In the bag. Interview with the leader of The Hatters

Everything was at the table at the entrance to the bar, as always. Several people came in, hurrying to work. Outside, people were walking around behind the glass doors, sometimes stopping to read the duct tape ads. But now, the crowd at the glass began to grow, they looked inside, their eyes ran in search of the protagonist of the evening. For the first time in my entire career as an interviewer, the Behind the Glass project was real. Silent observation increased.

And the musicians are playing on the stage. The sounds and rhythms are so unusual that they don't even interfere. Sounders rush around the hall, waitresses scurry about. But the soloists are still on the radio - burning on the air.

Well, it looks like they've arrived. Noisy, funny. Group director Daniil brought Yuri Muzychenko to us. We meet, we sit down. Polite questions not for printing: how did you get there, did you get tired, what will you drink? Yuri ordered a bottle of "local".

- Are people different in different cities?

- Not much. We mostly communicate with people close to us in age. Well, plus or minus ten years. We were brought up approximately the same way, watched the same films, cartoons, we were taught the same way at school. There are all sorts of people, but even if someone is rude somewhere, this does not mean anything specific. For the most part, they are educated, polite, sympathetic people.

- Do they give any unusual gifts after concerts?

- They give. So far, all the gifts are to our taste.

- Gold diamonds?

- No. Alcohol (Laughs. At this time, Yuri was brought a drink to his taste, he politely hid the container under the table so as not to get into the frame). We are all waiting for the start of giving hats, because this pleasure is expensive, as it turned out.

- You said that on the way to Izhevsk you watched Soviet cartoons. What character did you want to be like as a child?

- Well, of course, the Troubadour from The Bremen Town Musicians. Such a handsome man. By the way, today it was reviewed - it's just that all the films have ended. They started watching cartoons.

- I read that Anna Sergovna, your wife, goes to museums in cities. Like local art?

- We filmed a small project. She went to all kinds of, mostly stupid events that are not particularly advertised. For example, there was a gathering of Harry Potter lovers in the local library. They specifically looked for places that they don’t talk about much, but people who are deep in some topic gather there. Specific. Well, they were trolled a little bit with stupid questions. It did not sound offensive, because my wife has the image of Anna Sergovna. She is such a fun librarian in her forties. When she makes fun, she does it without malice.

- The main part of the composition of your group has a theatrical education. Do you miss the theatre?

- And we returned to the theatre. Anna Sergovna and I work at the Litsedei Theater.

- How long did they leave?

- We were gone for about a year and a half before the changes took place. The theater was ruined for a long time by one bad person. As a result, he was kicked out of there, and we returned. And there is now a troupe of only nine people. Four "old founders" and five young people of us.

- Do you have enough time for concerts and work in the theater?

- Oh! You see, just this year, when we left the theater, we began to actively engage in this musical project, the group The Hatters (“Hatters”). (Accordionist Pavel began to test the sound on the stage. It became very loud. Yury directly joined the recorder). And somehow everything went wrong. And they missed the theater madly, because it is a completely different energy. As a result, we returned to the theater and now it is more difficult to combine, of course. Here we are now on tour for a whole month. Naturally, in the performances we are not there now.

- Why did you choose such a difficult genre - clownery?

- And it turned out pretty funny. As they say: "Accidents are not accidental." Apparently, this is what it all came down to. Everything turned out very simply. When I entered the theater, I would not want to brag (theatrically fixes her hair), but that year it recruited five masters and I went to all of them. By the third round, or the second, I don't remember. Doesn't matter. In general, you need to already decide who you specifically go to.

I didn’t want to go to The Actors at all, because I saw myself in the Youth Theater on the Fontanka near Spivak or in the Comedy Theater. And when I came to the second round, to the audition, there was a Harley-Davidson standing right in the yard. I go there, and in the selection committee there is a man in a T-shirt. He, apparently, with a hangover, sleeps. And he's so cool! Well, cool guy! Nightingale is his surname, a cool man!

