Forbidden freedom: Rock music in the USSR and Soviet Lithuania (Part 3 of 5)

ROCK MUSIC AGAINST THE SOVIET SYSTEM

Katedra in one of Marches of rock, 1989

By years of “Perestroika” (literally: Restructuring. More info here) the bands started setting free from the claws of strict censorship. At that time, underground bands got an opportunity to show themselves in public, play their own songs, which had a lot of hidden messages and criticism for occupants of Soviet Union.

On 1987 Algirdas Kaušpėdas (the frontman of famous rock band “Antis” (“Duck”in English)) came up with idea to hold a tour of rock bands in Lithuania, called as “March of Rock over Lithuania”. The idea came right after success of his band on one of the most successful concert “Kažkas atsitiko” (“Something Happened”) in 1986 which was shot as a film with the same title and shown at cinemas. It was the first time when thousands of people were able to listen to the illegal underground rock music.

Some songs of "Antis" from successful and very famous movie "Kažkas atsitiko" (Something Happened). I remember listening to their songs when I was a child.

This band sneered down Soviet system, typical Soviet life and limitations through their lyrics (if you want, I'll translate the lyrics later). One of examples is the song called Alio, Alio (you can see some clues in the video, too). They shocked people of Soviet age with their Gothic and monstrous image

"Antis"

Next year, after success of the movie, the first “March of Rock” was held and many famous bands were participating this event. It is clear that it was the first experience for both – bands and audience. The idea that it should be not localized and traveling event succeed. New rock phenomenon gained attention even of those people who didn’t like rock music. These “Marches of Rock over Lithuania” encouraged youth to seek freedom of Lithuania. They all lasted until re-establishment of Lithuanian Independence. 

Back then, quoting Algirdas Kaušpėdas, “until then, nobody had made concerts and gigs in open areas or stadiums. We were absolute carriers of freedom. Even Sąjūdis [anticommunist independence movement] hasn’t been formed yet. Later, after it’s been formed, we took our PAZ [brand of soviet bus], raised Lithuania tricolor flags and went driving to villages. People there saw Lithuanian flag for the first time [the tricolor flag, national anthem and coat of arms have been banned by the USSR government until the re-establishment of Lithuanian Independence]. I remember, somewhere in Samogitia [Lithuanian region], an old woman dropped her buckets when she saw us.”

The band Bix, the same as Antis, was one of the main supporters of "Marches of Rock over Lithuania" (1988)

There were three “Marches of Rock” before the independence of Lithuania has been re-established. Every time in those concerts more and more people were talking about Lithuania’s aspiration of independence. In countries, occupied by the Soviet Union, this genre of music was a symbol of struggle against the system and occupant regime. It was a part of the “Singing Revolution”.

If you’re interested, here are the images of PAZ-672 buses (my town has 14 of them which are still in use)

Forbidden freedom: Rock music in the USSR and Soviet Lithuania (Part 2 of 5)

38 ROCK BANDS BANNED IN THE USSR

Record company/label of USSR

Representatives of government periodically compiled lists of forbidden bands and artists who “harmed” Soviet ideology and were “unacceptable” for values of Soviet people. As a result of this, songs of bands mentioned in those lists were not allowed to be played at youth discotheques to make sure people will live as the Soviet government wanted them to live and that they won’t try to seek for freedom. This document was released in 1985 as a banning order for committee of Komsomol (The Communist Union of Youth. More info about them here) of Nikolayev regional of Ukraine. What is more, this Cold War document below was kept in secret. It is funny how some bands and performers were called as “neofascist” or as “punk violence” acts with detailed reasons why they must be banned. 

I’ve translated this document in English, so did many people around the net.

Here is a part of document which is interesting and eye-catching:

“The following is an approximate list of foreign music groups and artists whose repertoires contain ideologically harmful compositions.

This information is recommended for the purpose of intensifying control over the activities in discotheques.

This information must be also provided to all vocal-instrument ensembles [that’s bands] and youth discotheques in the region”

“Group Name and Type of Propaganda”

1. Sex Pistols - punk, violence

2. B-52s - punk, violence

3. Madness - punk, violence

4. Clash - punk, violence

5. Stranglers - punk, violence

6. Kiss - neofascism, punk, violence

7. Krokus - violence, cult of strong personality

8. Styx - violence, vandalism

9. Iron Maiden - violence, religious obscurantism

10. Judas Priest - anticommunism, racism

11. AC/DC - neofascism, violence

12. Sparks - neofascism, racism

13. Black Sabbath - violence, religious obscurantism

14. Alice Cooper - violence, vandalism

15. Nazareth - violence, religious mysticism

16. Scorpions - violence

17. Genghis Khan - anticommunism, nationalism

18. UFO - violence

19. Pink Floyd - distortion of Soviet foreign policy ("Soviet aggression in Afghanistan")

20. Talking Heads - myth of the Soviet military threat

21. Perron - eroticism

22. Bohannon - eroticism

23. Originals - sex

24. Donna Summer - eroticism

25. Tina Turner - sex

26. Junior English - sex

27. Canned Heat - homosexuality

28. Munich Machine - eroticism

29. Ramones - punk

30. Van Halen - anti-Soviet propaganda

31. Julio Iglesias - neofascism

32. Yazoo - punk, violence

33. Depeche Mode - punk, violence

34. Village People - violence

35. 10cc - neofascism

36. Stooges - violence

37. Boys - punk, violence

38. Blondie - punk, violence

It’s funny how Depeche Mode, the band which I loved listening as a child, was called as ”punk violence” band… And imagine Julio Iglesias as a neofascist…


