The 69 Eyes
- MEMBERS:
- Jyrki69 - vocals
- Bazie - Lead guitar, backing vocals
- Timo-Timo - Guitar
- Archzie - Bass, backing vocals
- Jussi 69 - Drums
BIOGRAPHY
The 69 Eyes are a multi-platinum selling Finnish gothic rock band. They are currently signed to EMI Finland. The band’s albums are now distributed worldwide. The End Records acts as the band’s official North American distributor, as Nuclear Blast Records provides distribution in Europe. Australia will be handled by AmpHead Music. All Asian and Latin American releases are handled by EMI affiliates.
Initially, the 69 Eyes’ music style was of glam metal influenced by acts such as Mötley Crüe and Hanoi Rocks. However, they began to incorporate more influence from gothic rock bands such as The Mission, The Cult, The Sisters of Mercy and The Lords of the New Church. Their sound was described as a mix of the gloominess of gothic rock with guitar-powered rock ‘n’ roll. Their music continued to show further influence from other rock artists such as The Doors, Elvis Presley, and Billy Idol as well as vampire films and literature. The term “goth ‘n roll” is used by fans to describe their style. They are often described as a dark rock band, a term which the band has embraced.
In recent times, with the release of Back in Blood, The 69 Eyes have moved back to a more guitar-based sound, although gothic imagery and lyrical themes remain forefront in their style.
Formed in the bars of Helsinki, Finland in the summer of 1989 by Jyrki 69, Archzie (formerly of Syyskuu), Timo-Timo, Lotto and Bazie, The 69 Eyes originally had a glam metal style and were compared to other Finnish glam metal acts such as Smack and Hanoi Rocks. The band’s lineup has stayed the same since 1992 when drummer Jussi 69 replaced original drummer Lotto who had played on the band’s first two 7 inch vinyl singles.
The band released their first 7-inch EP, “Sugarman”, in 1990, followed by another 7 inch, “Barbarella” in 1991. These are the only two releases that do not feature Jussi. These releases paved the way for the band’s first album Bump ‘n’ Grind released in 1992 which contained some re-recorded versions of songs from the first two EPs. This same year, the band released their final two 7 inch EP’s, titled “Juicy Lucy” and “High Times Low Lives”. The band’s second CD “Motor City Resurrection” was released in 1994 via Japanese Label 1+2 Records. It has since been re-released with 8 bonus tracks worldwide. Though not a full-length release, but rather a compilation album (much like Hanoi Rocks’ Self Destruction Blues), it collected the majority of the band’s early material and contributions to other compilations. It was followed in 1995 by Savage Garden which featured Hanoi Rocks guitarist Andy McCoy on the track “Wild Talk”. Also released during this time were 2 VHS tapes “Motor City Resurrection” and “Savage Tales” available only through the band’s self-run fan club (the aptly titled “Get Down to 69”) which are seen rarely, if ever for sale online. 1997 saw the release of Wrap Your Troubles in Dreams, which fans generally mark as the last 69 Eyes “glam-era” album. The title track of this album was re-recorded for the Angels album 10 years later. The goth rock infused Wasting the Dawn was released in 1999 and was considered a milestone success for the band. The CD was released internationally on Roadrunner Records and marked the band’s major label debut. The album’s hit single, the title track Wasting the Dawn lyrically paid tribute to The Doors’ Jim Morrison and was released as a digipack CD single. Jyrki 69 developed a concept video for this track which featured long-time friend and collaborator HIM member Ville Valo posing at a snowy cemetery as the ghost of Jim Morrison. This video was released on DVD in Finland with a bonus behind the scenes feature and marked first ever music DVD released in the country. Both the video and feature were later added as extras on 2003’s Helsinki Vampires DVD.
In early 2000, the band began working with producer Johnny Lee Michaels in Helsinki who would helm the band’s next four albums, and contribute to the fifth. Spring brought the single Gothic Girl which spent months on the Singles Top 10 and on Finnish nation radio playlists. It became the band’s first gold record. This single was a precursor to the sixth album, released in September 2000, Blessed Be which rose to number 4 on the Finnish Album Charts and stayed in the top 10 for over a month. The album spawned four singles, the aforementioned Gothic Girl, Brandon Lee, The Chair and Stolen Season. Videos were filmed for the first 3 singles. After the release of Blessed Be, the band did their first short tour in Germany which included a show at the M’era Luna Festival. Support for the tour was Norwegian rock band Zeromancer.
