Durnoe Vlijanie – interview with Sasha Skvortsov
Myspace fan page:
http://www.myspace.com/durnoevlijanie/
Nattsol: How did you come into the music?
S.: I was listening to the music I was into at the time (real loud too). And I used to just yell along. Then I started doing lyrics in Russian to match the rythm. I thought this was good stuff, worth performing.
Nattsol: Tell me more details about your appearance in ‘Durnoe Vlijanie’. What had unified the musicians for that time?
S.: I was a student. I challenged society by the way I dressed and cut my hair. One of my class-mates said to me: «Look, I know a band. They got a small rehearsal room. They need a singer. Go see them, I reckon you might be in». And I was, mainly because they liked how I looked. And I had a notepad full of song lyrics. They liked the lyrics too. I think we were misfits, we kind of recognized each other. Like: hey, this guy is one of us, dude! And we didn’t like «Russian Rock». In fact, we didn’t like any «rock», I mean we didn’t like chops.
Nattsol: Could you call me the band’s main musical references? As I know, you had contacts with some of foreign genre colleagues. Tell me about it too.
S.: I was heavily into Bauhaus. And we all adored Joy Division and The Cure. Of course we had never met these bands or any other band of such calibre for that matter. And we did not know much about contemporary alternative music either. We opened for Sonic Youth in Moscow and I didn’t know their albums. They gave me Daydream Nation on tape. It blew my socks off. I remember after the gig a girl came to talk. She was American. She said we would go down real well in the US and that her boyfriend would fix us up with gigs and shit. She said he sang for a famous punk band. I remember asking what band. She said Poison Idea. And I’d never heard of them. What a plonker!
Nattsol: How did the band interpret its name?
S.: The drummer came up with the name. We all thought it was funny. Ironic. Like we single-handedly gonna destroy whatever standards there were on the scene. I don’t think there was any particular «why» behind the name though. People got used to it with time, like they got used to names like Butthole Surfers.
Nattsol: The next question is about the band’s releases with your participation Enumerate them, please, and describe in your own words. How were they created?
S.: There always were quite a substantial amount of our gigs taped and then kicked about. They sounded real crap. I only liked two such tapes. One was a Moscow gig, the other was taped in St. Pete. I think they were my late «performances» as in the early stages of my «career» I could not sing for toffee. In 1987 we demoed some songs at the rehearsals. The recording sounded very raw but still was damn sight better then those live bootlegs. We should have pressed on and done a proper recording, totally DIY you know, but we were like waiting… fuck knows what for. Some big shot producers I suppose…
We had enough good sense to record some of our faves in 1989. It was done on a 4-track, one or two takes per song — two days, boom-boom, album done. A bit like The Stooges. We didn’t think it was any good at the time though. However this was what became our first album and the only «official» release with me on vocals.
A small label (Karma Mira) released it on tape. I wrote about the history of the recording for the inlay. Unfortunately the English translation wasn’t done by me. The bloke from the label had a go at it but I don’t think he quite nailed my style.
Nattsol: Now I’d love to ask about the band’s videos (as I know, it has two – ’24 chasa’ and ‘Sejchas’). Tell me, how did you manage to achieve such a professional result? Can you tell, what are they about?
S.: We had a request from the TV people for a video. Our mate Andrey Ventslova did the shooting. He used a 16 mm camera. The song was «24 hours». They didn’t like it at the TV. For starters it was in black and white. The transfer on video was poor, for the TV anyway. They gave us the budget to record a song. We cut «Now». Our original guitarist had dropped out by then because of personal reasons, heavy stuff. We asked Igor «Dlinniy» Borisov to give us a hand and he did. He is an excellent guitarist, but too soft really. Thats why that take of «Now» sounds so subdued. Our friend Aklya was directing the shooting. We did it in a flat in a house that was going to be demolished. Painted entire premises white. Professional TV crew worked on site, thats why the result is professional. By the way it’s Edik Nesterenko on video as our guitar player. He played with us for a year afterwards, did the Germany tour and the album too. He did really fit in, was totally right man for the job, you know. I never liked the video for «Now». Too much of that 4AD rubbish, very nice, lots of pastels. «24 hours» is a much better job, although admittedly very Bauhausy in places. I don’t care. I still think its good.
Nattsol: Tell me about your shows. What corresponded the band on stage? Which bands you shared the stage with were related to ‘DV’? Tell me also about your audithory.
S.: I think we looked sharp. Dressed entirely in black. It took me about six months to learn to move on stage. Later I ditched those hectic moves, became more static (was saving my breath). Many bands were getting real dressed up for the stage. We just used to come out in our regular cloths. I did have a very nice black jacket though and used it purely for performances. As far as other bands go - we didn’t care much for bands we shared bill with (in other words we got along with everybody reasonably well). First band that we were friends with were Petlya Nesterova. Oh yeah, and Narodnoe Opolchenie. I knew Brigadiy Podriyad quite well, original line up I mean. We had some pretty hardcore fans. Some used to come out with us when we played out of town. That was cool.
