Former STRATOVARIUS bassist Lauri Porra has just kicked off Musamaailma-ESP clinic tour of Finland. Remaining dates are as follows:

May 06 - Kajaani
May 07 - Joensuu, Karjalan Musiikki
May 08 - Mikkeli

According to Lauri, the clinics will feature him "play[ing] some songs for you on the bass and I will also be talking about whatever bass-related stuff you might be interested in. Along with me will be Euge Valovirta from GODSPLAGUE."

Lauri Porra released his new solo album, "All Children Have Superpowers" on January 9. Three songs from the CD — "Release", "Changes in Memory" and "All Children Have Superpowers" — are available for streaming on Lauri's MySpace page.

Porra was born on December 13, 1977. He is a fourth-generation musician and started to study music at the age of six, playing cello and later changing to bass guitar in 1993. He studied in the Helsinki Pop & Jazz Conservatory since 1994, and he recieved the Nokia Young Talent Scolarship in 2001. Other formal studies have been on piano, double bass, trumpet and classical singing. He has been playing and touring all around the world professionally since 1997 in numerous Finnish bands and styles varying from classical to jazz to heavy metal. Bands include: STRATOVARIUS, SINERGY, WARMEN, KOTIPELTO, BEN GRANFELT BAND, EMMA SALOKOSKI TRIO, CRAZY WORLD, and countless others. In 2005 he is released his first, self-titled solo album, "Lauri Porra".