If I Became a Lordi Fan in 2006

Have you ever asked yourself this question whenever you became a fan of a band or artist? Every musician has gone through their prime, and it seems that I’m frequently late to the party since I didn’t get into heavy metal until I was 18.

So, one thing that really came to my mind after 5 years, is:

What if I became a Lordi fan in 2006 instead of 2012?

2006 was the year Lordi won the Eurovision Song Contest and became a brief phenomenon in their country and the rest of the continent. They even captured international attention with their victory making them able to tour in places they had not been to before

In that year, I was probably 11 at that time, but since ESC happens in May, I would have just turned 12.

I cannot really picture myself becoming a fan in the years before that. I would have been too young, and back then I hadn’t exactly been able to look at most scary things yet….. also the Internet was too crappy to indulge in any deep research!

So, let’s just imagine a scenario shall we? When I was that age, I would watch a lot of TV. I can see there being a situation where the cartoons I normally watched, changed their schedules, or I press the wrong button and somehow I stumble upon a channel that was playing the ESC.

I was always listening to my music on the bus, so I can see myself watching live performances at that time. When I was little, I was so selective with music, and only seemed to enjoy it from female singers. But, as I neared my teen years, that biased approach diminished without me knowing. I didn’t hate rock and metal music back then; I was probably just unaware of what it had to offer. All those singers in the contest I’d watch with curiosity, until Lordi hit the stage with Hard Rock Hallelujah.

By the time I had finished elementary school, I was slowly getting in to monsters and stuff. It started with Pokemon that were monsters in a way, and it took a few years for it to really branch out into other things like dragons. But now, I can see my reaction to Lordi’s performance like “Holy shit, this is amazing! Monsters playing music, and it’s catchy!” because if you think of it, it’s like never a time you see bands like that be invited to participate, and WIN.

I’d sit at the edge of my seat waiting for the final results, and when they said Finland and Lordi took the stage to accept the reward. I’d jump from the couch and cheer, “YAY LORDI! THEY WON! THEY WON!!!

In the aftermath, that is when I’d be really obsessed. My parents would find out in no time, and my friends would be terrified if I showed them the video of Lordi’s performance.

I would have also pestered my folks to buy me the album containing HRH, because it wasn’t until I had an iPod in tenth grade was I able to purchase songs individually. Just like the way I started as a fan, I would be playing HRH on repeat and singing it at the top of my lungs, until my parents got annoyed enough to want to confiscate whatever I was using to play the song! But overtime, I would come to enjoy the other songs and then I would dig deeper.

As a silly teenager, I’d spend oodles of time finding more Lordi songs to listen to, always looking for chances to talk about the band, begging my parents to buy the other albums that were already out at the time……because Lord(i) knows that I wouldn’t be able to find them at the HMV that used to be in the mall! And of course, the obsession would go even further once I started learning about the band members!

I was serious about my piano lessons at that time, so there is a good chance, (if for the sake of argument, the first Lordi interview I saw was the Rock2Wgtn with Amen and Awa, which actually WAS the first I watched in 2012), that Awa would have started off as my favourite, because she was the only girl in the band at the time. So, it makes you wonder how hard I would have taken it when she left the band in 2012, and if I would be able to accept Hella. Over the years, no matter how much a band or franchise changed, I was pretty open-minded about anything new. At first I would probably feel a bit blinded by nostalgia, but if the music was just as good, then that would be all that mattered to me.

So, yeah, Awa would probably be a first favourite while I’m still young and well… that’s only because I feel like it wasn’t until I was 16 where I started to appreciate the attractiveness of men! Lemme tell you that by the time I was 16, right away some musicians were entering my heart, but sadly, they were just phases. Clearly, Mr. Lordi was not a phase.

Eventually, I’d come to appreciate the members of the band that were the opposite sex probably once I’m like, 15 or something. It’s always been like this: I melt easily over men that can sing so I’d fall for Mr. Lordi no matter when I became a fan of the band! Plus being a Monsterman makes him even better!

Of course, when I was 12, my parents thought I was crushing on General Grievous, and at 16 it was Optimus Prime who dominated my heart. People might have still seen me as delusional with Mr. Lordi, but it would probably be less extreme because he’s a real person and it would make more sense to admit that I look up to him.

