Hasta La Vista Social Club is a finnish group which really makes me happy with their mix of a lot of different styles but I think that the most of their ground is in punkmovement. Henttu answered a whole lot of questions from me in march 2009.
History about the group ?
-Started in winter 2003.We have been into punkmusic since little kids and me,my brother Santtu and our drummer,Stasi had played together from year 1996,something like punk&horror influenced psychobilly in bands like The Vampires and Toxocaras.When Toxocaras broked(or has it even broken ever ?),we decided that we wanna do punksongs about life and we wanna mix musicstyles which we like....Punk,Rock`n Roll,Country,Psychobilly....We only needed a bass player and we asked the best one we knew,Arska, to join us and he said yes at once.
Please tell me a little about every member, age, family, work, interests and
something bad about every one?
-Ok,
I am Henttu,Vocals and Guitar,age 27,1 kid with ex-girlfriend,now living with two dogs and girlfriend,working as welder(hot as hell ),interested in music, shooting, wildlife & nature, tattoos. Bad thing about me....I like alcohol too much
Santtu,Guitar,Age 30, 2 kids and wife, working as lumberjack,interested in music, shooting, guns, nature, bad thing about him....He is my brother...hehe....
Arska, Bass and Back.Vocals, 2 kids and girlfriend, working as electrician,interested in music(vinyls!),fishing,nature. There is no bad things about him.He is god.
Stasi, Drums and Back.Vocals, 3 kids and girlfriend, working as farmworker,interested in music,tattoos,nature...Bad things about Stasi...Nerves,Nerves.....
Have it been changes in the line up through the years?
-No. I think it will be the end of this band if someone wants to quit.The bands which have played with us,say that we are like brothers.
To play this type of music in Finland, how is that?
-Fun of course, otherwise we wouldn`t do this. You wont get rich by playing this kind of punkrock and my voice is not like Frank Sinatra`s, so only thing why we do this is for the love to punkmusic&life,for ourselves and those people who listens us.
Why do you sing in english and not in finnish?
-I cant sing about my personal life in finnish....it would feel so stupid. We would sound another horrible finnish mainstream rockband, who wants to be on the radio and little kids wallposters. By the way I hate so fucking much colourless, tasteless mainstream rockbands which dont know are they bird or fish.Fuck them!!!
But also I sing in finnish in my other band : Düro Long.It`s fast finnish oldschool hc- punk with songs that wont last a minute.The point is to drink a lot and say fuck you to everyone.That kind of lyrics I can sing in finnish.
What does punk mean to you, is it only a word or is it a lifestyle?
-It´s a lifestyle.You dont have necessarily to look like a punkrocker.Its all in your heart & head. To me punk is music,but also the freedom to be whatever you want and say whatever you want.
Is it important with lyrics which is about something and not only about
love, beer and so on?
-I like to do lyrics which are straight from my life and my thoughts, what I think daily and so on. Not so much drinking and love songs, but things from my head and everything which happens around me and my friends. I`m not saving the world with my stories, but in our songs I can tell about the mistakes I have done in my life and maybe some other person will not do the same mistakes in his life when he listens us.
Which is the most political song you have done?
-Maybe.... Pressure of society- from our first album. Our songs are not so political.
Doesn..t music and politics goes along hand in hand?
-If you understand about politics,then you can do lyrics about that but I personally don’t understand a fuck about politics, I hate it and I hate finnish government full of yuppie ministers. Those fuckers don’t know what is like to be a working man and wake up to do that hard shitjob every day.
Is there any good Finnish punkband which is really political? Other good
finnish bands?
-Shitter Limited was the best! They attacked on ministers with songs like : Helena Pesola on huora (Helena pesola is a whore).Shitter Limited is a legend and one of my alltime favourites.Nowadays heres so much good bands that I cant do now so big list! but anyway heres some : The Dwyers, Rejected ,Part Time Killer....
How is it to live in Finland nowadays? What’s the best and what’s the worst?
Economic crisis?
-Best thing in Finland is nature, especially Lappland in here. Worst is maybe that generation by generation we are too much bounded with digital stuff and computers. But I think it`s the same in every country. We all should remember the nature, do something for it, that your children can also enjoy about forests, lakes and fresh air in future. And maybe it would be good learn to survive also in there, without digital shit.
About situation otherwise....Tough times going on....Companies are making lay-offs and putting people out. But I will think we will rise from here, I dont know when, but sooner or later.
Is it many differences between rich and the poor?
-Rich gets everything what he wants with money and poor only those things he can achieve with hard,hard work. And when the tough situation comes, where money doesn`t help, poor knows what to do, but rich man is in trouble. Many differences between rich and poor, but this was just one example.
