The Punk Syndrome

The punk movement has proliferated around Helsinki, to the point of becoming a “syndrome”. Not in the medical sense, but according to the Greek meaning of the word: ‘sundromé’= gathering. Because Finland’s most notorious punk group, Pertti Kurikan nimipäivät, consists of four members, all intellectually disabled. Toni, the drummer, still lives with his parents (who wander around their flat wearing ear protectors when their son is rehearsing!).  Sami, the bass player, has sympathies with a centre-right political party. Pertti, the singer guitarist, prefers Beethoven to the Sex Pistols. Kari sometimes starts bawling an improvised song because he doesn’t want to go and see his chiropodist. Jukka Kärkkäinen and J-P Passi have recorded the tribulations of these musicians, who are perfectly integrated into Finnish society. It is quite something seeing Pertti, in his best suit, shaking the hand of the nation’s president, shortly before letting rip with some furious riffs at a country festival. Kovasikajuttu (The Punk Syndrome)? A “jam session” of sound and fury on the fringes of normality.

Emmanuel Chicon

Translation BMP Translations