Bandscan:Belarus musical contest finished. The winners – The Toobes from Minsk – visit Stockholm with concerts.
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© generation.by (Read this article in Belarusian) The final of Bandscan:Belarus, Belarusian and Swedish musical project, took place in Fabrique club in Minsk on the 25th of January. Out of 36 bands that competed in selection concerts in Vitebsk and Baranovichy, as well as in the two quarterfinals and semifinal in Minsk, 6 better bands reached the final of the contest by audience polls.
According to the spectators’ opinions of the final concert the winners are The Toobes from Minsk. The performances of the best 6 finalists were as follows.
The final of Belarusian and Swedish musical project stands out with its great popularity and emotional excitement even if compared to the Minsk part of the contest that also took place in Fabrique club. The absence of big queues and possibility to come very close to the stage and see what is happening there was of nice surprise. Diversified public, that can’t be met at concerts in the capital, also delighted. Computerization of the contest and performers’ appeals to download their songs in the internet, particularly in the Livejournal and Vkontakte, is worth mentioning.
“We don’t want to be like another”
After the official opening of the final by Swedish and Belarusian representatives, the first performer who went to stage was Jenowa from Vitebsk. By the way, this was the only participant who performed some songs in Belarusian over the contest night.
“We came to you with very honest music” — vocalist presented her repertoire about “a lot of pain and sex”. And addressed to the audience: “You came here not to relax, but to learn thinking and feeling”. And then a song started like a confession: “We don’t want to be like another, but while playing, we lose everything alive inside”.
“All my thoughts are below the belt”
The vocalist of RU.ST band from Babruysk admitted that the atmosphere of Fabrique reminded him “Moulin Rouge” and he felt he was Madame JuJu, and shouted out a song name “Metrosexual”. Main ideas of the next songs also were around sex or simply about it. Names and lyrics are corresponding: “Who will have sex with you?!”, “I’m neither a hero nor a soldier, I just remember that I’m a lecher”, “All my thoughts are below the belt – I’m in state of hunt”. Under the influence of his own goals the vocalist began to strip. He took off his shirt on stage and then unzipped his fly.
His show was finished with the song called “Otstoy”… Meaning “Sucks”…
The audience’s temperature and mood heated with each hour of the continuous concert.
«Metal till death»
Minas Morgul band from Vitebsk together with their fans got off under hard metal music. Then vocalist in “Metal till death” shirt thanked from the stage: “Excellent work, Minsk! Well done!” “Friends from Sweden” were grated with a song which English lyrics were hardly understood.
“Spasibo so much"
Hair Peace Salon from Minsk performed alternative Brit Rock. As true gentlemen guys remembered about Tatiana’s Day and devoted to all Tatianas a song “Ice Age”, and “Gipsy” to all gipsy men and women, and bears. The band soloist politely greeted all fans of bands from other towns and remembered to advertise their next concert. Guys from Hair Peace Salon in an intelligent way, as no one else, thanked in English Swedish part and Belarusian part – Sasha Bogdanov to whom the soloist said in worry: “Spasibo so much!”
“I don’t want sovdep anymore!”
“Voronin Band” from Baranovichy went on the stage in shirts with the band’s name on their backs. During their show musicians repeatedly turned their backs – “not bottoms” – upon the audience calling people to recall the band’s name while voting. The first song was “No! No! I don’t want sovdep anymore! I don’t want barn! I better chose paradise!” And if she “knew how many spots on the sun”, she “would love him much stronger than before!” They also sang “I love you, baby” – a song that reminded a Swedish band of the same name who was a guest at the semifinal.
Poll, winners, guests
By the number of the fans presented The Toobes were total leaders. Many of those who came to support their favorite band, patiently waited for four hours to finally get off at full. Almost all people in the audience danced, almost everyone who stayed to the end. There were people who came to the final just to hear The Toobes as they have heard a lot of good reviews about the band. Philip Chmyr – the leader of Drum Ecstasy band was among those interested people.
Guests – Swedish Pluxus – made a laser show on the stage turning it into dark stone forest. Electronic music made calm the hottest ones and fall into an easy trance.
While the guest performed, voting bulletins were counted and the poll was declared. The second was Hair Peace Salon, third RU.ST, fourth «Voronin Band» and fifth Minas Morgul. All the bands received some piece of musical equipment: guitar, microphone, drums, bass combo or guitar combo. The happy winners – The Toobes – will go to Sweden with a number of concerts according to Sasha Bogdanov’s estimations “in a couple of months”.
“It is not worth participating in a contest, if you don’t recon on victory”
The guys form The Toobes didn’t conceal their happiness: they tossed up each other, embraced and posed for photographs. At the Generation.bY request they commented this victory: “certainly, we recon on it”, because “It is not worth participating in a contest, if you don’t recon on victory”, “from the first step ahead and with the proof of fans’ love”. “We are self-confident and only do what we can do”.
So, the Belarusian and Swedish project that lasted for three months is finished. Sasha Bogdanov the art director of Bo Promo Group, independent producer company, considers it being successful and “results are satisfying”. And in the interview with Generation.bY he added that “in general, everything went as it was planed” and said about plans to develop a project in the future but in the reverse format: “Sweden bands will compete in Sweden and Belarusian ones will be invited as quests”. However this is only plans, “Europe is unstable now” – added Aleksandr.