ROCK-MUZ-RYB-PROM

RAVNOVESIE
CHEREPA
CRY

Probably, such events like rock-festival where groups from six towns of North West part of Russia are participating are too luxury. The town is in panic in front of economical problems and the only thing left for citizens is either dacha or to listen to something at the town square for free. Thus there were not many Segezha citizens at the festival. Wrongly…

From early morning group "Severo Zapadny Les" (Segezha) instilled terror into people in the street, having driving around the town wearing black hats with one metre brims. Something happened would say Shtirlits. They were first who opened the festival pulling all burden of heating group, and they were in a success:

One can see nothing at the lake of drowned…
I'll go the vortex to make a wish
The circles on the drowned lake water
The open water in freezing period…

Vlad Kraev was the next who stepped on the stage, he is the professional guitar player from Saint Petersburg. He is laconic, polite in S.P. style, he grabbed the auditorium into the gulf of jazz-rock with all its features, astonishing the public with his skill. Nothing to say - the capital, traditions, school.

The Kostomuksha group "Komendantsky chas" sounded as an alternative to it. All attributes of underground culture were represented: torn cloths, unwashed hair, texts with clear meanings.

The crystal clear can be
The only one who was just born,
Who did not yet fall in
The hellhole of thoughts…

"KCh" is versatile, one can hear post-pank, grange and rock-and-roll. Though frivolous behavior together with beer resulted to non-harmonious play.

"KCh" was replaced with "Zadvigi Poplavskogo" group. So cold "new guitar wave". They are very stylish. Very clear guitar tune, slapping bass, original at little bit wave vocalist, some guy called "Maloy", snubbing the ends of phrases. All that above makes quite good sound. One could find out quite deep meaning texts behind simple lines and dancing rithms.

The Sun is down, the Sky is crushed,
And bullet to temple means the victory.
Closed book, closed minds…
The tears - the sea,
The laugh - the shot.

We have to say that democracy, reigning in the auditorium, reached its apotheosis. Everybody hugged, was arm-wrestling and played "fool", the looser had to buzz, like that - "u-u-u-u" (apparently that was a training for a special card competition hold by "Gubernia").

Calm and romantic Murmansk guy from "Kuzya-Band" played music which was very difficult to define. It sounds sometimes as reggae fluently spilling over into boogie-woogie, rhythm-and-blues with some pop echo. As it is said, "Everything mixed in Oblonksy house".

I am entering this town - open faces.
The white piano and my first medico.
Gloomy lance-corporal rarely comes in
Saying something about falsity of age.
This town has no walls…

Here is a lady in rock-and-roll, in Segezha project "Berega". If only not her sore voice… The group is balancing between folk and rock music and these rushing about look pretty nice. The festival was the first time they played electrical instruments though the group is playing only acoustic instruments and even use such a "rock" instrument as contrabass-balalaika.

Wolf's roar close
Nothing behind-
The way it started,
New line, new line

"Likbez" from Belomorsk. The membership of instruments: acoustical guitars, block-flute and of course, rhythm sections very good for performing Russian rock-ballads. Folks have some imagination.

No dark, we don't need it
The table with the cross above it.
We are sitting together,
Dark street behind the window
It is raining for a long time
But we do not care

Last but not least, as it we used to, Segezha group "Skiphy", hosts of the festival, appeared on the stage. The rock-group 20 years old performed that evening rock-hits all times. They dug up Barykin's "Fish" somewhere, was very good to beer. Here you are: "ZZ Top", "Deep Purple" and "Mashina Vremeny" after all.

They just opened the second wind for dancing public. Do you think the festivale was over? No way. After the concert everybody went to the beach, by a late bus, to admire the beauties of Karelian nature at the shore of Vig lake, sing the songs, thinking about the day they would come back.

So, the rock-festival "Rybka-2" came about. We can be sure that Karelian rock-triangle Petrozavodsk-Kostomuksha-Segezha was strengthened and will polish its edges.

Somebody will go to "Nord-Session" to Kostomuksha, somebody to "Face" in Murmansk, somebody to "Belomor-Bugi" in Arkhangelsk but we all will wait for "Rybka-3", then it always waves its golden tail.

Alexander Romkus, Sergey Kostjuk

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