Matrix, Bochum, Germany
9th May 2013
Russkaja
On Ascension Day, many people decide to celebrate… in different ways. People coming to Bochum this evening decided for excessive dancing with RUSSKAJA, being sweaty and shouting out loud: Dance, Dance, Dance! And it shall become a really sweaty dance…
RUSSKAJA is a Austrian band from Vienna, founded in 2005, and being inspired from traditional Russian music, mixed with Ska, Rock and Polka beats. The seven band members are all experienced musicians who had played in various ensembles before they were active in RUSSKAJA. 2006, the band signed a contract with Indie label Chat Chapeau, where in the same year the first EP, ‘Dawai’, has been released. With a show on Austrian Late-Night show “Willkommen Österreich”, the band got known to a wider audience. In 2008, the debut album ‘Kasatchok Superstar’ was out, immediately entering Top40 of Austrian charts. The lyrics of the band’s songs are mostly in Russian, a few are also in German or English. In the years 2011 and 2012, the band was playing at Wacken Open Air making new fans also within the Metal lovers. The latest album ‘Energia’ was out in 2013. RUSSKAJA is Georgij Makazaria (vocals), Dimitro Miller (bass), Engel Mayr (guitar), Ulrike Müllner (violin), Rainer Gutternigg (trumpet), H-G. Gutternigg (potete) and Mario Stübler (drums). http://www.russkaja.com / https://www.facebook.com/russkajaofficial
Music & Performance
When I entered the venue at half past seven, I first was really surprised that nearly no people were in the hall. At around eight, it suddenly filled up… I guess people were in the meantime still outside in the new smoking area. Anyway, finally at 8:15, the first sounds of the intro flooded the hall and people got excited from the very first moment. Describing RUSSKAJA for people who do not know the band is not very easy. Is it ALESTORM in Russian? GOGOL BORDELLO meeting Weird Al Yankovic on speed playing sounds from the German comedy movie “Russendisko”? Is it a Metal Polka? Nothing and all of it at once! RUSSKAJA is the terror of terrors of all Russian folk societies with fat Austrian Polka beats. The band members put their different musical backgrounds together to a colourful and postmodern version of Russian folk made to dance, dance, dance. It is, as the band describes, a “clash of trash metal, world jazz, funky stuff and Frank Zappa-esque Rock”, naming the style Russian Turbo Polka. 
After the intro, the band started with energetic ‘Energia’ and wild dancing and jumping, accompanied with loud screams, started in the audience right away. People were getting sweaty in a second. And so, a big collective party started. From the start, the band built up a very good connection to the audience with lots of announcements by singer Georgij. A first big interaction with the audience to show they are all really celebrating in a collective came with the track ‘Psycho Traktor’ when Georgij explained the song: It is a ritual with that song, one person in the middle of the audience stands still and anyone else is running around this person in a circle pit. It was really a great party during this one. And the party and interaction went on. The mood in front of stage and also on stage was absolutely great, the band obviously had a lot of fun and anyone in the band had its moment with the audience, like the boys and the girl on strings and wind instruments in front or drummer Mario with a fantastic solo during the medley.
But before the medley started, there was some more interaction of the audience asked. Along to ‘Istanbul’, a girl from the audience was asked to enter stage for some belly dance. Carina did it very well and also animated the audience for some more action. Action came soon during the medley when to crowd surfers entered the stage, danced along with the band and soon left the stage with stage diving. The medley additionally had also a little birthday chant in stock. I don’t want to analyse any song in detail, from the very start to the end, RUSSKAJA perfectly understood how to entertain the audience and celebrate a big party. Anyone was in such a good mood so that the band came back for five more songs. It was really a fantastic and sweat inducing evening. Thanks, or better “Spasiba”, RUSSKAJA!
Setlist
01. Intro
02. Energia
03. Kartuli Vino
04. Change
05. Psycho Traktor
06. Barada
07. Radost Moja
08. Istanbul
09. MEDLI (Medley): Hey Stoj / Dope Shit / Ras Dwa Tri / Gulaj Duscha / Da Mama / Dobrij Abend / Happy Birthday (Happy Birthday sung for Georgij) / Wolna I Ja
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10. Violina Mia
11. More
12. Autodrom
13. Tanzi Tanzi
14. Gop-Stop
Rating
Music: 8
Performance: 10
Sound: 8
Light: 9
Total: 9 / 10
All pictures by Daniela Vorndran (http://www.vorndranphotography.com / http://www.black-cat-net.de/ / http://www.myspace.com/vorndranphotography / http://www.facebook.com/blackcatnet)
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