In his book, Pate Mustajärvi goes through his alcohol use and his career at Popeda.
Pate Mustajärvi has had tough conversations with his wife Tiina because of his drinking. Atte Kajova
Popeda’s former soloist Pauli “Pate” Mustajärvi discusses in the new book It ended with a bang – 46 years of Popeda (Docendo) his career in one of Finland’s longest-running rock bands.
In the book, Mustajärvi opens up in a diary-like way about the concert experiences of his last year at Popeda, and in addition, his entire music career is discussed. Mustajärvi also talks about his alcohol use in the book.
Constant gigging, being on the road and being in the public was what burned Mustajärvi to the end more than 17 years ago. Mustajärvi states in the book that some kind of break would have been appropriate, but he does not know what he would have done during the breaks.
Along with Popeda, Mustajärvi has also made solo productions.
I also joined projects that I didn’t want to, just because I didn’t know how to say “no” and I didn’t want to offend anyone. I drank booze for the hell of it. There was a divorce. All of it was sanity and spirit, but I survived. When I turned 50, I arrived at my own party straight from a gig trip, and it went accordingly. On the back of the group photo taken with the siblings at the party, I wrote “Possu-Pauli’s birthday was celebrated yesterday, and it wasn’t particularly nice there at all”.
Mustajärvi describes that at that time his daily routine was the same every day. In the evening there was a concert, after the music there was a party and after the party the “morning drinks” were enjoyed.
Then to eat and sleep and back to work until it was time to go to the gig again. If there was no gig, there was more time to drink. We were big and beautiful and wise as we were, talked a lot of crap and planned big things, most of which were forgotten by everyone by the next day. Life carried me like a ram on a string and every now and then kicked me in the head with my own favorable assistance. I realized that something had to change. I had to change.
Everything changed
Mustajärvi’s life and way of thinking changed in 2013, when he met his current wife Tiina Mustajärvi. Tiina has written the book Mustajärvi together with her husband.
Little by little I realized that the world doesn’t revolve around me, and that no one can know what’s going on in my head unless I say it out loud. And that I have to take control of my life myself if I want to make life my own. And that if you don’t want to do something, you can justifiably refuse it. To my surprise, there has been enough work, even though I am no longer a yes-yes man who can be talked into almost anything. I have realized that it is never too late to change the direction of one’s life.
Pauli Mustajärvi & Tina Finn: It ended in Ratina – 46 years of Popeda (Docendo 2024), published on 14.2.