Yesterday a friend told me that I had too much politics on my blog even though not only is it election time in Armenia, but it’s also part of my work. Nevertheless, perhaps it’s time for a break if only for one post, and as music plays an important part in my life, what better a subject to cover and not least since in the past few months, the monotony of the type of music being produced in Armenia has really gotten to me.

With one or two exceptions, even the rock scene is mundane, predictable and lacking in any spirit. Music for the masses is just as bad, although many would argue that the same is true in the even more commercially-driven Western market. Still, what we do have in Europe and the U.S. is a more diverse selection and five decades of pop and rock music — some of which stands the test of time.

Of late, for example, I’ve rediscovered the Sex Pistols, England’s most notorious punk rock band of the 1970s. Arguably manufactured by music impresario Malcom McLaren, whatever people might think of the Sex Pistols, I remember that they turned the country upside down. Aged seven when they were formed, even now I can remember the shock and outrage that accompanied the very mention of their name in the British media.

Sex Pistols are an English punk rock band that formed in London in 1975. The band originally comprised vocalist Johnny Rotten, guitarist Steve Jones, drummer Paul Cook and bassist Glen Matlock (later replaced by Sid Vicious). Although their initial career lasted only three years and produced only four singles and one studio album, the Sex Pistols have been described by the BBC as “the definitive English punk rock band.” The Pistols are widely credited with initiating the punk movement in the United Kingdom and creating the first generation gap within rock and roll.

The Sex Pistols emerged as a response to what was perceived to be the “increasingly safe and bloated” progressive rock and manufactured pop music of the mid-1970s. The band created various controversies during their brief career which captivated Britain, but often eclipsed their music. Their shows and tours repeatedly faced difficulties from authorities, and public appearances often ended in disaster and riot. Their 1977 single, “God Save the Queen”, was widely regarded as an attack on the British monarchy and British nationalism.

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As mentioned in the comments section of my own post on Sksela’s Rock for Freedom event, Anush at Transitions Online’s The Armenian Patchwork has posted some of my photographs from the event there.

This time photographs from Onnik Krikorian of the latest rock event, organized by Sksela movement. The event was generally enjoyed as rock gatherings always are, but raised some controversial opinions because of its security. Several photos here, and more can be viewed in Onnik’s post.

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Sksela Rock for Freedom, Moscow Cinema Summer House, Yerevan, Republic of Armenia © Onnik Krikorian / Oneworld Multimedia 2007

Well, I was willing to give them the benefit of the doubt despite their known HHSh links and support for the radical opposition, but it has to be said that tonight’s Sksela Rock for Freedom was anything but. First off, the security was tight with a dozen “rent-a-thug” security guards hired by the supposedly pro-freedom, pro-democracy movement called in to separate the audience from the bands that played. Intimidating is not the word.

According to the organizers, the hired muscle, a few of which were dressed in military fatigues, was to prevent any trouble, but as larger rock concerts have been staged in Yerevan without such security, some serious questions have to be raised. In a sense, now that many diplomatic missions in Yerevan want to fund Armenia’s revolutionary-wannabes, it seems as though Sksela are getting too big for their own boots. Arrogant and egotistical, I’d say.

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As already posted, but just to remind anyone interested, Sksela has its Rock for Freedom event planned for tonight in central Yerevan. For those of you on Facebook, there are even Sksela and Rock for Freedom groups set up.

Bands playing include Empyray, Roxygen, Oaksenham, Strife, Sakvoyage, Mher Manukyan & Friends, Army of God, and others.

Sunday, October 7, 2007
7:00pm - 11:00pm
Moscow Cinema Summer Hall
Entrance is Free

Via The Armenian Observer, Tirami Su and Bekaisa, and as mentioned here, the Sksela youth movement will be staging its Rock for Freedom concert on 7 October at 7pm in the Moscow Cinema’s Summer Hall. Bands playing include Empyray, Roxygen, Oaksenham and Impeachment-activist and former Lav Eli guitarist Mher Manukian.