They ask me: "Sing something." I begin to sing: "I will go out into the field at night with a horse." I close my eyes. And he, you know, opens his eyes a little, looks at me: “Wait, wait, when you play the violin, do you also close your eyes?” - "No" - "Well, that's not necessary. You look like an idiot." And continue to sleep. And I liked this impudence so much that I chose them. And, in the end, not in vain. They are true rock 'n' rollers.

- Is it difficult to maintain the role of a clown on stage?

- You see, such a circle of communication around me. All are quite self-critical, open people. Funny, for the most part. Therefore, it is already a way of life. I can't imagine any other way.

- Is there any teacher or mentor to whom you are grateful for the fact that he "made" you?

- First of all, these are the actors of the theater "Litsedei". These are some of the finest teachers from the theater academy. The person I admire is Elena Igorevna Chernaya, a teacher by speech, just a crazy professional person. And Ilya Prusikin, my friend, vocalist of the band Little Big, is a couple of years older than me. He is the leader in our company. alpha fool (laughs).

- In your company - is it in the St. Petersburg party?

- Yes, it is in the St. Petersburg party. Everyone listens to him, and he always tries to help, support. When I first started the Hatter project, he supported me, said: “Be sure to do it!” And now we are working together. Thanks to him, we are trying to create a kind of Little Big Family, where there will be such groups, in the style of Little Big: original, something about Russia, for Russia.

- And what attracted you to the profession of an actor?

- After the ninth grade, I wanted to go to a music school, went to courses. I understood that they would not take me to the tenth grade. (Laughs). Well, it was like a trio. I am the youngest in the family, pet. I got away with everything. Yes, and I was a fool too, gouging concrete.

Sorry, I digress from the question. We already made a rock band in the sixth grade. And, it turned out to be funny. They came up with a group, called it "Phobos". Went with chalk on all the fences, the walls to write "Phobos". The next day Decided to be called "Deimos". Let's go, everywhere they wrote: "Phobos - freaks!". They started writing Deimos. Believe in all the nonsense we do.

I return to the question. I went to a music school after the ninth grade, for courses. And I didn't like the atmosphere. They are all a bit aloof. Introverted people are musicians. And I'm different. And my mother and I decided to enter the theater. Mom agreed to take me to the tenth grade. That's how I got into the theater. Well, they wouldn't take me anywhere else.

- Are there any failed roles that you remember?

- Oh, yes! (sighs). Right in the first year. We immediately went to “get up” at the Lenfilm actor’s accounting base - that’s how it sounds, in my opinion, I don’t even remember. And in the second month of training, I was already approved for a secondary role - the best friend of the protagonist. I was just so happy. And the film was supposed to be interesting. But they changed the main character, and I didn’t fit the age. And I flew off. This is what makes it the most annoying. But in the end, I saw the film - complete garbage.

- Does the competition in the profession bother you?

- You know, it so happened that we have no competition. Dramatic theatrical clowning in Russia, I do not know. At least the one that should have known. Musically, we can, of course, be compared with Leningrad, but this is the same as saying: “Oh, they play guitars - this is Metallica.” Maybe the songs are similar in spirit, because we also like to drink. But there is practically no competition as such.

- Then, to whom do you consider yourself: to a higher level of artists or to the St. Petersburg top of the underground bottom?

- It is difficult to talk about it now, because we “fired” too quickly. This year has been the worst for us. To be honest, this year we will find out: it was just an unexpected shot, or people liked us for our work. Therefore, if we see each other in a year (laughs) I can probably answer that question.

- What irritates you the most in modern show business?

- It's annoying that people are always trying to get through the paths that are too well-trodden. And jump out on the hype, on the trend. Well, you understand - to shoot on a sharp wave. This is what Ilya Prusikin always told me: “Never try to ride on trends.” I will give a very rough example - Shurygin. Now a lot of people are jumping on it, and then it is not clear what will happen. This is what is annoying.

- Like clowns, you can talk more, more honestly. You even look very different: tattoos, bright appearance. Don't you think people are a little afraid of you?

- Well, I got tattoos to be cool - that's a fact. And in principle, everything I do is to please the girls, to be cool. Everyone has always done this. The most annoying thing is that there is an exhaust from this when it is no longer needed. (Laughs). Those. I have opportunities, but I have a wife and a child, and I do not need it. (Pointing to the girls crowding behind the glass of the bar to watch us record interviews). Yes, the girls are good in the cities, smiling all the time (Waving to the girls, they squeal).

