Finnish punks at ESC
March 31, 2015
The whole country is behind the punk rockers. The band "Pertti Kurikan Nimipäivät," also known as PKN, won the preliminary round in Finland against eight opponents by getting 37.4 percent of the vote.
"People recognize me on the street and in the pub. They say they're proud that we are going to Austria," says singer Kari Aalto.
He and his bandmates Pertti Kurikka, Toni Välitalo and Sami Helle will first compete in the semi-final of the Eurovision Song Contest (ESC) in Vienna on May 19. If everything goes well, they will go on to the final round on May 23.
Topics of everyday life
The song they will be performing, "Aina Mun Pitää" ("I always have to"), is only a minute and a half long. Like all their songs, it was written and composed by the band members themselves.
Their lyrics describe the hardships of everyday life - shaving, washing, not getting drunk, going to bed early. It's basically their own take on the essential punk theme developed by the Sex Pistols: not being free.
"The songs tell the story of our lives. That's why people can recognize themselves in them, whether they are disabled or not. When you have a rotten day, you feel bad," says Sami Helle, the bassist in the band.
Fame in Finland and abroad
The punk rockers live in supervised housing and require assistance in many of their daily chores. They started playing together during a music workshop in 2009.
The guitarist wrote his first punk song on Pertti Kurikka's name day, which in Finnish is called Pertti Kurikan Nimipäivät and became the name of the band. Since then, the band has been practicing every day.
They progressively built their reputation as a cult band in Finland by playing hundreds of times in rock clubs and festivals. They already released 10 EPs and an album of their greatest hits.
The 2012 documentary "Punk Syndrome" followed the band as it rose from total obscurity to become a small phenomenon which would allow them to travel outside of Finland. The film received several awards and can now be rented online. PKN has since performed in the United States, Great Britain and Germany.
Fun with a serious message
PKN doesn't want to be defined by the band members' disability, but rather by the fun they have playing punk rock. Their international concerts nevertheless create an important symbol for inclusion.
Sami Helle says, "I hope we can encourage a debate on the conditions in which disabled people live throughout the world. I also hope many more punks will be performing at the Eurovision Song Contest after us!"
Finland won the competition once in 2006 with "Hardrock Hallelujah" by Lordi, a heavy metal band wearing monster costumes. PKN's drummer Toni Välitalo is convinced another unusual Finnish band can succeed against all odds: "We will win. There's no doubt about it."