Вежливый Отказ

Vezhliviy Otkaz, which means “polite refusal” in English, is one of the most original and erratic rock bands in Russia. They have never gone for pop stardom or tried to establish themselves as an underground “cult” act. Around 1986, they did perform in ripped tuxedos and throw pieces of raw meat into the audience, but this was a passing, and nearly forgotten, stage in their career. Now the band is totally cool, intelligent and slightly enigmatic. They may be too strange to be embraced by rock masses, but everyone has full respect for the Refuseniks. The band was formed in 1985 with a then-popular reggae/ska blend. Since then, they have gone through numerous stylistic changes, flirting with everything from free jazz to Russian folk. Their sound, however, has always been unique and immediately recognizable. Suslov’s rhythmic guitar work and unusual high-pitched vocals gives Polite Refusal’s music a precisely constructed, crystal-clear sound that is completely devoid of any of the extra noise so typical of rock-n-roll. The sound is so well organized that sounds almost academic. “In fact,” says Suslov, “we’ve always aimed at creating orchestral music, but guitars, piano and drums are the only instruments we have.” Polite Refusal lived a normal rock life, making recordings - one of their LPs was even international in Finland - and playing national and international festivals until 1990, when their career made an unexpected turn.