Jump to content

What are you listening to ?


Jimbo
 Share

Recommended Posts

http://uk.news.yahoo.com/27042006/325/finn...-burn-hell.html

 

STOCKHOLM (Reuters) - Song contest entrants are rarely forced to deny that they worship the devil, but Finland is hoping that heavy rock band Lordi's fiendish lyrics and bloody stage act can redeem its dismal record at Eurovision.

 

Christian groups in Finland and in Greece, which hosts the televised contest in May, denounce the band as Satanists and the Greek Consumers' Union wants them banned.

 

 

Lordi's devil worship denials are not helped by their outfits -- horns, skeleton and zombie masks, creeping flesh, mummy bandages, studs and huge platform-soles -- or lyrics like "Wings on my back and horns on my head/My fangs are sharp and my eyes are red".

But band leader Lordi, with red eyes, horns on his forehead and cheeks, silver armour and a cape lined with reindeer fur, told Reuters it was "insulting being judged by the way you look. Our lyrics mention the devil, but that's just rock'n'roll.

 

"If we had to choose between the devil and God, we'd choose God. We don't want to burn in hell," he said in an interview on a visit to Stockholm on Thursday, in a record label's office strewn with costumes, make-up and hamburgers.

 

"Some of our fans on the Internet do have nicknames like Lordi666, but after we brought out 'The Devil is a Loser' four years ago lots of Christians adopted us," said singer and lyricist Lordi, whose real name is Tomi Putaansuu.

 

Putaansuu is a 32-year-old horror movie buff who has been dressing up as a monster since he was seven.

 

He knows the band will be out of place in a contest that is historically the domain of clean-cut pop from the likes of ABBA, Cliff Richard and Johnny Logan.

 

"We are like meat-eaters in a vegetarian cafe," said Lordi, sitting beside guitarist Amen who was sweating in a rubber mummy outfit and had to send out for a straw to drink mineral water through the fixed grimace on his mask.

 

DEAD SERIOUS

 

Hailing from the Lapland town of Rovaniemi, whose main claim to fame is as the home of Father Christmas, Lordi say they are "deadly serious" about their music, citing influences like Kiss, Twisted Sister, Alice Cooper and Ozzy Osbourne, who has also been accused of Satanism.

 

Lordi says his country's Eurovision Song Contest panel, desperate for a result, "begged" the band to compete for the Finnish selection, where it won 42 percent of television votes.

 

Finland has never come close to winning Eurovision. Even neighbouring Norway, which has famously scored "nul points" at least four times, has a win to its name, while Sweden next door is a Eurovision superpower.

 

The annual competition, in its 51st year, is often derided as tacky and outdated, but Eurovision remains a major television draw watched by over 100 million viewers in some 40 countries.

 

At first just keen for the publicity for their latest album "Rock Hallelujah", Lordi are now determined to make the finals.

 

Back home the band gets mixed reviews. Lutheran pastors have denounced them for blasphemy, while others like school principal Veronic Sandstrom, 58, suggest "maybe it would have been better to send someone more attractive".

 

But rock fans hope the outlandish costumes, snarled lyrics and hard guitar will make an impact.

 

"I don't see how a band with a mummy and a skeleton with a nose ring could lose!" said the editor of Finnish rock magazine Sue, Ari Vantanen, who thinks the band is perfect for the "camp event" Eurovision has now become.

 

"We've sent beautiful people before and that didn't work. Now we're trying something else, let's see how it goes," said language teacher Sofia Tasanko, 35, at Turku train station.

 

(Additional reporting by Laura Vinha and Arild Moen in Finland)

 

I can't wait to see them at eurovision. ;)

 

Lordi - Blood Red Sandman

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The Pogues - The Band Played Waltzing Matilda.

 

I haven't listened to this for a while, if I get any more shivers down my spine I'm gonna end up in a wheel chair. Songs don't get more moving than this. Brilliant.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

KT Tunstall - Other Side Of The World

 

The german and me had our first kiss to this song.  :angry:  :razz:

129349[/snapback]

 

 

Wow thats a coincedence ! who were you with at the time ? ;)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

KT Tunstall - Other Side Of The World

 

The german and me had our first kiss to this song.  :angry:  :razz:

129349[/snapback]

 

 

Wow thats a coincedence ! who were you with at the time ? ;)

129352[/snapback]

 

Eh? She's on msn now. :angry:

 

This album isn't the same without me tongue in her mouth.

 

I'm a little...sozzled tonight. B)

 

KT Tunstall - Under The Weather

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
 Share

×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

We have placed cookies on your device to help make this website better. You can adjust your cookie settings, otherwise we'll assume you're okay to continue.