Alright, imagine this garbage: you’re walking around at Downtown Disney, a mall-like business district between the California Adventure park and Disneyland itself, and in the midst of the pastels and twins in matching outfits, this 6’4” man in black leather pants and a Billy Idol shirt, complete with an aging leather jacket is walking amongst the crowd, his black hair sticking above the crowd by nearly half a foot. He walks up to me and switches his Disneyland souvenir bag from his right hand to his left and introduces himself as Jyrki, the lead singe of The 69 Eyes. It just continues to be interesting from there.

Racket Jonathan: Why do you play such fast music?
69 Eyes Jyrki: Well, it’s all because of our influences from very old-school rock and roll from the very beginning of rock n roll to the early 80’s rock n roll. All these bands that we like, they have been recycling or creating the same thing over and over again since the days of Elvis, Gene Vincent, Eddie Cochran, Buddy Holly and Little Richard from the early days of Rock N Roll. When you’re a youth, there’s a lot of energy, so someone plays ball, someone does something else, someone robs a bank, some kill the energy by smoking crack, someone plays rock and roll, you play the energy out and send it out to the audience, and they send it back to you by their reactions and that creates excitement and that feeling that you probably remember from your first show. You had a funny feeling in your stomach and you couldn’t believe that these people you’ve seen in magazines or in music videos are really there in front of you. Trying to create the magic, combined with the original rock n roll energy that the 69 Eyes has been trying to create for the last eighteen years. We’ve also always been fan boys, I don’t have huge collections in my home, I have my Danzig album signed and my Motorhead album signed, so we have been fans and have been using the band as an excuse to get to play festivals to see our favorite bands or play a show with them.

RJ: Do you think it’s funny to be playing a metal show at the Happiest Place on Earth?
69: I think it’s the right place for the 69 Eyes, for Cradle Of Filth, I mean, I saw some of the guys walking around and was like “Who let the evil in?” But, on the contrary, I think what the 69 Eyes represents is closer to The Nightmare Before Christmas, which is part of the Disney Family. The 69 eyes has never been ultimate evil. Rock n roll itself is evil. It was said to be the devil’s music, the big change happened in American music culture happened when Robert Johnson was selling his soul at the crossroads to a certain devil and then blues started to happen, and after that, Rock N Roll. Rock N Roll should definitely should be the devil’s music and the music that your parents warn you about, but on the other hand, our darkness is more of a 24/7 Halloween party going on.

RJ: Rock music should be the music your parents warn you about, eh?
69: It should be! The ultimate goal of the 69 Eyes is to create the feeling that the people who see us will still get that excitement and funny feeling in their stomach, when we come on the stage, even when there’s no special effects, just five guys playing Rock N Roll with their leather jackets on and on the other hand, the music should have elements of  what your parents warn you about. That’s what we learned rock music should be about, especially back in the day. Raw elements of sexuality and dark twists.

RJ: I hear you’re big into science.
69: Yea, actually I am an academic rocker, I have a Masters of Science degree in Analytic Chemistry.

RJ: Huh. Now I feel dumb, so, isn’t it fucking cold in Finland?
69: Yea, well, it’s a freezing country, but as we’ve been doing this tour, we’ve played Edmonton, and Milwaukee, which was soooo freezing. I’ve never felt that kind of cold breeze in Finland.

RJ: The cold sucks.
69: Finland has four seasons, and one of them is winter, but I never felt a cold like the one in Milwaukee. If the winter was like that, I wouldn’t hand around in leather pants and sneakers. It’s European country between East and West and we have a particular cultural background and nowadays, if you are really looking forward to really cool, dark flavored metal music, the best bands today come from Helsinki in Finland. There’s a great scene, a really creative scene and I think the last couple years it’s been a capitol. Hollywood was the ultimate Rock N Roll city n the late 80’s, then there was Seattle, and now Helsinki.

RJ: Speaking of ultimate Rock N Roll, what’s the biggest drug binge you’ve ever seen?
69: We were just in Vancouver and drove to the center of the city, where the venue was, through this long skid row, which was full of crack addicts. I’ve never seen such a miserable sight in my life. I’ve been all over the world, but that’s really like driving through hell. For me, I get drunk once in a while and party, but I don’t understand how human nature drives people to slowly kill themselves in such a way. Such a fucking waste of life. Those people probably have relatives worrying about them and they’re going straight to hell, that’s shocking. I’m no one to talk to about becoming straight edge, but sometimes it’s weird to find people who are so weak that they don’t find their creative sides and they spend all their energy destroying themselves. That’s entirely un-Rock N Roll.

