RATS!!!

 

   Out of a tiny finnish province they came... RATS!!!

   Did you think only the great filthy likes of London and New York and such can produce loud, angry punk bands? Did you think that teenage angst has no place in a pretty, green, and tiny town in the finnish countryside? Guess again.

   Somehow the airwaves carried the sound of the Ramones' debut over to some kid's ears in Pihtipudas, and he instantly knew what he had to do with it: form a punk band and rock hard. Juri Honkavaara scribbled down the lyrics he was to scream over the music and set up his band, "Ratsia", in 1977.

   The first lineup disbanded early in 1978. After all it is not that easy to find minds warped in just the right way to form a well-funcioning punk band in a small town. A few months later however things picked up, as a new lineup emerged: Juha Aunola on guitar, Rudi Lukkarinen on bass, and the 14-year old Jukka "Pop Korni" Viro on drums. Like this they went on to record a demo, "Kloonattu Sukupolvi" ("Cloned Generation") which the band released by itself. I can feel my hand aching just by thinking of writting the name on those 100 cassettes. Ouch. This demo included finnish covers of The Clash, Stiff Little Fingers, the Buzzcocks, and another finnish band, Virtanen. But then troubles begun anew when the parents of the little drummer demanded he leaves the band. Some say it was under pressure to focus on his studies. Others say his religious parents would not have their son involved in such atrocities. Knowing parents (hey, I did not just sprout out of the ground ya know), both scenarios are equally possible and not mutually exclusive. Oh well...

    Therefore PopKorni was replaced by Pasi Kuusjärvi, and 1979 saw the band's first official release: the 7" single "Lontoon Skidit" ("London Skids") was Johanna's first release as well! Followed in the same year by their first full length album, self-titled "Ratsia", which went on to be considered a punk classic in Finland- you'll hear why. 

   

  

    The second album "Elämän syke" ("Heartbeat of Life", 1980)  saw the addition of Brandi Ruokonen on keyboards and Kari Stark stepping in on the role of bassist, and a changed musical direction for the band, as their sounds now incorporated elements of powerpop, ska, and even reggae, elements that would still be audible in the third, somehow darker album, "Jäljet" ("Traces", 1982). 

 

   The 80s brought two new albums, three more released singles (1980's "Tämä Hetki Ja Tulevaisuus"-"This moment and the future"  and  "Täältä Tulee Yö"-"Here Comes the Night", and 1981's "Eilisen Jälkeen"-"After Yesterday"), and unfortunately, the end of the band as well. The band called it quits just in 1982, and Juri moved to Helsinki. 

   Other than their highly energetic live performances, the band also appeared on the Mikko Niskasen film "Ajolähtö", where they are shown performing on stage as the film's protagonists dance. Why am I telling you all these....

   Anyway, I'm too hungry to properly close this one, so... CHECK THEM OUT. 

   P.S.: I love this one