Wigwam reform for 50th anniversary tour!
One can hope that this leads to a least one more recording
Jim lives in the USA these days but you can never know.
26.09.18 Helsinki (Kulttuuritalo)
28.09.18 Helsinki (Kulttuuritalo)
29.09.18 Tampere (Tampere-talo)
06.10.18 Turku (Logomo)
Lineup: Jukka Gustavson, Jim Pembroke, Rekku Rechardt, Esa Kotilainen, Pave Maijanen, Jan Noponen. With special guests: Pedro Hietanen, Mikko Rintanen.
"Angels die, redemption rages
The age of man on an empty page
And chances are
This will save your soul or break it forever"
I will buy any music this band makes in a heartbeat. Shout out to PE member "rarebird" (Renate M. from the Netherlands) for really hipping me to both Wigwam & Pekka P. solo stuff some years back!
"My choice early in life was either to be a piano player in a whorehouse or a politician, and to tell the truth, there's hardly any difference"
President Harry S. Truman
a few brews and good friends, Put "Wigwam Plays Wigwam Live" (loudly!) and you have a great evening!
"Angels die, redemption rages
The age of man on an empty page
And chances are
This will save your soul or break it forever
Wish I had some plane tix to Finland!
https://www.svartrecords.com/2018/06...lan-kunniaksi/
http://altagency.fi/wigwamia-juhlist...likiertueella/
I did a google translate of the text from these two different sources. That's why the English appears a little wonky. Any Finnish friends are welcome to correct! Jim is on the left and Jukka on the far right. Rekku Rechardt is in the middle. Jan Noponen the drummer is between Jukka and Rekku. Pave Maijanen who plays bass I believe is next to Jim. Esa Kotilainen isn't pictured. It seems odd that they would have 3 keyboardists altogether, actually 5 if you include guests Mikko Rintanen and Pedro Hietanen.
Wigwam's 50-year-old sky is celebrated at the autumn concert tour!
Founded in 1968 in Helsinki, Wigwam was one of the most significant bands in Finnish rock in the 1970's. Wigwam has also fame in time abroad, and the band has retained its cult and popularity to this day.
Compromised and ambitious progressive rockers and later members of the band, known for their simpler taiderock, will recalculate their rows and appear in the 2018 Wigwam Experience 50th anniversary celebration in Helsinki, Tampere and Turku. The Wigwam Experience concerts include Wigwam's former members, including Jukka Gustavson, Rekku Rechardt, Esa Kotilainen, Pave Maijanen and Jan Noponen. In the autumn-October festival, there are also visiting Wigwam-backed top performers such as Pedro Hietanen and Mikko Rintanen. More visitors will be released even closer to concerts.
The longest Wigwam history at the Wigwam Experience tour is to find keyboardist Jukka Gustavson. Gustavson was already a member of the group's "Hard N 'Horny" singer album, released on 1969, with songs from A on his lap mostly coming from his pen. The first edition of the debut album is also remembered to manually draw the ensemble from crimson covers. At the same time, "Luulosairas" -single was released, still one of Wigwam's most famous songs and also composed by Jukka Gustavson.
Pekka "Rekku" Rechardt first appeared with Wigwam in 1973, and in the same year he became a regular guitarist for the band. The band worked on the fourth album "Being", which was released in 1974. In April of the same year before the English tour, Jukka Gustavson and bassist Pekka Pohjola announced that they would leave the band, which led to the momentary breakdown of Wigwam.
However, the band gathered themselves again soon, and in the same year Måns Groundstroem and Esa Kotilainen, who also appeared as a visiting member of the Wigwam Experience Festival, joined the new bassist. In January 1975, the band traveled to Stockholm to record "Nuclear Nightclub", which became the biggest commercial success of the band and the only gold album ever. "Nuclear Nightclub" has also won the Finnish Broadcasting Company's vote as the most prominent Finnish album of all time, and the sound of Soundi magazine's critics was the record for the second best Finnish album ever. Pave Maijanen was the first successor to the album's success album, and he is also personally involved in the coming party's autumn concerts.
