Pro Metal Song Writer Will Move To Hellsinki/Advice Needed

TheTruth · Post by **TheTruth** » Sat Oct 25, 2008 6:26 pm

Hi I'm Alex 31 (Australian+European) living in Japan 7yrs...etc!

I am considering moving to Helsinki for a year or two to form a series of band projects with serious older musicians which I am planning to seek at my arrival there.

I have no knowledge of other Forums more suitable for my pursuit ,if someone could suggest any ,please do so .

My basic plan is to move there with as much money as possible (not a lot) and get a job and cheap accommodation ASAP and get busy auditioning musicians and hopefully recording/playing live soon after ,if things work out for the best

.

Questions For Now;
1 .Which Visa is easiest to attain?
2 .Whats a safe,cheap and reasonable way to move there on my own?

I would stay in a backpackers until I land some share accommodation or whatever is affordable ...I am not afraid of any culture shock since Ive spent a long time in Asia ...
I have lived in the smallest grayest shoe boxes Tokyo had to offer

Thanks!!!

**Sponsor:**

Rosamunda · Post by **Rosamunda** » Sat Oct 25, 2008 6:46 pm

If you are "European" you don't need a visa.... just an EU passport.

Pursuivant · Post by **Pursuivant** » Sat Oct 25, 2008 8:03 pm

*Serious* Finnish musicians? I thought Hanoi Rocks was touring Japan

... well... if you are truly clueless of the Finnish employment scene then you might need to consider again about the amount of money... visa information is at the http://www.migri.fi pages, but read about the residence permits... its about as nasty as in Japan.

Bubba Elvis XIV · Post by **Bubba Elvis XIV** » Sat Oct 25, 2008 10:39 pm

Can't get tougher than Japan...

Alex where are you based? I was in Ome-shi, Tokyo for a year.

Try http://muusikoiden.net/ For finding band people etc...Sadly only in Finnish.

TheTruth · Post by **TheTruth** » Sun Oct 26, 2008 2:53 pm

Thanks everyone , I actually moved to Osaka shortly after staying in Tokyo at the beginning ...

At the moment I am living in Kobe with my wife and 2yr old daughter and securing them financially with a business that I am running online.
Over 15yrs of song writing and hundreds of hours of recording would be too much of a waste especially when the small amount of fans I have still cant believe that my music hasn't been more exposed etc...it has been frustrating for me, and my family agrees that I should make the most of it ,even if it means risking my career ....

Great to hear that my dual residence can provide me with a European passport...
I guess I should seek further advice from a Finnish consulate in Japan???

Pursuivant wrote:*Serious* Finnish musicians? I thought Hanoi Rocks was touring Japan ... well... if you are truly clueless of the Finnish employment scene then you might need to consider again about the amount of money... visa information is at the http://www.migri.fi pages, but read about the residence permits... its about as nasty as in Japan.

Well Japan has great fan base for Rock/Metal bands but as far as musicians are concerned there aren't many out there with hair on their chest (I don't mean that literally LOL).

Is it so hard to land a simple job like a factory worker bar man or even a kitchen hand/cook etc?

rinso · Post by **rinso** » Sun Oct 26, 2008 4:53 pm

Is it so hard to land a simple job like a factory worker bar man or even a kitchen hand/cook etc?

Yes. Employers expect you to speak Finnish , even if it is not critical for the job.
When they have a vacancy there are often enough qualified Finns applying.
You need to have special qualities to land a job without Finnish language skills.
(and most simple jobs require no special skills

)

You have to make it on your own with your music or you have to be lucky.

raamv · Post by **raamv** » Tue Oct 28, 2008 9:12 pm

Are you planning to make money on writing songs for heavy metal bands? Then it gonna be difficult than even Japan..
If you are wanting to be a part of one playing an instrument then you might have a better chance..
You can also try www.thelocal.se as the underground metal scene in Stockholm/Sweden is way better and more financially viable than Helsinki..
( Gothenburg and Stockholm are known for their Underground metal scenes... The other place would be Germany..)

Bubba Elvis XIV · Post by **Bubba Elvis XIV** » Tue Oct 28, 2008 9:40 pm

All though Finland has a reputation of producing a lot of metal bands the reality is the scene here is small...basically due to population. The music industry here is very small and badly run...although Finns themselves are quite musically orientated (IMHO)...Sweden's music industry is a lot stronger and better managed - kinda famous for it.

I agree with Raamv - You could get some success and maybe be a novelty being a foregner in a band but to make a living from it is another story...To be honest - I don't know how you didn't get stuff off the ground in Japan. We started a band and had tons of interest and hell....we never even got to a rehearsal!

You could do what a lot of Finnish metal/punk/rock/alternative people do and play a bit of........

.....to pay the bills while you follow your dream.

Pursuivant · Post by **Pursuivant** » Wed Oct 29, 2008 12:15 am

its no problem,
you just need to tell a better story...

... that people understand

TheTruth · Post by **TheTruth** » Fri Nov 21, 2008 5:40 pm

Pursuivant wrote:its no problem,
you just need to tell a better story...

... that people understand

nice video its like someone videotaped my Saturday nigh in Sydney a few years back

....

Trust me takes more balls to be a father working 6 days a week just to buy some diapers and feed a family ...

How do you like that story ????

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