I would be watching all the interviews with him to see how on stage he acted like a Monsterman, but offstage he was himself: friendly and humorous making me melt no matter where he was. If he inspires me to be proud of who I am, be who I want to be, and to enjoy what I love regardless of what others think…… then he would inspire me to do the same starting in my teen years. I would have developed self-confidence much earlier in my life. Some people would probably say to me “Oh it’s just a silly crush, you’ll get over it,” or “You do realize that’ll never happen,” Mind you, when I first did become a fan, I briefly had trouble recognizing the boundaries of having a celebrity crush like; they’re older, might be married, etc., but eventually I came to in no time to keep my thing for him within the normal range if you know what I mean. Chances are, if I came to like him as a teenager, I would be very defensive towards comments like that before accepting the reality.

Once I turn 18, nobody would bother me about it anymore, and that would be a huge relief, especially from those who believed I would get over it, but never did hahahaha!

The one down-side to discovering Lordi in their prime, would be that I would try to watch Eurovision every year just to see them, and of course that would not happen. I have NEVER followed the mainstream, and the way it works……according to Mr. Lordi……is a sudden flash and then the next thing comes around. Just like trends in society. Whenever a trend dies, people quickly move onto the next thing. If I got into something that was trendy; which would be Lordi in this case at that time: I would start to be upset that nobody cares anymore after two or three years.

People would tell me it’s over, and Lordi’s not “in” anymore and I would ignore them constantly saying that to me it was never over. I would continue to be loyal, and would likely be bullied in high school for that.

Of course, the most significant challenge with starting as a Lordi fan in my pre-teen/teen years would be all the insecurities I would go through having not seen them live. The moment I discover all those pictures of fans that have met them…..I will probably weep my eyes out even more than I did during the first year and a half as a fan from 2012 to mid-2013. The younger you are, the more emotional you get until you learn to thrive, have patience, and focus on what you have as a fan. That’s what Mr. Lordi would have wanted me to do right? Don’t worry about what others have.

However, if Lordi did come to play here during that time, the other down side would be that I would be unable to go because it would be either a 19+ event and my parents would have the potential to turn it down if I was still under 18.

From where this is going, it sounds like if I became a Lordi fan in my early teen years instead of my late, not much changes from the reality; other than the possibility that I might be more hysterical, obsessed, and being under 18 when it first happens. I would have been lectured believing that I’m delusional and need help when in reality, I’m just being a fangirl and a teenager.

In conclusion, I’d say from what I’ve observed: I am glad I didn’t become a fan of Lordi during the time they became big with Eurovision.

I mean, sure it would be a sudden flash and great moment where I’d be hysterical, excited, and madly in love, but then when it dies down, it would be difficult for me to thrive among all the other teens my age and older without being judged.

I would have probably come to like Awa first before Mr. Lordi breaches my heart, but in a way, I’m glad I didn’t get into the band until I was legally an adult because that way no one could lecture me anymore if I was possibly too obsessed with the band as a whole, or just who was my favourite. No one would be able to confiscate my ability to play their music either! Those things would have happened for sure if I became a fan when I was 12! Also, from my personal experience, I obviously wasn’t mature enough when I was 16 to recognize the boundaries of having a fictional or celebrity crush!

I also wouldn’t have properly handled the situation at a much younger age if I couldn’t see them live. Yeah I did have a sob session every now and then over them when I was 19 and envious, but if I was 15, it would have been much worse.

Despite there appearing to be a lot of potential challenges with becoming a fan earlier in my life, this was seriously fun to write: the whole imagining a scenario about what things would have been like if it was different, and analyzing how I would behave based on my level of maturity and experiences at a younger age, all in an effort to understand myself better the way I was. Some fans I’ve met online have discovered Lordi when they were 13 or 15 and probably didn’t have any problems as young fans, but for my situation, it was better for Lordi to not come into my life until I reached adulthood! They are, after all, never meant to be family friendly hahahaha! Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to go engross myself in Lordi again, like I do after every article I write about them. I’m fucking proud of who I am, just the way I am, and just the way I wanna be. ❤

👽Emily