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The culture of the British Teddy Boy is not one that is associated with works of art. But in Moscow another first has been achieved.
Ever since the 1950s, when many working class teenagers in the UK became Teddy Boys and thus helped to invent the first ever culture devoted to Youth, the cult of the Teddy Boy has been associated generally with loud clothes, loud music, and rebellious behaviour. In the 1950s in particular Teds were branded in the media as public enemy number one, responsible (it was claimed) for gang fights, violence and anti-social behaviour generally. In the 1970s, during the Teddy Boy Revival, they were known in addition for their rivalry and antipathy to Punks and the punk movement. Aah, takes me back to my Ted days in the 70s ……… what’s the difference between a punk and the scarecrow in the Wizard of Oz ? The scarecrow is better dressed ……. the great thing about a punk festival is that after a nuclear attack it looks exactly the same as before.
As a lifelong Ted myself, I can testify the above stereotype does not quite do justice to the Ted culture. For one thing, Teds have always had their codes of honour, even when it came to physical aggression.
And for sheer style you cannot beat that Ted look: long Edwardian style colourful drape jackets, drainpipe trousers, bolo ties, brothel creeper shoes – majic !
Which leads into what is happening right now in Moscow:
The Russian artist Alexander Chalovsky became fascinated with the British Teddy Boy culture after we met for the first time 3 years ago in Moscow. Since then he has produced works of art depicting the Ted as a latter day Knight of old, with his fighting codes of honour and colourful dress code. Rather than put on these exhibitions at art galleries, he has chosen to exhibit his Teddy Boy works at rock’n’roll concerts in Moscow. He feels this gives his works a more authentic appeal, instead of in the more sedate confines of an art studio.
This is not only a first for Moscow, but a world first. Never before has an art exhibition been devoted solely to Teds and their culture. In addition, Alexander is very much a modern artist. He is the foremost exponent of the “new romantic” style. Rather than re-create just what he sees, his works are very much an interpretation of what he sees and observes, enlarging and emphasizing the things he considers most important. Have a look at the photos and you’ll see what I mean.
And it’s refreshing to see a well known and renowned artist focus on an aspect of working class culture, as opposed to the so-called “high brow” middle and upper-class ones. Alexander is no stranger to controversy. Over the years he has ruffled some features in the artistic world – in particular with his female nudes and even stronger erotic works !
In December of last year, the World’s number one Teddy Boy band, Furious (from Liverpool, UK) came to Moscow to perform. I was the concert promoter. Alexander was there to exhibit his works and talk to the band: It was a big moment for both the members of the group and for him to meet each other and exchange information on the Ted culture.
So, Thankyou to Alexander for giving us Teds what we’ve deserved all along – recognition that we’re not just a bunch of juvenile delinquents (or in the case of some of us, aging delinquents !). And hail the Teds – along with other 1950s trailblazers, we were the first real youth culture in history:
Dear Mods, Rockers, Punks, Glam Rockers, Skinheads, Heavy Metal freaks, Rappers, Hip Hoppers, etc., if it wasn’t for us you’d never have happened !
Re-printed from UK Rock Magazine FURIOUS TAKE MOSCOW BY STORM !
In December Furious, the Teddy Boy band from Liverpool, returned to Moscow following their memorable first gig in Russia in May 2009.
In 2009 they left behind many newly acquired fans, who were waiting for their return. I sponsored the whole project again this year and with help from Russian friends (and special thanks to Sergey), we organised a weekend to remember. On a personal note, it was a night to remember for me – I planned the event to coincide with my 60th birthday. Rock’n’Roll will never die, but not sure if this applies to aging Teds ! A huge Thanks to all those Friends who made the night so special for me, with their words, presents, etc. – Majic !
Furious arrived the day before the concert and we made sure they had a good time, not just at the concert. They had a tour of Moscow, hosted by 2 beautiful Russian female rock’n’roll friends of mine, Polina and Natasha (lucky Scousers !).
There were just 2 of the band who came to Moscow this time. The brothers Mark (singer, bassist) and Andy (guitar) were not accompanied by Dave their new drummer. Dave’s Dad was rather unwell, so he was not able to make the trip. We got a very able Russian drummer to replace him, which meant a late afternoon rehearsal before the concert. The drummer performed admirably – well done Ivan !
