All successful co-operatives depend
on the participation and active involvement of its members and supporters.
If you have any suggestions or comments about Co-op-Jive please send e-mail to Richard
(doctordance@coopjive.co.uk).
If you would like more general information
about the dance (not just how to dance !) or if you're planning a trip
to the U.K. and would like to know where to go dancing, send us a e-mail
!
COMMUNITY BOARD
Richard Hume
MOSCOW ROCKS !
Moscow is one of the fastest growing rock 'n' roll scenes in the world. Like China and India in the global economy it's one of the biggest growth "economies" in world r'n'r ! To find out more about one of the hottest spots on the planet go to:
www.coopjive.co.uk
which has fascinating info on how the East is rockin' (head for the "feedback" page and look at the community board).
Check out the following great Moscow Bands on www.youtube.com (in the youtube search engine box add "Moscow" after each band's name):
DENIS MAZHUKOV AND OFFBEAT - DIAMOND HAND - STRESSOR - GREAT PRETENDERS - BEAT DEVILS - ALLIGATORS - CORAL REEFS
For more information about any of the above bands send an email to RichardHume588@hotmail.com
Plus check out www.relaxclub.ru (then click on "rock'n'pub") to see some of the great r'n'r events happening in Moscow.
***** Co-op Jive is a free Dance Co-operative *****
Re-printed from UK Rock Magazine THE RISE AND FALL OF BRITISH ROCK'N'ROLL ?
In the December issue of the magazine both Pete Shaw and Kav Kavanagh referred to the serious condition of UK rock'n'roll. I applaud their concern and remedies to stem the decline, plus their own active efforts over a long period of time working in their different ways to try and stem it. However in my opinion the solution is more elusive.
Here in Moscow the scene is growing. This expansion is not exponential but it's slow and steady. And crucially the clientele are predominantly young people. Russia has no older rockers going back to the 50s or our UK Revival period of the 70s. The Communist Party and the history of the Soviet Union saw to that: They didn't put up with such decadent capitalist culture. But young people are now continuing to join the scene. The reason for this success is the reason why we need to worry for the UK:
I left the UK to live and work in Russia in August 2004. The contrast that immediately struck me most between the rock'n'roll in the 2 countries was the different generations who follow the great music. Unless a meaningful minority of the younger generation take up an interest in the genre back in the UK, you've gotta big big problem. Here in Russia the scene of course is a minority culture amongst the youth generally but young people are joining and staying with it. I hasten to add I myself am no spring chicken but I'm the exception over here not the rule !
When I lived in the UK my own contribution to this issue was running a dance co-operative (which I still do in Russia, details are at www.coopjive.co.uk). In the "teaching the youth" project (detailed on the site) one of the aims is to ultimately get youngsters turned on not just to the dance (jive) but also to the scene in general.
The solution requires a bit more than adjusting ticket prices at clubs. Remember it's still a market economy out there. Raising prices might mean a significant number of people staying away - the fact that market forces have not resulted in prices going up already in the way Kav and Paul are recommending is probably an indication that that is what might happen. The implication of this is that maybe the numbers of people attending the clubs are artificially high due to the low entry fees (and Paul and Kav are absolutely correct about the great pricing value of the clubs compared to other kinds of musical entertainment on offer elsewhere). So maybe the r'n'r market generally is not big enough to support the current number of clubs and bands in the UK. And without the influx of a new generation the market will only get smaller.
Incidentally Russian entry prices are much lower. For example at the Rock'n'Roll Pub, the premier venue for rock'n'roll in Moscow, entry to see most of the local bands is free (which means expenses are re-couped from the takings at the bar). If a big name band is playing or a band from out of town is performing, the entry varies from 100 / 150 / 200 rubles i.e. 2, 3 or 4 pounds. And the quality of the groups here is excellent: Those of you who read the full page adverts in the magazine about Moscow rock'n'roll and accepted the invitation to view the bands on You Tube will know exactly what I mean.
Sorry I don't have an easy solution for all this ! The phenomenon of young people (albeit a minority) being attracted to rock'n'roll in Russia is a natural and spontaneous one. For some reason an equivalent number of UK youth choose not to be similarly interested. This applies both to what Kav describes as "jive clubs" and "rock'n'roll clubs". Melvis Brooks in his letter in the January issue of the magazine echoed Kav's argument re. the "jive clubs". Point taken but there are still "rock'n'roll clubs" out there and young people are not going to them in any significant number.
