FINNISHED! / Helsinki

Helsinki Night Market @ Teurastamo

The event season I started with the Helsinki Night Market on 21.-22.8. On Thursday it was the Night of the Arts in Helsinki and the Teurastamo* area joined the party with night market with music and food trucks.

The atmosphere was superb and it was a great event: relaxed feeling and happy people. More happenings like this! And for RokRokInc. It was a joyful two evenings since I emptied my storage boxes a bit and can now start making new stuff asap!

And by the way, did anyone notice that on Friday I wasn’t there myself? I had made some double bookings for my weekend activities, so my already experienced sales help Sonja filled in. Didn’t notice at all? Well, I don’t wonder. …Or maybe you met her already before and weren’t surprised at all. That’s good.

*Teurastamo is kind of a cultural area on the more rugged side of the Helsinki – the Helsinki I love. I recommend.

RokRokInc. upcycled handcrafted jewellery
Here I go again! Fun people, great location and cool event.


RokRokInc. upcycled handcrafted jewellery
My little helpers. Maybe you met Sonja (in front) already before.

RokRokInc. upcycled handcrafted jewellery
Many many new colours and designs!

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Go Kumpula!

Yesterday was a great day at Kumpula Street Festival. Sun was shining full on and I was having my table for the first time in Finland. And it was fun! I just love talking to people and I love if they love my creations. :) Thank you all so much!

Now as I have more room in my boxes I can again create something new for you guys. I was planning maybe next weekend would be my "work" weekend at the jewellery shop. 

Read more on the festival on UrbanToursHelsinki.


Kumpula Street Festival is a warm hearted block festival with music,
fleamarket and great atmosphere in Helsinki. I recommend!

 

PS. Apua, apua! Sinä, joka annoit pinkit barbinkenkäkorvikset lähetettäväksi hopeakoukuilla, laitakko sun osoitteen uudelleen, kun se lappu tietysti on lentänyt jonnekin hukkaan! ...Tai saiko joku vahingossa käyntikortin, jossa luki osoite? Viestittele: rokrokinc@gmail.com

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Live Rock in Helsinki

Yesterday we started the live gig season here in Helsinki in the good old Nosturi. There was a skate/punk evening and the bands playing were mostly the same ones that we already saw like a million times. But, they always rock and luckily they had some new material so it wasn't just exactly the same as three years ago (before moving to Munich). Anyway, I hope we'll find also some new bands during the year.

Helsinki is quite an active rock city though there aren't too many good places to catch a band playing. Here's a list of my usual places. In addition to these there are also some rock bars without live but I'll list them later on. All in all, I would recommend checking out a live act while visiting Helsinki. But be prepared, the beer is expensive. So, to reach the true Helsinki experience you can do it like locals: drink something cheaper before going in, haha.

Hey Nosturi, I'm back!

 

LIVE ROCK CLUBS IN HELSINKI

NOSTURI is one of the classics and my favourites. The place has original roughness and they have all kinds of gigs. Highly recommendable but of course only if there's a good gig. I heard they are planning to move to bigger location in the future.

TAVASTIA is the only and only classic that has been around for ever. Compact premises, good gigs and a central location. Also a rock disco on Saturdays.

SEMIFINAL is Tavastia's little brother. A  really small venue for small bands. Raw, authentic and nothing extra. Stage and beer and that's it.

LEPAKKOMIES is nothing special but I still like the place. The live venue is downstairs and actually the space there is somewhat tight and not ideal for live but they quite often have bands that appeal to me. The location is in the heart of Kallio that is the ("crappy") bar area in Helsinki so before or after the gig you can hit the classic Kallio tour in the near by bars. (Gig listing here.)

CLUB LIBERTÉ has a bit distant location but it fit the bar's personality well. They mostly have beginners and smaller bands playing. So usually music-wise it's not the high end bar but if you like it real, unpretentious and enjoy "grassroots action" so give it a try.

BAR LOOSE is maybe my true favourite as they have a comfy bar upstairs and the live venue downstairs. Again the shape of the concert space is not ideal but oh well, nothing's perfect.

BAR BÄKKÄRI is a basic rock club but for my taste something is missing. I would only go there for gigs.

HENRY'S PUB is a great choice for stopping in for a beer and snacks when you are not planning to have a party. The place smells like deep frying and grease but has it's unflamboyant underground appeal. Sometimes gigs; mostly unknown or downscale (the venue is not really compatible for a big rock concert) but usually also interesting.

ON THE ROCKS is a club, not a bar really even though they have a bar upstairs. More for heavy/metal people so I wouldn't go there just for fun but if they have an interesting gig, why not.

VIRGIN OIL is a bar, restaurant and a concert venue. You can get some ok pizza in the restaurant but as a live location it is rather cold and unpleasant. But the place is big and so they have many kinds of bands playing. Mostly of course those that can attract the room full. So, in only for seeing the band and then out for some other action.

BOOTHILL is funny, weird, awkward, entertaining and sometimes scary depending on the crowd. But it's always real. It can be totally empty or totally full. You never know. They don't have gigs every weekend but they do have a jam night on Thursday's.

KORJAAMO is more of a cultural center and they mostly have totally something else than rock in their calendar. But sometimes you can get lucky and find something interesting in there as well. 

 

Check out also my rock bar tips for Munich.

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Hoarding...

I am the kind of person who has a big big trouble throwing anything away. A bit like my granny: I just think you can use everything somehow again in some point in the future and in ways that you don't know yet. I know, sometimes it goes to far... But this time for example I found an old mini skirt that I can't use anymore. (Don't ask why...) So, tadaa! This is what I got out of it: Zipper Earrings by RokRokInc.

RokRokInc. DIY ideasAll in all three different pairs of earrings from one mini skirt.


Hoarding reminds me about this crazy haunted house "flea market" in Helsinki. In the area called Linnunlaulu is an old house where lives an old man who used to run there a people's commune in the 60's. Now he lives there alone and he has filled the once beautiful and still prestige building with stuff literally from the floor to the ceiling. You can hardly even walk along the thin path between all the crap, and for sure not without getting claustrophobic. I have never seen anything like that!

So, this man runs there a flea market on weekends, though nobody dares to go in. I did it once and I learned that the owner comes from the same city as me. He even remembered my grandfather. And by the way he himself assured the house is truly haunted. But if you ever happen to walk around the Töölönlahti and happen to see a small sign saying "Kirpputori", I recommend you should visit there just for the experience. It is scary.


From the chain I bought from this haunted house I made earrings that almost reach the shoulders. They give you the spooky gold shivers when they once in a while lightly touch your neck... Chain Earrings by RokRokInc. Picture of the house by Markus Jokela/HS.

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