45 Special opened its doors on 21 September 1990. The restaurant was founded because even rockers need someplace cosy where they were treated like people. Rattori-Lupi, which had been a home for rockers in the 70s and 80s, had gone under and the rockers had spread out around the town.

The restaurant was founded by Elmo Harju, Eero Puolakanaho, Kepa Salmirinne, Ilpo Sulkala and Rami Räsänen, all of whom had worked with music in the past. At that time, Elmo and Kepa were the soloist and bassist of the internationally renowned Zero Nine hard rock band and Ilpo Sulkala supported the same band from behind the scenes, while Rami Räsänen was the owner of Finland’s then largest programme agency Rock Tops as well as Zero Nine's agent.

The operating environment familiar to all five men – rock-n-roll – also appealed to the customer base. The restaurant’s well-thought-out environment and laid-back atmosphere has made it a favourite of many for decades. Puolakanaho and Räsänen stepped away from the enterprise in 1992 and Harju and Salmirinne in 2010, and the restaurant was transferred over to Ilpo and Roope Sulkala’s family business.

The doorman duo of 45 Special, Jorma Karhumaa and Juha Oksanen, had already achieved a legendary status during their time at Rattori-Lupi. The doormen played a significant role in creating the vibe of 45 Special. Even the police chief had wondered about the existence of 45 Special as, for years, the police hadn't had to make an entry concerning the restaurant in their records. Karhumaa and Oksanen’s “troublemaker radar” was also active during their free time out in the city. If a troublemaker was detected in the cityscape, the two made a mental note of their face and denied them access to the restaurant. Oksanen’s equal treatment of customers and twisted sense of humour have given rise to many urban legends.

Originally based on pure rock, the selection of music has expanded and changed over the years following changes in the music industry. In 1997, an upper floor and genuine band stage were opened at 45 Special.

Yes, the 45 had been operating in the basement since its opening, and in '97 we got half of the second floor for ourselves, and band activity became more and more possible. In 2002, we got the whole floor to use and tested for the first time in a way that HIM came to perform on Sunday, and we let in 350 people and noticed that maybe 300 is the right number. And then with this upstairs change, the 45’s band activity really started properly, allowing bands of various kinds and levels to come to us. Bill Wyman & Rhythm King’s, as an old Rolling Stones fan, was an incredible thing at our fifteen-year anniversary. Two nights, two perfect concerts. Tears came to my eyes, and then Bill Wyman sits in the front seat of my Ford Transit when we went to restaurant Uleåborg for dinner, so I thought I would museumize that seat afterwards. – Ilpo Sulkala

In addition to HIM, the stage at 45 has seen several big names such as Nightwish, Rasmus, Deedee Ramone, Amorphis, Bill Wyman & Rhythm Kings and many more.

Despite its reputation as a rock club, DJ sets have been a big part of the musical offering of 45 Special since the early 1990s.

However, many things have changed over 30 years of operation. The responsibility for running the club has been passed on to the next generation, from Ilpo to Roope.

When I joined this place at the age of eighteen, it was quite a puritanical rock bar, and I was perhaps more inclined towards hip hop direction. The lineup of performers has changed, but so has many other things, and the change is well illustrated by the fact that nowadays marketing has changed from posters and newspaper advertising to social media, and ticket sales from Ibos stamped physical tickets to our own application. Then indeed this program, people’s listening habits have fragmented, and that’s why we also have all kinds of performers and music. There are all kinds of music genres and then there is also all kinds of other performing arts. – Roope Sulkala

Something that never changes is the tradition of the weekly Sunday jams. The famous Sundays jams of 45 Special are known throughout the Finnish musical community. They are said to be the longest-running jam event in the world. However, the spirit of 45 has remained the same. The bar continues to offer an alternative to the mainstream with good music at its heart and a finger firmly on the pulse of cultural and musical life.

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Sources:

Sulkala, Ilpo, Founder of 45 Special. Oulu. Interview 12.3.2024, interviewer Esa Nissi.

Sulkala, Roope, 45 Special Restaurant Manager. Oulu. Interview 12.3.2024, interviewer Esa Nissi.

Juntto, Anssi, Rock’n’roll yliopiston kasvatit – 45 Specialin tarina, Nispero

Forsman, Carita, Nelivitosen jameja ei jätetä! Kaleva 3.2.2010

Pasanen, Antti, Ravintoloitsija 45 Specialin suosiosta: ”Meillä on saanut olla sitä mitä on, kunhan on vaatteet päällä ja osaa käyttäytyä”, Kaleva 18.3.2017

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Photo: Kaleva archive, Satellite Stories at 45 Special, 2018.

Video: Satellite Stories - Campfire (Official Video), https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zt43vyqoRHY