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Finland: Punk debuts in Eurovision

15 May 2015 at 14:40 CEST
Pertti Kurikan Nimipäivät performed the shortest ever Eurovision song in 2015 EBU
It was another smooth rehearsal day for PKN, Pertti Kurikan Nimipäivät, the rockers from Finland. It's no secret that the four members of the band have learning disabilities, but they are also performing the very first punk song in Eurovision history.

Everything goes very fast in today's round of rehearsals as all 16 countries competing in the first Semi-Final have to get on the stage at the Wiener Stadthalle for the second time.

Even faster for Finland, as their song lasts only 1'25", but that doesn't mean their assigned slot is shorter, only that they have more time in between.

We met backstage with PKN, the anagram for Pertti Kurikan Nimipäivät as we can see on their own drum kit, and they were cooling off talking to their team, like Kari, their hosts, like Toni, playing some video games as Sami did, or even enjoying some of their competitors songs.

Yes, it seems like PKN have changed their minds: Sami, the bassist, likes Montenegro and he has already met Knez. Pertti was watching the rehearsals and thinks that the songs look better on the screen here in Vienna.

They all went to Prater's amusement park on their day off and it was more challenging to go to all those scary places than to go up on the stage to perform Aina Mun Pitää. 

Gallery: Finland: Second rehearsal

Many things to think about than making songs longer

 

While walking in the Press Conference Hall PKN told that everything's was fine so far in Vienna and they were played their postcard, which is in the tram way in Vienna, and they also liked it.

No main changes in this rehearsal, but Kari took the opportunity to say that he uses to sing in the shower "Auamba buluba...".

"We tour a lot, we've been in many countries in Europe and also in America", Sami followed. "Our next song is going to be about social workers", Kari advanced, and to the question about the length of Aina Mun Pitää, "the song is short because punk rock is short. All of our songs are short". Pertti added that "I have got many things to think about than making songs longer".

Gallery: Finland: Press Conference

But who got the idea to enter the Eurovision Song Contest? "It was our management, but the managers say it was Pertti's idea because he is a fan of Eurovision, then it took a lot of talks with the whole band to decide if taking part or not".

PKN have some different lyrics in their songs, one of them is about the drinks they like, "I like coffee with milk and sugar" Kari said and "Toni won't play if there's no coke drinks" Sami joked. One of their most curious titles is about... animals that also fart! "quite a discovery needed to have a song about it", said Pertti.

Pertti's favourite Eurovision songs are from Finland, Pump Pump (1976), Lapponia (1977) or Tom Tom Tom (1973) and Kari, of course, mentioned Lordi's Hard Rock Hallelujah. Toni said that the band members are quite different and argue a lot, have different tastes, but even though they argue they'll go together on stage and beat the whole competition!