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HIM frontman Ville Valo longs for a relationship and desires real love




The number one name in Finnish rock, HIM ended a giant tour of 120 gigs in the spring. Now they are on a festival round ending in August. The singer of the band Ville Valo admits that it is difficult if not impossible to combine touring and relationship.

- It is really difficult to tour around the world and find a person who would be willing to stay alone at home and wait for their loved one to return. Every musician knows this.

Several band members have offspring already and the drummer Mika “Gas” Karppinen just got engaged. Valo's relationship ended last year and he has not found a new woman.

- It’s a classic thing. They don’t think anything of me because I don’t have kids and I’m alone. Those who have, feel that they’ve got something that you don’t. When you are really often away from home and have kids, it’s tricky. Some people handle it well and others badly.

- A relationship would be nice, genuinely that is. I just haven’t found a woman who would stand by me. I have tried so hard but relationships are a rollercoaster. It’s a pity that I don’t have a steady relationship.



The vocalist says that inspite of his solitude, he is still genuinely happy at the moment.

- I have a lot to do even without a relationship, I’m ok. In fact for the first time in my life, I have a home of my own, I’m in good condition and not in a relationship. The band is doing fine, too.

At the same time when Valo quit the alcohol from his gig routines, his everyday routines have changed.

- I have never ran in nightclubs in that sense. I have had longer relationships and that’s my thing. I’m a romantic person. I like to know well the person I’m spending time with. I’s nice to know the other persons BO. What I like most about a relationsip is the everyday life. Small things, Valo says.



The man is not much interested in loose relationships or other glamour issues associated with rock.

- I’ve never been interested in the women business of rock’n’roll. Restaurants are meat counters where women are waiting for the night to get darker. Then you get to do someone in some dubious place. Then in the morning, you’d like cut your arm off. That’s what night life is like. Everybody can get some, it just depends on the type and standards.

- His future plans are otherwise open, too. Touring around the world is rarely the occupation you retire from.

- Hopefully I’ll become the proud successor of the Valo porn empire. It’s more realistic than doing this until retirement.





Money

The icon of Finnish rock claims that despite fame and success there is not enough money.

- I need more of that and the kind of fame that I could not walk out my door. It would be nice to swim in money and look at my bank account statement with my legs crossed, he laughs.

- When we started in our day, we didn’t have much expectations. It was success if managed to complete a song and everybody to the training room at the same time. If we could buy a speaker with some gig money. Those are small successes which accumulate into bigger heaps.

With his excess earnings, Valo is planning to buy a property outside Finland.

- If I could get more money, I would move. That’s what it’s depending on. England is my favourite place. I love the nature there, the moors and woods and fine architecture. I know a lot of people in England. It would be cool to own a house there in the countryside maybe.

- I don’t have enough for that. They cost hundreds of thousands of pounds and the maintenance costs are huge.





Alcohol

HIM vocalist has now been without booze for a year. Before his sobriety, Valo got two choices from his doctor, heart attack or quitting the drink.

- The doctor said to me that I can drink but it’s really not worth it. Heart does not stand it. There’ll be a heart attack sooner or later.

- My body was really strained and the doctor told me to go to intensive care to rest for a while. Because I still have jobs to finish, I don’t want to wear myself out.

The worst case alternative to the rehab in Malibu could have been death. Now the situation is different.

- I’ve kept zero tolerance line with alcohol. The first few months were strange but it wasn’t that difficult in the end. I had become accustomed to certain routines, for instance, having a few beers to relax before gigs. And then some more afterwards. I was used to going out every Friday and getting wasted.



He thinks there are surprisingly few differences compared with the past.

- Now I wake up much earlier and read more. Otherwise no difference. But there’s no hangover. Before, I used to drink beer and work. Now I don’t drink beer and do the same work. Pretty simple.

Simultaneously, the musician has found new aspects of life. - A renewed youth started. I’ve been to museums, book stores and coffee shops. I’ve never been to coffee anywhere in 20 years. I like to go to bars but don’t like going to night clubs sober to drink water.



Home

The musician’s everyday life is mostly spent on tours and traveling. Valo’s base camp is his tower like home in Munkkiniemi, Helsinki.

- It’s a great feeling to wake up at seven and birds are singing. I take my guitar in hand and play idly for a while. Then go maybe to a grocery store and buy something or rent a movie. It’s all very basic life which I have never had before.

- It’s very quiet there. I like it a lot even though I’ve not been hanging around much at Munkkiniemi. At home, the time passes while I enjoy the peace and not being in a hurry anywhere.

- I live on ready made pizzas. Not bothered to cook alone because food is so expensive. Even bread is in too large packets these days. My bread is going stale all the time. The freezer is full of ready made meals waiting.





Depression

Last year Valo's mental and physical condition deteriorated. The rehab treatment took weeks. Venus Doom record process was difficult and the passing away of friends and a broken relationship brought on black thoughts.

According to Valo, the depression was alcohol related in the end.

- Luckily I had good friends in the band to whom it was easy to talk to. There will always be mood swings and it can’t be dancing on roses the whole life.

- The depression was also caused by taking too much alcohol to bad feelings. It makes one tired and with all that rush, the outcome was what it was.

The singer thinks that pressure from the society is increasing depression.

- Nowadays all people are depressed and life is chaotic. No wonder folks are loosing their minds what with all those demanding jobs. Terrible pressures to get money. Everybody wants to cope financially. Those are the elements of pressure.

- These days people find it’s stressful even to make the ends meet.

His depression was treated with traditional methods.

-When one sleeps better and has quit alcohol, one notices that things piss one off more accurately. One knows the target of one’s anger.
(Перевод sipu_von_sapu)