Matias Kupiainen / Stratovarius (Myötätuuli Rock Festival Vantaa 2009)
You are stepping into the footsteps of Timo Tolkki, how does that personally feel for you? Like, taking his place, so to speak, and having to fill a certain position…
Well, yeah, I don’t know… I took it in a mellow way in the beginning because actually, when I was making this new record with the guys, and it was kind of easy because we started to record new music. But when I had to practise all the old material for the live gigs this year, it hit me like “Oh my God I have to play all this”. It was a really big job. I don’t know, I tried to take it that way that it doesn’t stress me out too much.
So you just go with it…
Yes, I go with the flow.
What is it like to play all the old songs with Stratovarius? Despite the fact that you have been referred to as a “killer player”, did you have some doubts how things would turn out?
Of course there are some parts in the old songs that I really, really had to practise like hell, but, I don’t know, every time when you play it live, you never know what you’re gonna get anyways, you live in the moment and try to do your best, that’s what actually Tolkki did also. If you’ve seen Stratovarius live before I came into the band, you know what the band sounds like live… But I think we are in the same line now with me. There are some very difficult parts and there are some very fast songs, for example “Speed of Light”, it’s really, really difficult and it doesn’t matter how many days and months you practise those songs, when you have to play them on stage you’re in that “adrenalin mood”, and you never know…
How did you first get involved with Stratovarius at all? Did they have a sort of casting where they were looking for a new guitarist? Or did you know them before or…?
Well, I knew Kotipelto from something like 2004/05, something like that, like, through the studio thing. But actually it went through Lauri. We were having this silly guitar hero gig at Tavastia Club in I think it was late 2007 and we played there with Lauri this guitar w***ing music and I played like 15 minutes with him and then I think Lauri spoke some kind words about me and my playing to the other guys and it was someday like in spring 2008, I think March, when Kotipelto came to my studio and then, you know, brought up the question, like “We have this kind of band and we don’t have any guitars, would you like to try it out?”. Since then I have been trying!
What about the work for Polaris, that’s your current album… How long have you worked on that album and are you satisfied with the outcome?
I think I made the first demo for Polaris in April 2008… But Lauri had some songs in his pocket already like in February. He went to Prague and rented a place for like one month and started composing work there and he has also composed for the previous years. So he had stuff and put that on the table. Um… It started quite early, I think. But actually, you know, when we started with the proper demos for the album it was like July or June last year. We went to Kotipelto’s hometown, Lappajärvi, it’s like a little town in the middle of Finland and we rented this big house and made some demos for a few weeks. Actually that was the first time I met Jens, something like one year ago. And it was something like autumn when we started to make some drum recordings near Helsinki in a summer cottage place. So if you think that the actual album was released in May, it took 13 – 14 months to do it.
Okay! And what kind of feedback did you get from the fans so far? Because it’s always kinda difficult when a band changes members… What were the reactions so far during live gigs and all?
So far it has only been really positive feedback from everybody. Of course there are some people who are, you know, hanging on to the Tolkki days and the Tolkki material, but I think this is a pretty good and fresh start for the band. If you know what the band has gone through like for the last 5 years, it’s nice to have a clean table now and a new CD out and things look better now.
So it’s like a new beginning for the band.
Yeah. And you know it’s like, they had so much fighting between Tolkki and the rest of the guys, so it’s very good now that things have settled down and there’s like positive vibes going on and not like “Oh I f***ing hate them” and all that… So it’s kind of good and I’ve been playing with the guys and if they had those bad vibes of course it would show to everybody else and also in the audience. But now it’s very good.
So did you change the band logo also because of those mentioned fights?
[laughs] Well I think the actual logo was made by that Hungarian woman who made the core from Polaris and we also tried some other graphic designers, I think it was last year in autumn at some point. There was some kind of things going on with the other guys, Jörg and Jens and Timo, they wanted to put this also like a fresh start, like, put a new logo on and put the whole band image on a new level. Actually this flower logo is what Tolkki has used since… oh my God…
Since forever?
[laughs] Yes! Since forever… So it’s like a sort of respect thing to him that we don’t use it anymore.
What feels more exciting for you? Festival gigs or club gigs, or which do you prefer?