The venue was Club Jimi in central Moscow. The crowd was even bigger than the audience who came to see them back in 2009. The 2 support bands on the bill were the Coral Reefs (that’s the nearest name they have in English – in Russian it’s Koralovie Reefi) and the Great Pretenders. The Reefi are the best swing band in Russia and it was a privilege to have them at the event. The Pretenders are one of the best rockabilly groups in Russia. So there was a nice variation of music during the evening – neo-swing, rockabilly and Teddy Boy rock’n’roll. Plus both support groups are good friends of mine so it was a pleasure to have them perform on my birthday.
As usual we organised a dance class during the evening. It was beginners’ rock’n’roll jive: One benefit of these classes is teaching non-dancers the basics, giving them the opportunity to try out what they’ve learned later in the evening (instead of sitting and watching and wishing they could get out on the dance floor and jive !). Plus as usual we organised a dance competition. The winner is nearly always a beautiful Russian woman, so on this special night we made an exception, awarding it to a young Russian bloke in full Ted regalia, from his elephant trunk hair style, his drapes, right down to his one inch rubber sole creepers !
Also on display during the evening was a fantastic art exhibition, on the theme of “The Teddy Boy”. The paintings were the work of Alexander Chalovsky, the famous Russian artist, who spoke at the concert about his project. He also presented Furious with an art collage titled “the Teds”, in recognition of their status as the World’s number one Teddy Boy band. To find out more about this art project, go to www.linearts.ru/exhibitions/#a7 or email the art studio director (Guzel) at guzel_enikeeva@mail.ru
Furious came on stage around 10:30. For an hour and half they gave us what we’d been waiting for; wild, raucous brilliant Teddy Boy rock’n’roll !
A lot of the numbers they played were from their latest CD “Wreck the Hoose Juice”. My 2 favourites were “We are the Teds” (a great anthem for all Teds, with great lyrics) and “Punk Bashin’ Boogie”: Aaah, takes me back to my youth in the 70s ! …… what’s the difference between a punk, and the scarecrow in “the Wizard of Oz” ? – the scarecrow is better dressed.
Two cannibals are eating a punk. One says to the other: "Don’t you find this distasteful ?"
Comparing their performance with their last gig in Moscow, my observations are that the band thankfully is not becoming more settled and polished as they get a little bit older. On the contrary, they sounded more raucous and on the wild side of rock’n’roll than ever. Long may it continue.
We organised an “after-party” for Furious, for after the concert, where they could let their hair down and get to spend more social time with Russian rock’n’rollers. They left the party after I did, which meant it was daylight and the milkmen were on their rounds by then ! After a night of lots of fizzy drinks and lemonades……………..
The venue for the after-party was the Grease Club – an appropriate place: This is the premier rock’n’roll club in Moscow, so we wanted Furious to come and see it while they were over here. The name of the club comes from the rock’n’roll hair style.
Like their last tour in Moscow, Mark and Andy made friends wherever they went. Whilst enjoying the rock’n’roll life-style to the full, they still behave respectfully and courteously with people they meet. For more info about the band go to www.rockfurious.com.
For more details about Russian rock’n’roll go to my web-site at www.coopjive.co.uk and head for the feedback page. I receive many requests from bands wanting to come to Moscow to perform – if you’re one of these wannabes, contact me via the web-site. Can’t promise I’ll book you, but I will check you out first before replying !
Thanks Mark and Andy for a memorable concert. Here’s to Furious – the future of Rock’n’Roll - lookin’ forward to your next Moscow gig !
GERMANS INVADE RUSSIA; BUT THIS TIME IT'S A FRIENDLY INVASION .........
In February this year Black Raven, Germany's top Teddy Boy band, played in Russia for the first time.
The event took place in Moscow. If you have not seen them perform, check them out next time they come to the UK. This is one hot, smokin' band !
The gig was sponsored by Bop Street (www.bopstreet.ru) and Co-op Jive (www.coopjive.co.uk) so I was involved in the organisation of the concert. It was a pleasure to meet the 3 members of the band (Julien, Fritz and Torsti), who came over as nice (albeit extrovert !) guys. They clearly enjoyed living the rock'n'roll life style, which included plenty of German beer !
The venue was the XO Club and the support band was Al and the Hi-jackers. The High-jackers are a very new, young Moscow rockabilly band; and a group with a future. They are energetic, unpolished with plenty of rough edges - excellent ! Their rockabilly sound was authentic and impressive.
