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Happy Birthday To Me
I’ve always had age crisis. As a child, I only wanted to be older so I’d be a big boy. And as a teenager I was only counting days to my 18th birthday so I’d get my driver’s licence. And that my own ID would work for the bars and clubs in Helsinki. I once got arrested using a fake ID being 17 years old and that kind of sucks although I was able to sell three “Sunrise” demo tapes in jail that night. Promotion, promotion, promotion ;)
Professionally I’ve always been somehow too old for what I’ve done. I was already 30 years old when we released the first Sunrise Avenue album and it’s actually very funny that I became a teenage idol as I was already a mid-aged guy. I remember feeling worried about how I’d be accepted as a 30+ guy in the entertainment business. Would they think I’m too old for what I do as a newcomer. Would it work? Nobody seemed to think about it. It was all In my head as age crisis always are.
I have thought about aging a lot this spring and what’s somehow negative about it. Fact is, we all get older each day and there’s nothing we can do to even slow it down. Would it be cool to be young forever and to maybe even live forever? I don’t think so. Ok, I am a very lucky guy being healthy and being able to keep myself in shape mentally and physically and I realize everyone doesn’t have that. And I’m also lucky being surrounded by such young hearted people, who show me every day that age is actually just a number. It is. Every person on this planet only has this same day to live their lives and it’s up to us what we make out of it. You can and you should grow up but you never have to grow old. That’s a choice.
The only sad part of aging is the fact that we’re getting closer to the end. Nobody knows how many days we have here and I’m feeling this clearer each year I live. I may have many decades more, but nobody knows if I’ll even see next summer. Doesn’t knowing that make all this even more meaningful? That I get to breathe here today and that I get to do all the things I do today. This life is an amazing gift and such a miracle and the only thing we can do is just to try appreciate our time here by enjoying it as much as we can. And being close to the ones we feel good and safe with. If you look around, of course there’s a lot of bad stuff like sickness and horrible wars, but there’s so much beauty and love too. Even at places where they fight wars and where they go through sickness and sorrow. I guess that’s life.
This year I’ll celebrate my 49th birthday with a small group of friends watching ice hockey at home. But next year I’m reaching credible numbers and I really want to do something special. In my teenage years, they thought I wouldn’t make it ‘til 23. But I did. And I’ve made it even further than that and next spring we need to celebrated it big time.
So, next year my 50th birthday party will be held in Berlin at Max Schelig halle. First 10.000 people can join me at the arena. I was born on April 2nd in 1976 at 1810 o’clock and that means I’ll be 49 during the sound check and 50 when the lights go off before the show. I’m quite sure I won’t need a stick to walk in. Or if I will, I know I’ll have people around me who love me and who’d carry me there if needed. Whether it’s because of aging or because of another Jiujitsu accident ;)
I have played big shows in my life but this one will be bigger than them all. 50 is a great age, but it’s also a great number for champagne bottles on stage. I wonder who will join me opening them all and spraying it all over everyone. Or 50 fireworks. And 50 is also a very good number for songs on the setlist. I have never played 50 songs in one night. I think the maximum is somewhere around 30. Bruce Springsteen can do over 50 songs in one show, but he’s already 75 and I still have 25 years to reach that. If I’m lucky. But if Bruce can do it, why can’t I?
I wonder how loud can one arena sing “Happy Birthday dear Samu” and I also wonder how many times would they do that in one night. I just asked Chat GPT “What is the biggest possible Superman birthday cake you can make…” It answered something about a standard oven size, but I’m not interested in standards or normal that night.
To celebrate my birthday this year, I’ll release a new song “23” this Friday. 23 has always been my number. I was six years old as my mom took me to my very first ice hockey game in Helsinki. The winning goal was scored by Helsinki IFK player number 23 and he immediately became my idol. I told my mom, I’ll always be 23. I always played with number 23 too. I love this song and what it says. I wrote it together with my friend Tiina (Thank you again Tiina <3) in January and ever since I knew I’d want to released it on my birthday this year. This song has already now made me cry under a palm tree but also I’ve been screaming it out loud on a mountain top jumping around like crazy. Happy tears in my eyes there too. I can’t wait to see where our journey will take us. To Berlin next year for sure.
I will get back to my really deep and sentimental adult thoughts and life wisdoms later. But now. The general ticket sale to my big birthday show next year will start on Monday. Dress code Chucks. But heels or boots are ok too and sure you can come barefoot if you like. No age limit or other rules. I’m already now loving everyone joining me to my once in a lifetime experience I know I’ll never forget.
50 Songs? Yessir!
50 Fireworks? Yes ma’am!
50 Cowbells? Absolutely!
50 Champagne Bottles? Cheers to that!
Oh, and I need to figure out what I want for birthday present next year, right? Is it ok if I get back to that later as we still have so many months to go? I wonder how many kilograms of chocolate could one get from 10.000 guests at a party. Or maybe we can do something good together.
Big love to you all and once again - Happy birthday to me. Do you know what is the coolest thing I hear from you quite often. It’s “Samu, stay as you are…” I’m going to ;) I’ll always be 23.
Biggest love in the universe,
Samu
PS: I actually managed to blow out all 49 candles today…
(This part of the Chat GPT answer got me smiling ;)
“Record-Level Big?
If you’re thinking “as big as humanly possible,” you’d be entering Guinness World Record territory. The largest cake ever made was over 130,000 pounds. A Superman version of that would be a logistical monster—requiring cranes, engineers, and a battalion of bakers.
How big are you really thinking—party-sized or record-breaking?”