The band's second era ended in 1979 and the following 1980, the founding member and drummer Ronnie Österberg died, who led the band members for years apart. Wigwam returned to 1991 in Provinssirock, where Jan Noponen was behind the drums and Mikko Rintanen replaced Pedro Hietanen. This format also released in 1993 the "Light Ages" album, which has been compared to the band's 1970s production. Noponen works as a drummer at the Wigwam Experience tour, and Hietanen and Rintanen also visit concerts.
With Wigwam Experience 50, you can experience Wigwam's unique history and music in an unprecedented way. The tickets will be on sale on Friday, June 22, at 9:00 am at the Lippupiste.
In addition to the tour, Svart Records will release a large amount of Wigwam's production and partly unpublished material to celebrate the 50th anniversary.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Our country's most legendary progressive rock band Wigwam will fill this year for 50 years. Founded in 1968, the band was the largest export channel in our country in the 1970's, and the band has maintained its popularity to this day. Wigwam is still an inspiration to many younger generation musicians.
In honor of the celebration, Svart Records will release Wigwam's production as well as vocalist Jim Pembroke's early solo recordings again. The release started at the beginning of the year, when Jim Pembroke solo albums Corporal Cauliflowers Mental Function, Pigworm and Wicked Ivory and Wigwam's 7 "vinyl box The Complete Love Records Singles appeared.
At the beginning of June, Wigwam's production history was unhappy but a fascinating record of Dark Album (1977) as an extended edition. The package now comes with the first official release of the early version of the disc, known as the Daemon Duncetan's Request. In mid-July, there are expanded double LP releases from the magical classical discs Nuclear Nightclub (1975) and Lucky Golden Stripes And Starpose (1976). The Nuclear Nightclub has been unveiled before unpublished live recordings on Swedish radio just before the recording of the album, and the Lucky Golden Stripes kit is complemented by record-breaking early demos and screenplay, all of which have never been heard before. All three albums will be released on August 24 in CD format. Svartin's Wigwam program will continue in autumn, when limited edition vinyl records will be released in the 90's, Light Ages, Titan's Wheel and Some Several Moons. There is also some unpublished material to be released later.
In the fall, Wigwam is dressed for the 50th anniversary of Wigwam Experience. The tour of the three concert halls begins on 28 September. Helsinki Culture House will continue on 29 September. Tampere Hall. The final phase of the short celebratory tour will be felt on October 6, 2018 in Turku Logom. The composition of Wigwam Experience is composed of former members of Wigwam - including Jukka Gustavson, Rekku Rechardt, Esa Kotilainen, Pave Maijanen and Jan Noponen. In the September-October festival, there will also be visiting Wigwam-backed top performers such as Pedro Hietanen and Mikko Rintanen. More visitors will be released even closer to concerts. The tickets will be on sale on Friday 22 June at 9.00 am and will be sold by Lippupiste.
while most of the gigs are listed as the "Wigwam Experience", the four I mentioned above are listed as "Wigwam" which makes me believe those will be with Jim. Previous reunion shows without Jim always have a disclaimer like "Experience" or "Revisited".
I hope the unpublished material that Svart records eludes to are studio recordings. Interviews during the "Some Several Moons" release days made it sound that they had a lot of songs recorded that were not used for that recording.
"Angels die, redemption rages
The age of man on an empty page
And chances are
This will save your soul or break it forever
Looks like Svart records has unreleased early live material coming. Happy for that, but would love newer material if its just sitting around on computer drive somewhere...
"Angels die, redemption rages
The age of man on an empty page
And chances are
This will save your soul or break it forever
Good news!
Is Mats Groundstroem still alive?
"Always ready with the ray of sunshine"
I saw Jim Pembroke and Rekku Rechardt sometime in the late 90s and it was truly a fantastic concert.
My guess is that they all still 'got it'.