What we've got here folks is a long term trend I think. Global economies like China, India and Russia are growing and those in the West are stagnating - as a result we'll see a change in the future regarding which countries call the shots in the world. Similarly in our rock'n'roll world the same thing may well be happening. Bit like England's national football team - we gave the game to the world and look what a mess we're in right now !
I say the above with a real sadness. After all I'm English born and bred. It's a great r'n'r scene in the UK with some brilliant things happening: But what we're concerned about is the future and the direction it's going in. I'm now resident in Russia so most of my r'n'r energies go into playing my part to support the scene in Moscow but I keep in good touch with what's going on back home (the magazine helps !). Plus as I've mentioned in previous contributions for the magazine, the Russian rockers here are genuinely interested in the UK scene, especially given the very important part played by the UK in rock'n'roll history.
Is such a decline inevitable ? Of course not ! I don't think many people would've predicted the seventies rock'n'roll Revival in advance; certainly not myself and I lived it and lived through it. We can never predict with absolute certainty what's gonna happen in the future and that certainly goes for rock'n'roll. What we need is another Revival !
Plus the British scene is full of great individuals working for no profit to keep rock'n'roll alive. I remember them from my time in the UK. So if there is to be a decline it will be a slow one ! I wish you all good luck and don't give up the fight. Keep the faith !
April this year was the 53rd Birthday of Rock'n'Roll. So here in Moscow we celebrated with a rockin' Party; April 1954 being the birth of Bill Haley's "Rock around the Clock". Moscow's best rockabilly bands performed at the B-2 Club; AND to make the Event very very special, flying in from the U.K. and topping the Bill .. the Jets !
Celebrating this Birthday is an annual Moscow tradition. How about doing something similar in the UK all you guys and gals back home ?
The Jets were preceded on stage by 4 of the best Rockabilly Bands in Moscow: The Prayers, Diamond Hand, the Alligators and the Great Pretenders. They're all quality groups and did the business on the night. My 2 favourites were Diamond Hand and the Pretenders: Both play hard drivin' authentic rockabilly and both have an impressive stage presence. If ya wanna see what I mean go to the following web-site page and hear Diamond Hand rock !
www.dhand.ru/music E.html
The whole event was largely organised by Sergei Kuteynikov, lead singer of the Great Pretenders who played the 4th set. Sergei has introduced more physical movement into his performances and it works - real authentic Elvis-style gyrations ! The Pretenders style is authentic rockabilly but they include traditional rock'n'roll hits in their repertoire (including my favourite "Teddy Boy Boogie", naturally !). They've been playing since 1996.
The Alligators played the 3rd set and gave another solid performance. I always enjoy hearing them play. Here's a personal request to the Alligators - please cut out the racist lyric you've added on to the end of the song "Stay away Boys" that you traditionally end your sets with and your performance will be even more solid. I know it's there for shock value and that you're way too sensible to believe such garbage but guys you don't need it, you sound good enough without such tricks.
Preaching over !
By the way those of you who went to the Rockabilly Rave last year back in the UK, don't be fooled re. the quality of Russian rockabilly by the Russian band that performed there, the Neva River Rockets from St Petersburg. Nothing personal, I spoke to them at a gig when they were last in Moscow and they're nice guys. But compared to the best Russian bands they're strictly non-league. I could quote you over half a dozen Russian bands who are premier league material who were NOT invited to the Rave.
Russian rockabilly grew largely out of the change in the scene here in the past few years. In the 1990s rock'n'roll bands attracted huge crowds especially in Moscow and St Petersburg. Unfortunately the quality of the Russian bands then was not particularly good (with some fine exceptions). But then something strange happened. By the turn of the millennium the rock'n'roll crowds had got smaller but the quality of the bands had drastically improved ! The huge crowds had partly been a reflection of Perestroika and Glasnost and the "opening up" culturally of the country after decades of Communism. After a while many simply gravitated to other things as more and more choices became available. And the crowd that stayed with the music tended to gravitate towards rockabilly rather than standard rock'n'roll. A more recent phenomenon is the strong support also for psychobilly here in Russia; but that's another story. For more info about Russian rock'n'roll go to my web-site at www.coopjive.co.uk and head for the Feedback page.