RJ: Is Jack and Coke your favorite drink?
69: Well, it helps maintain my voice, Jagermeister’s good, too. I don’t like cold drinks, and it’s an American custom to put mountains of ice into the drinks, so Jagemeister’s plain, you don’t put anything into it, it’s good. Let’s say Jack and Diet Coke. I don’t drink beer.

RJ: Why sing in English?
69: When we are educated in school, out of 9 years, for 6 years you read and write English and you learn English by watching American TV and listen to rock music. Our county’s pretty much Americanized, in good ways and bad. When I was a teenager, I was a comic freak and a comic nerd, so I was subscribing to Marvel stuff from the States. I was really absorbing everything I could from American pop culture, and that’s what I’m using in creating the 69 Eyes, that’s pretty much the same for how we see things. Also, there’s bands in Finland who do metal, or even rock and pop in Finnish, but I think people have a goal that someone might think they’re interesting outside of our country as well. Finnish bands are doing really well right now and the whole world is watching Helsinki and Finland. There are some bands with some Finnish in their lyrics and titles. During tour, I occasionally throw out thank you in Finnish because a lot of people who want to learn Finnish, which is amazing for me. It’s just one of the hardest languages in the world, it’s not like German or English or French.

RJ: What other languages do you speak?
69: Besides Finnish, Swedish, English, Italian, French and Japanese. I can come along with the European languages OK. Japanese was just a hobby; also, I’ve taken one course in Latin. I’m just hyper and energetic, I want to know everything and I want to be involved in everything. I’m just stupid or brave enough to try everything out.

RJ: Is the hyper-activity the reason you’re not pursuing a career in chemistry?
69: Oh, yea, I think so, well, and being in a rock band has to do with not settling down, having a house, a wife, a dog and a couple of kids. They all go hand in hand. I mean there’s still something in this world I have to find and figure out why I am still looking for something. I want to leave this world as full as possible, and I respect the choices that other people make, but I’m just bound to go. It’s a sad thing, and not a cool thing.

RJ: Do you think that the metal subculture has taken to wearing all black because the gay culture has taken over the rest of the color spectrum?
69: That’s a cool observation, but why do you think one of the coolest Rock N Roll clubs in the world is called the Rainbow Room in Hollywood? That sort of makes a balance.

RJ: Well, I think it’s rude. It used to be a purple triangle represented the homosexual population, well, at least here in California, but now it’s been expanded into rainbows, it’s greedy.
69: That’s a funny observation, but Judas Priest and Queen. The all-black thing goes back to the blues artists who always wore black. And then Johnny Cash, and then the first one to wear all black leather was Gene Vincent from the fifties and then Elvis started wearing all black leather in 1968 in his comeback special. At the same time Jim Morrison was wearing black, then some psychedelic punk rock bands were wearing black. Well, it took a while, but when punk came, everyone was wearing black and it was fashionable to wear black. It was fashion and that stuck and now black is black.

RJ: Do you ever give each other the brain during tour?
69: What’s that?
RJ: Shit, it’s when you grab hold of your sack and stretch it around to make just your nuts are showing and resemble a brain. You then grab your friend’s attention and when you see them look at your balls, you call them on it.
69: Well, sometimes we are pulling each other’s nerves, but that sounds too gay for us. We’ve known each other for 18 years so we have no interest in how we look naked, or it’s probably more interesting to see who gets the attention of interesting-looking people.

RJ: Who would that be?
69: Well, it differs from night to night.

RJ: Hmm, what’s your best cure for a hangover?
69: Well, I know something about pharmacy, I would suggest to eat, or try to remember to put in your pocket or on you pillow, before you go to sleep, eat maybe 400mg, a pill  of ibuprofen. Eat that before you go to sleep, you will feel better when you wake up. Then you have a couple Gatorades, take another pill, take a hot bath, watch Back to the Future. Try to eat yogurt and nothing too greasy. On the other hand, when you wake up, grab your favorite Rock N Roll record, call your friends and go out again.
RJ: Perfect.

