Offside Reidars comes from Finland and Finland
have produced a lot of good punk/hardcorebands
through the years and Offside Reidars is a band
which is one of them.
Jari M answered most of the questions And
Jari K. and Juha T. added some comments. Here we
go April 2022.
Please tell me a little history of the group,
members and what you do when you don´t play
music, what do you work and which ages are you
in? I think you sound harder on the latest
release…more rock n roll punk on the Lp and more
hardcorestuff on Fuck off!
-Jari M: We started in 2019. We are all middle
aged punks and we have all been in different
bands for decades, touring and making records.
We knew each other already before starting this
band from the local scene, and we have been
seeing each other weekly long before this band,
playing ice hockey, in the same beerleague
hockey team. Our original idea was to play fast
hockey-punk, but since then, we have shifted
towards raw and angry hardcore punk, which is
the music we all started with. I started my
first hardcore band Aivoproteesi way back in
1982… The shift towards hardcore stuff felt
natural, just take a look at the world around
you… just impossible ignore the madness, and
that is best reflected with hc punk. Members
are: Jari Mikkola, gt & voc. Works as a
multimedia teacher in university, faculty of art
and design Juha Tuiskuvaara, bass. Works with
music/audio projects and random other stuff Jari
Körkkö, drums. Hangs out in the woods and drives
a truck
Have it been the same members all the time, or
have it been many lineup changes?
-Jari M: Same members from the start.
Offside Reidars is the name, where did it came
from and what does it mean?
-Jari M: As I mentioned we all play in the same
beerleague hockey team. The name of the team is
Reidars Hockey Team (or just “Reidars”). So,
when we started and decided to play hockey
themed punk, we wanted to use the same name
somehow. We added “Offside” because it refers to
how we suck at hockey. And it also refers to how
the punks and outsiders are anyway sort of
“offside” in our society. “Reidar” refers to a
quite famous painter from Lapland “Reidar
Särestöniemi”. He was also a quite a notorious
individual. And “Reidars” is also a twisted
version of a common sport team name “Raiders”.
Offside Reidars is maybe not the simplest name
for a band, but so what, there is story behind
it anyway.
What´s best with playing live ? Are you missing
it now or is it soon that you will play live
after covid-times? Where is best to play, which
country, town, place?
-Jari M: Playing live is always exciting.
Playing live is like being one with the music.
If you’re feeling right and everything is
working, it’s like another level of
consciousness. It’s a mental and physical state,
empowering and sometimes even exhausting at the
same time. A real valve for emotions. And even
the smallest reaction from the audience makes it
even better. We are really looking forward to
play more live, we have not played so much yet.
We started in 2019, and the pandemic started in
2020… Now things look a lot better. Offside
Reidars have not played outside of Finland yet,
but with our previous bands we have toured all
over Europe. Germany is usually very nice. “Treibsand”
in Lübeck is a place I have always enjoyed. “Vastavirta”
in Tampere, Finland is always cool.
Jari K: The best with playing live is the moment
of euphoria after the gig is over, and you take
a long sip of cold beer.
Juha T: Yeah, best thing is the adrenalin rush
from the gig. Also meeting friends while on
tour. One of the best places to play in Finland
is “Tukikohta” in Oulu.
Is it important to give out the record as
physical releases do you think? You did your
last on cassette…why?
-Jari M: We are all kind of record freaks.
Physical releases are at best like complete art
works, that you can hold in your hands, with
graphics and lyrics and so on. Cassette’s are
also cool, I think most punk bands have started
with cassettes. They are very DIY friendly. Our
latest release was on a cassette, because it was
quite cheap and fast to make, and we knew the
quality was very good in that small cassette
company in Finland. And also, as the vinyl
plants are very much in trouble and overbooked
all over the world right now, we did not want to
wait for months for a new release.
Jari K: Of course it is important to have more
than just some files on internet. A record or a
cassette is something you listen completely,
while going through the covers
Juha T: Word!
Do you play any covers when you play live? If
you do, which then?
-Jari M: Yes, we do play some covers live. We
have played G.B.H.’s “Race against time”, the
Blitz’s “Never surrender” and Cosmic Psychos
“Fuckwit city”. We also recorded these three
songs and put them on our Bandcamp and youtube
channels as a digital release, with name
“Basement’s hits EP”. Maybe sometime on a
physical release.