After the 4 Moscow bands had all given full value for money, then it was the turn of the Jets. They completed the evening's line-up and the old clichι "they brought the house down" pretty much approximates to the truth. They began their set with their traditional opener "Turn up the Guitar" followed by their classic "Rockabilly Baby". After all these years their rendition of the latter is still a highlight for me; a great number performed superbly with a hard edge. That was enough to get the large audience going and the place rocked ! Standards like "Josephine", "Somethin' Else" and "Runaround Sue" kept the momentum going.
The Jets still have that ability to vary the content of their performance. For example they threw in the odd Doo Wop number plus one or two distinctly non r'n'r songs like "Hobo". But it worked; they never stay far away from the next hard drivin' rock'n'roll song so the variations are not a distraction for the audience.
Speaking to Friends during and after the gig, it was clear the Jets willingness to travel all the way to Moscow for a one-off performance was much appreciated (UK Bands out there please note !). Following the Restless gig in Moscow last year falling through (the details of which are messy) the Jets presence was especially savoured by the Rockers here.
Although I'd seen them quite a few times when I lived in the UK I hadn't known them personally, so it was nice to have a chance to chat with the Band during the evening. They came across as nice, quiet and genuine blokes off-stage. After all their years together, it was clear they still got along well with each other (being brothers probably helps !). They told me they didn't miss the big fame they'd had following their hit records all that time ago - they were still happy and glad to be playing the kind of music they loved and being able to do it for a living. In other words they lived the opposite of the stereo-type wild, crazy, destructive rock'n'roll life ! (speaking personally, my only regret is that I no longer have the energy to live the wild, crazy, destructive rock'n'roll life .. ). I also asked them their views on Russian rock'n'roll from what they were hearing that evening: They were hugely impressed.
So from all of us back in the big city in the East, a big Thankyou to the Jets. Welcome back any time.
Moscow October Wildfire Willie and the Ramblers from Sweden came to Moscow for the first time, to perform at the Mezzo Forte Club.
What a night ! Willie has a reputation for let's say a fondness for fizzy lemonades and pepsis and generally "living life to the full". Well all I can say is as a performer he is sensational. He did all his wild physical movements, plus his band were superb. As many of you back in the UK know they've been on the rockabilly scene for a while now - some friends at the gig told me they remember seeing Willie perform in the early nineties in Sweden. And apparently he was pretty wild then too.
The Russian support bands on the night were excellent. The Rattlesnakes from St Petersburg started things off: They are an interesting band in that they very much vary their set according to the audience. As the clientele this night were largely the rock'n'roll / rockabilly crowd, they cut out their "pop" stuff and played the good stuff.
They were followed by the Wise Guys from the Ukraine: First time I'd seen them. They lived up to their reputation of being the number one Ukraine rock'n'roll / rockabilly band. Young band, lots of enthusiasm.
The whole event was largely organised by Sergei Kuteynikov, lead singer of the Great Pretenders, and his band played the third set. Sergei has introduced more physical movement into his sets and it works - real authentic Elvis-style gyrations ! The 2 best rockabilly bands in Moscow are the Great Pretenders and Diamond Hand and predictably the Pretenders didn't disappoint on the night. Their style is authentic rockabilly but they include traditional rock'n'roll hits in their repertoire (including my favourite "Teddy Boy Boogie" naturally !). They've been playing since 1996.
Finally Wildfire Willie and the Ramblers completed the evening's line-up and they didn't disappoint. The old clichι "they brought the house down" pretty much approximates to the truth. Plus after the gig I had a chance to chat to Willie and he's a really approachable and friendly guy.
Whilst writing, found it hard to believe what I read in the October issue of the magazine (on the same page as my own letter about "Kids at gigs"). What's going on back there in the UK folks ? A band suing (successfully) a non-profit making club of volunteers over what seems to me to be a very minor issue i.e. when the band were informed of a cancelled gig. I knew many of the Folkestone Club members when I lived in the UK, lovely people. Don't know the Firebirds personally but am sure they probably are too. But guys if you're going to sue someone please stick to big profit-making companies, not people who willingly give their time and effort to keep rock'n'roll alive. Fortunately the Folkestone crowd have decided to keep their great work going and donate even more of their time and energy to try to raise the money to pay what the judge has told them to. Suppose they hadn't and Folkestone / Dover rock'n'roll folded - how would you feel then guys ? Plus how about the debt you owe them re. your careers ? They booked you many times at the Folkestone Club - part of your musical reputation and following maybe rests a little on the opportunities they gave you ?