If this was a question that is asked on behalf of the audience - do not be afraid. I am a very kind, friendly person.

- You recently started a vlog (video blog - Ed.) About the behind-the-scenes life. After all, ordinary viewers, not having access to the backstage, always come up with more than they really are. How would you describe the scene's current relationship with the press?

- Yes, good. When they ask normal questions that are pleasant to answer, I work with pleasure. When there are stupid standard questions, you understand what I'm talking about. (winks), we discussed them at the beginning of the interview. (Laughing).

I vlog because we have a lot of real fun. There is such a topic when you joked, everyone in the company laughed, and you are trying to tell it to someone - and it is not clear. Because this joke is prepared by the contingent of people who are there, the atmosphere, the place, the intonation. Sometimes it's fun to take it off. Plus, we have a lot of stupid ideas. And, again, this is a good drawing of attention to the work of the group.

- You shot a video for your song "Winter". We get to know the main characters of the video when they are going through a serious crisis. Have there been crises in your life? How did you deal with them?

- Well, Anna Sergovna and I fight very often. Right, we scream. (At this time, the accordionist begins not only to play, but also to sing. Yuri almost lies down on the table to the recorder). We are emotional people! Therefore, we can shout ten times in an hour, make peace ten times and not pay attention that someone was shouting! (Wow! Aw! - the chant is in full swing). But lately it has become much less frequent, because if we suddenly start raising our voice... (Uuuuuuu!). Pasha, let me talk to people!!! (It became a little quieter. Not for long).

- Can you be called a classic family?

- Yes, absolutely classical, canonical, anecdotal. I love, to be honest, to come late, tipsy, because my friends asked: "Sit down and chat." We compose songs - we will roll a little for the atmosphere.

All money is always kept by the wife. All property belongs to the wife. If I have pocket money, it's change. We are a very canonical Russian family of jokes. And that's all about the clip, right? Have you talked?

- No, we're just a little distracted. How was it filmed? There are so many emotions there.

- The song was generally written about complete emotional emptiness. About complete apathy. My dad died while writing the song. She was very difficult for me. And my friends …(grins) Again Ilya Prusikin and Alina Pyazok - we always do everything together. Ilya knows about this situation. And we specifically decided to get away from the story with dad and go to the initial stage of writing a song. These are the emotions of a man and a woman. Complete desolation. When a woman tries to pull a man. This is the worst thing in a relationship, when a man has complete apathy, depression, when, well, that's all. It's very scary.

A large team of serious professionals worked on the clip. The funny thing is that we filmed it outside the city in an eco-hotel. There is no electricity there. We took a lot of generators, a lot of light. And filmed on Red, the camera is like that. And it costs six or seven million. We rented it. After filming, we all parted, and the guys with the equipment were the last to leave. They loaded the whole car, drove off and something broke out under their hood. And the car was on fire.

The only thing they managed to pull out was a hard drive with the material we filmed and a camera. Can you imagine? Some kind of magic. All are alive and well. Everything was insured. The main thing is that the material and the camera are saved.

- And how did you create the video "Briefly about love"? Is this for Valentine's Day?

- This is already from our team "Click-clack", an Internet blogging party. This is an old idea, also by Ilya Prusikin (laughs, speaks into a recorder). Ilya, you are tired, let me talk to people without your participation. Some nightmare! Yes, this is an old idea of ​​Ilya. He has several scripts for these little sketches. There is a “Shortly about love”, there is a “Shortly about courage” and there will be a couple more to come.

- I want to ask about sounds and silence in general: how sensitive are you to them? Do you like to be in silence and what sounds do you like more than others?

- Well, here, like all people, when the whole day was busy, worked, the head got tired - of course, sometimes the noise and din are annoying. And so - no. Sounds bug me. I don't like to rest in silence.

- How are you at home with your daughter when she hangs on you after work?