Um… we did some club gigs in the UK and Russia and those were fun, but… I don’t know… The big, big festivals are a cool thing also because you can meet lots of people and other artists. But when you do these club gigs, you sit in the backstage, you know, and there’s nobody else there and you’re all alone [wails theatrically] and stuff like that… Or some guards say “You’re not allowed to go to the audience”. I think that’s bullshit sometimes. But, you know, both club gigs and festivals have good and bad sides. It’s nice to play anywhere! It doesn’t matter if I play in a little bar somewhere or in a big festival.
What are the best and worst things about being on a tour together and being stuck with each other for a long time?
Hmmm… I don’t know! So far there have only been good things but I think I can answer that question at the end of the year when we’ve had like 12 weeks of touring in the USA. [laughs] So far the longest trips have been 10 days in the UK and then we went back home. And then we took the train to Russia but that was only like 2-3 days. So I don’t know. It has been cool! They are all strong drinking guys and so there’s always a party. It’s quite nice, we will see!
Indeed! You have played in several projects and currently also have one called Fist in Fetus – let us know more about what you do apart from Stratovarius and how do you manage to get it all done at the same time?
Right now I’m concentrating on Stratovarius. Fist in Fetus is more like a hobby, you know. When I have some spare time then I go and do something with that. But let’s see… My friend Perttu Wänskä is the composer in Fist in Fetus and when he has a new song he just sends me the arrangements and all the sheets and notes, so basically I do this in the studio and play it. Let’s see, I think we’re gonna make some full-length album, I think it was meant to start in July this year, if there’s some time left. You never know. Like I said, it’s more of a hobby.
Alright. What is your general musical background? At what age did you start etc. and do you play other instruments?
Umm… I played acoustic guitar but I never practised like, you know, the piano or anything like that. I played drums for a few years when I was like 10 years old or so. Now just especially electric guitar.
Okay! Last question! What is your most favourite Stratovarius song to play live?
Hmm… I think it’s Black Diamond. I mean it’s such an old hit and you’ve heard that song 1000 times but it’s always fun to play that song. Very fast song and there’s some really cool parts, especially the solo part is one of my favourites!
So you will hopefully play that one tonight?
Yeah!
Cool!
Might be the last song of the set, as usual.
Great! Then that was it! Thank you very much for your time!
******************
Thank yous go to Matias of course, and also to Merja Halme and all the MTR staff, as well as Taija Holm.
Interview: Tina/Mad Eyed Moose
Photography: Natascha/Mad Eyed Moose
You are stepping into the footsteps of Timo Tolkki, how does that personally feel for you? Like, taking his place, so to speak, and having to fill a certain position…
Well, yeah, I don’t know… I took it in a mellow way in the beginning because actually, when I was making this new record with the guys, and it was kind of easy because we started to record new music. But when I had to practise all the old material for the live gigs this year, it hit me like “Oh my God I have to play all this”. It was a really big job. I don’t know, I tried to take it that way that it doesn’t stress me out too much.
So you just go with it…
Yes, I go with the flow.
What is it like to play all the old songs with Stratovarius? Despite the fact that you have been referred to as a “killer player”, did you have some doubts how things would turn out?
Of course there are some parts in the old songs that I really, really had to practise like hell, but, I don’t know, every time when you play it live, you never know what you’re gonna get anyways, you live in the moment and try to do your best, that’s what actually Tolkki did also. If you’ve seen Stratovarius live before I came into the band, you know what the band sounds like live… But I think we are in the same line now with me. There are some very difficult parts and there are some very fast songs, for example “Speed of Light”, it’s really, really difficult and it doesn’t matter how many days and months you practise those songs, when you have to play them on stage you’re in that “adrenalin mood”, and you never know…
How did you first get involved with Stratovarius at all? Did they have a sort of casting where they were looking for a new guitarist? Or did you know them before or…?
Well, I knew Kotipelto from something like 2004/05, something like that, like, through the studio thing. But actually it went through Lauri. We were having this silly guitar hero gig at Tavastia Club in I think it was late 2007 and we played there with Lauri this guitar w***ing music and I played like 15 minutes with him and then I think Lauri spoke some kind words about me and my playing to the other guys and it was someday like in spring 2008, I think March, when Kotipelto came to my studio and then, you know, brought up the question, like “We have this kind of band and we don’t have any guitars, would you like to try it out?”. Since then I have been trying!
What about the work for Polaris, that’s your current album… How long have you worked on that album and are you satisfied with the outcome?
