On June 12, 2019 Helsinki Day was celebrated at Kaisaniemi park. Ville Valo & Agents played among the others. Before the concert Ville Valo & Esa Pulliainen gave interview for radio Suomipop, Juuso ja Tinni Show.
You can hear the interview in Finnish language here:
Youtube channel Vampire Heart69 and Elisa published a translation to English. Thanks, dears! We copy it here for easier reading. And the Russian translation is here.
Juuso: Here we are in Kaisaniemi Helsinki with Helsinki day concert currently going on. Ville Valo and Esa Pulliainen have arrived here, welcome.
Esa: Hello listeners.
Ville: Thank you, thank you.
Juuso: I wish you the most wonderful Helsinki day. What meaning does the capital of our country have to you? Let’s start with you Ville, what does Helsinki mean to you?
Ville: You should probably start with Esa, he’s somehow closer to the heart of the city than I am… I’m from Puu-Vallila and from there I moved to Oulunkylä, but Esa is from the heart of the city.
Esa: In a way, I’m one of the guys from Kamppi. Old criteria for being a ‘’city guy’’ were that you were born in Kätilöopisto in Neitsytpolku and spent time in Kamppi neighborhood. (To Ville:) You’re from midpoint to Hämeenlinna.
Ville: Sounds about right. That doesn’t mean Helsinki wouldn’t mean anything to me. My home and family are here. Bands have been started and ended here, we’ve celebrated and cried and so on.
Esa: I’ve lived elsewhere for a couple of decades now. I live in a suburb these days. And I’m not complaining, I’ve adapted to it quite well. But this will always be my hometown.
Juuso: Every person who has visited here, has told what ‘’the place’’ in Helsinki is to them. Ville, what is ‘’the place’’ in Helsinki to you?
Ville: It’s quite hard to say, because it has been changing so many times. The first apartment where I moved at the age of seventeen was in Pietarinkatu, house number 12 if I remember correctly.
Juuso: Really southern part of Helsinki.
Ville: Yeah, and that area was somehow meaningful to me. Concerts in Kaivopuisto, the whole Huvilakatu and that area includes a lot of memories. Maybe the whole Ullanlinna district is meaningful to me, if we’re not talking about some specific bars which are all closed now. For example, Corona is closing soon. Lost & Found doesn’t exist anymore…
Juuso: Is there anything left in life, Ville?
Ville: There is no future. The only chance is to move far away from here, and fast.
Juuso: All the way to Puu-Vallila… How about you Esa? What is ‘’the place’’ in Helsinki to you?
Esa: The places are located at Kamppi neighborhood, I’ve spent my time there while I lived in Helsinki. Within walking distance of Tavastia. That area became quite central to me, it’s good to live within walking distance of Tavastia.
Ville: You’re right about that, Tavastia should be important on many levels. From fans perspective, I mean being a fan of that place, and there was also incredible amount of our gigs. It was too close; I didn’t realize to say that at the beginning. And of course, Aikuisten Lelukauppa in Viides Linja number seven, my father’s ‘’adult entertainment mecca’’.
Juuso: It still exists, right?
Ville: Both my father and the dildos are still there.
Juuso: So, some things stay, even though the bars are changing. And Ville, you still own a piece of architecture history of Helsinki. You still have that old tower in Munkkiniemi, don’t you?
Ville: Yeah, I still own it. There has been a lot of renovation made by the housing cooperative and it’s supposed to be put on sale, to find a person who wants to move there. It became a bit small for me regarding music stuff, it’s not that big.
Juuso: It has many floors though.
Ville: Yeah and it’s fine and special, but everything has its time. I lived there for ten years and did a lot of renovation and now the housing cooperative has been repairing it. Give me a call to get it with a cheap price.
Juuso: I was wondering if you had some special reason to get it, because the designer of that place is apparently the first city architect of Helsinki. He has that kind of title.
Ville: I think the designing part was quite complicated. It included many people like the designer of Munkkiniemen kartano, I think he was a Swedish guy.
Juuso: Granstedt or something like that.
Ville: Yeah and he has designed quite cool wooden villas in Espoo, he has his own style. The area near Munkkiniemen kartano is interesting, because all the buildings there represent different styles. And this tower is representing gothic style. Originally there was an outhouse in the yard that was an exact copy of the look of that building, there are photographs about it. But they got rid of it for some reason.
Juuso: I’ve heard a rumor, that in the WC of this tower of yours…
Ville: Oikotie.fi…
Juuso: … would have an old phone of Kekkonen.
Ville: There is an intercom that was used by Kekkonen, and reportedly he was shouting there ‘’kossua tänne saatana!’’ (‘’Bring that Koskenkorva here, dammit!’’) I’m sorry for the curse word but I need to say it as he said it. It’s precise.
Juuso: That’s all about that apartment. Let’s talk about your music and the musical fireworks you have offered and will offer together in summer. From what I’ve seen from the gig calendar, there are very big festivals coming. How about dance halls, my friends? Did you consider at any point that you would conquer traditional Finnish dance halls?
Esa: I’ll first say to Ville, do you remember a long time ago when I said to you: let’s perform at some dance halls, outside Helsinki area. There are thousands of people who have never seen you live and will not see unless we go to those places. And I think these dance hall gigs have been wonderful.
Ville: We have made a few of those, the idea was to do kind of a crossover: hope that the people who don’t know Agents would be excited about them because of me, and the other way around. I like it and think it’s rare, I’ve never been on stage and seen people from 18 to 80 sing along. They are great songs so what could be better. I don’t know if I should look at the audience or the band behind me. I’m such a fan myself.
Juuso: Apparently, you’ve got quite good reception from the gigs you’ve already done?
Esa: Those people living in the woods have welcomed Ville very well. He seems to be very wanted performer there.
Juuso: Ville you get to be on stage, but do you like to dance? When you go to a dance hall, there’s always a risk of a lady inviting you to some sort of moving of feet.
Ville: I’m sharp like a razor but I can’t cut a rug (cut a rug = to dance really well – [ballroom dances] )
Esa: That’s a good answer.
Juuso: What’s your situation regarding summer? Today we get to enjoy your performance here in Kaisaniemi, there’s a big audience already waiting and concerts going on. How’s your summer looking like?
Ville: We’re working on every weekend. And as you said, there are some bigger festivals of all sorts. Our journey with this project ends at the end of August. And after that I don’t know what I’ll do, and don’t know what Esa will do either.
Esa: It looks like the rest of the summer will be hard work. But it’s our work and this is what we can and want to do.
Juuso: I understand that you don’t know about the future or there isn’t anything you can tell about yet but at least you’ll be making music, right?
Ville: No, this was it. (everyone laughs)
Juuso: All right, there was the announcement.
Ville: Until it’s decided otherwise.
Juuso: Exactly, you always have the right to take your words back, especially if you’re an artist. Thank you, dear gentlemen, that you came here to talk. I wish you a great gig and continuation of Helsinki day.
Ville: Thank you.
Esa: Thanks for the listeners and happy Helsinki day.
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