Apocalyptica - Close to their fans

300 selected fans at the Pre-Listening

Apocalyptica, the finnish cello-band, gave 300 of their fans the chance to listen to the new album before the release next year.

An icy-cold and unpleasant november-evening-despite of that 300 enthusiastic fans came to Cologne to experience their idols very closely. This allured fans more than from Germany - they came from England, France and farer countries only to get the chance to be one of the first who is allowed to listen to the brandnew album. The fans stood outside the Filhaus and just waited that it starts inside with handle out all the tickets so that they could came into the warmth. But till getting there it was a really long time because each name had to be looked up in a special guest-list which made use of very much time.
After everyone got in, you got the chance to sit down on some chair cushions, you had to sit on the blanked floor or you could stand behind the sitting crowd at a small bar.

To embellish the long waiting for the band they showed again and again the same video made at the production of the new single "Bittersweet", which is a collaboration with the two finnish singers Ville Valo from HIM and Lauri Ylonen from The Rasmus.

Onto a small retardation only two of the actually three guys (one of them had to stay in Finnland because of his cello-sudents doing their examinations) entered and the room was fully of happieness and excitement.

Past a short salutation by Eicca (one of the members) to the fans with telling some facts of the new album, which will anticipated be called only "Apocalyptica", with an english full of finnish accent, they sat down on a sofa and were listening to their music as well as their fans. The new songs, which are a good mix of really heavy (with a lot of drum-parts played by Mikko Siren, their live-drummer and Slayer-drummer Dave Lombardo) and slow songs, got well received by their fans.

After chilling and listening to the new album they took a break of few minutes.

Then Perttu and Eicca started a signing session which lasted as long as everyone who wanted a sign got one. One of their fans even wanted their sign on his bass-guitar and one let their arms sign. She only wanted the sign but they made a full-sized tattoo with their edding out of the arm.

But that wasn't the end of that nice evening.

After one more short break for them to wind the most relaxed part of the long evening began. Now everyone had a chance to talk to Perttu and Eicca, who were in a really great mood to talk with. They took there time for really everyone in that room and that it was what everyone really amazed that they stayed this way indeed they have such big prosperities in the music-business.
I got really conviced that they stayed totally "normal" by getting the chance to take some really nice photos with each of them!

Cologne Girl © 2004