By Jonathan Yost

Jyrki69 - 2008 Update:

Eye Color: Blue
"Natural" Hair Color: Black
Favorite Movie of 2007: HEROES tv series, Alpha Dog
Favorite Song of 2007: anything by Amy Winehouse
Favorite bands (at this time): Led Zeppelin, Steppenwolf
Favorite US City: many - NYC, SF & LA of course, but also San Antonio, New Orleans...
Favorite International City: Dubai, UAE
Best gift you received in 2007: You mean a fan gift? Somebody gave me a HEROES' 1st season box set! Now I love HEROES!
Favorite Scent (cologne): Chic Shaik Arabia ¹70 pour homme
Favorite thing to do when you are not on tour: travelling ;-)
Favorite American saying/slang: You guys rock!
Favorite sound: R2-D2

& more Jyrki69 Fast Facts!!

DOB: Oct.15th, 1968 Helsinki, Finland
Height: 186 cm = 6 foot 1 inch!
Shoe Size: 44 = 11

Fave Food: sushi / traditional Finnish Christmas food made by my mother
Fave Color: black/anything matching with ice-blue eyes
Fave Scent: Paris Hilton’s juice on the satin sheets
Fave Movie: all Elvis movies
Fave Place in the World: Grand-Popo in Benin, West-Africa
Fave Star Wars Character: Darth Vader
Fave Drink: Tequila Sunrise
Fave Song: "Into The Groove" by Madonna/"Billie Jean" by Michael Jackson
Fave Band: Hanoi Rocks
Fave Indulgence: kissing with beautiful girls (too much Elvis movies as a teenager and listening to Culture Club’s “Kissing To Be Clever” album in the 80’s…)

Bazie  2008 Update:

Timo-Timo 2008 Update:

Archzie 69 - 2008 Update:

Jussi69 2008 Update:

Eye Color: Blue
"Natural" Hair Color: FINNISH
Favorite Movie of 2007: "PIRATES OF CARIBBEAN AT WORLD'S END"
Favorite Songs of 2007: BLAQK AUDIO: STIFF KITTENS, ATREYU: BLOW, SIXX A:M: LIFE'S BEAUTIFUL
Favorite bands (at this time): BLAQK AUDIO, ATREYU, AFI, AVENGED SEVENFOLD, GEMINI 5, SLIPKNOT, MANSON...DUDE THERE'S SO MANY!!!
Favorite US City: LOS ANGELES, NEW YORK
Favorite International Cities: TOKYO, HAMBURG, BARCELONA, SAO PAOLO, HELSINKI, ROME...
Best gift you received in 2007: VINNIE PAUL SIGNATURE SNARE DRUM HE GAVE TO ME WHILE GETTING WASTED WITH HIM AT HIS PLACE! AND MY BADASS GUITAR I GOT FOR X-MAS!!
Favorite Scent (cologne): OH MAN THESE QUESTIONS....OK, HYPNOSE BY LANCOME KEEPS ME FRESH AT THE MOMENT
Favorite thing to do when you are not on tour: MY RADIO SHOW "NIGHT OF THE VAMPIRES" ON RADIO ROCK
Favorite American sayings/slangs: DUDE THAT'S AWESOME ;)
Favorite sound: I LOVE THE SWEET CRACK OF MY VINNIE PAUL SNARE!

& more Jussi Fast Facts!

DOB: July 11th
Height: 175 cm = 5 feet 6.9 inches!
Shoe Size: 41 = 8

Fave Color: Black (surprised?)
Fave Movie: You know that I have to say Lost Boys...
Fave Food: Thai
Fave Place in the World: On stage anywhere.
Fave Star Wars Character: Darth Vader of course.
Fave Drink: Champagne, beer, pepsi...it depends what time it is.
Fave Song: Search and destroy.
Fave Band: Misfits
Fave Song to Perform Live: Brandon Lee
Fave Place to Perform: On stage anywhere.
Fave Coffee: It used to be Italian but I'm getting more and more addicted to Starbucks...
Fave Season: Summer
Fave Position to Sleep: X

it seems to be a drug related death...

he was such an amazing actor, it's a shame he had to die this young really...

may he rest in peace!

