hell haven’t we been here before? Well, good that we’re here now. Thank you all for a great great evening and from the bottom of my heart I hope we’re back in our “language cousin” country soon. Thank you Hungary!
Austria has always been one the countries where we have felt like home. We have played tens of shows and many great festivals from Klagenfurt to Vienna and from Graz and Linz to Innsbruck during the last years. The Austrians have two very cool summer festivals we have attended, twice at both of them. The famous Nova Rock and the ever-great Donau Insel Fest where we are going again this summer.
We had two shows in Austria on this tour. In November we played in Vienna and now it was Linz’s turn in Upper Austria. We have very good memories from the city. We have spent even a few off days there. As we got into the venue in the morning, I felt a bit tired in a funny way. Every time there is even a tiny signal from the throat that something could be wrong, it hits me and I start to worry. Luckily this time I had just slept bad and after the great show and a good night sleep after Linz, I felt like a new man again today. When we entered the stage in the morning in Linz, there was a HUGE flag in the opposite side of the room from the stage. The flag said: “Austrian audience never fails.” Who ever said those words must have been smart.
The strangest thing happened during the show in Linz. It was super hot during the show, but suddenly I felt this freezing wind breeze on stage. They had opened the door somewhere probably because we were running out of air in the room. I had been sweating very much until that and it felt like a million knives on my skin. I ran down from the stage during the keyboard solo in “I Don’t dance” to Karri (My dear guitar tech) and told him to do anything to shut all the doors in Linz… Was spooky.
It’s a shame this was the only club show in Austria this spring, but it’s good to know that we’ll be back in a few months in Vienna in the middle on the river Danube again.
Tomorrow is a day off in Bratislava, the capital of Slovakia. I have some interviews in the afternoon and a few meetings, but the rest of the day is free. And the boys have the full day off, so you can just imagine the noise in the bus right now. Well-deserved party. There might be a bowling session in the evening, let’s see. I almost even skipped the Go-Cart race too few days ago. I’m happy I didn’t
We have four shows left before we go back home. First two great ice hockey countries Slovakia and Check Republic and then two shows in Germany. I heard Frankfurt is sold out but there are still some tickets left for Munster, the last gig. It’s a kind of a tradition that you make some tricks to the other guys on the last show. I have told our crew to do anything stupid at “the risk of their lives only” but now I have a really cool idea what I could do on stage on the last show. Let’s see if it works out. It’s sad anyway that we are this far already. I know I have said this so many times, but it has been, once again, the best tour ever. No question!
One thing that is really strange on the road is the session every night when we cross the border from a country to another. Even between the Schengen countries in the European Union, the custom guys and police take “gifts” from the driver in the middle of the night. If you don’t give the border control or other officers some free band t-shirts and CD’s, you might have to wait for hours for the entrance to the country or city. So every evening before we start the bus we sign a few posters and CD’s and prepare this “corruption set” for the local authorities. Then the driver has fewer problems on the road. It’s a mad world…
Anyway… Thank you all so much again and good night to everyone where ever you are,
Samu
PS: I think I will win the photo contest with my on-stage pictures. It’s such a hassle every time Tuomas (monitor guy) gives me the camera and I start adjusting the setting for the light on stage that moment. I didn’t know photography could be THIS much fun :;)
Feb
29
Feb
26
It´s a mad world
I am sitting alone in the lower lounge of our bus. We just left our keyboardist Heikki at his hotel in Brussels. He is flying home tomorrow to his own band and their activities. We’re driving towards Luxembourg now for a day off. The boys are sleeping or watching a movie upstairs. I am listening to “Mad World” by Gary Jules. It’s probably the only song right now beautiful enough for my lonely moment. It’s just me and our French driver Sebastien. He’s the nicest driver ever. He lets me smoke in the front…
We returned on stage after resting one day in Dusseldorf on Friday. What a night. It’s a pretty hard evening when your mother, sweet 6-year old niece, friends and music industry people are visiting your show. Even thought our tour manager Manni takes care of everything (every single night) and carries them wine, juice and food, you worry a bit if they’re ok at their own area at the backstage. Mani had made a special area for “Sunrise Avenue Friends and Family” next to our backstage.
I had been waiting for the Dusseldorf show for a good nine months, ever since I heard the arena was booked. With the maximum capacity of 7.500 viewers, it’s the biggest headlining show we have ever done indoors. I actually made a bet with one girl from the audience in Dortmund last year about the show. She said it would be sold out – I said it would not sell full – and as it was
packed, she won and she will get a free photo shoot with us later on the tour. That was her wish if she’d win.
We have played for crowds that are way bigger on festivals, but to have your own crowd that size has been a dream for me as long as I remember. Then two hours before the show time the EMI Germany people surprised us with platinum album awards. We were more than confused. We never expected that and you have no idea how it made us feel. 200.000 copies. Again. Thank you! It was quite a moment sitting there alone before “Sweet Symphony” on the catwalk thinking about life and the ten years with the band. What a night. Thank you so much once again everyone!