- Oh, it's impossible with her. She is such a curmudgeon. All in me and my mom. Took all the worst antics from the two of us. The two of us don't know how to talk normally. I give her Lizuun, she gives me Papuun. And we distort all the words.

We now have the most difficult test. We haven't been home for about a week and a half. And this little one learned to use WhatsApp. A nightmare. It breaks my heart, but she does it all so funny. Photos, stupid messages sends.

- How does your mother react to your work?

- Mom doesn't like swear songs. Mom, of course, does not like tattoos. And so all is well. My mother is also a creative, humorous person.

- Are you an early bird?

- (Looks at me like... well, you get the idea) In no case. Every day starts with tragedy for me. The first few minutes are terrible. If I'm sober. It’s just that there are times when you wake up and realize that you haven’t completely sobered up yet. This is the state I really love. So stupid - wow! (grimacing). I want to joke stupid jokes, to amuse everyone. In short, I'm not an early riser.

- Did you have to change something in the schedule with the advent of your daughter?

- No, we're a canonical family. His wife takes her to kindergarten very well. But, if I've done something wrong, she knows for sure that she can sleep.

- What do you want to be when you grow up?

- Complex issue. I noticed this a long time ago: when you go to school, you dream of going to college. And then the credits roll and that's it, happy ending. Everything is fine, came to a dream. You start going to college - damn it, I want to live in St. Petersburg. You live in St. Petersburg - you need a car. Therefore, I still do not feel like an adult.

If now, of course, you sit down, sit down with alcohol, think, then, it seems, almost everything is already there. Great friends, wife, daughter, doing a great job and getting paid. I often can't deny myself something. Well, when there's more change left. (Laughing).

I'm not exactly a perfectionist, but it's not all done yet. I want to be a helpful person. Don't be a bastard. A bit of a bastard, maybe.

Yuri Muzychenko, or simply Thomas, - theater artist " mummers", the creator of the group" BKMSB", series" downtrodden, tattoo studios Backstage Tattoo and group vocalist The Hatters (« Hatters”), as well as a participant in the show HYPE MEISTERS on the MTV channel.

Biography of Yuri Muzychenko

Yura was born on July 8, 1987 in St. Petersburg. In the family, the boy was the youngest, the favorite of his parents. As he himself said Muzychenko, he got away with everything, so he was "gouging". Already in the sixth grade Yura created a rock band with friends.

Yuri Muzychenko about his first group: “We came up with a group, called it“ Phobos ”. Went with chalk on all the fences, the walls to write "Phobos". The next day they decided to call themselves "Deimos". Let's go, everywhere they wrote: "Phobos - freaks!" They started writing Deimos. We believed in all the nonsense that we do.”

After the ninth grade, the young man wanted to enter a music school. He understood that he would not be accepted into the tenth grade because of not very good academic performance. At the courses at the music school, the guy did not like the atmosphere, because the musicians turned out to be closed people. And he was completely different.

Then Yura decided to enter the theater, and my mother agreed that he was taken to the tenth grade for further admission. After school Muzychenko got into the St. Petersburg State Academy of Theater Arts at the acting department. Upon admission, a rather funny situation happened to him, which led him to " For actors", although the young man imagined himself on completely different stages and in other roles.

Yura Muzychenko about his admission: “I didn’t want to go to the Litsedei at all, because I saw myself in the Youth Theater on the Fontanka near Spivak or in the Comedy Theater. And when I came to the second round, to the audition, there was a Harley-Davidson right in the yard. I go there, and in the selection committee there is a man in a T-shirt. He, apparently, with a hangover, sleeps. And he's so cool! Well, cool guy! Nightingale is his surname, a cool man! They ask me: "Sing something." I begin to sing: "I will go out into the field at night with a horse." I close my eyes. And he, you know, opens his eyes a little, looks at me: “Wait, wait, when you play the violin, do you also close your eyes?” - "No". “Well, you don't have to. You look like an idiot." And continue to sleep. And I liked this impudence so much that I chose them. And, in the end, not in vain. They are true rock 'n' rollers."

After graduating from the academy Muzychenko hit the theater stage mummers”, where he met the future members of his group.