Steve F.
www.waysidemusic.com
www.cuneiformrecords.com
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
“Remember, if it doesn't say "Cuneiform," it's not prog!” - THE Jed Levin
Any time any one speaks to me about any musical project, the one absolute given is "it will not make big money". [tip of the hat to HK]
"Death to false 'support the scene' prog!"
please add 'imo' wherever you like, to avoid offending those easily offended.
Måns Groundstroem is alive, though he has been essentially retired since 2004, when his psoriasis got so bad that he had to play bass with gloves on to protect what little unaffected skin he had left in his hands. He has played on some Wigwam revisited gigs, and also done a few recording and production jobs.Originally Posted by strawberrybrick
Jim Pembroke's recent solo album was great!
I think that the guy on the left is Esa Kotilainen. These articles were published several weeks before Jim Pembroke's involvement was announced, which is why they are still referring to the band as "Wigwam Experience".
Jim is on the left and Jukka on the far right. Rekku Rechardt is in the middle. Jan Noponen the drummer is between Jukka and Rekku. Pave Maijanen who plays bass I believe is next to Jim. Esa Kotilainen isn't pictured.
Jim Pembroke plays the piano, Jukka Gustavson plays the organ and Esa Kotilainen plays the synth. Not sure about Mikko Rintanen, but Pedro Hietanen is a pretty wicked accordionist and Tombstone Valentine has an accordion part, so...
This reunion looks like it's almost everyone that's been in the band, except for the deceased, really.... but given the current line-up, how likely are they to focus on Being (my fave by a mile, but this was mainly Pekka's works)??
my music collection increased tenfolds when I switched from drug-addicts to complete nutcases.
Ah, ok. Thanks for the correction. To me the guy on the left looked like Jim, albeit with his hair grown out!
Considering they've never played most of it live, because it was too difficult to reproduce live - not bloody likely. The setlists I've seen from recent gigs seem to concentrate on the same "deep pop" material (that is, from 1975 - 1979) they've played since the 1990s, though "Maestro Mercy (Goodbye Dear Mother Earth" seems to have got played in addition to the standard "Marvelry Skimmer (Friend from the Fields)".
Being (my favourite too) was mainly composed by Gustavson, - half the tracks and well over half the running time - with three songs by Pembroke and two compositions by Pohjola.
Yup, I didn't think they'd touch Being either.
And you're right: it is a mainly Gustavson album, but I've never thought better of Pohjola's bass than on Being.
Do we know why Pekka and Jukka left the band after this album??
my music collection increased tenfolds when I switched from drug-addicts to complete nutcases.
too many writers for one band, all had their own ideas on the band's direction going forward. Both Jukka and Pekka put out a lot of solo releases after they left.
"Angels die, redemption rages
The age of man on an empty page
And chances are
This will save your soul or break it forever
Gustavson has told that his mental balance was somewhat shaky at the time, and all the while Wigwam was letting down his expectations. He has cited not only the problems with getting (suitable) gigs and opportunities to rehearse, but also internal dissent and growing hostility and inability to communicate between band members.
Gustavson had this pessimistic view of the world going down the pan and longing for some moral/spiritual goal – which is what Being was basically about. None of the others shared that worldview and so he was peeved that they didn't get behind Being in the way that he wanted them to. Being was supposed to heal the rift between them. It just showed how far apart Gustavson was from the others. He was a teetotaller; some of the others could be irritating when drunk. He wanted to make Art above all else; Österberg particularly wanted to make great music and be successful. It was simply that Gustavson imagined Wigwam as something like the four musketeers - straight, high-minded and all wanting the same thing. Which they simply did not. He couldn't take it, so he walked out. He later called it a divorce after four years together.
Pohjola may not have shared Gustavson's worldview and their relationship had grown increasingly strained too, but Pohjola was all about making art, making your own music and playing to the max of your abillities. Without Gustavson, he saw that ”the song guys” would call Wigwam's future tune, because even with Rechardt onboard, there just weren't enough ”players” to compensate, no other virtuoso. So he didn't hang around to see how the band would develop but gave his notice almost right after Gustavson gave his.
Looks interesting enough to hope something will be released.