Please tell me a little about following songs
a)Shitshow Jari M: It’s a song about things
turning to shit, just when you thought that
maybe things might finally turn better. Shitshow
is always waiting around the corner. Original
inspiration for the lyrics was the Trump
supporters attack to Capitol building in
Washington. I asked an American friend a day
after the attack how he felt about it. At first
he was just shaking his head, so I asked him to
describe it in one word. And he said “Shitshow”.
But the song’s point is that don’t give up,
don’t let the shitshow assholes win.
Jari K: Shitshow is an excerpt from my diary
b) Outsiders Jari M: This is a song about global
warming. We live in north of Finland, just on
the Arctic Circle. Outdoor activities are a big
part of people’s lives here, also ours. The
context in the song is playing hockey outside,
in a rink, or on a pond, “pond hockey” or
whatever you call it. (We call it “beanie
hockey” in Finland). Anyway, it’s great fun, and
we have been doing it since we were kids. But we
have noticed that year by year, the winter
starts later and ends earlier. Not good. The
climate is turning warmer, and we have a real
experience of that.
c) I can´t play Jari M: Haha, this could be our
theme song. It even mentions “offside”. It’s
about being bad at hockey but still playing it
because you love it. Or you can always make it
fun. Like punk rock, it does not really matter
if you can play or not. Just go for it, never
mind what the others say. Jari K: This song is
the description of the minute of ice hockey when
I’m shaking on my skates on ice for my shift
Is it important to get out your opinions in your
music, and is it a good way to get out
frustration too?
-Jari M: Yes, it is important, and yes, it is a
really good way to get your frustration out too.
Stupid lyrics are ok for a while, if the music
is good, but fucking annoying if it just goes on
and on.
Jari K: Yes it is. It is a waste of time to
listen all the blah blah blah love songs. Our
new release has nicely some opinions put out.
Do you think that your lyrics can have effect on
other people who listens to them…any example on
it? Have you changed anyones mind? Never in
finnish?
-Jari M: For me lyrics have always meant a lot,
and good lyrics have effected me . So, yes, I
think that lyrics can have an effect on a
listener. And of course I hope that our lyrics
can do that too. Over the years people have
commented on my lyrics (Finnish and English),
and it is always interesting. Especially when
they find different meanings from what I
originally meant. On one of the reviews of our
“Fuck Off!”-cassette, the reviewer wrote that
“condensing texts into the most relevant is
especially pleasing”. I take that as a
compliment.
Jari K: I do hope that lyrics can have an effect
How is it to play this sort of music in Finland,
which type of bands are you having concerts
with?
-Jari M: Usually we play at venues that can
handle and are used to loud punk rock music. And
most of the time with other bands that are
somehow in the same direction musically. But we
have no problem playing with bands with totally
different style, as long as you get along with
the people.
Have you been one of all these bands which have
made livestreams now during the covid-19 time or
how is it?
-Jari M: Our first two shows were live streams
in the middle of the first wave of covid-19
pandemic. First on facebook and then on youtube.
Interesting experiences. Facebook was easy, but
quality not so good. Youtube offered better
quality, but it was technically more
challenging. We streamed from our rehearsal
basement, with a couple of friends were there as
audience. Streaming gigs were better than having
no gigs at all, at that point.
Jari K: Yeah…it was a substitute for a real gig,
but you can’t really get the same euphoria as on
a real gig
I like beer and also make beer.. If Offside
Reidars would do a beer , what would it be named
and which sort of beer would it be?
-Jari M: Nice! We like beer too! I would like
our band’s beer to be an ale, something like
English (strong) bitter. London Pride and
Fuller’s ESB are good mainstream examples. Name
would be “Offside Ale” Our beerleague hockey
team had its own beer some years ago, a small
limited edition made by a microbrewery called “Maistila”.
It was quite hoppy citrus pale ale kind of beer.
How would you describe your music in three words
to anyone who never have heard you?
Jari M: Fast, loud, punk
Jari K: Not-bowing-to-anyone reckless speeding
Juha T: punk rock hardcore
Which is your own favoritesong among your own
songs?
-Jari M: “Gamesaver”, “Fuck Off!” and “Brain
Eater”
Jari K: “Fuck off! and “Fuck with the
authorities”
Juha T: “Brain Eater”
What´s the biggest difference when you plays
live nowadays if you compare when you first
started to play in a band?
-Jari M: Less hassle. A little less nervousness.
Easier to enjoy the live experience.
