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| Om dem i HIM |
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H.I.M., (acronym of His Infernal Majesty) were born in Helsinki, Finland, during the summer of 1995 when Ville Hermanni (voice), who worked as cashier in the father’s sexyshop, decided to create a band togheter with his best friends Mikko Paananen (Migé Amour, bass) and Mikko Lindström (Lily Lazer, guitar). They needed two musicians, and finaly they chose Juhana Tuomas Rantala (Pätka, drum) and Antto Melasniemi (keyboard). At the beginning, HIM used to give a show "HIM plays Type 0 Negative", where the band proposed some songs of Type 0 Negative. HIM made their first EP "666 Ways To Love: Prologue" (it is avaiable only in Finland), it was the 1996 year and in it are container 4 songs. Their style is very particolar and it can not be definited. The guys decided to call it LOVE METAL: a mix of metal, gothic, glam and pop, with lyrics which talk about love and death. But... Attention! Ville defines precisely thet they don’t tal about phisical death but it only concern with the end of something. In 1997 it has beeb published their first real album: "Greatest Lovesong Vol. 666". This album contains nine tracks, seven of them were composed by Ville. Lily helped him for the songs "Our Diabolikal Rapture" and "For You". The remaining two songs are famous covers: "Wiked Game" by Chris Isaak and "(Don't Fear) The Reaper" by Blue Oyster Cult. The album was sold well in Finland and Germany. HIM opened the Sisters of Mercy's concert and received their 1st award. Antto decided to leave the band and Juska Salminen (Zoltan Pluto) took his place. Also Pätkä chose another way and left his drum to Mikka Kristian Karppinen (Gas Lipstick). |
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On the 02nd of November 1999 the first single of the new album, "Join Me In Death", collected an enourmous success. It was at the first place in Germany, Finland, Greece, Poland... and it was selectioned as sound track of the Roland Emmerich's cyber thriller, "The 13rd Floor". HIM have became very famous, they have sold many cds and have recived platinum, gold and silver discs, and they have been invited in many tv shows. The succes has grown from the twentyfour January 2000, when the album "Razorblade Romance" has been sold in shops. It is produced by John Fryer (Depeche Mode, Nine Inch Nails). The second European tounée, The Razorblade tour, made its debut in Finland and then they went in all Europe. This was been a great year until Zoltan left the band, after the new year eve's concert at the Tavastia Klubi. As new Keyboard operator, the band has found Jani Purttinen (Emerson Burton) a friend of Ville and Migé. |
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On May 2001 HIM supported The 69 Eyes in their concert at the Tavastia Klubi, using an art name: Thulsa Doom. In the same period of time Lily has published his album "The King Of Rock'n'Roll", he created a his new band and we can see Lily singing and Ville playing drums. The first single of the new album "Deep Shadows And Brilliant Highlights", "Pretending", followed the same way of his predecessors and the same thing happened for the album, which went out on the 27 August 2001.The sound are less dark and more pop. The album contains some songs produced by Kevin Shirley (Aerosmith, Bon Jovi), in collaboration with John Fryer ( Nine Inch Nails, White Zombie), Randy Staub (Metallica, Bon Jovi) and Chris Lord-Alge (Tina Turner, Keith Richards) for the technical parts. A new European tournée began at the Rock Am Ring in Germany and ended on the 31st Dicembre with the famous year's eve show at the Tavastia Klubi. In the same time Gas was working with a parallel project called "Bend Over". In 2002 the band decided to take a break: no albums neither tournèe until 2003! But HIM gave anyway some concerts in Finland and UK. Then some dates were added; they participated at some festivals and gave a concert in Mexico! In October was published the offial biography: "Synnin Viemää". It is written only in Finnish. Around the end of the year HIM decided to sell their album "Razorblade Romace" in the US, but they were threated of law persecution by another band of the same name. This is the reason of the changement from HIM to HER (Her Evil Royalty) until the situation was solved at the end of March 2003. In the end of 2002 the video "Buried Alive By Love" (track of the next album, sold from spring 2003) was filmed in Los Angeles and the director is Bam Magera, member of the Jackass trasmission and fan and friend of Ville. 2003: after the concert of Tavastia Klubi, HIM filmed the video "The Funeral Of Hearts" in Laplanda. It was directed by Stefan Lindfors. On the 6th March was born Lily and Manna's daughter. On the 17th March went out the first single "The Funeral Of Hearts" all around Europe (excepted UK). This song is from the album "Love Metal" which was published on the 14th April. HIM were invited to partecipate at the Day At The Border-Gods Of Metal and the had to play before Marylin Manson; but, for unknown reasons , Marylin didn't play and HIM ended the show at their place. And then a new tournée started and another single, "The Sacrament", was published. Its video was directed by Bam Magera.
