Depeche
Mode
The
gym lesson took place on the roof of a skyscraper. We were some 15
students dressed up in a track suit. The teacher had spread a green
carpet over the area. 'Now you can do gymnastics on your own,' he
said. The pupils started running, spinning, skating and gliding. Some
somersaulted and rolled around, first cautiously, then more vigorously.
As the stunts became more daring, the pupils hardly managed to stop
their movement before the edge of the roof.
In
fact, stopping right before the edge became a stunt of its own. It
was as if all the jumps were choreographed at a sudden stop at the
edge. There was no railing to protect you from falling, just a thin
metal bar surrounding the roof. This was the only thing to clutch
for if you went too far. And this happened quite often: many of the
stunts ended up with the student hovering at the edge, almost falling,
until at the last moment he managed to grab the metal bar so that
the others could lift him back to the roof.
The
green carpet had been spread evenly over the roof. But as the sports
grew increasingly wild, the carpet moved and formed waves, where you
could easily stumble. On the uneven surface the sport lesson became
increasingly dangerous. I couldn't bear to watch people getting hurt,
so I turned away and descended the stairs back to the ground.
Walking
around Esplanad I saw big posters advertising a concert by Depeche
Mode. The event was going to be in Helsinki.
'Is DM coming here again?' I asked. Sari had just joined me as I walked
among the crowds.
'Yes, this is their fourth concert in Finland within the last ten
years,' she replied.
'Don't they get bored touring Helsinki so often? And how can the audience
get excited with tickets costing more than 50 euros?'
'This is a free concert. It's part of the Helsinki Festival, aimed
at turning Helsinki to an even more friendly and ecological place
to live.'
'How can a free concert back up such a cause?'
'Depeche Mode is not the main actraction. The band keeps a low profile
so that the ecological issues can be presented with more prominence.
DM has just two short shows on the Esplanad stage.'
'But the stage is really small, meant only for a few hundred spectators.'
'Yes. The City-magazine reckoned that DM is in a sort of turning point
in their career. It may be difficult to have a small concert if you're
used to stadium-size events.'
'If the concert is free, why are they advertising the tickets then?'
'The tickets are only symbolic,' Sari replied. 'There are candles
made out of bee wax that you can light during the show. And there
are handkershiefs made out of recycled material that you can use to
sit on. You can get both from the nearby office, if you want to make
sure you have a place among the audience.'
Sari
went to the office to get the candles. I walked along the street until
I found myself near a Russian shop selling all kinds of stuff from
the old Soviet Union area. I had never seen the shop before, so I
popped in. It was interesting to look at the exotic handicrafts. A
curious kind of music played from the loudspeakers. It echoed outside
too, as I walked back to the Esplanad.
