DDT (band)
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- For other uses: see DDT (disambiguation).
DDT (or ДДТ in Cyrillic) is a popular Russian rock band founded by its permanent lead singer, Yuri Shevchuk (Юрий Шевчук), in Ufa in 1981.
| DDT | |
|---|---|
 |
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| Country | USSR, Russia |
| Years active | 1982–present |
| Genres | Rock |
| Members |
Yuri Shevchuk (vocal, guitar) |
The original band comprises:
- Yuri Shevchuk - vocals, guitar
- Vladimir Sigachev - keyboard
- Rustem Asanbayev - guitar
- Gennadi Rodin - bass
- Rustam Karimov - percussion
[edit] History
In 1982, Komsomolskaya Pravda declared a competition for young music performers called Zolotoy Kamerton (Golden Tuning Fork). DDT sent three compositions, "Inoplanetiane" (Aliens), "Chernoe solntse" (Black sun), and "Ne streliay" (Don't shoot).
During the long-running competition, the group published their first album (on tape), Svinya na raduge (A pig on a rainbow). The album contained elements of rock and roll, blues and country music. At this time Russian popular music was divided between sanctioned official performers, granted entrance to the musicians union and official patronage, and unofficial artists. Unofficial artists were often highly trained musicians but had other jobs. Complex tape trading networks evolved in the 1980s and unofficial artists music could receive wide distribution (without artists receiving royalties) in this manner [see also samizdat]. Such "underground" artists often became widely known and their unofficial albums were even sometimes mentioned or tracked in the press. DDT in the 1980s is the story of a band skirting between underground and sanctioned status, more unsanctioned.
DDT's submission to Zolotoy Kamerton passed through to the finals and the group was invited to perform in a concert at Moscow's Orlyonok complex, together with the other finalist band, Rok-sentiabr (Rock-September) from Cherepovets. DDT and three members of Rock-September, Viacheslav Korbin, Yevgeniy Belozerov and Andrei Maslennikov, soon after recorded and published an album (on tape), Monolog v Saigone (Monologue in Saigon).
After recording the album, Sigachev and Shevchuk returned to Ufa. Sigachev distanced himself from the group, while Shevchuk collected new members including Rodin, drummer Sergey Rudogo, guitarist Rustam Rezvanov and keyboard player Vladislav Strochillo.
In May 1983, DDT successfully performed at the Luzhniki Stadium in Moscow, as part of a three-day, sanctioned festival, "Rok za mir" (Rock for peace). Their performance, however, was cut out of the television program about the event.
The new formation published the album Periferia (Periphery), recorded in April 1984. After recording the album, some members of the group began to be watched and contacted by the KGB.
Shevchuk spent some time in Sverdlovsk (present-day Yekaterinburg), performing with the group Urfin Juis.
In November 1985, DDT recorded the album Vremia (Time) in Sverdlovsk.
In 1986, Shevchuk moved to Leningrad (present Saint Petersburg) with his wife, son and mother.
In 1987 he rebuilt DDT. The members included:
- Nikita Zaitsev — guitar
- Vadim Kurylev — bass
- Andrei Vasiliev — guitar
- Igor Dotsenko — drums
- Andrei Muratov — keyboard
- Mihail Chernov — saxophone
In June 1987, DDT performed at a Saint Petersburg rock-club festival. DDT performed second-to-last and in front of a crowd of 3,000, even though the venue's capacity was 1,000.
In the summer of 1988, DDT toured across the USSR, and they record a new album, Ottepel (Thaw).
In 1989, DDT went on another tour with the group Alisa, performing also at a rock-festival in Hungary.
In 1990, DDT performed several concerts in the U.S. and Japan. They also performed as part of a concert in honor of Viktor Tsoy.
In 1991, DDT released another album, Plastun (Scout). The next album followed in the spring of the same year, Aktrisa Vesna (Actress Spring).
Then the group changed its performance strategy by adding programmes to its repertoire: well-prepared, conceptually linked concerts. During December 1992 and January 1993, DDT presented its first programme, Chyorny Pyos Peterburg (Black Dog Petersburg), and toured widely in CIS countries.
On 27 May 1993, the anniversary of Saint Petersburg, DDT performed a free concert onDvortsovaya Square. 120,000 people attended.
During the summer of 1994, DDT took part in the rock festival White Nights of Saint Petersburg in Berlin. That autumn, the group was awarded the prestigious Ovatsiya award (Ovation) for Best Rock Group of the Year. Yuri Shevchuk was also named Best Rock Musician of the Year.
In the beginning of 1995, a new album, Eto vsyo... (That's all...). was recorded. In January, Shevchuk went on a mission of peace to Chechnya, where he performed in 50 concerts for the Russian troops and Chechen citizens alike.
On 25 June 1995, DDT performed a solo concert in Petrovskiy stadium, which attracted tens of thousands of fans.
Afterwards, the group toured with its next programme, Ot i do (From start to finish). In the end of the winter of 1995-1996, the group worked in the USA. In February-March 1996, the group recorded a new album, Lubov (Love), at Long View Farm in Massachusetts with new musicians: bassist I. Tihomirov (from the group Kino) and keyboard player D. Galitskiy.
[edit] Discography
| Transliterated title | Original title | Translation | Year of release |
|---|---|---|---|
| Svinya na raduge | Свинья на радуге | Pig on a Rainbow | 1982 |
| Kompromiss | Компромисс | Compromise | 1983 |
| Periferiya | Периферия | Periphery | 1984 |
| Vremya | Время | Time | 1985 |
| Ya poluchil etu rol | Я получил эту роль | I've got this role | 1988 |
| Ottepel | Оттепель | Thaw | 1990 |
| Plastun | Пластун | (Hard to translate neologism; literally: Someone who creeps) | 1991 |
| Aktrisa Vesna | Актриса Весна | Actress Spring | 1992 |
| Chyorny pyos Peterburg | Чёрный пёс Петербург | Black Dog Petersburg | 1993 |
| Eto vsyo | Это всё | This is Everything (or: That is All) | 1994 |
| Lyubov | Любовь | Love | 1996 |
| Rozhdyonny v SSSR | Рождённый в СССР | Born in the USSR | 1997 |
| Mir nomer nol (Single) | Мир номер ноль | World number zero | 1998 |
| Mir nomer nol | Мир номер ноль | World Number Zero | 1999 |
| Prosvistela | Просвистела | (It) whistled by | 1999 |
| Metel avgusta | Метель августа | Snowstorm of August | 2000 |
| Yedinochestvo I | Единочество I | (Hard to translate, a kind of neologism got by merging "unity" and "loneliness" ) | 2002 |
| Yedinochestvo II | Единочество II. Живой. | Loneliness II: Alive. | 2003 |
| Pesni | Песни | Songs | 2003 |
| Gorod bez okon. Vkhod. | Город без окон. Вход. | Town with no windows. Entrance. | 2004 |
| Gorod bez okon. Vykhod. | Город без окон. Выход. | Town with no windows. Exit. | 2004 |
| Propavshiy bez vesti. | Пропавший без вести | Vanished without a trace | 2005 |
