In the spring of 1983, four young men were strapped for cash. Together with Ari ‘Arvid’ Kettunen, Tapio Liinoja and Heikki Salomaa, Timo Eränkö decided to start a street band.

‘We started it as a group of friends because we needed money. There were a bunch of friends there in the beginning, but I think I was the prime mover who eventually put the show in motion.’

The band was named Lapinlahden Linnut (‘The Rampton Birds’). The first performance happened so that the musicians – from the one on the Students’ Theatre’s piano to the one playing the travel chest – stood on the steps of Café Vanha and started to play. Café Vanha had long been a central meeting place.

‘Café Vanha was strongly connected to the Students’ Theatre since it was right next door. Later on we made some songs with Rauli Badding, Hande Nurmio and who knows who else.’

The first ‘official’ appearances were at the Satakuntalainen students’ club. Then the concert bookings started to pile up. As the conditions changed, they started using keyboards and put mikes on the travel chests and folders. In all the three thousand gigs they played, Eränkö’s favourite memories are from the smaller venues.

‘The best gigs were definitely the ones in dim corners of dive bars. It’s in there within arm’s reach where you could see how one song or lyric could slam the crowd. But taking over a bigger venue from a high stage is equally as great for us.’

Eränkö has written the lyrics for most of Lapinlahden Linnut’s songs, as well as those of his newer band, Puujumalat. The lyrics often come out of everyday speech.

‘The lyrics are usually made while I’m on a walk. I try to perceive the world and bring up my anti-market liberalism worldview. I always try to make them with joy and humour. Or else no one can listen to those kinds of songs.’

Eränkö has another band project in development.

‘I have a new band, Timo Eränkö Zeppelin, whose first gig is in August 2015. We’re playing Lapinlahden Linnut and Puujumalat tracks, but also some new songs. Unlike my previous bands, this one will perform a lot in English.’