Your music is a mix of so many styles but in the ground it’s punk, which
other styles do you like?
-Like I said in the start of this interview : Rock`n Roll,Country,Psychobilly,Hardcore and finnish "rautalanka".Rautalanka-music is bands like Shadows,finnish Agents,Marko Haavisto ja poutahaukat.
Is it any big punkbands which have been over in Finland and played?
-Lars Frederiksen and the Bastards,Dropkick Murphys,Flogging Molly,Tiger Army(I dont like Tiger army).Street Dogs is playing in here soon. Lots of big punkbands have played in Finland,but I am waiting that Social Distortion would come here....(never maybe....) and Rancid should come too. They have been in here, but it was long, long time a go.....
Your hometown, how is the musiclife there?
-I think this is one of most powerfull little cities in Finland,if you count how many punks& psychos& Oi!-listeners live in here. It exploded really when we did our first cd in 2005.Kids of this city started to to listen punk more. I think its good and specially its now good to play here,because supporting for homecitys punkband is so good! Thank you people, we do this for you and our hometown! I am proud that you all are standing behind us!
What do you know about Sweden?
-That you always win over us in Icehockey finals.....
Have you heard any good Swedish bands?
-Hundreds of....Most important to me are The Bones,The Accidents and of course big guns : Hellacopters and Backyard Babies. Swedish punk & rock is gooood!
When does your new album come?
-I hope this summer....Recorded it last years may and have waited now almost a year that studio gets it mixed. They have been very busy there, but in last week we got 3 mixed songs from there and I like their work. You can listen those songs in our myspace. http://www.myspace.com/hastalavistasocialclub
Very good album coming!I can promise that!
New things like MY Space, facebook and those things, have it helped you a
lot?
-Myspace,because people can easily listen everything new from us at there. Shows are the best way to get people know your band.
You have been a lot outside Finland and played, where have you been and
where was most fun?
-Russia,Estonia,Lithuania,Poland and this summer hopefully Latvia,Germany,Czech rep.
Petrozavodsk in Russia is very punk place!Lot`s of HLVSC-fans there. Also last summer in Poland, we had very fun in Molotov Cafe at Olzstyn and Elba Squat at Warsaw.
How does the average Hasta la Vista...-fan look like?
-I dont know have they got average look....Tough guy or girl,haha...
Which people do you miss on your concerts?
-I dont miss anyone to there, because I have seen so different people in our gigs. Everybody who likes our music is welcome to our show or sit and take a beer with us.
Which song is the fans favourite? And you own Hasta la Vista-favourite?
-It depends....fast songs they like , Misery,Fuck off,Legacy to world....And slover hit is definetly My final day....but theres new album coming ,so you all just wait....
You haven’t done any cover-songs?
-No,but we play sometimes little faster version Anti-social from Lars Frederiksen and the bastards and it works everytime.
Where did the name came from?
-It was a joke from Arnold Swarzenegger joining Jazzband Buena Vista Social Club.
The name is joke but our music is not humouristic.Sorry.
Please rank your five favouriterecords? Five Favouriteconcerts? And five
most important things in life?
-I cant rank those....I like so many bands that I dont know what is the most best, but most important record to born of HLVSC is definetly :
Social Distortion : White heat,White light,White trash
It`s a perfect record of Punk&Rock`n Roll.Every song is awesome!
Most important things in life are : Girlfriend&my kid
Friends&my dogs
Band & nature
First, last and most expensive record ever bought?
-I dont remember what was the first....maybe Metallica.....Nowadays Metallica sucks,but old Metallica kicked ass!
Last record I bought,might have been I walk the line cd and Hellacopters cd.
Most expensive...I dont remember...All they are too expensive...almost...
Most embarrassing record in your collection?
-There isn’t any
What about mp3 and downloading, where do you stand?
-Everyone does as they like but I like to buy my records.
Is it good or bad for a band of your calibre?
-We are little band so it doesn’t make so big difference, but of course if everyone buys our album it helps us a lot. We get more booze...hah...
Futureplans for the band?
-To play shows in places where we haven`t been so far and make better and better records.
For yourself as a human being?
-Find my place and meaning in this world
Wisdomword?
-Now it`s right time to say : Guns don`t kill people,people do.
Something to add?
-Ask to gigs trough e-mail : hastalavistasocialclub@hotmail.com or trough our myspace : http://www.myspace.com/hastalavistasocialclub
p.s Everyone! When you see us somewhere,come to talk and take a beer with us!