Nattsol: I’d love to pay a special attention to your texts. Tell me more about them, and about the creation process. Foremost it would be interesting to know more about the theme of look and pricked out eyes. What meanings this visions have? What are the other key themes of your lyrics?
S.: As I said, initially I used other people’s music as backing tracks. Often it was Bauhaus. I guess some imagery got into my lyrics. My English, of course was next to non-existent, all I could do is to snatch some words out of context… they do use the eyes thing often y’know? And I loved the way their singer delivered his lines, I wanted to copy his style desperately. Of course Mr. Murphy is far better singer then I am (he is the best, always will be) and Russian is entirely different language – I recon that’s how copying mutated into original. Besides, when we started playing together, I mean the band, music was different, so the initial material got to be bashed into whatever shape the music would demand. As for the songs being about death and stuff… it just sort of felt natural. I sounded more convincing singing about dark matters, less two-dimentional. There some irony in it of course, like some of them are really over the top, but I guess it isn’t easy to distinguish. Anyway, people mostly took it at face value.
Nattsol: Why did you leave the band?
S.: I didn’t. I was sacked. Or, at least, I guess it was mutual. I wanted to be a Nick Cave, lads wanted a good singer who don’t give them that rock-star bullshit. Fair enough, I wasn’t stable performer, fucked up now and then. Our last guitarist Oleg «Malyish» could sing. They told me they want to try and do without me for a while. I was like: oh yeah? Fuck you then. I was convinced they would come crawling on their knees after me. But they never have done. They broke up instead.
Nattsol: What were you doing after it? Did you keep in touch with other band members?
S.: I was all set to become a solo recording artist, but realised soon how hard it is to find like-minded inividuals. I did see my ex-bandmates perform as different group (Bonzinski). I thought they were terrific. Dan from The Stunning Jivesweets sang for them at that show. About three years after the break up we talked. We all expressed regrets.
Nattsol: Tell me more about your other projects? Do you have the information about the acivity of the other band members?
S.: I was in couple of German bands and in couple of bands in England. In 1994 me and my mate Max had a band in St. Pete. It was called 69RPM. We never played a show nor recorded a song. Now we are together in a band again. Its called Zadvorki. We play shows and we do record too. I also currently play with Messer Chups. New album is due January next year. Going on European tour with them in March.
About the others I know very little. Our first guitarist Vadik Kudriavtsev has stoped playing for good. Igor Mosin,the drummer, presently, is not doing anything music-wise neither. Dima Petrov, the bass player is in this band called Grandshattlebanda. Edik Nesterenko was popping up in different bands, but his own band Petlya Nesterova was pretty much defunct since about 2002 I think. Shame, he was very talented. RIP.
Nattsol: There were some rumors about the reunion of the band in the beginning of the XXI century. If it was true, why it didn’t happen?
S.: The initiative came from Edik and myself. He was sober for a while and wanted to work. I had written an album worth of songs and we called up the others. We had about 1 ½ rehearsals. Mosin, the drummer, didn’t like the stuff, so we called it off. Edik started drinking again. I wrote another bunch of songs. And started Zadvorki.
Nattsol: The reunion happened when you played 4 songs on Ed Nesterenko memorial show. How did you feel yourself on the stage, performing the old stuff after so meny years of its silence?
S.: It felt good. Secure. Great musicianship. I think we rocked.
Nattsol: Is that possible to see the band on stage again?
S.: I am all up for it. However, I can only speak for myself.
Nattsol: Many people call ‘Durnoe Vlijanie’ the first post-punk band from USSR, or even the Russian ‘gothfathers’. What do you think about it? And what is ‘gothic’ for you?
S.: Thats some pretty flattering shit. Maybe we were first. I like goth-rock, always have. With all the posing… And the clothes are nice. Its apolitical too. I don’t think rock’n'roll should be used as a soundtrack to the world changing thing. Leave the world alone, its pretty good as is. Just go with the beat and bash your head against the wall.
Nattsol: How can you characterize the things which did ‘Durnoe Vlijanie’?
S.: We did what felt right. This stuff is from the heart, man. I am not saying we didn’t copy anything, of course we did, everybody does. But whatever we lifted we put through ourselves. We were creative fuckers.
Nattsol: In your opinion, does the band have some followers?
S.: I think many site the band as an influence (no pun intended). I don’t think there are any direct descendents though, this stuff is too distinctive. Its hard to copy.
Nattsol: What can you say about yourself apart from your music activity?
S.: I live mainly in the UK. Am homeowner, husband and father of two.
Nattsol: And the last ‘free’ question. What would you like to add to our interview?
S.: Some folks are pissed off with us for not making it. I think three years for a band like this is actually a pretty damn good life span. And to those who are pissed off I would like to say «You go and try to live hand to mouth for three years and stick to your believes and shit».
Besides, its not guaranteed that we would have broken the camel’s back if we’d only stuck to our guns for another year. Sometimes these things take long fucking time. There are other people at the top and you have to wait for them to die off. And for your new audience to grow — you wait for this too. Well, I guess that be it, cheers!
Questions: Pall ‘Nattsol’ Zarutskiy
“Grave Jibes Fanzine”