In 2002 the band released Paris Kills, which would be known as their breakthrough album. It stayed for weeks as number 1 in Finland and went gold in a month of its release. It has since gone platinum. In Germany it rose to number 35 in the first week. After touring Europe and Finland for months, a sold-out show at Helsinki’s famous Tavastia Club was filmed and documented in November 2002 for use in the “Helsinki Vampires” DVD.
At the end of 2003, The 69 Eyes signed to EMI Finland as they geared up to record Devils. The “Lost Boys” single was released in Finland at this time, paying homage to the film of the same name as anticipation for the full-length album grew. 2004 saw the release of Devils, their 8th album, to which they toured the UK in support of Wednesday 13. Once again the album was a success in their native Finland. It became the band’s fourth album to reach gold status and the second to reach number one position on the Finnish TOP 40 album charts. It was Released in Finland in October 2004 and in October 2005 in the U.S. through 456 Entertainment.
In 2005 The 69 Eyes played nearly one hundred shows around the world in fifteen countries, from Mexico to Japan.Devils was also released in the U.S. with an alternate cover from the international release. The band filmed their video “Lost Boys” in Hollywood and the Philadelphia area, directed by MTV star Bam Margera.
In March 2006, The 69 Eyes briefly toured the U.S. for the first time with Program The Dead & Damone, performing live on Last Call with Carson Daly.[1] This marked the band’s first ever U.S. television appearance.
Angels, the sequel to the 2004 album Devils, was released in Europe in March 2007. It debuted at number 1 in Finland and has since gone gold. Shortly after their tour with Cradle of Filth and 3 Inches Of Blood, Angels was released on 25 June 2007 in the UK. The first single from the album was “Perfect skin” which went straight to number 1 on the Finnish singles chart. The second single was “Never Say Die”. Videos were filmed for both singles and received international airplay.
The band did a summer 2007 US tour with Wednesday 13, Night Kills The Day, & Fair To Midland, and supported Within Temptation on tour in the UK in November. They played 125 shows worldwide in 2007.
In 2008 the band released their first live album, titled The 69 Eyes: Hollywood Kills. It featured a complete live show recorded at the Whisky a Go Go in West Hollywood in March 2006. The performance featured hits spanning the six latest albums an introduction by Bam Margera and a live cover of The Ramones “I Just Wanna Have Something to Do”. The concert was also filmed in its entirety. Five tracks from the performance were released on DVD as bonus content on the Angels/Devils box set and the entire concert was released on the “Back in Blood” bonus DVD.
The band began 2009 by touring in Europe as a part of Hellhounds Festival with Tiamat and Ava Inferi. In early 2009, The band started initial recording for their ninth studio album with Grammy award-winning producer Matt Hyde. The recording process took place in Los Angeles. It was also revealed that Johnny Lee Michaels provided post-production work in Helsinki. The new album Back in Blood was released 28 August in Europe and 15 September in the USA. In early June 2009, Bam Margera directed the music video for the first single from the album, “Dead Girls Are Easy.” The video premiered on playboy.com on 17 July 2009. The 69 Eyes also toured Australia for the first time in mid June, playing in Brisbane, Melbourne, and Sydney.
A tour of the United States followed in October 2009, and Jyrki 69 was featured on both FOX New’s “Red Eye” program, and CNN International also. In December 2009, the band debuted their newest video for the song, “Dead & Gone” via Myspace. This new video marked the band’s third collaboration with Bam Margera. On 10 August the band revealed a contest for fans to create a video for the next single “Kiss Me Undead”. The response was overwhelming, and on 30 September the band posted their 14 favorite videos on their YouTube page.
In April 2010, during an interview with Sean Twisted of Renegaderadio.net, Rudi Protrudi, frontman & founder of the Fuzztones, reported he had completed work on new song with The 69 Eyes, although further details were unavailable during that time.
On the official The 69 Eyes webpage they reported a European tour with Hardcore Superstar and Crashdïet in March and April 2011.
Early in 2012, The 69 Eyes began recording their next studio album X. X was released on 28 September 2012, across Europe and on 9 October 2012, in the United States. The first single from the album was “Red” and featured a music video. The second single was “Borderline.” Both singles were available before the album was released in Europe. On February 2013, the band released the singles “Love Runs Away” and “Tonight” simultaneously via iTunes. “Tonight” was released exclusively in Finland while “Love Runs Away” was released everywhere else. Both singles included two previously unreleased tracks, “Rosary Blue” and “Dracula’s Castle,” the latter being the song Rudi Protrudi reported he had co-written with The 69 Eyes back in 2010.
The 69 Eyes released a double CD compilation of their radio hit singles called “The Best Of Helsinki Vampires” on 1 November 2013. The compilation also included a brand new single “Lost Without Love.”
