| Apulanta | |
|---|---|
| Background information | |
| Origin | Heinola, Finland |
| Genres | Punk rock Alternative rock Ska Metal |
| Years active | 1991–present |
| Labels | Levy-yhtiö |
| Website | Official website |
| Members | |
| Toni Wirtanen Simo Santapukki Sami Lehtinen |
|
| Past members | |
| Antti Lautala Amanda Gaynor Tuukka Temonen |
|
Apulanta is a Finnish rock band, founded in 1991 when its members were in their mid-teens. Initially playing various forms of rock such as punk, ska, and metal, they soon shifted to a catchier, more radio-friendly style, and have been fluctuating between these extremes and many others since. Their more recent songs tend to combine melodic and catchy choruses with heavy guitar riffs.
Their breakthrough came in 1996 with the hit song Mitä kuuluu from "Hajonnut EP" followed by the single Anna mulle piiskaa. Since then, they have consistently topped the Finnish charts, and they continue to be one of the most successful rock bands in Finland. Teit meistä kauniin is one of the all-time biggest-selling singles in Finland and their current hit-single Koneeseen kadonnut has been extremely successful. As of January 2006, 16 of their singles and 8 albums have reached the #1 spot on the Finnish charts. Still, they have not received any Finnish Emma-awards (the equivalent of the Grammys), since their record label Levy-yhtiö is not a member of the Ääni- ja kuvatallennetuottajat ÄKT ry (the local representative of IFPI). This has allowed records released through Levy-yhtiö to be sold at a lower price than those through the record labels that are members of ÄKT. Surprisingly, in the end of 2006, Apulanta was nominated for the Best Music DVD Emma for their DVD Kesäaine.
In September 2009, Apulanta members established an independent label, Päijät-Hämeen Sorto ja Riisto ("Päijänne Tavastian Oppression and Exploitation").[1] Since its beginnings, the label has so far managed to get one artist, pop singer Kaija Koo in the summer of 2010.[2] In February 2011, they revealed that they had a new prospective artist in the label, though not disclosing their name.[3]
The band currently consists of founding members Toni Wirtanen (lead vocals/guitar) and Simo Santapukki (drums), and more recent addition Sami Lehtinen (bass), who replaced Apulanta's previous bassist, Tuukka Temonen.
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Apulanta has a history for energetic performances. They have had many "themed" concerts in which the bands would dress up in costumes and have the stage set up with a scene to match. Some examples include the following: In 1995 Apulanta made a playback performance in Lista (The List). Toni wore women's underwear and Tuukka had PVC-pants. In 1998 Apulanta made a playback performance in Jyrki Hit Challenge in which they fought each other with their instruments while wearing only swimsuits and shaving cream. On their summer tours of 2003 and 2004 they wore knight armor. As well, their relationship with their fans can be considered extraordinary when put into perspective with their fame. They once performed a cover of The Ramones' Blitzkrieg Bop simply because a fan asked them to. Their tracklists in gigs are changing, because they give the audience a chance to wish song. Usually there's from two to up to six songs, that audience have wished by shouting to Toni. Usually the songs are their older songs, which they wouldn't usually play. They have also taken a fan from audience to play guitar in encore. During a winter tour in 2005, Wirtanen handed out ice cream to fans before a gig at Helsinki's Nosturi because he spontaneously decided to promise the fans that he would do so. In the summer of 2006, Apulanta allowed a random American fan (notoriously nicknamed MF Elie) aboard their tour bus to work for them because the fan explained that it would look good on his college applications.
The band's most recent album (also their 10th album) Kuutio (kuinka aurinko voitettiin) was released on 5.11.2008.
The name of the band means literally help manure, or fertilizer, which they have since come to regret.