ВА-БАНКЪ  ABOUT

Moscow band Va-Bank, the long-time leader of the alternative music movement in Russia, was formed by former diplomat Alexander F. Skliar in 1986.

The now hard rock, now folkish, now romantic Va-Bank have never been a band to be contained by the traditional boundaries of rock genre. From rhythm 'n' blues to the lyrical, from alternative to folk to hard core and back again, Va-Bank have something to offer just about every listener and are never, never boring.

The band's music runs primarily in two directions. The first - the electric - is aggressive and hard, sometimes incorporating elements of punk. The second - the acoustic - is melodic and unusually beautiful, in the tradition of Moscow folk music. Both make use of Va-Bank's characteristic original guitar arrangements and unorthodox lyrics - no listener will remain indifferent beyond the first few riffs.

Va-Bank regularly performs in concert halls, stadiums, and clubs all over Russia. The first Soviet band to record outside of the Eastern bloc, Va-Bank has given concerts all over Europe (in Finland, Sweden, Norway, Germany, Switzerland, and France) to great acclaim, including joint shows with The Stray Cats, The Rollins Band, Biohazard, Rage Against the Machine, and many more. In 1995, Va-Bank was invited to Prague, to perform with legendary punk band, the UK Subs.

In addition to his work with Va-Bank, frontman Alexander F. Skliar is also the leader of Russian anti-drug youth movement - "Learn to Swim"

Va-Bank is currently writing and recording its latest album,The Low Tundra, a companion disc to a new collection of stories by acclaimed Russian author Viktor Pelevin, a long-time fan of Va-Bank.

In addition to its work on The Low Tundra, Va-Bank has now begun performing its new concert program, Va-Bank Plus One, in Moscow clubs. The One is premier Moscow Dj, Dj Max, who appears on stage with the band, adding electronic accompaniment to new and classic songs from the Va-Bank repertoire. Va-Bank plus One proves that the band, now, as ever, maintains its devotion to the experiment, its refusal to be pegged. Makes you wonder... What other tricks does Va-Bank have up its proverbial sleeve?