Well done Andrew Smith. His article about Children at gigs was spot on. I remember what it was like at some r'n'r gigs before I came to live and work in Moscow 2 years ago (we don't have this problem here in Moscow by the way but that's another story for another time). Children out of control flying around the dance floor giving no heed to the concerns of either the dancers or the rest of the audience.
I have a theory: Is it because the parents can't get or can't afford a babysitter and still want a night out that some of them lug the kids along to the gigs ?
My main point is that some parents instead of looking after them at the Events let them loose to do what they want. So the Children run around (never mind the dancers concerned at accidentally knocking them and having to adjust their dancing accordingly) and generally behave poorly. Let me stress I'm not talking about all the youngsters at the gigs behaving in this way, just a certain number.
They've generally had enough (as Andrew Smith pointed out) after an hour or two and usually curl up asleep or half asleep (depending on their age) on a chair or 2 before the night is half over. For these Children it's not a bad night out - being able to run around and do what they want while consuming sugary foods and drinks until they get exhausted or tired and curl up for a rest.
The bottom line is the Children who are behaving like this are usually not interested in rock'n'roll, despite the quiffs or skirts the Parents have sometimes adorned them with. Before anyone accuses me of knocking "the future of rock'n'roll" have a look at my web-site and you'll see I'm actually doing something to nurture the future of rock'n'roll dancing amongst the Youth. Go to the "Teaching the Youth" section at www.coopjive.co.uk and you'll see what I'm doing. Plus I'm a primary school teacher: I love my job despite the long hours of preparation because I love teaching young Children. Being committed to teaching the Youth about the greatness of rock'n'roll has nothing to do with those Children who are not interested in the genre, being brought to gigs by parents who want a night out but don't have a babysitter to look after them (unless you regard all the rest of us punters at the gigs as the involuntary babysitters !). Maybe I'm wrong and being unfair with my "babysitter" theory - it's just a theory !
I DID witness many examples in the UK of responsible parents who brought their Child / Children to r'n'r gigs and did make sure they behaved well (in some cases it was not necessary as the Children in question independently knew how to behave). It was clear the parents had brought them because the Children wanted to come i.e. they were doing it for their kids. Plus these Kids really enjoyed themselves and got into the musical experience. Brilliant. If Children are behaving well then no-one should complain. Our natural instincts are to be enthused and encouraged when we see youngsters genuinely enjoying themselves in the right way.
In other words Children should be welcome at rock'n'roll events - as long as they behave ! And this is the responsibility of the Parents. The future of rock'n'roll and the next generation IS an issue - let's all to work to foster it in the right way.
We may be a few thousand miles away from the UK but here in Moscow we know the importance of anniversaries! April this year was the 52nd anniversary of Bill Haley's "Rock around the Clock " - the genesis of the great music. As you can see from the poster we made a big thing of it here and the organisers got the best bands from Moscow and St Petersburg for a rock'n'roll Extravaganza.
As the groups listed on the poster you can see mean little to all but a tiny number of UK readers, I'll concentrate more on the event than the individual bands. But just to say the real show stoppers were the Big Livers from St Petersburg: raw, authentic rock-a-billy. They got the crowd going 200%, dancers and non-dancers alike. Some in the crowd had come to see just them, including a small contingent from St Petersburg (have a look at the map, St P is not "just down the road" from Moscow). The Great Pretenders also stood out (and I'm NOT prejudiced by the fact that the lead singer and guitarist Sergei got me in for free on the band's guest-list!). They were superb, laying down fast rockin' numbers one after the other. They're decidedly NOT psycho-billy but for some reason the Moscow psycho-billy crew decided the Great Pretenders' set was their cue to strut their stuff on the dance floor. You've gotta see Moscow psycho-billy "dancing" (speech marks required) to believe. Without the benefit of a video to demonstrate let's just say it's infinitely more psychotic than the style in the UK. Plus unlike some venues in the UK it's more sociable - only the psycho-billies experience the physical collisions, not innocent bystanders on the dance floor. Will just mention one more band on the night - Diamond Hand from Moscow; a great set.
The DJ for the evening "Texan" aka Yuri is one of the best in the city, based on the quality of the stuff he plays. He plays the authentic r'n'r and rockabilly tracks but never forgets to tailor his music to the nature of his audience on a particular night - the key to a successful DJ i.e. getting a good balance. On 15th in between bands he did a superlative job putting this into practise. Plus he was the main organiser of the event along with Edik "Mad Cat".
