| Intro | Finnish rock musician |
| A.K.A. | Mika Kristian Karppinen, Gas Lipstick |
| Is | Musician |
| From |
Sweden Finland |
| Type | Music |
| Gender | male |
| Birth | 8 February 1971, Eskilstuna |
| Age: | 49 years |
Mika Kristian Karppinen, better known as Gas Lipstick (born 8 February 1971), is a Swedish-Finnish musician, best known as the previous drummer of the Finnish rock group HIM. Karppinen is also drummer to other bands, but they are on hiatus, such as Finnish deathgrind group To Separate the Flesh from the Bones, Finnish heavy metal group Bendover, Finnish punk group Valvontakomissio and International Finnish / Swedish punk group Ääritila.
Karppinen was born in Eskilstuna, Sweden to Finnish parents, and at age thirteen he moved to Finland with his family.
Rare known fact is that Gas was session drummer for one tour of Finnish band named Tarot (known as project band of Marco Hietala – Nightwish). Gas’s first more known band before he joined HIM was Kyyria, including two band members Santeri Kallio and Niclas Etelävuori from well known Finnish band Amorphis and singer Ville Tuomi of Suburban Tribe. He sang and played guitar in a Thrash Metal band called Dementia, including guitarist Roope Latvala of Children Of Bodom.
He also was a drum tech for Stratovarius at one point and was on the Stratovarius DVD for a couple of parts.
In March 2011 game company SongHi released internet music game with Gas’s drum loops.
On 27 January 2015, Karppinen announced his departure from HIM, feeling that he needed to move on as a musician.
Personal life
Karppinen married his Croatian girlfriend Natali in Temppeliaukio church, Helsinki, on 30 August 2008. Mika became a father when his daughter was born on 16 January 2009.
Drum set
Gas is an endorser of Ludwig drums, Paiste cymbals, Aquarian drum heads and Vic Firth drum sticks. Furthermore, he is an open handed drummer, meaning he plays the hi-hat with his left hand and the snare with his right, opposite to many rock drummers.
Drums
LUDWIG Legacy Classic (color: Vintage Black Oyster Pearl)
SHELL SIZES:
- 14″ x 22″ Bass Drum
- 6.5″ x 14″ Black Beauty Snare
- 10″x13″ Rack Tom
- 16″x16″ Floor Tom
- 16″x18″ Floor Tom
HARDWARE: LUDWIG Atlas Pro
- 1 x Hi-Hat stand PRO LAP16HH
- 1 x Snare stand PRO LAP22SS
- 3 x Boom Cymbal Stand LAP37BCS
- 1 x Straight Cymbal Stand LAP27CS
- 1 x Drum Throne SADDLE LAP50TH
- 1 x Bass Drum Pedal LAP15FP
- 1 x Tom Holder Stand
CYMBALS: PAISTE
- 1 x 15″ Formula 602 Classic Sounds Medium Hi-Hat
- 1 x 18″ Twenty Custom Collection Full Crash
- 1 x 20″ Twenty Custom Collection Full Crash
- 1 x 20″ Twenty Custom Collection Metal Crash
- 1 x 22″ Masters Crisp Ride
DRUM HEADS: AQUARIAN
13″ Rack Tom
Top Response 2 Coated Bottom Texture Coated
16″ Floor Tom
Top Response 2 Coated Bottom Texture Coated
18″ Floor Tom
Top Response 2 Coated Bottom Texture Coated
14″ Snare
Top Hi-Energy Bottom Hi-Performance
22″ Kick
Batter Force I White Front Force II Black
DRUM STICKS: VIC FIRTH
American Classic Metal
Former bands
- Valvontakomissio (1984–) Vocals, Composition, Lyrics, Drums
- Dischange (1991) Drums
- Kyyria (1992–1998) Lyrics, Composition, Drums
- Dementia (1986–1996) Vocals, Lyrics, Composition, Guitar
- HIM (1999–2015) Drums