Yuri Muzychenko's career

Despite the hard work in the theater, Yura never forgot about music. No wonder he can play the violin, guitar, keyboards and drums.

In 2011, his group " BKMSB". The name of the group does not mean absolutely anything, the musicians chose it as a symbol of freedom, the absence of any boundaries in creativity. The music changes with the guys, so it is difficult to name any specific genres that define the band's work, but the musicians define their music as a mixture of alternative rock and pop rock.

"BKMSB" became the winner URBAN SOUND, festival SNICKERS URBANIA, held in St. Petersburg, and also participated in the festival " Peace Against Drugs», « Windows open», « Swing and many other major festivals.

In 2013, an Internet series about tattoos appeared on the network. downtrodden". The creators of the series and its "ideological brain" were Yuri Muzychenko And Alexander Anisimov (Kikir). They also assigned themselves not the last roles in the series.

Yuri on the creation of the series: “The idea is almost general ... you know, when several people come up with something all the time, then in general it’s not clear who came up with what. We tried to pump our BKMSB group in every possible way, we decided to shoot video diaries, and it seems that the third issue was with stuffing a tattoo ... Well, he kind of rolled up, views and all. Well, this is where the idea came up to experiment and film a program about tattoos, but for us and our music to be there. This is how it all happened, but it dragged on so much that they opened their own tattoo studio “Clogged”.

After shooting 11 episodes of the first season, the creators, concluding that they were on the right track, set to work on the second season. And the third season in general, it was decided to shoot in Europe.

The series was designed for a viewer interested in tattoos, for those who were interested in tattoo production, from application, sterility, safety to healing and other nuances of the process. Therefore, the authors, diligently approaching the narration of each serial episode, discovered something interesting, focusing on the history of the tattoo, style and choice of pattern.

Also in 2013, a new channel appeared on the Youtube website " clickclack”, on which comic series and programs are released. Yura Muzychenko is one of the participants in this channel, the so-called "party of video bloggers".

In 2015, Yura had to leave the theater, because the team was literally “breaking up” one of the workers. However, the career of a musician did not prevent Muzychenko from returning to the theater stage in a year and a half. Then, in 2015, a group was formed The Hatters (« Hatters»).

Yuri Muzychenko and The Hatters

The Hatters is a musical and theatrical group from St. Petersburg, which includes musicians, actors, physicists, tattoo artists, auto mechanics, clowns, photographers and cameramen. The guys defined their genre as "Russian-Gypsy alcohardcore on soulful instruments". Their work is a combination of romance, punk and folk-rock.

Yuri Muzychenko says: “We met at the Litsedei Theater, and it turned out that everyone is a fan of Balkan music, Kusturica, Bregovic and Guy Ritchie-style trash. So we understood what exactly we would play, but sincerely and more folk, especially since the leading instruments - the violin and the accordion - dictate certain conditions.

Since its launch in February 2016 Hatters are gaining popularity at a frantic pace: they became the Legendary Discovery of the Year at the festival wild mint”, were invited to all major festivals of the country, appeared on the waves of“ Our radio", as well as other radio stations of the country, received the award" Chart Dozen” in the Hacking nomination, performed on the main stage of the Invasion and were noted for their performances at the Olympic Stadium and at the opening of the St. Petersburg Arena stadium. Magazine Ъ-Lifestyle included them in the list of the most promising musicians to watch in 2017. The Hatters- "their own on the board", and each of their songs takes the soul.

The debut folk-punk album "Full Hat" was released by the band on April 21, 2017. In early December of the same year, The Hatters presented their second album, Forever Young, Forever Drunk.

The Muzychenko team performed twice on the Evening Urgant Channel One show: in April 2017 with the song “Yes, it’s not easy with me”, and in November 2018 they presented the track “I didn’t hear”.

Yuri Muzychenko in HYPE MEISTERS

In July 2017 Yura became a member of a new show on the MTV HYPE MEISTERS channel, where he and Kolya Serga find out what is cooler - TV or the Internet. Musicians travel to different festivals, complete numerous tasks to get points and become the “Hype Master”.

