International comedy stars from Iceland and South Africa join the line-up at this year’s Stand Up Turku! festival at various locations from 25-28 September. Being held for the eighth time, local acts such as the laconic genius of Ismo Leikola appear on the bill alongside these fresh imports from overseas.

Recognised today as one of the country’s pioneering black comedians in the country, Kagiso Lediga has worked hard to earn the label of being a South African comedy legend. For over a decade this multi-talented comedian has entertained audiences on the live stage, on the small and big screens and also now from behind the screen producing some of the most groundbreaking comedy content his country has ever seen, heard and laughed at.

ALWAYS somewhat of an awkward inclusion into the Grunge genre, Seattle’s Soundgarden were lumped in more on the basis of their geographic origins, more so than on the basis of their ‘70s influenced rock-metal hybrid.

However, as is the want of most bands these days, the quartet regrouped a couple of years ago, after a hiatus of some 15 years. Last year’s King Animal was proof that while the band still retained its power of early days, they were content to let the songs breathe, in between flurry’s of odd signatures and guitarist Kim Thayil’s unpredictable riffing.

OFFERING a cross-section of the capital city’s history, Helsinki City Museum

is currently Mad about Helsinki, hosting an exhibition celebrating the capital city stretching until the end of the year.

Having surveyed the public concerning their favourite places around town and the stories within, the exhibition takes a look at the various phases of the city over the years. Summarising the roughly 1,000 responses to the survey, the most significant places articulated for visitors to enjoy include the many sites that frame the historical context of Helsinki, such as Senaatintori, Suomenlinna and Kaivopuisto. Alongside these lie mentions of numerous remote and intimate places, such as deserted shores, quiet streets, and respondents’ own abodes.

Celebrating comics here in Finland and abroad, the 28th Helsinki Comics Festival is being staged in the capital on the first full weekend of September. The largest comics festival in Northern Europe, the festival features a comics market, Small Press Heaven, artists, exhibitions, discussions, presentations, live drawing performances, competitions, animation, kids’ events and clubs.

Bond without ambiguity.

“We travel fast, my voice and me; one penny in the pocket, penny in the pocket.”

(Feet in the Water)

BACK in 2008, while they were both studying at the Berklee College of Music, Frenchman Manu Laudic was among the audience at a concert that Finn Eva Louhivuori was giving in Boston. After her performance, he decided to reach out and thank her for the show. He started to tell that he remembered her from the school auditions in Paris, where he had been struck by her voice for the first time. Despite his long flattering speech, in the end she was sorry to inform him that she was actually somebody else. “Ah…well…anyway, you sounded great tonight,” Manu replied. Oops.