How a Russian music writer ended up in Ilosaari
Max Hagen, the music editor for Time Out magazine’s St Petersburg edition, is visiting Ilosaarirock for the 4th or 5th time.
His first visit to Ilosaari in 2002 was because of Suede.
“I was looking at their tour dates, but there was nothing appropriate in Russia. Then I noticed Ilosaarirock. It was only eight hours away from St Petersburg by bus,” he explains.
His two fave Finnish festivals are Provinssirock and Ilosaarirock, both of which he’s visited several times. He first went to Pronvinssi in 2000, having had enough of his aunt’s husband’s stories about how great the festival is and how he just had to go there.
Hagen says he tries to keep an eye on the Finnish music scene, and is always eager to help promote worthy bands, no matter the language.
“If the band doesn’t have English lyrics, they have to be visually interesting. Last year the band for me was Kuolleet Intiaanit, who are just gorgeous live. It’s like a circus, but a good circus,” he says.
The flow goes both ways. Hagen is friends with Niksu Väistö of Joensuun Popmuusikot, the association behind Ilosaarirock.
“Niksu is always asking me about interesting Russian bands,” he says.
This year’s favourites from Saturday include Silverbullit, Q-Continuum, as well as M. A. Numminen and Cleaning Women, both of whom he has seen live several times.
On Sunday he was looking forward to Eläkeläiset (”humppa is funny”), Five Corners Quintet, Voltas, and Poets of the Fall.
“One of my all time favourite Finnish rockers is Ismo Alanko. He had played Moscow in the late 1980’s, and when we met, he wanted to know how this and that Russian musician was doing,” Hagen remembers.
As the interview draws to a close, Hagen starts enthusing about one more Finnish hopeful export, Don Johnson Big Band. In his opinion their latest self-titled album is a great combination of retro and avantgarde. Tommy Lindgren’s friendly behaviour and relentless stage energy has also left an enduring impression.
“The first time I saw them was in 2002. The day was hot and he had jumped around the stage all the time. When he left the stage, he was so drenched it looked like he’d just taken a shower,” Hagen says.
“Whenever I see them live, I remember that first gig.”
Text: Olli Sulopuisto