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A Bit of a Bio
Band of Shysters was started as a duo and later trio called The Shysters by Aapo Halme and Antti Raekallio in early 2006 in Kuopio, Finland. It was a groggy night in February after the pubs had closed. Aapo was playing some Pogues on the car radio when Antti opined how it would be nice to play those kind of tunes. Soon the lads found themselves knee deep in Irish and other Celtic trad. music.
But it wasn't until August that year that the band really took off. The aforementioned shysters walked into a little local boozer where they were met with a curious sight: Jussi, a long time acquaintance and some time band mate of Aapo's was reeling on a table, with a pint o'lager in one hand and a roll-your-own in the other, bellowing "WHO'S YOUR PADDY?!" as if his life depended on it. Incidentally, some Pogues was blasting on the bar's stereo.
While the lads reveled in their shared, new-found love for the music the notion soon floated about of expanding the line-up to make for a more authentic sound. A violin, a tin whistle, an accordion and some other weird stuff later their strength now numbered eight men and women, and Band of Shysters was born.
Here's a recent video clip of Aapo going unplugged drunk at a barbeque in April. The guitar is out of tune and so's the singer. Nice flames, though. :)