Kingston Wall was a psychedelic/progressive rock group from Helsinki, Finland, originally formed in 1987. Influenced by such artists as Jimi Hendrix, Led Zeppelin and Pink Floyd, the group combined eastern themes, mysticism and vivid psychedelia with acid rock. The band consisted of Petri Walli (guitars, lead vocals), Jukka Jylli (bass, backing vocals) and Sami Kuoppamäki (drums, percussion). Walli took the most active role in the band. He formed the group, composed most of the songs and wrote all the lyrics. He was also Kingston Wall's producer and manager and ran the band's own Trinity record label. History Early Days Kingston Wall was formed in 1987, when Petri Walli asked Jukka Jylli to join his band. Petteri Ståhl and Jukka Häikiö later joined the band as drummer and lead singer, respectively. The band was named Moonshine Makers and they played their first shows in 1988. Häikiö soon quit the band after getting tired of waiting for Walli to finish his long guitar solos. The band became a trio, with Walli taking the role of lead singer despite doubting his skills. The band was renamed Kingston Wall, which was derived from Walli's last name and the supposed name of a mental hospital in England, although Walli later gave varying explanations for the name. The capital of Jamaica, Kingston, allegedly had nothing to do with the name. The band's first performance as Kingston Wall and as a trio, was in September 1988. This successful show spawned many others. During these early gigs, the band played their own songs, but also covers from bands such as the Beatles, Frank Zappa, The Who and Jimi Hendrix. They recorded a demo tape in early 1989, which included the song “I’m Not the One”, which would appear on their first full-length album. After touring extensively and gaining some followers in the Helsinki rock-scene, Walli was eager to take his music to another level. However, drummer Ståhl was not as talented a musician as Walli and Jylli, which held the band back. In Autumn 1989, Ståhl was asked to leave and he was replaced by the more technically capable Timo Joutsimäki. The new line-up recorded another demo, which included the songs “Used to Feel Before”, “Waste of Time” and “I Wish I Had Seen You”. Kingston Wall I Kingston Wall released their first album, Kingston Wall (later referenced and re-released as I) in 1992 under the Trinity label.