I think I made the first demo for Polaris in April 2008… But Lauri had some songs in his pocket already like in February. He went to Prague and rented a place for like one month and started composing work there and he has also composed for the previous years. So he had stuff and put that on the table. Um… It started quite early, I think. But actually, you know, when we started with the proper demos for the album it was like July or June last year. We went to Kotipelto’s hometown, Lappajärvi, it’s like a little town in the middle of Finland and we rented this big house and made some demos for a few weeks. Actually that was the first time I met Jens, something like one year ago. And it was something like autumn when we started to make some drum recordings near Helsinki in a summer cottage place. So if you think that the actual album was released in May, it took 13 – 14 months to do it.
Okay! And what kind of feedback did you get from the fans so far? Because it’s always kinda difficult when a band changes members… What were the reactions so far during live gigs and all?
So far it has only been really positive feedback from everybody. Of course there are some people who are, you know, hanging on to the Tolkki days and the Tolkki material, but I think this is a pretty good and fresh start for the band. If you know what the band has gone through like for the last 5 years, it’s nice to have a clean table now and a new CD out and things look better now.
So it’s like a new beginning for the band.
Yeah. And you know it’s like, they had so much fighting between Tolkki and the rest of the guys, so it’s very good now that things have settled down and there’s like positive vibes going on and not like “Oh I f***ing hate them” and all that… So it’s kind of good and I’ve been playing with the guys and if they had those bad vibes of course it would show to everybody else and also in the audience. But now it’s very good.
So did you change the band logo also because of those mentioned fights?
[laughs] Well I think the actual logo was made by that Hungarian woman who made the core from Polaris and we also tried some other graphic designers, I think it was last year in autumn at some point. There was some kind of things going on with the other guys, Jörg and Jens and Timo, they wanted to put this also like a fresh start, like, put a new logo on and put the whole band image on a new level. Actually this flower logo is what Tolkki has used since… oh my God…
Since forever?
[laughs] Yes! Since forever… So it’s like a sort of respect thing to him that we don’t use it anymore.
What feels more exciting for you? Festival gigs or club gigs, or which do you prefer?
Um… we did some club gigs in the UK and Russia and those were fun, but… I don’t know… The big, big festivals are a cool thing also because you can meet lots of people and other artists. But when you do these club gigs, you sit in the backstage, you know, and there’s nobody else there and you’re all alone [wails theatrically] and stuff like that… Or some guards say “You’re not allowed to go to the audience”. I think that’s bullshit sometimes. But, you know, both club gigs and festivals have good and bad sides. It’s nice to play anywhere! It doesn’t matter if I play in a little bar somewhere or in a big festival.
What are the best and worst things about being on a tour together and being stuck with each other for a long time?
Hmmm… I don’t know! So far there have only been good things but I think I can answer that question at the end of the year when we’ve had like 12 weeks of touring in the USA. [laughs] So far the longest trips have been 10 days in the UK and then we went back home. And then we took the train to Russia but that was only like 2-3 days. So I don’t know. It has been cool! They are all strong drinking guys and so there’s always a party. It’s quite nice, we will see!
Indeed! You have played in several projects and currently also have one called Fist in Fetus – let us know more about what you do apart from Stratovarius and how do you manage to get it all done at the same time?
Right now I’m concentrating on Stratovarius. Fist in Fetus is more like a hobby, you know. When I have some spare time then I go and do something with that. But let’s see… My friend Perttu Wänskä is the composer in Fist in Fetus and when he has a new song he just sends me the arrangements and all the sheets and notes, so basically I do this in the studio and play it. Let’s see, I think we’re gonna make some full-length album, I think it was meant to start in July this year, if there’s some time left. You never know. Like I said, it’s more of a hobby.
Alright. What is your general musical background? At what age did you start etc. and do you play other instruments?
Umm… I played acoustic guitar but I never practised like, you know, the piano or anything like that. I played drums for a few years when I was like 10 years old or so. Now just especially electric guitar.
Okay! Last question! What is your most favourite Stratovarius song to play live?
Hmm… I think it’s Black Diamond. I mean it’s such an old hit and you’ve heard that song 1000 times but it’s always fun to play that song. Very fast song and there’s some really cool parts, especially the solo part is one of my favourites!
So you will hopefully play that one tonight?
Yeah!
Cool!
Might be the last song of the set, as usual.
Great! Then that was it! Thank you very much for your time!
******************
Thank yous go to Matias of course, and also to Merja Halme and all the MTR staff, as well as Taija Holm.
Interview: Tina/Mad Eyed Moose
Photography: Natascha/Mad Eyed Moose
