The Leningrad Cowboys
is a Finnish rock band famous for its humorous songs, ludicrous hairstyles and concerts featuring the Russian military band Alexandrov ensemble.
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LENINGRAD COWBOYS TICKETS
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Beginnings
The band was an invention of the Finnish film director
Aki Kaurismäki, appearing as a fictional band in his 1989 film
Leningrad Cowboys Go America
. The fictional band, however, was made up of
Sakke Järvenpää and
Mato Valtonen, members of a real Finnish band the
Sleepy Sleepers with some additional musicians. In the film, they are joined by Nicky Tesco, former lead member of the
UK punk rock band,
The Members.
Performances
After the film, the band took on a life of its own, recording music, making videos and giving concerts. The band appeared in two other Aki Kaurismäki films, the
Leningrad Cowboys Meet Moses
(1994) and the
Total Balalaika Show
(1994), which is a film of a concert performed by the band and the full 160-member Alexandrov ensemble in Helsinki, Finland in June 1993. Kaurismäki also wrote and directed two videos featuring the band: their cover of the 60's folk standard
Those Were The Days
(1992) and
Thru The Wire
(also featuring Tesco) (1992).
In 1994, the band appeared together with 70 members of the Alexandrov ensemble at the 11th annual
MTV Music Awards, at the
Radio City Music Hall in
New York, where they sang the
Lynyrd Skynyrd classic
Sweet Home Alabama. The show was seen by an estimated 250 million people worldwide. That same year, the band and ensemble again joined forces for the "
Nokia Balalaika Show", a concert held in
Berlin. In 1998 they featured in the film
L.A. Without a Map
.
Currently, the band has 11 Cowboys and two
Leningrad Ladies
. The songs, all somewhat influenced by
polka and
progressive rock, are performed in
English and have
themes such as
vodka,
tractors,
rockets, and
Genghis Khan, as well as
folkloric Russian songs, rock and roll
ballads and
covers from bands as diverse as
The Beatles,
Led Zeppelin, and
Lynyrd Skynyrd, all presented with lots of humour.
Ten years after the
Total Balalaika Show
, on August 23
rd 2003, the Leningrad Cowboys and the Alexandrov ensemble returned to the Senate Square in Helsinki with UMO and various international performers for the spectacular
Global Balalaika Show
, was released on DVD directed by Timo Suomi, on November 21
th 2003.
2006
;Album
"Zombie's Paradise"
The album has a hard-rock sound even closer to alternative speed-metal. However, covers of famous old songs sounds chaotically effective (especially "Maniac Monday"). The album also includes an old-school version of hit "
Happy Together" as well as a new 2006 version. The music video for the album's cover of the song "
You're My Heart, You're My Soul" - is made totally in animated 3D computer graphics as a road-thriller movie.
2008
One more show with the Russian Military Band was played in Finland on 22nd November 2008. A newly-released publication,
Bio-Book PRAVDA - The Truth About The Leningrad Cowboys
also appeared. Promotional lines included: "Here it is finally, The Leningrad Cowboys book "Pravda"!
Discography
- 1917 - 1987
(Megamania 1988)
- Leningrad cowboys go America
(Megamania 1989)
- Those Were The Days CD-Single
(BMG Ariola 1991)
- Those Were The Days CD-Single
(BMG Ariola 1992)
- Thru The Wire CD-Single
(BMG Ariola 1992)
- We Cum From Brooklyn
(Johanna 1992)
- Total Balalaika Show - Helsinki Concert
(Johanna 1993)
- Live in Prowinzz
(Johanna 1993)
- Happy Together
(Johanna 1994)
- Jupiter Calling CD-Single
(BMG Ariola 1996)
- Where's The Moon CD-Single
(BMG Ariola 1996)
- Go Space
(Johanna 1996)
- Mongolian Barbeque
(Johanna 1997)
- Thank You Very Many - Greatest Hits And Rarities
(BMG 1999)
- Be Worry Don't Happy CD-Promo Single
(Megamania 1999)
- Terzo Mondo
(Johanna 2000)
- Go Wild
(BMG 2000)
- Happy Being Miserable CD-Single
(Roadrunner 2000)
- Global Balalaika Show
(Johanna 2003)
- Zombie's Paradise
(Sony BMG 2006)