Of course I miss Pekka Pohjola. But Jukka Gustavson on board? Would love to hear something from Being, or something they played on Live music from the twilight zone.
One more Helsinki gig was announced today as both Kulttuuritalo shows are now sold out, this time at the legendary Tavastia Club on September 30th, and a great article in Helsingin Sanomat: https://www.hs.fi/kulttuuri/art-2000005786923.html. My attempt at translating it follows.
FINNISH PROG GIANT WIGWAM RETURNS - A LINEUP CLOSE TO THE ORIGINAL TO PLAY ON THE 50TH ANNIVERSARY TOUR
It is easy to get mixed up by names, because three different Wigwams have performed in Finland on the 21st century. First of all, there is Wigwam Revisited, formed in 2010 by drummer Jan Noponen and keyboardist Mikko Rintanen. This lineup has also featured one of the early Wigwam members, keyboardist Jukka Gustavson. Wigwam Experience, on the other hand, is built around Gustavson and another member from the 70s, guitarist Pekka "Rekku" Rechardt. The third one is the official Wigwam with Jim Pembroke. Jukka Gustavson explains the naming: "We are calling ourselves Wigwam only if Jim is in the lineup. After all, he is the only founding member in the band."
Wigwam is the pioneer of Finnish progressive rock. The band was only active between 1969-78, but its effect on Finnish music is still felt. The end of this year will mark the 50th anniversary of the band. Wigwam is going on tour to celebrate it. On September 26th, they will perform at Kulttuuritalo for the first time in 15 years. It's true - the singer and third keyboardist is going to be Jim Pembroke, originally British, now living in Kansas City, USA. You can't get any closer to the 70s lineup anymore. The drummer Ronnie Österberg died in 1980 and bassist Pekka Pohjola in 2008.
Hello Kansas City! What are your expectations for the autumn gigs? "It's good to hear that people are so interested about the band", says excited Pembroke. He made his final decision to participate after hearing that in addition to Gustavson and Rechardt, the keyboardist Esa Kotilainen and the bassist Pave Maijanen are also going to be in the band. "It's a real supergroup."
Wigwam performances have been a rare treat on the 21st century. Pembroke says that he has often compared the band to a hibernating "song monster" that needs plenty of new songs to eat once awakened. "After eating its fill it gets bored and goes back to sleep. This happened in 2006, for example, when I returned to the USA", tells Pembroke.
Pembroke settled in the USA almost without noticing it. At first he travelled to Kansas City for a gig in 1995, then again for "a couple" of demo sessions. About a hundred sessions later he was contacted by local jazz singer Mary Moore, who had heard that the writer of Lost Without a Trace is in town. "I was Moore's pianist for more than three years. We performed on every club on the jazz/blues district of Kansas City. Eventually I had to quit, because I no longer had time for my own music."
During recent months Jukka Gustavson has been learning to sing songs originally sung by Pembroke from the later Wigwam albums released when Gustavson was no longer in the band. Playing the music of Wigwam never seems to bore you? "No, no! I just listened through the entire discography. There are so many little jewels there that there is no way to play them all in one concert", tells Gustavson. "In particular, playing Rekku's compositions on a full length gig has been a dream for me for many years", tells Gustavson. He and Rechardt were in the band together for only a short period in 1974. Learning new Wigwam songs has not been just a breeze. "The vocal arrangements on Jim's songs are so excellent, that my respect and admiration towards him has grown even bigger. The way he sings and phrases the lyrics is just great." One of the treasures spotted by Gustavson is Cheap Evening Return from Dark Album, written by Rechardt. "Rekku wasn't excited about all my discoveries, but this song is now on an important position on our setlist. It is an extremely beautiful song, very atmospheric."
