Talking Tunes: Oh Lordi, Finnish Rock Freaks Coming to Town

Paul Ryding | Sep 5, 2013 6:30 pm | Add a comment | 7103 reads

I swear, this conversation took place in a Sanlitun bar not two weeks ago:

"Eurovision is crap isn't it?"

"Yeah, it used to matter a lot more though. People used to give a sh*t about who won and the viewing figures were massive."

"Yeah, I wonder when the decline began."

"It was probably when the political block voting became so obvious, that it wasn't even worth speculating who Greece or Cyprus might give the maximum points to."

"Yeah, either that or when that faux death metal group won it ... you know, the one that wore the masks a bit like slipknot ... god, what were they called? Something like 'Mercy.'"

"Ah, I know who you're talking about. They were called Lordi."

"Yeah, that was them, Lordi. Good lord, remember them? I wonder whatever happened to Lordi?"

“Then Lordi said, ‘Let there be sh*te.’”

Now we know. It seems they tour Asia.

That's right, Finnish shock rock outfit and winners of the 2006 Eurovision Song Contest, Lordi, of such hits as “Hard Rock Hallelujah” (the ditty that won them Europe's campest tune tourney), “Devil is a Loser”, and “Chainsaw Buffet” will play in Beijing on October 17, before heading on to Shanghai the following night. The Helsinki hell-bound will play the relatively clean surroundings of The One Club at 718 Art & Culture Zone.

Here they are performing "Hard Rock Hallelujah" on that fateful 2006 night in Greece.

Elsewhere, electro rock outift Not There have called time on the project. Guitarist Jon Heeter:

"After three great years of making music, Not There is coming to an end. We’d like to thank everyone who came to our shows and supported us. The album we’ve been working on will be finished and released, but we’re not sure when.

"Goodbye & thanks for all the fun."

They were a very solid live outfit, and the local scene will be the worse for their absence.

Here are some upcoming highlights:

  • Rockabilly outfit Rolling Bowling play Temple on Friday night (Sep 6).
  • The Sound Stage Music Awards show is on Friday at Yugong Yishan and starts at 7.30pm. There will be live performaces from Nova Heart, Misandao, Dream Spirit, Dirty Little Secret and The Twenties.
  • Beijing rap rockers CMCB present their new album for public consumption at a launch party at Yugong Yishan on Saturday night (Sep 7)
  • Aussie deathcore quintet They Art is Murder shake Yugong Yishan on Sunday night (Sep 8).
  • School Bar hosts a Ska Punk Night on Sunday with sets by Mushroom, Magic Bus, Bye Bye Noise, and Toyhead

For more music events, go here.