44 Leningrad – Dance!

It never rains when they play

In the beginning were the songs. All the suddenly ostracised tunes from the commanded land that was to revert to terra incognita, sung stories about soldiers, revolutionaries, workers, peasants, sailors and the great, eternal love. For decades, it seems in retrospect, they have been waiting for someone to come and sing them anew, alive, voluntarily, with devotion. But first a wall had to fall, an iconoclasm had to rise and a stirring year had to pass before someone stepped over the narrow bridge across the folklore divide. He turned his back on Anglo-Saxon coolness to dance to the Slavic minor key, toast the Russian soul and become intoxicated by the pathos of Bolshevism.

On their lonely journey to the East, they created their own musical language, which 44 Leningrad call “Russian Speed Folk”. Ever since Vladimir Kaminer’s Russendisko and the Klezmer-Balkan wave took over German clubs, a wider public has recognised the charm of the eclectic mix of ska, punk, polka and folklore. There are many imitators, but even after 20 years, the Potsdamers still sound like the original. The group has now released eight records, played 600 concerts in front of 80,000 people, guzzled 600 litres of vodka, worn out 12 musicians and an accordion – and had eight children. And there is still no end in sight to the journey.

They have met Rammstein on the road, the Toy Dolls and many others. They have played where everyone wants to go. At the big festivals and in the small clubs. They have always remained independent, welcome in many places, but only ever as guests. Despite various offers, they still produce themselves and live for live music. At the start of the third decade of the band’s history, the group will continue to be present and go on tour – which is always good news for music fans and organisers: it never rains when they play.