We decided a few years ago that we’d have the whole January off every year to recharge the batteries for the upcoming year’s challenges. Since we really can’t have many weeks off in the summer like most of the people because of the festivals and stuff, the winter is the only time we can be away for a while. Until this winter, we have been busy every January and the full month holiday hasn’t been possible. For example, last year I needed to be at home mastering and finalizing the first single “Hollywood Hills” and I couldn’t escape to the tropical paradise. This year it worked out and we really had a chance to switch our brains on stand-by for the whole month.
It’s just amazing what happened last year. I remember having a pretty good feeling about the new album and the whole setup, but honestly looking back at it now, it went better than I dreamed. Before the album, many of the music industry people saw us as a band who had their hit back in 2007 with “Fairytale Gone Bad” and there was no coming back. There were a lot of folks even in our team who said the first single “Hollywood Hills” is not strong or good enough, but I and we just felt that’s the way to go.
I cannot thank you all enough for fighting and enjoying the trip together with us and making our story continue. I told the industry people about our loyal fans when they doubted our chances. I wasn’t wrong about you. Thank you so much. Again <3
We all came back to Finland on January the 20th for the Finnish Grammy awards. I am happy we did, because out of the four nominations, we won the best Export Grammy. So great! It’s the second Export Grammy already for Sunrise Avenue. Thank You!
Yesterday we had the first band rehearsals for the upcoming tour. We all had some new ideas on how to do some things in a new fresh way compared to the tour 2011. The tour last year was super amazing and we still don’t know how much we should change the things we do on stage, but at least little details need to be a bit different just to make it interesting and fresh for us on stage. And to you too, of course.
The tour will be pretty cool. There are huge arenas, like in Hamburg 5000 capacity and Dusseldorf 7500, but in Brussels 600 and in Paris only 450. Honestly, this will keep the trip interesting for us too. We will be forced to do things in a different way almost every night. I guess in the smaller places we will take some influences from the acoustic tour to the set to keep it intimate. We can’t make the same moves and stuff on stage because otherwise I will hit Raul’s cute face with my guitar.
The live CD and DVD will be out in March and I just approved them a few minutes ago. It sounds amazing! I also made a little video using the mastered live version of “Out Of Tune” recorded in Vienna, Austria using two of our friends (Jenni &Marion) tour photos. The song is just a little taster of the stuff coming up. I love it! Jesse’s mixing never fails!
Tomorrow we’ll go to Bochum, Germany for a Movie theater event, where they’ll show the DVD stuff from Berlin last year. I was very ill that night but it’s amazing how great it actually looks and sounds. I guess there will be tens of cities where they show the concert tomorrow and I understood we’d watch the show in the cinema together with some fans and friends. Cool!
In Bochum we’ll also have a meeting about the summer / autumn 2012 with our European live agent. The calendar looks very very nice so far and I think they’ll announce new dates one by one according to the deal they have made with the festivals. There were a few very nice surprise shows in the festival calendar when I arrived from Thailand after the holiday and looked at the summer plan. New cities and new countries. And also some all-time-favorites where we really wanna go again.
So… I’ll go to gym now to get my body in the tour-sweating mood again. After a month of lying on the beach & eating mom’s Christmas food it’s not too easy, but I must say the resting period was very much needed and I am full of energy again.
I have a good feeling about the upcoming tour and the year 2012. The ticket sales have been amazing again. Even in the biggest arena in Dusseldorf we have sold over 6000 tickets already. I remember I made this bet about the final sales with one local lady after the show in Dortmund and we’ll see who wins ;) I told her we would NOT sell out Dusseldorf, but we’ll see. I actually don’t remember what I promised her if she wins. I am sure she’ll contact me in case she was right ;)
So… off to gym now. It’s such a beautiful winter in Helsinki again this year. It just keeps snowing and snowing and the air is so bright and beautiful. Like a Disney movie winter. And now it’s not too cold either any more. Last week it was minus 24 and that we don’t like. Now it’s -3 and lost of snow. The sun is shining. Me like ;)
Hugs & Rok you soon,
Samu
PS. We have brought many Finnish bands on tour to support us in the past (Poets Of The Fall, Cark Kent, Flamboy, Etc.). This time in Hamburg the guys of “My First Band” from Helsinki are gonna give their best to you as the first band of the evening, so make sure you come to the arena in time. Their keyboard player Heikki will replace Osmo on one of the evenings on tour when Osmo has some strange solo career duties. I saw their show in Helsinki at Tavastia Club last year and I loved it. Good luck MFB guys ;)
PPS: We have a very special guest on stage in Paris, as Jukka Backlund, our trusted producer and former band member will join us on stage. Jukka lives in Paris now and we had to use the opportunity taking him on board since we visit the city of love for the first time with the full band. Please treat the well-behaving-gentleman with silky gloves ;)
It’s just amazing what happened last year. I remember having a pretty good feeling about the new album and the whole setup, but honestly looking back at it now, it went better than I dreamed. Before the album, many of the music industry people saw us as a band who had their hit back in 2007 with “Fairytale Gone Bad” and there was no coming back. There were a lot of folks even in our team who said the first single “Hollywood Hills” is not strong or good enough, but I and we just felt that’s the way to go.