The gig had plenty of punters dressed in the rockabilly style. Over here the percentage of rock'n'rollers who follow the rockabilly style is higher than in the UK. Likewise the bands. But there was also one drape jacket being worn (modesty forbids me advising who).
Unlike the UK, where the clientele who go to the rock'n'roll events is predominantly working-class (which I love, being from the same stock myself) the rockers over here are from a more varied social background. A reflection of Russian history; whatever else it did, the old Soviet system lessened the class differences amongst the people.
The best bands here in Russia are not just cheap imitations of the Western sound - they have their own style and stand up in comparison with all but the elite bands in the West. If Moscow and St Petersburg were closer geographically to the UK these bands would be touring and you'd see what I mean.
The history of the old Soviet Union meant the members of these bands never grew up with the authentic r'n'r sound. Uncles Brezhnev, Andropov and other Soviet leaders made sure the youth were not "corrupted" with such culture from the class enemy. So what they did was play, play and re-play vinyls of the original r'n'r recordings when they became available from the late 1980s onwards, until after countless hours of such "homework" they finally acquired the authentic sound in their own music. And I mean COUNTLESS hours. And the result is impressive. If you could hear them live you'd know what I mean.
Oh yes, sorry to all you ladies back in the UK, but a permanent fixture of r'n'r gigs here in Moscow are the Females. Russian women outclass any other country in looks and appearance (at least that's based on my experience). Another good reason to support Moscow rock'n'roll. Like I said sorry UK and yes I know it's a very safe thing to say a few thousand miles away!
And sorry you all missed this Great Event over there in Blighty! Then again you've got the "Jive, Jive, Jive" coming up in Reading next month which is one big bash I REALLY miss here in Moscow. Plus no longer being able to see live the WildKatz, Ravens, etc., .
By the way we do get a UK group over here in Moscow now and again. Not often, but occasionally. The last one was the Space Cadets in December last year; full credit to the "Spaceman" Viktor who organised it and personally lost money overall on the venture. The Space Cadets gig itself ? For me, disappointing: The band fell into the common trap of assuming the top-of-the-bill must crank up the amps higher than all the previous bands on the bill and BLAST it out. Result ? Yes you guessed it (for those who have experienced the Johnny Fox and the Hunters Syndrome), sound distorted and the whole thing turned into just a wall of uncomfortable sound. Rock'n'roll's gotta be loud and raucous but not an imitation of heavy metal. But
Talking to friends during and after the gig it was clear I was in a minority. The majority loved 'em.
The moral ? - Maybe I'm getting old
Poka (sounds a bit rude but don't worry it's Russian for "Bye") from Moscow!
"Rockin' behind the Iron Curtain"; the old Huey Piano Smith number has come true ! (despite the disappearance of the Curtain itself). I moved to Moscow, Russia in August 2004 and now live and work here. The life here is just Great, I could go on about the friendly people, my good job and how BEAUTIFUL Russian women are, but here's something you might be more interested in -
Rock'n'roll is Alive and Kickin' in Moscow !
The scene here is smaller than in the UK but the rockers are very enthusiastic and knowledgeable. When I first arrived here I thought I'd be playing a useful role introducing them to some music and CDs I assumed they'd never heard before. They knew. Their knowledge, not just of the famous bands / artists from rock'n'roll history but also the bands playing on the UK circuit now, is impressive. They're interested in your rock'n'roll scene back in the U.K. !
The scene here is nearly 100% Russian - any of the (small) ex-pat community in Moscow who may be into rock'n'roll are staying within their ex-pat social scene; their loss not ours. The rock'n'rollers here are just Great, it's like home from home, if you're a rocker you're home and welcome.
There's some good bands too. Two in particular, the Alligators and the Phantoms, stand out (for details of another band, see below). The Phantoms are based in St Petersburg but come over to Moscow now and again to play the capital. They are a good example of how the successful bands here have acquired the authentic sound. Bear in mind rock'n'roll in any meaningful sense only goes back to the late 1980s here and then on a small scale, so there's no long history of growing up listening to the music on the radio, TV, going to see the bands live, etc. So the best bands have basically spent hours upon hours upon hours of playing and re-playing the rock'n'roll and rockabilly original recordings in order to acquire that sound and feel. And in the case of the top groups it's worked.
I could list the venues here but since they would not mean much to British ears will just mention two:
CLUB MATRITSA. It's a regular Thursday night event in central Moscow. It stands out because of the quality of the music (solid rock'n'roll and rockabilly) and atmosphere, thanks to the 2 guys who organise it, Edik "Madcat" and the D.J. Yuri "Texan".
