Home sweet home.

There were great shops at Düsseldorf airport on the way home so I went shopping. I bought so many clothes, a huge sack, and the stuff was actually pretty cool. I even bought my very first Ed Hardy shirt ever. Normally they don’t fit me but this new collection was a bit taller / longer and I didn’t look as ridiculous in them as normally do with my long legs.

Anyway… when I started unpacking at home just an hour ago, I realized I left the big bag at the toilet at Helsinki airport. I slept the whole way in the plane and I was still half way with sandman before getting my bags at the belt and I forgot the damn shopping bag in the toilet. Well, I called the airport and this very sweet guy went to find it and there it was, right where I thought it would be and I’ll get my stuff tomorrow ;) That was a close one. 7 shirts, 2 pairs of jeans, one hoodie. I would have cried…☹ Airport guy, if you read this: Thank you!

Anyway…. We were in Germany with Riku for 2 days. First we did the VIVA TV live in Berlin on Thursday with this girl, Annemarie Eilfeld, from The “POP IDOL” program in Germany. I had to kiss her (well… she HAD to kiss me…) on air because we played this truth or dare thing and I really hope se is feeling better by now ;) No tongue ;) and then we just hung out in Berlin by the river that used to be the boarder between the east and the west. Our promoter in Berlin is Moni, this sweet grandmother who has been in the business for ages. She is just so cool with all her stories of living in the east behind the Berlin wall some 20 years ago (she’s like 50 + sorry Oma if I got it wrong…;) and it’s always so cool being with her because she tells us stories about her grand children and stuff happening with her family. Showing photos and stuff ;)

It’s people like her who help you stop for a moment in this busy busy world made of financial crisis and all the bull shit and realize, it’s actually more important to stay close to your loved ones and to take good care of them and yourself than running after money, careers and all that shit. It’s funny how we never shake hands with her; she always hugs us so warm. And still she has all the passion to get our songs to the top. Unser Oma ;)

She took us to the coolest spot in the morning on Thursday before the TV stuff to have breakfast (Restaurant Tomasa in Kreutzberg) and a promotion trip could not have a better start. During these 3 years she has shown us all the historical spots of Berlin where the eastern forces (with Russians) used to switch agents with the western guys (with the Americans etc) and she has such a cool view on life and all that’s happening in the world. And she forces us to eat our vegetables but she smokes cigarettes & has beer with us. What a cool grandmother. We call her “Oma” (Grand mother in German) and sometimes the people at radios / TV stations think that we’re insulting her, but she loves being OMA and it’s so damn cool. She’s working with Rock bands and she is so happy with what she has. I kind of envy her and I hope I could be like her some day. Maybe even I grow up someday…;)

After the afternoon with Oma, we flew to Cologne in the evening to rest in a nice hotel and to get ready for the next days interviews and stuff. Leutnant Zimmermann, our Product manager was out of town this week so we had to survive the jungle with the other Emi guys and girls. We went to the gym before the dinner to swim a bit and to enjoy the Finnish sauna they had and that was sooooo relaxing. I don’t have a sauna at home anymore, since I never used the one I had in the house I sold to Karri (Our Show manager). I didn’t remember how damn good it feels. Usually when we go to sauna with the band guys, I am the pussy who sits the lowest and runs out when the tough guys start making it hot. I can be a man in other ways…;) A nice dinner at their restaurant and there was no problem falling asleep. I stayed in the same room at the hotel (Intercontinental) where all the musicians like Tokio Hotel, Take That etc and athletes such as German football team members had stayed and there was a cool guest book on my table with a kind request from the hotel to sign it. Sweet. That was good stuff to read before falling asleep. I put a few POPGASM stickers and a few words in German in there just to do our part.

We did all kinds of TV and radio stuff the next day with our host Nils, a young smart EMI representative / Spare Kerstin, and the last thing before we drove to Düsseldorf airport to fly home, we filmed this thing for POPGASM TV. I can’t tell you yet what it is, but it was very cool. I can just say I have never seen Riku dressed that funny and I laughed the whole time at the studio. Riku has been working with our Pre-Show-Tape the whole week and he’s slowly getting there ;) His ideas are just sometimes so damn out of the space ;) But it’ll be cool.

I CAN NOT WAIT for Wednesday when we get to play the first PopGasm show in Helsinki. We had our PA / On Stage rehearsals last week in Helsinki and the whole package just feels so right. I can’t express how great our crew guys are working day and night to get the stuff ready for us and for you and I know we are really lucky having these (drunk, stinky) fellows with us. And Raul has also been working his ass of with all the technical stuff together with the guys fixing every damn cable right for the shows. It’s his passion and sometimes I don’t understand how he has the time, patience and strength to do all that small detail stuff, but I have nothing against the free work force ;) I will reward him with some extra beers when we get on the road again. I think he loves his cables more than anything ;) I must say the mental balance in the band has never been this great. Everyone has a clear role and everyone seems so damn happy. That is good for the challenges we will have soon.

I am just a bit worried about the audience. If the people remember us anymore and if people will come to the shows. I know that I probably should not worry, but it has been 3 years from the release of the last album and I honestly feel as if we must start from the beginning pretty much again. And maybe that’s good.

Aaaaaaand. The album was released in Finland last week. MY GOD. I really didn’t sleep well the night before. The thing is that I love the album, but I have had it already for 3 months mastered and finalized on my iPod and of course my weak mind had all the time to let all the doubt get into my head if the whole thing is good enough or not. I must say I have felt so happy reading the feedback from people after the release. It really means so much to me if someone likes what we have squeezed out from our hearts. Thank you! And I am starting to realize how genius Jukka Backlund really is as a producer. It’s so cool what he did under very tricky circumstances this time. It’s gonna be so cool when Jukka will join us for the shows when Osmo, our new guy can’t make it.

I’ll empty my Gin-Tonic now and go to bed. I have to wake up for this video thing pretty early tomorrow. Again, I can’t tell you what it is about, but it’s something even the record companies don’t know about. We arranged a small budget to have a little fun with the next video and Jukka and his brother will be there too (meaning it will be a disaster;). You’ll see it soon and we really hope you like it. And Sunday will be interview day for me and on Monday I fly to Zurich Switzerland to do 2 days of interviews and stuff and Wednesday is the show. Finally ;) AAAAAAaaaaaaaa!!!!!

It’s actually funny. Some girl asked me when we are in Tokyo, Japan. And I didn’t know. They always just send me the schedules along with the flight tickets from our management. There is a car waiting at the airport and a hotel booked…. Riku just told me today that I have no days off really until June 15th…;) Great ;) So don’t ask me about trips and show, check the website or ask Riku, my personal secretary.

Right now I love you all and my life very much and I hope you all sleep well tonight, where ever you are. Or party as hell or what ever.

Thanx for a great week again everyone!

See you soon.

Doctor Haber
PopGastic Operations Specialist