Brad Renfro was only 25 years old, the reason to his death is unknown for now but probably something drug related.

I just loved most of his movies and he was such a great actor,it's a shame he had to go this young...

may he rest in peace

abandon all hope

seek to destroy

the world is shallow

drag your heart

a chain of pain

buried useless words

breaths unworthy

pandimonium calms

bring clearity to shattered dreams

everything is nothing today

leave me lonely

in an ocean of misery

At this age - Jyrki Linnankivi 38

”I don’t know whether it is childishness or immaturity but I don’t even realize that I have become older. Playing rock music and drawing comics is associated to youth culture, it keeps mind fresh. I still dig same things than in teenager but from school mates I can tell that I’m not exactly young rebel anymore. Probably all kids think I’m old.”

”Fans don’t seem to mind about my age. It’s confusing to get letters that contain outburst of feelings from teenage girls saying ‘it doesn’t matter for me that you are 25 years older than I’. But maybe 70 years old Sean Connery gets similar letters from young women.”

”I have been hyperactive since kid; I have been talking and making observations a lot.
In a tour bus I usually sit at the front and talk about scenery all the time. Now days I can little bit control my enthusiasm. Some times I let other ones talk too or I even listen what they are saying. Or at least I pretend to listen.”

”My look is combination of my childhood heroes: Tarzan, Elvis and Price Valiant. I remember when I was little kid and my mom took me to a hairdresser. I asked her to cut Tarzan hair. I was so disappointed when she cut my hair too short. Later I let my hair grow all way to the hips, but keeping that long hair was too much trouble. I don’t have any big complexes of my looks, okay my beard really doesn’t grow and my eyes are sensitive to the light, so I have to keep sunglasses. So they are not just for posing.”

”I’m vain, of course. Going out takes sometimes way too much time. At the Christmas I usually travel somewhere with my mom and she is always laughing that how come you have so much luggage and how it can take so long to get out of the hotel room. It’s good that guys at the band are all same. Makeup is essential part of Glam Rock and putting it on takes time. I don’t think it’s vain to that you want to look good at the state and promo pictures. But it is vain to be late from movies because you can’t decide what shirt to wear. That has happened to me.”

”It is always funny when I go shopping somewhere near gig place on the other side of the world and from next to me someone says “Jyrki” perfectly pronounced. When I meet fans, it’s feels like meeting old friends and soul mates. Especially in foreign countries I meet fans that look answer to big questions from our music. At the gig place there might be bunch of hair or diary waiting. It is sort of fascinating that I can cause so strong feelings. And kind of scary too.
I still remember how it was to be young and wait your idols on the stage, and how great it felt when he was standing on the stage right front of you. I want pass same feeling for my fans.”

”Before tour I always think is this what I really want. At the night I stand couple of hours in the spotlight as a star, but all the other time I spend in crammed tour bus with ten other people and some times there is not even change to shower.”

”You have to be in good physical shape and be good sleeper to survive a tour. I have personal trainer that looks after my physical condition. I have never had any problems with sleeping. On the other hand, hyperactive person like me thinks sleeping is wasted time. Couple of years ago I sometimes forgot to go sleep which caused me to loose my voice. I had to learn to go to sleep also. At the tour weekdays lost their meaning and normal routines disappear quickly. Every day is Saturday or Sunday. Being back at home feels weird. It’s nice to bath in your own bathtub and sleep at the bed that doesn’t move. But still I feel restless. ”

”For me home is place where I stop by before next trip. But when there is longer pause in touring next time I have to move to bigger apartment because I need more space for my clothes.”

”I have never lived together with anyone. I have been in long relationships but no woman has really been right for me. All my women have been colorful and dominating ladies, center of attention in their own circles. It’s ok for me because I get so much attention that I don’t need to be star at private life. When I have got older I have learn to appreciate also other qualities at the woman than just good looks.”

”Woman has to be independent and strong nerved. My nights are long; if we are training I can’t promise that I’ll be at home at certain time. Last years I have been alone, I’m always gone so it’s feels wrong to keep anyone waiting.
Being alone feeds itself, longer you are alone more difficult it is to adjust to live with someone else. I’m not looking for relationship, but I’m not running away either. Family comes on time, age doesn’t limit guys same way than it limits women.”