On 29 July 2015, the band announced that they were working on a new album with producer Johnny Lee Michaels in Helsinki. Johnny Lee Michaels previously worked with the band on four consecutive albums (Blessed Be, Paris Kills, Devils, Angels.) The new album was set to be released in early 2016. They also announced the first single “Jet Fighter Plane” to be released on January 15, 2016. The second single “Dolce Vita” was released on April 8, 2016. Both singles had music videos directed by Ville Juurikkala. The album titled Universal Monsters was released on April 22, 2016. The third single was announced to be “Jerusalem” and was released with a music video on May 13, 2016.
DISCOGRAPHY
Universal Monsters / 2016
1. Dolce Vita
2. Jet Fighter Plane
3. Blackbird Pie
4. Lady Darkness
5. Miss Pastis
6. Shallow Graves
7. Jerusalem
8. Stiv & Johnny
9. Never
10. Blue
11. Rock ‘N’ Roll Junkie
Universal Monsters is the name of the eleventh studio album by gothic rock band The 69 Eyes.
X / 2012
1. Love Runs Away
2. Tonight
3. Black
4. If You Love Me The Morning After
5. Red
6. I Love The Darkness In You
7. Borderline
8. I’m Ready
9. I Know What You Did Last Summer
10. When A Love Comes To An End
11. Rosary Blue
X (as in the Roman numeral for 10) is the name of the tenth studio album by gothic rock band The 69 Eyes.
The band chose “Red” as their first single. Days before the release of X, they released “Borderline” as their second single.
“Rosary Blue”, a bonus track, features vocals by American tattoo artist Kat Von D.
Back in Blood / 2009
1. Back In Blood
2. We Own The Night
3. Dead N’ Gone
4. The Good, The Bad & The Undead
5. Kiss Me Undead
6. Lips of Blood
7. Dead Girls Are Easy
8. Night Watch
9. Some Kind Of Magick
10. Hunger
11. Suspiria Snow White
12. Eternal
Back in Blood is the ninth studio album from Finnish goth rock band The 69 Eyes and their first to be released via Nuclear Blast in Europe and The End Records in North America. The album was recorded in both Helsinki and Los Angeles and produced by Matt Hyde.
The cover art was designed by Estevan Oriol. Lyrically, the whole album deals with themes of vampires and blood.
Angels / 2007
1. Angels
2. Never Say Die
3. Rocker
4. Ghost
5. Perfect Skin
6. Wings & Hearts
7. Star Of Fate
8. Los Angeles
9. In My Name
10. Shadow Of Your Love
11. Frankenhooker
Angels is the eighth album by gothic rock band The 69 Eyes. It is the sequel to The 69 Eyes’s previous album Devils. The first single from the album is called “Perfect Skin”, and a video was released in 2006. Also, another single, titled “Never Say Die”, was released and a video was also created for it.
The official release date was March 5, 2007. In Finland, though, it was released on February 28, 2007 as a limited edition CD+DVD -set.
Devils / 2004
2. Feel Berlin
3. Nothing On You
4. Sister Of Charity
5. Lost Boys
6. Jimmy
7. August Moon
8. Beneath The Blue
9. Christina Death
10. Hevioso
11. Only You Can Save Me
Paris Kills / 2002
1. Crashing High
2. Dance D’Amour
3. Betty Blue
4. Grey
5. Radical
6. Don’t Turn Your Back On Fear
7. Stigmata
8. Forever More
9. Still Waters Run Deep
10. Dawn’s Highway
Paris Kills is the sixth studio album by The 69 Eyes. It was released in 2002 on Gaga Goodies / Poko Rekords, and re-released in 2007 on Cleopatra records.
The first single from this album was Dance d’Amour.
Blessed Be / 2000
1. Framed In Blood
2. Gothic Girl
3. The Chair
4. Brandon Lee
5. Velvet Touch
6. Sleeping With Lions
7. Angel On My Shoulder
8. Stolen Season
9. Wages Of Sin
10. Graveland
11. 30
12. Heaven / Hell
Blessed Be is the fifth studio album by The 69 Eyes, released in 2000. It was produced by Gaga Goodies/Poko Rekords.
This album is more gothic rock influenced, leaving behind the “sleazy” lyrics seen in their earlier works. The first single was “Gothic Girl”, followed by “Brandon Lee”.
There are many references throughout the album to the 90’s cult film and comic book The Crow. For example, Brandon Lee, the lead actor who was shot and killed by accident while on the set, is also the name of the fourth track on the album. The song is a tribute to his memory.
The song “Velvet Touch” is a re-record of their original version (in which a glam metal sound) that was released on their second studio album Savage Garden.
