Who are we?

Juuso (vocals / guitar)

© Petri Rannikko

Once upon a time a big fat baby was born somewhere in Turku.  Pretty soon the baby started to lose weight and turned into a skinny little boy with the hair of Michael Knight. At the age of six his parents sent him to take some piano lessons, and in the beginning of music-oriented primary school his teachers suggested violin for him. However, he got strongly influenced by rock music during the primary. Fortunately, piracy flourished at that time and that little boy got his first rock albums from other side of the boarder. He picked up his dad’s old Landola and started to play along. Other instruments were (unfortunately) left behind and soon the Landola was replaced with an electric guitar.

During junior high the boy was involved with several bands, vocal ensembles and orchestras. The same went on in high school and the boy gained experience as a performer. Shows were played on bigger and smaller stages, both in the motherland and abroad. After high school it became quiet. People went their own ways, bands broke up cause of the lack of players and in addition to all, it was the time for conscription.  

To keep his mind clear during the military service the boy listened to a shocking amount of music and played guitar with co-sufferers that had the same interests. At that time he noticed that music would be the energy for life in all occasions, even when six feet under.

Well, the war games were over and the boy got into a university. In the beginning of those hazy and foggy times he met this geezer with long hair and lots of chains and stuff hanging from his clothes, a band was formed.

That’s my story in a nutshell excluding all the dirty, sad and embarrassing experiences in music.

What comes to my taste in music, I’m omnivorous but what I consider to be the main key in music, is the melody and catchy rhythms. I think everyone is able to write a melody, but how to make it somehow interesting and innovative, is more complicated. Despite the fact that some other genres may dominate the music industry at the moment, I believe in stone hard rock with cracking guitars and recognizable vocals spiced with some hooking features that break barriers!

Vesku (lead guitar)

© Petri Rannikko

I’m an easygoing dude originated from Hämeenlinna, but nowadays my life-seen sofa sits in Helsinki. In addition to enjoying life, my profession is a community educator.

I have always been a passionate music enthusiast – almost ever since I was a tiny sperm cell. My musical influences lie pretty much in rock music from different decades ranging from hard to soft.  I started playing in the vulnerable age of 9 when my dear uncle donated an acoustic six-string and a bass-guitar to me and my brother. And after that it has been a hell of a strumming!!! 

After 6 years of hard beating of the bass I switched to the guitar. I have developed my style and sound during all these years by playing in a variety of bands before Bad King. My playing could be described as a combination of rough riffs mixed with some sweet melodies. Solos are also one of my musical religions, too. To be honest, I easily forget that a good song consists of many other elements than three-minute-long guitar solos. As a very romantic person I try to put as much soul as I can into my playing. I really admire those who make their guitars cry from the top of a mountain. What comes to music, the emotion is far more important to me than some technical miracle-performances.

In addition to all celebration and musical wildlife I try to exercise and work out in as many different ways as I can in my spare time. So that I’d someday see myself as an old man, sitting in a rocking chair, listening music, looking back to these good times!

Jukkis (bass)

© Petri Rannikko

My name is Jukkis and I'm a really tough nut to crack! My musical story began almost twenty years ago. I was first introduced to so called "real music" while I was doing some lawn-mowing and gardening for my parents. I had a Walkman and I popped in a cassette with Nirvana's Nevermind. I listened to it for hours and hours, my mind was blown!

What was that sound? I used to be a hardcore fan of 90's europop but that would change forever. The attitude and the energy was something new for me and I wanted to try it out. My uncle donated an acoustic guitar and I damn near hated the thing. So I quickly got an electric guitar and started practising. Even if I wasn't that good at first, I kept getting better. Early on I decided that I want to be part of a Band, with a capital B.

So time went on. At some point I was the singer and guitarrist of bands such as Hutero and Over’n’Out. At that time we also had numerous smaller band with my buddies.  We really had a blast playing some awesome gigs with underground bands like Roctum.

After I moved to Turku to study, I ended up playing the bass in this great and smoking band. I play as an outlaw of music, as an icon, but as rough as I can! Here we are now! Love, Sex and Rock ’n’ Roll!

Patrik (drums / vocals)

© Petri Rannikko

I originate from a pretty small town near Turku, and it was there I  came in touch with music. At first I picked up the bass, but at the same time I wanted to gain a wider perspective about it all. Thus, I started playing drums every now and then and I began tapping rhythms all the time on different objects. I later moved on to a music-oriented upper secondary school in Turku, and there I learned most about playing. (Me and Juuso met there, and we played in a band called “Burnin’ Grins”)

After gaining musical experience in a handful of pretty good bands, I decided to take a small break from playing. At that exact moment Juuso called me, and it wasn’t that hard to persuade me to be the drummer of Bad King.

Alongside being a musician I’ve been into the techy side of music ever since upper secondary. I started out as a stagehand on festivals, then I got interested in recording. Now I study digital audio and commercial music in Tampere University of Applied Sciences.

Apart from being the drummer of the band, I also am the fellow who keeps many strings in his hand. I do a part of the managing and booking. I also like to think of myself to be the guy who keeps a certain level of discipline amongst these wildlings. Still, Bad King is my best friend.