HARD ROCK CAFΙ; on the Arbat in central Moscow on a Tuesday. The rock'n'roll spun by the DJ is more mainstream than Matritsa (what's wrong with that ??) and also there's a regular live band, the Lexicon Orchestra. They're an interesting band in that they have a good following amongst the rockers even though they're more a jump jive than a rock'n'roll band. The rockers follow them because:
a) they're great to jive dance to
b) they play more often in Moscow than any rock'n'roll group and it's great to dance and listen to regular live music
c) they put on a real show when they perform.
Max is the guy who's the main organiser of the H.R. Cafe event, as well as being mainly responsible for teaching Muscovites how to dance rock'n'roll jive in recent years. He's another larger than life character who can drink, dance and dress-up in the rock'n'roll style in equal measure i.e. large measures.
And there's Maxim, who knows every rock'n'roll dance and event that's going on at any time in Moscow - as well as every beautiful blonde (a useful guy to know .).
One result of the relatively recent arrival of rock'n'roll here is the age range: There are no "originals" i.e. rockers going back to the 1950s never mind the 60s and 70s, since back then the people were instructed it was part of the decadent culture of the great class enemy and hence forbidden. So the rockers here are generally younger. Plus relative to the number of followers, rockabilly is particularly popular; as a result some of the best bands in Moscow are rockabilly.
There's a Bikers scene here (go to the Sexton Club in Tushinskaya on a Friday night !) and a psycho-billy scene too. The psycho-billies dancing is a small variant on their UK counterparts - it's less like jumping up and down on pogo-sticks but the bumping into each other is even more physical ! Both these scenes (Bikers, Psycho-billies) are on a small scale but they're here !
Interestingly friends have advised me that drape jackets WERE in evidence here in the 1960s ! Some were seen being worn in the capital. Here's the story:
In the early 1960s Russian Leader Nikita Krushchev, even though the "Cold War" against the West was in full flow (remember this was the time of the Cuban missile crisis), allowed a small relaxation in cultural activities at home and even rock'n'roll was permitted. Hence a small number of drape jackets were in evidence at this time. However the scene then was VERY small and nothing like the scene in Russia now. Later on in the 1960s the new Russian Leader Leonid Brezhnev put a stop to even this small dose of "Western decadence" and Russians had to wait for Mikhail Gorbachev's "Glasnost" and "Perestroika" before the great music re-appeared.
On the subject of drape jackets I've had 3 made for me here by the tailor in my local market - I just showed her some photos and incredibly she made 3 stunning outfits that look more like drape jackets than the one Crazy Cavan wears. And much cheaper than an off-the-peg one would cost back in Blighty. And if anyone is interested in mail-ordering a drape jacket or any other style of rock'n'roll clothing from her at these Moscow prices, go to the "clothing" page on my web-site.
Here's an open invitation to any readers who are planning a visit to Moscow any time in the future - contact me via my web-site at www.coopjive.co.uk and I'll make sure you are armed with an itinerary of all that's rockin' in Moscow !
Please can I take the liberty of using this space to say Hello to my old rock'n'roll friends and acquaintances from my time in the UK. As my trips back to Blighty are very brief and very infrequent now, I haven't seen most of you for quite a while. But for those who still (hopefully !) remember me (the tall, good-looking one ?!?) from venues like Borough Green, West Malling, Glaxo, Winning Post, Dover, Carshalton, etc., just to let you know this Lewisham Rocker is still alive and kickin'.
One great thing I love about the rock'n'roll scene in the UK is it's working class base. People may disagree with this but (with exceptions of course) the scene is predominantly made up of people like myself who came from working class families. For example in contrast whenever I turned up for a swing dance event in the UK (usually during the periods when I'd be dating a swing dancer who insisted on going to swing not r'n'r events) one was struck by the predominance of the middle class clientele. In other words rock'n'roll is the music of the people. Will stop there before anyone starts yawning at this social observation
Paka (Russian for "Bye for now") from the East ! Glad we're all part of the rock'n'roll family wherever we are and wherever we come from.
All successful co-operatives depend
on the participation and active involvement of its members and supporters.
If you have any suggestions or comments about Co-op-Jive please send e-mail to Richard
(doctordance@coopjive.co.uk). 
re-printed from 'UK Rock' 
