Introduce yourself...
Angster: My name is Angster, and I am the lead-kind-of-a-singer of The
Valkyrians, which is a ska-rocksteady-reggae band from Finland.
The other boys are:
Letku-Leroy / bass
Gladiatorrr / guitar
Big Deal / drums
And Mr Moonhead will introduce himself...
Mr Moonhead: Hi, I am Mister Mohammed Ahmed Moonhead and I play Farfisa
keyboards.
How did the band start?
A: There are many opinions about how it all started, but the truth is this.
I've known all the guys since the beginning of the nineties (except Mr
Moonhead. We met in 1999), and they had a very great band back then here
in Helsinki. I saw them many times, and I was quite impressed. But they
split up in 1998, and then I got my chance. I offered them lots of beer in
our regular bar, and when they were very drunk, They promised to form a
new band with me. We had the first rehearsals in 1999,
But something was still missing. In 2002 we met again in that same bar,
And I introduced Mr Moonhead to the guys. Then we were finally a real
band.
MrM: My self-esteem just got a boner.
How did you come up with the name?
A: The real story goes like this: We were thinking of a name, a cool name
for a cool band, and someone said it should sound lofty like Trojan (a
famous reggae company with a cool helmet logo). And we thought, that in
the nordic mythology they had cool helmets too. And probably bigger than
in the southern Europe, because in Finland we have big heads. And The
Valkyrians sounded lofty, very lofty.
MrM: And the valkyries were women, with big breasts and long blonde hair.
And they rided the skies looking for brave soldiers to mate with. And then
came Tom Cruise.
Who would you say are your influences?
A: We have all the same kind of musical history. When we were young we
listened to punk music. Our bass player Letku-Leroy played in Ratsia, one
of the first punk bands in Finland. And we've all been listening to Ska
music since the eighties. In the nineties we played in different bands,
different kinds of music. But I would say at the moment for sure the
influences are The Upsetters, Derrick Morgan, Alton Ellis and in general
all rocksteady (years 66-69), Punkrock, ska ,Two-Tone, reggae and every
kind of good music.
Mrm: We also get influenced by alcohol and good fun loving people.
What is the punk scene like in Finland?
A: Punkrock has been very strong genre here from the beginning. Great
bands in the seventies, hardcore in the eighties, and then lots of
different kind of subcultures, skate punk, american style hardcore...
The bands we've played with, and my favorites are for instance: I Walk the
Line, Down My Throat, No Shame, Endstand, Wasted...
Next month we play together with one of the first punk bands Pelle
Miljoona Oy with Andy McCoy (guitarist from Hanoi Rocks) and Kakkahätä
-77, And it's going to be fun.
Mrm: Angster forgot to mention that the bass player of Pelle Miljoona Oy
is Sam Yaffa, also from Hanoi Rocks, who nowadays plays for The New York
Dolls!
Describe the song writing process...
A: Somebody brings a song to the rehearsals, and then we play, fight,
drink, play, shout, fight and drink and after a couple of hours we have a
new song ready. And later, in our regular bar, we tell each other how
genius we are, and we are the best friends again.
Mrm: And that is called democracy.
Your first album was 'High and Mighty', tell us about the album...
A: When we started, I thought we would have 3-5 gigs a year and we would
sell couple of records. When High And Mighty went to Finnish charts, I was
very amazed. After that we've been touring a lot. I still like that album,
I think those cover songs are great too.
Mrm: The year High And Mighty came out we did around 52 gigs, as many as
there are weeks in a year.
You then released 'the Beat of Our Street', tell about the album...
A: This was very hard to make, but afterwards we were again in the Finnish
charts, and then followed by lots of touring too. It was released in 1999.
It's so close that I can't say anything objective. But there are several
very good songs, I think, which we play every gig.
Mrm: The Beat Of Our Street has more orchestration and the arrangements
are finer. The songs are more influenced by Jamaican ska and rocksteady.
High & Mighty had more influences from the English Two-tone and the 2nd
wave of ska. The third album will be something completely different.
What else have you released?
A: I may not remember everything
SINGLES
- Ranking Fullstop (2006 BALE Inc.)
- Do You Really Wanna Know (2007 BALE Inc.)
- Hooligans (2007 BALE Inc.)
- Hold On Rudy 7inch vinyl (2010 by Stupido Records Oy licensed by Pork
Pie Records)
- Heart Of Glass (2011 by Stupido Records Oy licensed by Pork Pie Records)
EP
- Miracle (released Oct 2004 by Semi Sounds)
COMPILATIONS
- The Spirit Of Ska (September 2009 Pork Pie Records)
- 2 Tone Records Tribute / Respect To Gangsters (2008)
- The Sun Of The Beach 2 - Ska (2008)
- Wahrschauer (Winter 07/08)
- United Colors of Ska 4 (September 2007 Pork Pie Records)
- Rock´n´Roll Circus Tour No 1 (2007)
- Ox (April 2007)
- Riddim (May 2007)
- Sue CD 8 (2006)
- Goodness Gracious - Reggae from Finland (released Oct 2005 by Fat Belt
Records)
And we release a new album in August, called Punkrocksteady. Only cover
songs from 1977-1982.
Who are some of the bands you have done shows with?
A: Aggrolites, Slackers, Skatalites, Mr Symarip (Roy Ellis), Hepcat,
Toasters, Two Tone Club and many other ska/reggae bands. Then lots of gigs
with punk bands, Finnish mostly, I mentioned some of them before.
Mrm: Last year we opened for Grace Jones and Nina Hagen.
Have you toured?
A: We've been touring of course in Finland, but since 2006 in Germany,
Austria, Holland, Belgium, Switzerland, Czech Republic, Poland, Latvia,
Lithuania, Kroatia, Slovenia, Spain and France so far.
Do you prefer small clubs or large venues?
A: I like Both. And we are actually doing both kinds of gigs, which is fun. Clubs
are more intensive, but large places are better for crowd surfing.
Mrm: I prefer small, sweaty and crowded places, but one of the best gigs
we have played was for more than 2000 people and it was really amazing.
Is there a favourite band you like to do shows with?
A: All the bands i've mentioned before. But if I have to say few:
Aggrolites and Two Tone Club in reggae. And one band which we are staying
in contact, but never played together is The Upsessions.
I Walk The Line is my favorite Finnish punk band to play with.
And all our hero's from Jamaica of course, like Roy Ellis.
MrM: It's so strange that we haven't met The Upsessions yet. I think it's
the best band of the scene at the moment.
Is there a favourite place you like to do shows at?
A: In Helsinki Tavastia Club and Nosturi, but there are thousands of good
places all over Europe.
MrM: Festivals are great in general! Berlin is my favourite city to play in.
Do you see is the future of The Valkyrians?
A: I see a new album coming out next month called Punkrocksteady, lot's of
gigs, lot's of beer, lot's of fun and new friends. Then later, new stuff
out, not cover songs, but own.
MrM: I see lots of hours sitting on the van and lot´s of empty beer cans
rolling on the floor. I see myself in the mirror and I get shivers.
How can people contact the band?
A: Write us to info@thevalkyrians.com, or shout to us during the gig, but
you should have a strong voice, because we have amplifiers, and we are
quite noisy.
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