As mentioned in the article I wrote on Sksela in April for EurasiaNet, the concert has been postponed until now because the Yerevan municipality refused to grant permission for it to be held.

Citing previously scheduled outdoor events, Yerevan’s city hall has refused permission for the group to hold an April 14 open-air rock concert, funded, like the February march, by the British Embassy.

Like other observers, Sksel a organizer Kharatian is concerned that such decisions are directly related to the election and attempts by the authorities to prevent alternative groups from holding meetings or staging rallies.

If so, Kharatian argues, the decision is misplaced. “I wouldn’t say that we’re directly concerned with the election as we’ve existed informally as a group since 2003, ” he commented, “but there’s no doubt that the country is about to face a major challenge which is why we’ve become so active now.”

The group has applied for an alternative date, but has yet to receive a response, he added. A fresh refusal would demonstrate whether or not blocking Sksel a events is “official policy,” he continued.

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MDP, Puppet Theatre, Yerevan, Republic of Armenia © Onnik Krikorian / Oneworld Multimedia 2007

Last night saw a break from the Pan-Armenian Games and a rock festival staged in Yerervan. Actually, I missed most of the bands such as Oaksenham and Bambir, but at least got to catch the last two acts — MDP and Vostan Hayots. MDP were particularly good and I had forgotten how heavy these guys were. Anyway, for those of you interested in rock music in Armenia, interviews with MDP and Vostan Hayots are here and here.

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Bambir, Puppet Theatre, Yerevan, Republic of Armenia © Onnik Krikorian / Oneworld Multimedia 2007

Well, last night’s gig by the two Bambirs was a real killer of a show. Quite fantastic and only the second time I’ve seen them perform together since 2001 so it was also quite a unique event. Hopefully they’ll do more joint gigs, but until then, some photographs from last night to follow up pics of their rehearsal the previous day, and an excerpt on the history of the two bands, which cross two generations and which are both known as Bambir, from an article I wrote in 2005.

The name Bambir is derived from a little known traditional Armenian instrument similar to a cello piccolo, but just to confuse matters, it’s also the name of another folk-rock band that comes from Gyumri. Before Armenia declared its independence in 1991, it was this Bambir that was considered the best folk-rock band in the former Soviet Union, fusing Armenian and Celtic influences to seamless perfection.

No surprise then, that Barseghyan and Kocharyan are the 22-year-old sons of two members of the other Bambir, and that now, the name has been passed down to them to take to a new generation of rock fans in Armenia and beyond. […]

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Bambir Rehearsal, Shant TV Studio, Yerevan, Republic of Armenia © Onnik Krikorian / Oneworld Multimedia 2007

Ahead of tomorrow’s joint concert by The Bambir and their earlier namesake at Yerevan’s Puppet Theatre, I had the opportunity to photograph the two bands as they rehearsed at the studio of Shant TV where they were also practising the sets they will perform with contestants competing for the apparently much coveted title of Hye Superstar. Although I’ve seen the two Bambirs perform together separately, this was the second time I’ve caught them performing together.

The first was in Shushi in 2001 (see here, here and here). Since then, after photographing and hanging out with Bambir the younger on many an occasion, it’s funny to remember guitarist Narek reminiscing about the advice his father, Jag from the original incarnation, gave him when he formed his first band with basist Arman in 1992.

NA (Narek & Arman) was formed at the end of 1992 when the older Bambir were in the United States. Barseghyan and Kocharyan decided to surprise their fathers by performing for them when they returned. Barseghyan’s father, however, was less than impressed, to put it mildly. Gagik Barseghyan, nicknamed Jag because of his love for the Rolling Stones, instead told them they’d never make good musicians.

Much better, he told the two budding musicians, to choose another career. “Something like agriculture, he suggested,” remembers Barseghyan, smiling.