”I won’t be middle aged just yet. Now I feel like at the forties I could start concentrate my energy also to something else than rock. I would like to study more, interest to learn didn’t go away after graduation. I would also like to try acting and writing. I’m really grateful that I have had change to realize myself without limits. I hope that enthusiasm to new things stays on in future. That way I don’t need to regret later that I didn’t even try.”

Sitting quietly in a West London pub are three men who, in the matter of hours, will be standing onstage in front of a baying, screaming and packed-to-capacity Wembley Arena. Lostprophets' Ian Watkins is looking calm, eating a Sunday roast with admirable aptite and doodling on a piece of paper. Nearby is Taking Back Sunday frontman Adam Lazzara, a burger infront of him, shades on, hood up, looking out of the window. wiL Francis, Aiden's singer, has hardly looked at the plate of food he's ordered. Instead he smokes constantly, eyes darting around the room. The three of them - and their bands - have been on tour with each other for a few days on Lostprophets' arena jaunt around Britain and, while there's camaraderie between them all, they don't know each other quite well enough to be spending this Sunday lunchtime bantering about the previous night's gigs just yet. Instead they chat cautiously, the odd joke here, a little comment there, before they move over to a deep, plush sofa and chair across the other side of the pub where, relaxing now, they talk easily about life on the road and Lostprophets' kinky tourmate welcoming techniques...

Has the tour been going well?

Adam: Really well. I didn't know that this many people came to shows here in the UK or that you had such hug arena gigs... Well, I knew they did for bands like the Rolling Stones but...

Ian: ...but not for a shitty band like us, is that what you're saying? (laughs)

Adam: No! I meant that I didn't think it was possible for bands of our genre to pull off shows as big as you guys do. This has been massive - it's insane. I walked off stage in Birmingham and thought, what the fuck is going on here!

Ian: Well, it's just as surprising for us, trust me. On this record, we've done two theatre tours, so we thought we'd do a small arena run at the end.

wiL: A small arena run! I love that.

Is going out onstage in an arena different to going onstage somewhere smaller?

wiL: Nah. It's crazy to look out at an arena, though. I never expected to play in front of that many people. It's weird, though - it seems that the bigger the venue, the less people you notice. I can't see very far past the kids in the front row. Everything else looks like a backdrop.

Ian: Well, it actually is a backdrop. We're using a lot of CGI to make it look like there's a big crowd. Everything you're looking at is a projection.

Have you had to change your acts?

wiL: Not really, but I can't get away with going into the crowd as much as normal. The kids seem even more insane in arenas. In Glasgow they took my shoe and my shirt! They just ripped them off.

Adam: Playing in arenas is very different from mind-set. It's hard to get your head around it. When you play an arena, people's perceptions of you automatically change. Suddenly there's a degree of celebrity involved. You seem a bigger band just because you're playing such a big stage.

Ian: Also, if someone's coming to an arena show, then they're paying a bit more for a ticket, more for travel and also for accommodation sometimes. It makes it a big night out so the bands have to deliver something. Coming from the background we're from, you have an instinct not to play up to that. You tend to think, I'm not larger than life, I shouldn't do this. But if you go onstage and don't bother, then it just comes across as though you're ripping people off. They've paid to see a show. If they wanted to see a stripped-down punk rock show, then they'd go around the corner to a little venue. You've also got to make sure that you don't look like a big rock star cock up there too, though.

Have you three toured together before?

Ian: We all played together before at Give It A Name and we also played with Taking Back Sunday before in Seattle.

wiL: I was actually at that show. I paid to go watch it.

Ian: It was us, Fall Out Boy and My Chemical Romance. MCR were opening that night. Oh, the irony!

Adam: I remember that because the bus MCR were on was the same bus that we had just been using. We were a little more rowdy back then and they had had to refit the bus after we left it. Mikey Way kept finding weird things of ours on there, too.

Ian: You were on tour with Fall Out Boy, weren't you?

Adam: If we were, then I've blocked it out of my memory for my own sanity.

What do you get up tp after shows?

Adam: I've been going to watch the Lostprophets show after we finish playing. It's fucking awesome; they've got dancing clowns and all sorts of things.

Ian: What dancing clowns?

Adam: I meant you!

Ian: Thanks a lot.

