Rattus in early 1981

Tell us something about the history of Rattus.

Vellu: "Rattus was founded in fall -78. Jake and Vellu founded it."
Tomppa: "Then I came in. When the boys were playing New Rose, I said shit, I wanna be in the band. Then came that Virkki guy. He forced his way in and started singing even though he wasn't any good at it."
Vellu: "Then we played for a while and after two weeks we had our first gig."

What did Virkki do in this band?

Tomppa: "He tried to sing and bought all the stuff for it..."
Vellu: "And got us banned from the rehearsal place."
Tomppa: "Then in -79 we played at the Finnish rock championship and in Nokia's Spartakiadi and both were shit. Sometime in November we got another guitarist, this shithead kid Pursiainen from Mänttä. He can't play even though he told us he had been playing for 8 years. Clearly not. The next year we played again at the championship and again it was horrible. Virkki was still in the band, but we only had one gig with him after that. We kicked him out in March and Pursiainen was kicked out in June. And in July we recorded the single.

Why did you guys start this band?

Vellu: "When the new wave came, I wanted to start playing."
Tomppa: "Shit, I guess I had nothing else to do. Couldn't keep up the sport boy reputation and didn't feel like playing sports anymore."

What about the influences?

Tomppa: "Well, in the beginning Stranglers, probably Pistols also and maybe Ramones."

The gig situation? How much did you play in the beginning and how much today?

Tomppa: "In the beginning the community arranged gigs for the new stars. But we haven't had any for a year and a half..."
Vellu: "Yeah, it's the other band that gets all of them."

Do you have any clue about music theory?

Tomppa: "Not really. We have this one song in minor, and the bass lines are in major... that's what they say. Usually we go to gigs to have fun, and we don't care much about skills... But I can tune a bass... There are these other obnoxious bands like Liz & The Lizards. Hell, we were playing with them two years ago, and they had no change of getting a record deal, but still they were so great, jesus fucking christ. They were all nice except for the bitch who sang and the drummer. Holy shit, they were real assholes."

What kind of response have you received?

Vellu: "They really like us in Keuruu."
Tomppa: "We also had fun in Mänttä, playing to a disco crowd. They practically fought over whether we were good or not."

Have many people really liked you?

Tomppa: "Well I suppose there are some. At least Vote likes us and the guy from Fuck records. Maybe interviewers like us too. Johanna records didn't like us, and neither did Poko when we sent them tapes at some point."

How do the songs usually come about and who writes them?

Tomppa: "They come about after a short improvisation. Jake usually writes them, but nowadays I'm writing more. He told me the other day he's running out of ideas."

Is writing difficult?

Vellu: "Melodies are easy, but..."
Tomppa: "Words are... You always have to come up with something new. Don't feel like going through the same things over and over again."

The insides of the songs?

Tomppa: "These new ones are all about fucking with some particular people, some groups. The a side of the next single is going to have a song that fucks with hippies [*Right on] and the b side is against the church."

When you're writing stuff, do you ever think about whether someone has done the same thing already?

Vellu: "Sure you're always thinking about that, but then you get irritated when you think about songs like Fucking Disco. That was our disco song, and Ratsia picked up the idea when we were playing with them in Seinäjoki. Then they had this song called Kun Sä Tanssit (when you dance). It was clearly inspired by our song."

(Picture:)
Rattus at MSL studio last summer
l->r Vellu, Jake, Tomppa

Tomppa: "People might think we copied Ratsia."
Vellu: "And Ratsia's LP came out before our EP."
Tomppa: "However we recorded the EP a day before the LP came out, but who the hell knows about that."

Why did you decide to make the record?

Tomppa: "We were always planning it, but Virkki's vocals weren't good enough."
Vellu: "Yeah and Pursiainen's guitar playing... He told us it wouldn't work. We would have to incorporate organs and wind instruments. Luckily he was out. We didn't give him any more info about anything."
Tomppa: "I guess he was still hoping that he could be in the studio."

Did you have fun in the studio?

Tomppa: "You can have fun if you take your time."
Vellu: "But the EP was rushed and there were plenty of mistakes. Straight through the whole thing."
Tomppa: "It took 6 hours, and the single took 4 and a half."

What usually goes on in the studio when you're recording?

Tomppa: "We've never been drunk... First we check the sounds..."
Vellu: "...then we take a piss and read a funny thing from the wall. Then we check the drums."
Tomppa: "Then we play and do another take because the first one was shit."
Vellu: "First the guitar, bass and drums, then second guitar. Then vocals. After that solos. Then we mix it and add some reverb, put it on tape, pay for it and go home."

Who's the band's front man or who do the little girls adore?

Tomppa: "Vellu. Then the ones who are a bit older, 14, adore Jake, and the ones who are 20-60 look at my shaggy beard. I guess we all are in some ways. Of course Jake is the singer and people think he's the rock star. We try to be as democratic as possible, but we have had some power struggles. Jake was a bit like that, but if you tormented with him long enough he forgot about it."

Any fan mail?

Tomppa: "From little girls who live nearby. I've got three letters. And people have wrote us and praised our records."

What do you think about the fashion punks?

Timppa: "They can fuck off... As long as they don't dig us, they can be fashion punks for all I care."

What do you guys think about rockabilly?

Tomppa: "Cramps is the best, then Stray Cats. Fuck, even we are seriously playing Something Else and Rockabilly Rebel. Good shit."

Heavy (rock/metal)?

Tomppa: "Well, since I moved from heavy to this, I guess I'm not going back. Motörhead is ok and AC/DC. Prog... damn stoners!"

Tomppa: "If we're talking about Finnish bands, Lama and Widows are the best ones that have made a record."
Vellu: "And Terveet Kädet."
Tomppa: "In the end they're pretty good, I just wish they had been in a studio. Discharge, Crass, Exploited, Anti-Pasti from England. Good bands from Sweden at moment: Massmedia, Ebba Grön and Attentat. From The US only Dead Kennedys."
Vellu: "Don't forget Ramones."

What's the stylistic direction you're aiming for?

Tomppa: "Currently we're playing aggressive rock and we're going to be a bit more anarchistic in the future, sort of like back to -77. If we change we do it because we want to... But we won't play slow songs, it doesn't make any sense."

Future plans?

Tomppa: "More anarchistic songs, if we don't run out of ideas. We're playing in Multiala at some point..."
Vellu: "A new single and LP If we got the money."

Do you make any profit with Rattus?

Tomppa: "Last time we played live we lost 2 marks."

(Picture:) Here are Teijo (from Mopot) and Rattus (Vellu, Jake, Tomppa) playing Terminal Love by The Boys.

New Rattus songs: Virtasen Mopo (Virtanen's moped) (The song is about Hassisen Kone [band]), I Rememper John Lennon, and Meidän Rukous (our prayer).

Velly and Tomppa were interviewed by Astro and Sylli. Oh yeah and another important guy is the "roadie" Anssi, who sings Rockabilly Rebel.

BALLS + POWER