Undaunted by parental displeasure, Barseghyan and Kocharyan wrote their first song, “I’m Crazy,” and it wasn’t long before they found another young musician to join the duo. During Christmas 1995, they discovered flautist Arik Grigoryan performing in a Gyumri restaurant. When the twelve year old said he liked the British folk-rock band Jethro Tull, that was all Barseghyan and Kocharyan needed to hear.

The newly formed trio started to write more and more material. “They were interesting songs with melodies played on flute,” says Barseghyan. “Interesting good, or interesting bad?” I ask. “Interesting awful,” Barseghyan responds, laughing. “We were shit.”

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Fête de la Musique Rock Stage, Yerevan, Republic of Armenia © Onnik Krikorian / Oneworld Multimedia 2007

I’ll be totally honest and admit that I had no idea what the Fête de la Musique was and certainly didn’t realize that it would be held in Yerevan as well as 400 other cities and towns worldwide. In fact, I had just been told that there would be a free rock concert outside of the Moscow Cinema on Thursday and I should probably go down and take a few photos. As it was, there were other different types of music being played elsewhere in central Yerevan, as detailed by Anoush Armenia.

In Yerevan, the philharmonic orchestra played a free concert, children’s singing groups performed by Komitas’ statue, but later in the evening it was lovely Abovian street whose scene was not to be missed. Reggae-band Reincarnation brought smiles to everyone crowded around Square One, The Beautified Project and of course Bambir brought their unstopable energy out to Charles Aznavour square…and the Fête ended with a finale of a remarkable new jazz band The Zoo playing at the French Terrace (how apropos), under cafe umbrellas while the warm summer rain started to drizzle in, with the smell of wine and strawberry hookah floating in the air…

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Joshua Kucera posts an entry about the different types of music he’s experiencing in Armenia. In particular, he writes briefly about Gyumri rockers Bambir, posts a video taken last night and links to an article I wrote about the band for Hetq Online way back when.

Last night I went to see what is apparently the best indie band in Armenia, Bambir, and I can see why people say that. The show was terrific, they rock the flute like no one since Jethro Tull (and in this interview, they all talk about how much they loved Jethro Tull as kids).

Incidentally, after flicking through my book on poverty in Armenia, Bambir used over a hundred of my photos as the backdrop for their most recent music video for a song from their still unreleased second album although I’ve yet to see it. When I do I’ll upload it to YouTube and post a link.

It’s been a reoccurring theme for recent votes in Armenia. That is, the use of music to attract audiences for events staged to convey political messages. During the 2003 presidential and parliamentary elections, for example, Armenia’s pop stars were dragged out to campaign for the incumbent authorities, something which is continuing today for the pro-government Republican and Prosperous Armenia parties.

However, the international community occasionally gets in on the act too, and specifically the British Embassy and the British Council who have sponsored rock concerts for the 2005 referendum and the last Human Rights Day. Interestingly, attempts by the youth movement, Sksel a, to arrange another British Embassy funded “Rock for Freedom” specifically timed to coincide with the 12 May parliamentary election have failed.

As a result, the active part of Sksel a met last weekend to discuss ways to get around official rejection of their request to hold a rock concert by the statue of Komitas in central Yerevan, as Observer explains.

This new gathering of Sksela was called “OpenSpace”. About 40 young people were citing in a circle in front of the Komitas statue, the favorite location of Sksela events, and were discussing their future plans in the “open space”, for anyone to hear and join. In fact I spotted a lady who had no relation to the action joining in with a suggestion of her own after watching these strange young people sitting on grass for a while.

As to the topic of discussion - there really was a lot to discuss: Yerevan Municipality continuously rejects permission for Sksela to organize the “Rock for Freedom” concert. obviously they’re starting to take Sksela seriously. Furtunately, noone can stop a bunch of young people from peacefully sitting around wherever they like. So anyway, there’s more in the video.

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