Wigwam was originally formed around the new year 1969 to perform as the backing band for the singer Kristian, but the collaboration ended after just one gig. The single Luulosairas released in late 1969 became the first hit record for both Wigwam and Love Records. Wigwam's career can be roughly divided in two phases: the progressive rock era between 1969-74 and the art rock era since 1975. The change in direction was largely influenced by Gustavson and Pohjola leaving the group. "The main reason was that Ronnie didn't like playing our prog compositions. We respected and encouraged him a lot, but he was stuck with the idea that our compositions would be better served by a technical jazz drummer", explains Gustavson. Prog-Wigwam was no gold mine, but Gustavson has fond memories of the times. In particular he remembers the Helsinki audience who came to see the club gigs. "We played at Natsa several times a year. The acoustics were really bad, so we came up with the idea of setting up our instruments and amplifiers on the middle of the floor. The audience was sitting around us, which created a beautiful, intimate atmosphere."
One reason for Wigwam's reputation is that the group was the first one to do several things in Finnish pop music, suggests Pembroke. "We recorded our own compositions, we made a contract with Virgin Records and we played Hyde Park and Roskilde." Right from the first album there was international interest for Wigwam. In 1975 Nuclear Nightclub was released in Great Britain, and the successor was eagerly awaited. Pembroke's fondest memories are related to times before the commercial success. "In 1974 we spent weeks on Måsse's [bassist Måns Groundstroem] summer cottage in Porvoo archipelago. We rehearsed new songs on the local dance hall stage, and later on they became Nuclear Nightclub", remembers Pembroke. "Summer nights were warm. We built a camp fire, strummed our guitars and watched the stars blink on the sky. All was well." Everything changed due to the success of Nuclear Nightclub. "Suddenly everything was supposed to have been finished yesterday, while you found yourself in Amsterdam with only Danish krone in your wallet."
Fame and reputation didn't always turn into material goods. For instance, when Gustavson left the band in 1974, he started working as a mailman in Sipoo to make ends meet. Eventually the internationally recognized prog musician had to leave his job because of a malfunctioning moped. "People were waiting with their fists clenched when their mail was late once again. So I became a cleaner instead, and that's the job I held for over 35 years until I reached the retirement age. It was a nice meditative job and I could think about my compositions while I worked."
Gustavson has never left music - there has been no reason. After Wigwam, he has released several solo albums and performed with a number of line ups. At the moment his main project is a new prog suite, pretty much ready for recording the demos. "There are some pieces that might even be suitable for Wigwam", he hints. Pembroke, too, always keeps instruments and a tape recorder close at hand. "After the morning coffee I often pick up my guitar and start playing whatever comes to mind. It's my normal way to start the day."
Although the golden era of Wigwam lasted only for about ten years, the legacy of the band still inspires. Again and again, a new generation seems to find the drum beat of Luulosairas, the album Fairyport, the song Grass for Blades... And the creators don't want to stop either. "Two or three summers ago I was one of the 80 000 people watching The Rolling Stones perform on the Arrowhead stadium in Kansas City. They were excellent and the crowd went wild", tells Pembroke. "That's when I decided: god damn, I'm going to play as long as they do. When I was watching Keith Richards' huge face on the screen, I was thinking that this is so great - the way he is aging is ugly but he plays beautifully."
Tickets for the autumn concerts have been selling well, as have the special vinyl reissues of the band's albums. Does the latest Wigwam craze feel strange or justified to you? Gustavson is quiet for a moment. "The band has made music at its own terms, and plenty of beautiful vision and idealism has been involved. I have tremendous respect for the music of Wigwam, so I won't mind if somebody else respects it too."
So far Wigwam has rehearsed 24 songs from all eras of their past. Will Losing Hold, the only joint composition between Pembroke, Pohjola and Gustavson, be heard at Kulttuuritalo? "Without a doubt!"
^Thanks a lot fo taking your time to translate this very interesting article. It's sad and astonishing to learn that such a talented musician like Jukka Gustavson has spent most of his time working on things unrelated to music.
Thanks for the translation. An interesting read. Hope there will be some release from this.
New Album!!!! Please!
This article that "viukkis" has translated leaves a faint hope for new Wigwam recordings with both Pembroke and Gustavson involved.
That would be great to see (hear).
"Angels die, redemption rages
The age of man on an empty page
And chances are
This will save your soul or break it forever
A live album would be fine with me as well.New Album!!!! Please!
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