Band | Bio

Maybe it's the thing of playing traditional songs with a punk attitude and a modern, contemporary feel, or as we like to call it, bastardizing the tradition, maybe it's something else, but a taste for Irish (or Celtic, if you will) folkpunk seems to be innate for a lot of people. Most people we've come across, anyways. Therefore, when we started building our big band we had little to no problem finding people. Here's who we've got so far.

Presenting the Shysters:

Pic of Aapo HalmeAapo Halme
Aside from his primary duties as lead singer, in Band of Shysters Aapo also handles the roles of Primus Motor and Head Visionary, sometimes with such success that it's a lucky thing indeed that Jussi's pessimism is ever present to help him keep his feet on the ground. Aapo started his studies at the Conservatory of Kuopio at three years old and finished a couple of years ago with the professional degree of... singer, of all things. He constantly dabbles in lyric writing and composing, acting, writing and directing [not to mention goddamn bloody web-design], but after these brief digressions he always returns to playing music, his first love and truest ambition, with renewed zeal. Ever the idealist and romantic hippie, Aapo wonders why we can't all just get along. Beverage of choice: Single Malt

Katja Turunen
Yes, we have two lead singers. What of it?!
At the moment Katja is finishing her studies at the Conservatory of Kuopio. Katja declares her hobbies as "cuteness and craziness". While her voice sounds pretty damn sweet, she also manages to improve the visual qualities of the band. Katja quit smoking and consequently also doesn't drink so much these days, that aside from gigs and rehearsals we barely see her anymore. Which is a damn shame.

Anssi Salminen
A virtuoso mandolin player, Anssi also brings into the mix the fiddle tradition from his native town of Kaustinen. He is the youngest Shysters (although, no one really knows how old the girls actually are, so I guess this is debatable). Anssi studied at Kuopio Conservatory for a year before running off to the folk music department of the Sibelius Academy (Abelius-Sikatemia) in Helsinki. Yeah, no kidding! Watching this guy go ape-shit on stage, you'd never think him university material, would you?


Katja Koskinen
Our aerophonic genius hails from the town of Varkaus (meaning theft, for some unfathomable reason). She came to our attention when she came to study in an educational facility quite familiar to some of us in the fall of 2006. After Mellu was kicked out of the band Katja gladly filled the open position of Tin Whistleist (or however it's spelled). She constantly, and quite needlessly belittles her abilities with the whistle, so if you see her, please complement her playing, even if you haven't heard her in a while. (You should also buy her a drink.) Young and pretty, it's good to have her in a band otherwise consisting mainly of old and ugly geezers.

Antti Raekallio
Our guitar man Antti studied in Kokkola and he is the first folk music pedagogue ever to graduate in Finland. Needless to say, his love for Celtic music runs deep. He is proficient in other folky styles as well, but Irish tunes run strongest and deepest in his blood. Since finishing his studies and moving to Kuopio in 2004 he's been teaching and running his own music school. So... while Antti didn't study at Kuopio Conservatory he has taught there on occasion. In addition to the guitar Antti also plays Irish Bouzouki and Bódhran, and he dreams of someday building his own boat. Seriously now, he is actually attending a "School of Boat Building" type of an institution. In December 2008 Antti was hired by the Arts Council of North-Savonia to work as the Läänintaiteilija (Artisté of the Region) for the Performing Arts. We are fully expecting to receive full funding from the fullness of the Finnish government any day now.

Anssi Huotari
The oldest band member (Is Sami, actually, but Huotari likes the sound of it), Huotari has played the accordion for the longest time, but before joining Band of Shysters he'd rarely had the chance to rock out to his heart's content. At his first rehearsal with us a Punk Demon possessed his instrument and it has since been impossible to play a tango or a foxtrot on it. Aside from gigging, Huotari runs Hym Hym Records and is constantly remodeling the studio space in his home. Talented multi-instrumentalist, Huotari also loves to sing Irish music, and is an incomparable fellow to have around when doing arrangements.

Jussi Markkanen
Our bass wizard, as did five other eighths of the group, studied at Conservatory of Kuopio. His dark & brooding figure is most often met at the numerous dance pavilions of our fine country. Or in the bars. Best mention the bars, here. We've got a lot of those, too. With Sami this Old Master of The Beat lays a concrete-solid foundation for our younger and more animated players to frolic upon. In addition to playing the bass Jussi votes Father Jack, wears black and seldom smiles.
Jussi is at the moment: NOT sober, though luckily back from Goa.

 

Sami Harlin
Drummer Sami makes a living playing with lots and lots of bands across Finland. When he has the time to spare he indulges aspiring players by teaching them the rough spun hemp ropes and the finest silk threads of the percussionists trade. A veteran of thousands (upon thousands upon thousands) of gigs, Sami too complemented his training at the... well, you know. He claims to play Irish music in his spare time, for his own amusement. A very affable chap, Sami styles himself a "drinker with a drumming problem". If you run across him in the world and wonder why he doesn't shake you by the hand it's because his hands are already full; a pint of lager in one and a Black Russian in the other. Buy him another round of both and you'll find in him the nicest guy who ever lived. Despite his not shaking hands. Try it once and see. I mean it. Get this man another drink. No, please do. Truly.

 

So that's us. Things seem to come in pairs. We have two Katjas and two Anssis. We have two lead singers. We have two guys with back problems and two guys who (mostly) stay sober. It's scary to imagine what other things we might yet discover come in twos. Hmm, on second thought, best not go there.

 

The Ninth Shyster
Jani Kivelä joined Aapo and Antti when the lads first started playing Irish tunes. Would you like to guess where he studied? Later, he buggered off on down to Helsinki, but has made random appearances among the Shysters' ranks since then, filling in for Huotari, or expanding the trio into a quartet, and who knows what else. Judging by his playing of the guitar, Jani must have done and gone and "pulled a Robert Johnson".

 

Past Shysters

Mellu
No picture of Mellu, our original whistletist. We kicked her off the band when we tired of her not pulling her weight, though, I have to say, she was consistent in what she did. Or rather, didn't do. We still see her all the time but no one's got a photo of her. Ay, well, it's all bollocks anyway, innit? Currently Mellu is destroying her liver in India with Jussi.

Pekka Kurki
Our original accordion player moved away and hopefully onto bigger and better things. Last we heard he appeared in a leading role of a musical in Estonia. Here's a link to his website.