The Leningrad Cowboys

Introduction

The Leningrad Cowboys Biography Site

Today I started writing a piece that was fairly self-destroying and I thought this will be dark and depressing, and to be honest, I prefer being upbeat and positive. It was my friend Trisha’s birthday and I shared a video with her, which, in my opinion, is one of the most uplifting, maddest and impressive three minutes that I have ever seen on YouTube and it is from a DVD that I have from a concert that took place on 12 June 1993 on Senate Square in Helsinki, Finland which was attended by my friend Krista.

The event drew a crowd of approximately 70,000 people from two nations – Finland and Russia – that had been engaged in a state of "peaceful coexistence" during the Cold War.

The concert featured an eclectic mix of Western rock and Russian folk music, and folk dancers performing as the band played covers of classic rock songs.

The DVD is “Total Balalaika Show” and was a critical success, scoring a 77% Fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes.

This is how I discovered the Leningrad Cowboys and how they made it to the incredible concert in Helsinki.

The Leningrad Cowboys Go America

The film is a 1989 road movie by Finnish film director Aki Kaurismäki about the adventures of an eccentric band that travels to the United States, and combines their brand of polka music with various American styles as they make their way to Mexico.

The idea to create the Leningrad Cowboys as an absurd band came from Sakke Järvenpää and Mato Valtonen, who asked Kaurismäki to direct a music video for them in 1986. Kaurismäki some short films, and then started work on "Leningrad Cowboys Go America"

Who Are The Leningrad Cowboys?

They are a band with foot-long quiff hairstyles and long Winklepicker shoes to match, who live in the tundra.

Their manager Vladimir tries to promote them, but nobody seems to like their music, except for the mute village idiot, Igor.

They are encouraged to move to America, for people will "buy anything" there. They depart for New York, bringing with them a band member who had frozen the previous night while practising outside. Igor, who was not invited to come with them, stows away in the plane's baggage hold.

They tie the frozen bass player to their car roof playing unsuccessful gigs to unappreciative audiences. One scene that stuck in my mind was when they pull up at a garage and open the car door to a flood of empty beer cans. The video for this is below.

The film was followed five years later by a sequel, "Leningrad Cowboys Meet Moses" (1994) and a concert film of the Helsinki concert "Total Balalaika Show" (1994).

Gimme All Your Lovin'

This is three minutes of absolute joy managing to merge the ZZ Top song with the "Hallelujah Chorus," from George Frideric Handel's Messiah, with the backing of the Red Army Choir and brass section with some impressive Russian dancers. How can your spirits not be lifted by this?

The other covers are great as well. This take on Lynyrd Skynyrd's "Sweet Home Alabama" in Sweden, is just as surreal and you really have to watch this as well. The Youtube video has this perfect summation:

A Finnish rock band singing in English in Sweden about an American state, accompanied by a Russian military choir! The Red Army choir members seem to be enjoying themselves as well, judging by the broad smiles on their faces.

Conclusion

The films are worth your time, especially the full "Total Balalaika Show" and there is a link below if you want to investigate further.

I love them, as you might have guessed.