We also had a short rock'n'roll beginners' dance class between bands, which I recommend to other concert organisers. As long as the dance class is not too long then not just the participators enjoy - the rest of the audience find it interesting to watch. At the end of the concert there was a prize for the best dancer for the whole evening: The winner we chose was a beautiful Russian brunette in a fetching black and red dress - worth the ticket price alone !
For those present, the performance of Black Raven is one we will not easily forget. For one thing, they played on and on, going well over time and finishing their set late. Talk about value for money !
Their style is Teddy Boy, but they mix it with other genres too. For example there were country songs, smoochy slowys plus some Shadows' instrumentals, to name a few. But my favourites were their Gene Vincent numbers, like Be Bop a Lula, Blue Jean Bop, Bird Doggin' and Poor Man's Prison - smokin ! Another crackin' version they did was Matchbox's Buzz Buzz a Diddle it. These were just a few of the excellent numbers they performed with gusto and enthusiasm.
Their style is certainly extrovert. Their set is raucous, energetic and by the end of the concert definitely alcohol-fueled ! (many of us would love to be able to live such a rock'n'roll life-style; unfortunately these days I have the will but not the time !)
In conversation with them after the gig, they agreed with me about how beautiful Russian women are; in my opinion the most beautiful in the world, one more reason for me to live, work and remain in Moscow ! Another reason is the excellent rock'n'roll scene here: For more details on this you can go to my web-site at www.coopjive.co.uk and head for the feedback page. The band told me they thoroughly enjoyed Moscow and the friendly Russian people.
A big thanks to my friend Lev Gorbunov, who did the lion's share of the work involved in organising the whole event. No thanks to the DJ who never turned up (who shall be nameless and we will not book again), but who we got by well without. And Thanks to Black Raven for a great gig: Welcome back any time guys.
(for more info on the band go to www.blackraven.de)
And there's more ...... In December, Furious, the world's top Teddy Boy band, will return to Moscow. Rock'n'roll is alive and kickin' here in the East !
Re-printed from UK Rock Magazine ACES COME UP TRUMPS IN MOSCOW !
In October the Jive Aces performed for the first time in Russia. A historic event, especially for the rock'n'roll and swing crowd out here in the East. The venue was the B2 Club, one of Moscow's biggest music venues.
The gig was co-organised by Co-op Jive (www.coopjive.co.uk) and as a result I was involved in the arrangements. The Moscow support bands, the Great Pretenders (rockabilly style) and the Gagarin Brothers (sorta swing / jazz ) put in 2 impressive performances. The DJ played rockabilly in between sets, not exactly gel-ing with the Jive Aces brand of music, but rockabilly is fine by me!
In a previous UK Rock, there was a debate "Are the Jive Aces rock'n'roll" ? Well they're not pure rock'n'roll that's for sure: Too many other influences in there for that to be true. But there is a dose of the great music in there to make them part of the rock'n'roll family. Sure they probably have a bigger following amongst the swing dance crowd, but to hell with being a purist in these matters. Great music is great music and if it's got a dash of rock'n'roll in there even better - and that's what the Aces have got, a dash (not a bucketful) of r'n'r.
In their early days there was more of the r'n'r style. Check out their first ever CD "Our Kinda Jive" and you'll see what I mean. It's my favourite Jive Aces CD.
A dance competition was also ongoing throughout the evening. We chose Yulia and Sergey as the winners, not for any steps or flashy techniques but for the spirit in which they danced - the most important element of jive dancing. Great dancing is from the heart not the feet (if you see what I mean): That's a message for a few swing dancers (!) - "it's not what you do but the way that you do it" …………
There was some apprehension (by the Jive Aces and myself) of how big the turnout would be, as the gig was booked for a Sunday, starting at 9:00 p.m. Would this affect the crowd and those of us who had to be at work early on Monday morning? But no worries, a big crowd turned up and the atmosphere was terrific.
From the Jive Aces first (instrumental) number, the crowd were ecstatic. If Russian people like something, they're very open with their feelings. To coin a phrase, "the joint was jumpin'". The band went through some of their traditional numbers, "Caldonia", "I ain't got nobody", "Bona Sera", "Accentuate the positive", etc., plus those I hadn't heard during my time following them in the UK. I moved to Moscow from London over 5 years ago to live and work here. It was interesting to see after 5 years how their act has developed and changed. Even their traditional numbers they delivered in an even fresher, vibrant style. I didn't think when I left the UK they could possibly improve significantly on their live performances. But they are better: This is one band that is not going to get smoother nor stay in a comfortable groove. After 5 years they're even more vibrant, lively and unpredictable. As bands get older they're not supposed to do this, but this one does !