Wasting the Dawn / 1999
1. Truck On
2. Lay Down Your Arms, Girl
3. Wasting The Dawn
4. You Ain’t The Reason
5. Lazarus Heart
6. Who’s Gonna Pay The Bail?
7. All-American Dream
8. Be My Speed
9. Hand Of God
10. Next Stop Paradise
11. Starshine
Wasting the Dawn is the fourth studio album by The 69 Eyes, released in 1999, produced by Gaga Goodies / Poko Rekords.
It was released internationally on Roadrunner Records.
The album’s hit single, “Wasting the Dawn”, paid tribute to The Doors’ Jim Morrison. The video featured HIM member Ville Valo posing at a snowy cemetery as the ghost of Jim Morrison. The title song is based on a line from “The WASP (Texas Radio and the Big Beat),” a song from The Doors’ 1971 album L.A. Woman. Valo also contributed back up singing. The album continues the 69 Eyes’ development from glam metal to gothic rock, at first notable on their previous album, Wrap Your Troubles in Dreams.
Wrap Your Troubles in Dreams / 1997
1. Call Me
2. D.I.D.
3. Broken Man
4. Get Around
5. Too Much To Loose
6. Sore Loser
7. Skanky Man
8. Wrap Your Troubles In Dreams
9. Hellcity 1999
10. Turbobitch
11. L8R S8N
Wrap Your Troubles in Dreams is the third studio album from The 69 Eyes, released in 1997 and produced by Gaga Goodies / Poko Rekords.
It was turning point for The 69 Eyes, as they began their transformation from glam metal to gothic rock. Along with their change in musical direction, the band became more popular. It was recently re-released on Cleopatra Records for distribution within the US. The album features a cover song of Call Me, a popular song by the American rock band Blondie.
Savage Garden / 1995
1. 1-800-Sleazorama
2. Tang
3. Smashed’n’Trashed
4. Velvet Touch
5. Mr. Pain
6. Lady Luck
7. Motor City Resurrection
8. Ghettoway Car
9. Wild Talk
10. Get It Off
11. Always
12. Demolition Derby
13. Savage Garden
14. 1-800-Sleazorama (Reprise)
Savage Garden is the second studio album by the rock band, The 69 Eyes. It also features Andy McCoy from Hanoi Rocks on “Wild Talk”.
Bump 'n'Grind / 1992
1. Voodoo Queen
2. Juicy Lucy
3. Alive!
4. House By The Cemetery
5. Hot Butterfly
6. Sugarman
7. Dream Master
8. Too Sick For You
9. No Hesitation
10. Blind For Love
11. The Hills Have Eyes
12. Barbarella
Released on March 18th, 1992, Gaga Goodies
REVIEWS AND INTERVIEWS
Kuopiorock Festival, Kuopio Finland – July 25-27 2019
In the middle of June I was writing about the new summer festival in Kuopio, called Rock in the City, which was mostly orientated on Finnish rock and heavy rock/metal.
August 5, 2019 by Jussi HevanderThe 69 Eyes @ Lunario del Auditorio Nacional, Mexico City – April 21, 2018
Lunario is a small stage next to the Auditorio Nacional, where the most important artists perform in Mexico City. Located in the west of the city, surrounded of important and
May 19, 2018 by Ilye KeijuJYRKI 69 – Slidebar, Fullerton, CA: March 10, 2018
Not too long ago, JYRKI 69 announced that he was not only coming to the States, but more specifically, that he was coming to the West Coast to perform for
March 21, 2018 by Slayanys ManiaxTOURDATES
Date | Venue | City | Country | Info | Tickets |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
2024-10-25T19:00:00 | Rock Café | Praha 1 | Czech Republic | Info | Tickets |
2024-10-26T20:00:00 | Eventlocation Alte Fleischerei | Mühlhausen/thüringen | Germany | Info | Tickets |
2024-10-28T20:00:00 | Colos-Saal | Aschaffenburg | Germany | Info | Tickets |
2024-10-30T19:00:00 | GARAGE | Saarbrücken | Germany | Info | Tickets |
2024-10-31T19:30:00 | Carlswerk Victoria | Köln | Germany | Info | Tickets |
2024-11-01T19:30:00 | Uebel & Gefährlich | Hamburg | Germany | Info | Tickets |
2024-11-02T18:30:00 | Felsenkeller Leipzig | Leipzig | Germany | Info | Tickets |
2024-12-07T20:00:00 | Lutakko | Jyväskylä | Finland | Info | Tickets |
2024-12-14T21:30:00 | VIRKISTYSHOTELLI YYTERI | Meri-pori | Finland | Info | Tickets |