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AUTOGRAPHS
Ville Valo c/o BMG Finland OY PL 173 00211 Helsinki Finland |
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Ville ValoName: Ville Hermanni Valo Instrument: Vocals Birthday: 22.11.1976 Place of birth: Helsinki Hight: 1,84m Colour of eyes: green Colour of hair: dark brown Sign: skorpio Personal info: engaged with Jonna Nygren
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Migé AmourName: Mikko Henrik Julius Paananen Instrument: Bass Birthday: 19.12.1974 Sign: sagittarius
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Lily LazerName: Mikko Viljami Lindström Nickname: Linde Instrument: Guitar Birthday: 12.08.1976 Sign: leo Personal info: since 2003 dad of a little girl
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Gas LipstickName: Mika Karppinen Nickname: Kaasu Instrument: Drums Birthday: 08.02.1971 Sign: aquarius Previous bands: Kyyria
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Emerson BurtonName: Jani Purttinen Instrument: Keyboards Birthday: 17.10.1974 Place of birth: Helsinki Sign: libra Previous bands: Sub-Urban Tribe, Cosmos Tango, Torpedo
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Former members: Juhana Rantola (1. drummer) Antto Melasniemi (1. keyborder) Zoltan Pluto (2. keyborder)
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Ex mebers for HIM
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Jussi Mikko "Juska" Salminen (keyboarder November '98/ December 31st, 2000)
DATE OF BIRTH: September 26th, 1977 PLACE OF BIRTH: Kouvola (Kuusankoski Hospital) NICKNAMES: Juska, Zoltan Pluto, Jussukka, Jussi 2000, John 2000, Haemo Phyle MARIAL STATUS: Dating ASTROLOGICAL SIGN: Libra TATTOOS: Heartagram in the middle of his chest PETS: 3 water turtles MOVIE: "Reservoir Dogs" COLOUR: Black NUMBER: 9 BANDS: Faith No More CITY: Amsterdam FOOD: Oriental DRINK: Beer, cider HE LIKES: Beautiful people HE DISLIKES: Bad people HOW TO RELAX: Movies, Playstation2 IDOLS: Mike Patton BEST SONG: "Carole" by The Swampies BANDS BEFORE HIM: Mary-Ann
Juska played his last gig with HIM at Tavastia, Helsinki on New Year's Eve 2000. They had been discussing this since October, and it was Juska's own decision to concentrate on other things in life. No fights, no dramatics. In Juska's own words: «I played my last show with HIM at Tavastia. We came to this solution together with the whole band and the final decision was a sum of many different things. During the two year's that I spent with HIM, the band grew to be my second family. I want to thank Ville, Mige, Linde, Gas, Seppo, Janne, Pasi and Ike with whom we shared so many great adventures. I also want to thank all the fans, who made this all so special». Since the 18th of November 2001 he's back again in a band called New Dawn Foundation. |
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Juhana Tuomas Rantala (drummer '94/'99)
DATE OF BIRTH: February 11th, 1974 PLACE OF BIRTH: Tampere, Finland NICKNAME: He got a friend who has got a name Pekka. Pekka & Pätkä is very famous finnish characters in several comedymovies BEFORE HIM: Slumgudgeon AFTER HIM: Mannerheim, Divine Decay, Spiha, Evil Beatles
Born in Tampere, but he didn't live there quite long. Spent his childhood in Riihimäki and Rovaniemi, the youth gone in Lappeenranta. Pätkä organized the first rehearsalroom for HIM, that's located to Tapanila. Taking Juska to the band was also the idea of Pätkä. The reasons that Pätkä left the band was his girlfriend who was pregnant then and Pätkä was very good friend of alcohol too. No one told that Pätkä was fired until he heard somewhere that HIM got another guy on drums and that made Pätkä very depressed, only magazine he could read was Futari (finnish soccermagazine) because there wasn't any pictures of Ville... He's not bitter of that nowadays... Pätkä has two children and works in Semifinal-club by buing beer for thirsty customers. The favourite drink "Saatanan Voitto (the victory of Satan)" was the idea of Migé and Pätkä. The edge of the glass sprinkled with lemon and then the glass dropped to sugar, then we fill the glass with Strohl or "Yhden Tähden Jaloviina". That's better when Strohl is strong, drink could be enjoyed burning or not and that must be done with one swallowing. Girls can drink it with straw. Ville, Linde and Migé were looking for a drummer in HIM. Ville and Migé were in Tavastia and on the stage was Slumgudgeon and they noticed the style of Pätkä. The singer of Jimsonweed (Suho Superstar) knows both gangs and he gave Pätkä's phonenumber to Ville and HIM was ready. It was very hard for Ville to ring to Pätkä because they got only friends in their bands before. So Ville calls to Pätkä and soon Pätkä went to meet Ville. Ville played their demo and Pätkä decided to join the band. In the summer 1995 they recorded demo included "Stigmata Diaboli", "The Phantom Gate" and "Wicked Game" what was lately their breakthrough hit. He left the band before "Razorblade Romance". |
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Antto Einari Melasniemi (keyboarder '97/'98)
DATE OF BIRTH: November 11th, 1975 PLACE OF BIRTH: Helsinki, Finland BEFORE HIM: He started with different machines, saxophones and percussions before he found keyboards AFTER HIM: He works as a cook in France. He worked in Amsterdam before France.
He lived first five years in Helsinki, then he moved with his family to Järvenpää (about 30 kilometres to north from Helsinki). His father stays in Helsinki and Antto spent his weekends there with his friends. First musical thing for Antto was the music of Mika and Turkka Mali, duo that plays traditional finnish songs made by themselves. Antto is cousin of Joel Melasniemi, who played with Ville in Donits-Osmo Experience. Joel was the link between Antto and Ville and they became friends in that way. In the beginning he played some kind of backgrounds for HIM. They needed the sound of rain for their demo and they asked for Antto to play it. «It's not planned that Antto stays in HIM, but it's just happened» says Ville. One day he realized that he's the part of the band and he plays on their gigs... There was a funny situation for membership of Antto when they went to shot their first video in Germany. It was for "Wicked Game" and band plays in dark scene where's raining and snowing and there are some girls with tight PVC trousers. The director of the video thought that there is a singer, guitarist, bassplayer and drummer in the band. No-one told him that there is a keyboard player also in HIM and that's reason why Antto is not in the video. He appeares in the end of video for couple of seconds as a snowman. The biggest reason for department of Antto and HIM was his personality. He was not systematic and everything's got broken where he touched. He had fights with Ville and Ville didn't tolerate his laziness. |
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Tarvonen (drummer '91/'92) |
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Juippi (drummer '91/'92) |
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Oki (rhythmic guitar '92/'96) |
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