A Jive Aces set involves lots of inter-action with the audience, including coming off stage to play their instruments amongst the audience, jiving with some of the dancers, singing to selected young women, etc. ! Plus in the traditional Jive Aces style of giving more than value for money, their set in Moscow was a long one, including a lot of encores.
And another feature of their concerts:
After the gig, just as they always do in the UK, they spent time with the audience, posing for photographs, signing autographs, or just talking to people. A nice touch; being willing to give time to those who've paid to see them.
Overall a superb evening. The plan is for them to return to Moscow next year. When I spoke to the band about their time here, they were all positive about the place and the people. Moscow is a great city and Muscovites, like Russians generally, are genuinely friendly and welcoming. And let's not get into talking about Russian Women - the most beautiful in the world ! Plus it was a bit annoying to see that after 5 years the band don't look 5 years older. Why can't they age like the rest of us ?!
Their advertising blurb describes them as "the UK's number 1 jive and swing band". Having seen the best bands of that style over the years, to me they're "the world's number 1" in that particular field of music.
I've written quite a bit about Russian rock'n'roll for UK Rock over the past 2 years, so won't repeat what has already been penned. Suffice to say the scene here, especially in Moscow, is vibrant, growing and rockin'. The rockers here are generally younger than in the UK, also very enthusiastic about the great music. For more info on Russian rock'n'roll, go to my web-site at www.coopjive.co.uk and head for the feedback page.
There's more to come soon in Moscow. Early next year we're bringing back the Liverpool band Furious to the city - now here we ARE talkin' pure rock'n'roll ……………………
Teddy Boys succeed where Hitler failed ... FURIOUS TAKE MOSCOW BY STORM
On 30th May a historic event took place in Russian rock'n'roll history: A Teddy Boy Band performed live in Russia for the first time. Furious from Liverpool were at the XO Club in Moscow.
As the official Flyer indicated, the concert was sponsored by UK Rock magazine and Co-op Jive. There was great expectation amongst the Russian crowd present on the night. Some of them had worn their drapes at various times during periods spanning the nineties and over the last 10 years. When Furious came on, the reception was Great. And ………. they didn't disappoint. They were brilliant. The Russian audience did not realise just how wild their stage performance was until they experienced it live.
From the first number "Bop a Lena" they had the audience with them (as well as the dancers). My particular favourites on the night were "ASBO Shuffle", "Teddy Boy Boogie", "My Bonnie" and "Please don't touch". When they did "Old Black Joe" the Russian rockers showed the group they knew exactly the English ritual to follow, including the obligatory handful of singers on stage !
Russian support bands the Coral Reefs (swing jump jive style), the Great Pretenders (rockabilly) and Stressor (best neo-rockabilly band on the planet) completed a memorable evening at the XO Club.
After the gig we took Furious back to our Moscow rock'n'roll "mecca", the Rock'n'Roll Pub near Proletarskaya. There we organised an after-gig party for them. Again they performed on stage for us, along with the support band the Alligators that we'd booked for the party. The result - more unforgettable Furious rock'n'roll.
Near the Kremlin and Red Square in Moscow there's a terrific café / restaurant named after an important youth culture festival which took place in Moscow in the fifties. It's called Stalovaya 57 after the year of the festival. We took Furious there a couple of times to eat during their stay here. It's like walking into the 1950s !
On a personal level, all of us who came into contact with Furious (Andy, Mark, and Yann) in Moscow were impressed with them. Genuinely nice blokes who went out of their way to make the whole event a success. We tried hard to organise everything for them to a high standard e.g. accommodation in Moscow, sight-seeing, etc. At every step they were appreciative, understanding and helpful. We look forward to hearing their new CD soon, currently being recorded at Nervous Records.
Teddy Boys have played a part in Russian rock'n'roll history, which made the coming of Furious especially significant. Thankyou Furious, for becoming a part of this history by your coming to Moscow ! Furious, with their youth and wild rockin' music - the FUTURE of Rock'n'Roll !
And Hail the Teds - working class, politically incorrect and baaadd !!
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 ask Coop Jive
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 *****
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.
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 cliché "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.
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 tell Coop Jive. 