Old Finnish punk/hardcorebands which you really
like?
-Jari M: Pelle Miljoona & N.U.S., Pelle Miljoona
& 1980, Sehr Schnell, Lama, Terveet Kädet, Kaaos,
Kansanturvamusiikkikomissio, Varaus
Jari K: What is old enough?
Terveet Kädet and Lama Juha T: Lama, Mellakka,
Varaus
What do you know about Sweden? What did people
said about your corona-strategy?
-Jari M: We know north of Sweden quite well.
Haparanda and snus are familiar to us. We can
even manage with Finnish language there. South
of Sweden feels like central Europe. Countries
have had slightly different corona-strategies,
and Finland has done quite well in general. The
Swedish strategy seemed a bit crazy first, but
we are all now in the same situation.
Jari K: I know that two of my cousins live in
Sweden. And that the Swedes can’t really play
hockey. And they can’t play handball either.
Have you ever been here? Any good bands from
Sweden that you like?
-Jari M: Many times. Also in south. Ebba Grön,
Anti-Cimex, Shitlickers, the Hives, early
Hellacopters, Haystack..
Jari K: Yes, you have to go there, because you
can’t get snus in Finland. Masshysteri, No fun
at all, and Millencolin.
Your audience when you play live, which type of
people comes, age?
-Jari M: It’s been quite mixed. Maybe slighly
older people more, those who might recognize us
from previous bands
Please tell me a funny thing which have happened
during a livegig with your band?
-Jari M: Nothing really comes to my mind… It was
a bit funny with our first streaming gig on
facebook.. the camera we used did not put the
video out automatically in horizontal direction
for some reason, so with laptop or computer
people had to watch it their heads 90 degrees
tilted… some comments said “ouch, my neck
hurts”, hah hah. After the live stream we edited
a straightened version of the show, for people
to watch later.
Is there any good bands in Finland today? New
bands which is good? Old bands which is still
good?
-Jari M: Lots of good bands!
Puhelinseksi, Kohti Tuhoa, Generals, Ydinperhe,
Influenza…
Jari K: There are many: Ydinperhe, Yhteiskunnan
Ystävät?. ..and Wasted of course!
Juha T: Dodge is good new band
Which is the record that you always must have in
the tourbus?
-Jari M: Well, our drummer owns the van, so he
decides.
Jari K: So, when I decide, it will be talk
radio.
Do you buy much records, or is it only Spotify
and those type of things to listen to music?
-Jari M: Yes, we buy records. Music streaming is
good when you’re not at home, and for checking
out new stuff. And it is good for putting your
own music out for people to check out. I buy the
record if it’s good.
Jari K: Of course you should buy records, at
least all the records you think are good. And
then you should listen them with a thought,
going through the covers and reading the lyrics.
Are you selling any records on your gigs, do
people buy them?
-Jari M: Yes, we have records, cassettes and
t-shirts at gigs. People could buy a bit more,
it is the best direct support for a band.
Do you care about reviews? Which is the most
peculiar you ever had, with this band or any
other band you have been to?
-Jari M: Of course we read them, and if we know
it’s a person with a good taste, we maybe pay
more attention to it. But it’s only one person’s
opinion. Reviews are a way to get publicity
also. One album review of my old band was really
really bad from the very start, but as I read
on, all the song names were written somehow
wrong, and there were refences to lyrics, that
were not referring to the actual lyrics but
seemed to be assumptions based on the wrongly
written song names. That was weird. Maybe that
guy did not actually listen to the record.
If you could choose five bands from the past and
the history and nowadays and both dead and
living bands to have a concert together with
your band. Which five have you been chosen?
-Jari M: This is tough one. Today my answer is:
the Clash, the Fluid, the Eastern Dark, the
Slits, and Bad Brains
Jari K: ABBA and Stiggan Andersson (from
Rovaniemi, FIN). And maybe Souvarit (Schlager
band from Rovaniemi). That’s all. I like gigs
with friend bands.
Juha T: Mellakka, Uutuus, Shitlickers and
Rudimentary Peni
Are you living on your music or what do you work
with on the side of the music?
-Jari M: Not living on music. Teaching job
brings money to my table.
Jari K: Hell no. Playing music for the love of
it, and money comes from the shitty job.
Wisdomword?
Jari M: Don’t be stupid. Be smart. Never
surrender.
Anything more to add to the interview?
-We are open for gig proposals! offsidereidars@gmail.com