Adam: Not really - I was trying to make your show sound so awesome that, when people read this, they'll be really annoyed if they missed it.

Ian: Good idea - tell them about the dwarves.

wiL: And the unicorn that flies out onstage! I'll often wtach the show from out front by the sound desk. Or I walk around and see what's happening. Sometimes I get recognised - mostly in a good way, sometimes people tell me I suck and they spit on me. But most people in the venue have no idea who we are. Hopefully people are enjoying being introduced to us.

Ian: It's nice to be able to introduce bands to people. Although everyone knows who Taking Back Sunday are, of course.

Adam: They don't, man. The first couple of songs are rough because most of the crowd look at us angrily, like, they're not Lostprophets.

Does that mean that when you're a support band, you feel you have to prove yourselves?

wiL: I feel like we've got to go out and prove ourselves, for sure. Every show is like a fucking battle.

Ian: Our fans are pretty open.minded, though.

Adam: They are, actually. I've noticed that fans over here are much more broad.minded than fans in America. The crowds canbe really mean back home, so it's really refreshing to see the Lostprophets' fans, who all just seem really stoaked to be at the show. That's the way it should be. The only reason some people seem to go to shows in the US is in order to give the band shit. That's always fun.

wiL: How do you deal with that?

Adam: Well, Fred Mascherino licked a heckler on the last tour. He hopped down from the stage and just licked the guy's face! That's pretty out of character for Fred. I've never seen him lick a dude before!

Ian: But he looks like he'd have liked it. I bet hell do it more from now on. (laughs)

Are you all getting on offstage?

Ian: It's weird, people always ask us whether we've got any choice in the bands we take out with us. It's always been our choise. It's our show, so why would we take out bands that we're not friends with or who we don't like?

Adam: So does that mean we're friends? Aww.

Ian: What I was going to say was this tour is the exception! we're experimenting this time around by taking out two bands we hate to see what it's like.

Have you ever really toured with bands you hate?

Ian: The only guy who has ever been a dick was the singer from Taproot and where the fuck are they now? He was a complete douchebag. We were supporting them so I went up to say thanks to him and he just went, whatever. He was way too fucking cool to talk to anyone else. Everyone else has been great - Metallica were super-cool and if anyone's earned the right to be a dick, they have.

Adam: Have you seen 'Some Kind Of Monster'? Those guys are bitches. I was amazed by Lars Ulrich. There's no way could I deal with him. The whole band just seemed like an ego party. I'm glad they're nice in the flesh though.

Ian: Oh, I'm sure they're dicks to each other but they're very cool to other bands. They always treated us very well. That sort of thing teaches you how to be with other bands. If you're lucky enough to be taking other bands out, then you should try to be as cool as you can. Some bands we've supported have told us we can only play at half volume and that we're not allowed to eat with them. I dont' want to be in a band like that.

Adam: Actually, Lostprophets are very nice. After our first show, the whole band came into our dressing room with massage oils and started giving us a rub down. My back has never been so loose. It's quite a service.

Ian: It can go further too, if the need is there. I don't want to excite oyu but a happy ending isn't off the cards.

Will the three of you ever tour again?

Ian: I'd like to. We'll have to bug Taking Back Sunday to take us out in America. We'll be like, remember that huge tour we took you on in the UK? Do the same for us in America.

Adam: I don't think we're touring after the summer.

Ian: Oh, how convenient. Fuck it, we'll go out with Aiden then.

wiL: Shit, we've never even done a headline tour! Can we have you as a support band if we do? We might sell some more tickets then...

I was driving earlier and on the display in the car I saw the date 19th of april....I instantly knew there was something about this date...but what was it...with my memory it took half an hour to figure out XD

I just want to say thankies to all the wonderful persons I've gotten to know during this year...you sure are amazing =) and I also like to thank you all for introducing me to a whole lot of new bands...I dunno what I'd do without you or them =D

loads of huggies for you all =D

xxx

our yesterday is dark as the grave

with misery as the only company,

and today is filled with sorrow

tearing our hearts apart,

but who are we to say what the future brings

deep shadows dwell in our hearts

taking a hold of our souls,

we're awaiting the day

when light will rise again

like a new born star

now sleep, baby sleep

and tomorrow will come

sooner than you know

together we are strong

and our lifes lay before us