And recently I remembered the fact i heard a long time ago. Back then, the band from USA called The Beach Boys wanted to have a concert together with Alla Pugacheva (singer who was very popular in the Soviet Union). The concert was announced, tickets were sold immediately. Strangely, the concert was cancelled when people were standing near arena and waiting for the concert. Of course after this announcement, they got really disappointed as most of them came from very far places. What is more, the militia (Soviet police) thought that this might become a protest against the Soviet system, so came up and started expel peacefully minded people with water flushes. It was a hot summer day, so the girls were accused for showing too much body (because the flush of water slopped their shirts). Everything ended up with less than a half of people punished for various reasons.
Why? Because the Beach Boys were Americans and Soviet government hated America...

P.S. See you in the next posts ;P

Happy b-day to me!

so, I got older again. And that's every year. 17 is not much, isn't it?

This song was playing in my head when I woke up


"Something filled up
my heart with nothing,
Someone told me not to cry."


... and later, I caught myself dancing and laughing like an idiot while listening to the songs of The Wombats... (yay!!)



xxx
Fuzz

Forbidden freedom: Rock music in the USSR and Soviet Lithuania (Part 1 of 5)

This might sound weird to you but in Soviet era music was really censored and rock music was strictly forbidden in Soviet countries in the past. As it was thought that rock music will encourage youth to seek freedom which will break the long lasting order of Soviet Union.

In this post I’ll talk about prohibition of rock music in Lithuanian Soviet Socialist Republic (which had lasted until 1990) and a little about the situation in whole Soviet Union. Also, this year Lithuania celebrates 50 year anniversary of Lithuanian rock music. And I think, this fact encouraged me to write series of posts about Lithuanian rock music.

Lithuanian hippies, 1980's. This style of outfit and lifestyle wasn't tolerated in the Soviet Union. When they were caught by renegades or by militia, hippies were not only "fostered" with rubber sticks; their hair was compulsory cut off. They were discussed at schools, threatened to be thrown out of youth communist organisations, they had notes abut under-achievement in their books of grades.

MUSIC EMBODYING FREE SOUL

Let’s get to the roots of rock music. Although it has its roots set back in 1940s and 1950s, rock music as a style was developed during and after 1960s, particularly in the UK and USA. Firstly it was called as Rock and Roll before it got name as rock.

Rhythmic and energetic music of guitars, lyrics about freedom, love, personal happiness and problems were exactly what youth needed back then: rebellion against laws of society, ways to express their feelings and thoughts. People with traditional creed called this music as “Music of devil” and, because of that, rock music became more and more popular. After years rock became distinctive culture which symbolized a new outlook on life and society.

ROCK MUSIC FINDS THE WAY TO LITHUANIA

Girls' bigbeat band, Lithuania, 1968

When the whole world was crazy and possessed with fever of rock, Soviet Lithuania had only one accepted genre of popular music - the so-called “Soviet stage music” (“Estrada” in Lithuanian). It was music filled with Soviet ideology and totally incompatible with needs of youth. Rock music was forbidden or at least unwanted as a product of “rotten capitalism” which could cause major danger in society. However, in the end of 60’s, rock music reached Lithuania through the humming low quality radio broadcasts of foreign countries and smuggled records of rock music. The records of rock music were spreading from hand to hand; they were often illegally played in discotheques (as long as they were the only way to spend boring days and have fun back then). Shortly, every bigger town had its’ own rock band.

Soviet government realized that it is not possible to stop the spread of rock music, so they tried to control it strongly. As a result, reviews of bands were held on every soviet country. The compulsory repertoire of bands was stated. 75% of repertoire contained songs by Soviet authors, 20% - songs by authors from foreign socialistic countries and only 5% - own written songs. The way to fame and bigger gigs was closed for bands who haven’t come through the review or simply haven’t participated them. 

The band which sell themselves as they were playing songs on 60th anniversary of  LSSR 

new blog appearance #2

The summer has begun so I decided to freshen up appearance of this blog.
Actually the songs of Arcade Fire gave the idea of changing this blog. Also, it's been almost a year since I've changed something. Changes are good, aren't they? But I didn't change the header. I just love it too much!!!
AND, if I randomly (as always) get a brainstorm, then I will change the background more often.

xxx
Fuzz