I cannot thank you all enough for fighting and enjoying the trip together with us and making our story continue. I told the industry people about our loyal fans when they doubted our chances. I wasn’t wrong about you. Thank you so much. Again <3
We all came back to Finland on January the 20th for the Finnish Grammy awards. I am happy we did, because out of the four nominations, we won the best Export Grammy. So great! It’s the second Export Grammy already for Sunrise Avenue. Thank You!
Yesterday we had the first band rehearsals for the upcoming tour. We all had some new ideas on how to do some things in a new fresh way compared to the tour 2011. The tour last year was super amazing and we still don’t know how much we should change the things we do on stage, but at least little details need to be a bit different just to make it interesting and fresh for us on stage. And to you too, of course.
The tour will be pretty cool. There are huge arenas, like in Hamburg 5000 capacity and Dusseldorf 7500, but in Brussels 600 and in Paris only 450. Honestly, this will keep the trip interesting for us too. We will be forced to do things in a different way almost every night. I guess in the smaller places we will take some influences from the acoustic tour to the set to keep it intimate. We can’t make the same moves and stuff on stage because otherwise I will hit Raul’s cute face with my guitar.
The live CD and DVD will be out in March and I just approved them a few minutes ago. It sounds amazing! I also made a little video using the mastered live version of “Out Of Tune” recorded in Vienna, Austria using two of our friends (Jenni &Marion) tour photos. The song is just a little taster of the stuff coming up. I love it! Jesse’s mixing never fails!
Tomorrow we’ll go to Bochum, Germany for a Movie theater event, where they’ll show the DVD stuff from Berlin last year. I was very ill that night but it’s amazing how great it actually looks and sounds. I guess there will be tens of cities where they show the concert tomorrow and I understood we’d watch the show in the cinema together with some fans and friends. Cool!
In Bochum we’ll also have a meeting about the summer / autumn 2012 with our European live agent. The calendar looks very very nice so far and I think they’ll announce new dates one by one according to the deal they have made with the festivals. There were a few very nice surprise shows in the festival calendar when I arrived from Thailand after the holiday and looked at the summer plan. New cities and new countries. And also some all-time-favorites where we really wanna go again.
So… I’ll go to gym now to get my body in the tour-sweating mood again. After a month of lying on the beach & eating mom’s Christmas food it’s not too easy, but I must say the resting period was very much needed and I am full of energy again.
I have a good feeling about the upcoming tour and the year 2012. The ticket sales have been amazing again. Even in the biggest arena in Dusseldorf we have sold over 6000 tickets already. I remember I made this bet about the final sales with one local lady after the show in Dortmund and we’ll see who wins ;) I told her we would NOT sell out Dusseldorf, but we’ll see. I actually don’t remember what I promised her if she wins. I am sure she’ll contact me in case she was right ;)
So… off to gym now. It’s such a beautiful winter in Helsinki again this year. It just keeps snowing and snowing and the air is so bright and beautiful. Like a Disney movie winter. And now it’s not too cold either any more. Last week it was minus 24 and that we don’t like. Now it’s -3 and lost of snow. The sun is shining. Me like ;)
Hugs & Rok you soon,
Samu
PS. We have brought many Finnish bands on tour to support us in the past (Poets Of The Fall, Cark Kent, Flamboy, Etc.). This time in Hamburg the guys of “My First Band” from Helsinki are gonna give their best to you as the first band of the evening, so make sure you come to the arena in time. Their keyboard player Heikki will replace Osmo on one of the evenings on tour when Osmo has some strange solo career duties. I saw their show in Helsinki at Tavastia Club last year and I loved it. Good luck MFB guys ;)
PPS: We have a very special guest on stage in Paris, as Jukka Backlund, our trusted producer and former band member will join us on stage. Jukka lives in Paris now and we had to use the opportunity taking him on board since we visit the city of love for the first time with the full band. Please treat the well-behaving-gentleman with silky gloves ;)
Diary