After the show we had a little celebration in the bus with friends and family. And we brought some champagne also to the fans behind the gates. Riku, Sami and Heikki even escaped downtown for a few drinks. Well deserved!
Today we played in Brussels. It was the very first show in Belgium with the full band. We played an acoustic show at the local radio station’s Q-music Cube last year. It was this very tiny concert for maybe 40 people. That was super cool (especially since I had the pleasure to meet the former Miss Belgium at the studio;), but we had been waiting for the chance to get on stage with “big guitars” and stuff.
It’s funny again how after Dusseldorf and 7.500 viewers you think it could be boring to play for the max 400. Nope. What a night again. And what a crowd! There have been a few VERY hot shows in the past but I guess the VK club in Brussels went at least close to the top. After the show there were still sweat drops falling from my pants at the backstage. Super cool. It felt like good old times rock ‘n’ roll. When this tour was being planned last year, I was hoping that when we mix bigger and smaller arenas and clubs, as we do now, it stays even more interesting and fresh for us since every night is special. And that’s exactly the way it’s been. And it’s amazing how well the people knew our songs again today and how loud they sang them with us. I hope we get to come back to the land of the Smurfs soon. Maybe they have some festivals in the summer… Maybe
The club tonight was in a strange and a bit scary neighborhood. We were told to keep our eyes on our bags and stuff as we left the bus in the morning. The locals said it’s a very unsafe neighborhood where we could get robbed. I hope you all got home safe too.
So… Tomorrow is a day off in Luxembourg. I don’t know what there is to do on Sunday (I guess everything’s closed) but we’ll figure something out. Someone mentioned something about a massage, but I’m not gonna join. I don’t like having massages. Never did. I guess I’m just gonna go downtown taking photos and just to have a look at the city. And I need some fresh air and to rest my throat. I heard the “Club Den Atelier” on Monday is already sold out. We have played two festival shows in Luxembourg and those trips have been super fun. So I guess Monday should be a fine day.
Thank you all so much for the great two shows again. You have made 5 guys from Finland very happy. Again.
Good night everyone,
Samu
PS: Thank you Heikki for the great effort on stage today and especially for your company in the bus. And all the best for My First Band. We keep our fingers crossed and we stay in touch!! Osmo is at his friend’s wedding in Finland and returns on stage with us on Monday.
PPS: I heard about a conflict at one of our shows between some people in the audience. As I have said before, try to be nice to each other. I know there are no real rules about who gets to the first row or who gets to go in first, but I am sure nobody needs to get hurt or insulted. It’s supposed to be a fun event and no matter if you’re there for the 10th or the first time, we hope everyone could feel safe during the whole day and our only mission is to send everyone home with a smile on after the night.
PPPS: “Maybe Heikki you’re too young!”
Feb
22
Feb
21
Braunschweig, Leipzig, Rostock (Germany)
Nice. Very nice!!!
I’m laying on my Hotel Bed her in Hamburg, Germany and my nose is running a bit but I don’t feel sick at all. Maybe this will go away with good sleep tonight. I have had this weak feeling all the first three tour days, but luckily the feeling on stage has been great. After two and a half months break, we continued our tour again last Friday and it has been just amazing!!!
In Braunschweig on Friday we had a full-hassle-day with the crew guys. A lot of new arrangements to the new songs had to be rehearsed on stage. And we also needed to do that together with the sound guys and Timo(lightning operator) to make them aware of the new details. We also had to give some time on stage for our support Jim Kroft band, since it was also the first show with this setup for them. They seem like nice guys.
Even the first show in Braunschweig was amazing. Usually the 1st and the 3rd show on the tour are very challenging. On the first night you are still “on holiday” and you just overdo the things. Happens to everyone, I guess. The second show always goes better as your system realizes the tour has started. The third show is always the great challenge. Last night before the show we decided with the guys that we’ll break the curse this time and with your help, we did. Was super fun!
All three evenings have been so great with you all and we can’t wait to continue the journey tomorrow in Hamburg. The day tomorrow is very special also because our friends from My First Band from Finland will play as the first band of the evening. I hope they play my favorite song “1 2 3 4 Fight For The Money”. Make sure you arrive in time tomorrow so you don’t miss them. The boys must be freaking excited
Riku is lying next to me in his bed editing some videos we have recorded during the first days and I hope we can see some tour TV episodes soon.
I will close my eyes now for a while and before the dinner we have together with the crew and staff; I will go shopping in the city a bit. I hope the city of Hamburg is not as messed up with the crazy Carnival’s “Great Monday” as Cologne is, for example. I don’t get the costume tradition… I like the October Fest more. Mostly because of the girls and their national outfits.
Thank you all for the very great tour start and see you again tomorrow in Hamburg.
Love,
Samu
PS: I just love the Design Hotels hotel chain! Check them out where ever you go!
www.designhotels.com
PPS: Our favorite ice hockey team Helsinki IFK have won 9 games in a row now. Tomorrow they have a chance to extend the trend again. Keep your fingers crossed. My guess for the final result is Saipa-HIFK 1-4 in case someone wants to make bets online