Personal life of Yuri Muzychenko

More on the theater stage mummers» Yura met his love Anna Nikitina which he calls Anna Sergovna. She always supports the young man in all his endeavors. Spouses Muzychenko- people are creative, therefore, according to Yuri, in an hour they can yell at each other thirty times and make peace thirty times.

Anna about marriage with Yuri: “The fact that both artists, clowns, brings us closer, we are together both at work and at home, but we don’t get tired of each other at all. It just happens that we sit at home, drink tea, and one of us suddenly starts talking about how best to do something in the performance, what kind of props to come up with. Our profession does not allow us to forget about it even at home. We are proud that we are clowns and work in such a theater.

The couple had a daughter in 2011 Lisa. Already at an early age, the girl began to show creative abilities, imitating her parents. Yura And Anya they say that in charisma and acting skills, she outdid them both.

Discography of Yuri Muzychenko

BKSMB Group

2012 - Check
2011 - The whole truth about you
2009 - For hearts ... For minds

The Hatters

Albums
2018 - "No Comments" (Instrumental)
2017 - "Forever Young, Forever Drunk"
2017 - "Full Hat"

EP
2018 - "Three inside"
2016 - "Stay True"

Acoustic concert of THE HATTERS with the participation of the orchestra and actors of the Litsedei Theater.
THE HATTERS (Hatters) - Russian gypsy street alco-hardcore on soulful instruments celebrate their debut birthday! The concert will take place in the place where it all began... on the stage of the LICEDEI Theater.
In a two-hour program with an intermission, we will perform everything that has been written for this year. All songs will be performed with an orchestra, which will make the evening solemn and powerful. Theater actors will perform with us and it will become a legendary holiday.
There are only 404 seats in a cozy hall with soft armchairs, so hurry up to become dear guests of our FIRST BIRTHDAY!!!

The team was formed at the St. Petersburg Theater "Litsedei", and rehearsals are held in the tattoo studio "backstage tattoo".
Hatters appeared in the musical life not long ago, or rather burst into it! The team gathered in the cultural capital of Russia - St. Petersburg, by the time of the incident they ended up in the same city, because each of them is from different parts of the vast country.
How are THE HATTERS different from all other bands? The team plays without a single guitar! Drums, bass balalaika, trombone, violin and accordion. Still want something else? Then THE HATTERS bring their own pinch of spices to the concept of “percussion” - this is not only a standard set (triangle, tambourine). Scotch? Kids toys? Chains? Washboard? All this sounds in the songs of THE HATTERS.
THE HATTERS concerts are unique every time. The group comes up with more and more new performances, constantly interacting with the audience, rocking everyone! The listeners of the group, who come to live performances, participate in mass dances, lead round dances, watch how T-shirts are torn, stools are beaten, birdhouses are put on and much more!
When you want madness, get high from it and laugh - these are THE HATTERS concerts! When you want to jump, swing, sing along from the first to the last note - these are THE HATTERS concerts!
Definitely, the question may arise “why is there so much trash, recklessness in this team?” - the whole answer is hidden in the fact that these are guys from Russia! Russian style is what THE HATTERS were born with, started to create, go on stage and show what they can. Behind and in the heart of the guys RUSSIAN STYLE!
The group's birthday is February 23, 2016. For a short existence in the musical field, THE HATTERS visited many major festivals in the country: Wild Mint, Invasion, Stereooleto, Dobrofest, Inspiration. And that was just the beginning! Already in September, a video for the song I'm Not Easy Buddy (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oQOovI4K9bg) is released, filmed on a phone that is gaining nearly 2 million views. In October, the group gives a concert in Moscow - 900 people, and the first big concert in St. Petersburg, where it gathers 1800 people. On November 7, THE HATTERS take the stage with the masters of the world music scene - Emir Kusturica and Goran Bregovic, with whom the musicians performed the song "Gas-Gas" together. A little later, the video “RUSSIAN STYLE” (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1phe0lvmgU0) is released, which gained a million views in the first five days. The group also gave two concerts in the capitals of Russia with the Little Big group, in addition to their songs, they performed several covers with the members of the rave group themselves.
THE HATTERS is heard on more than one radio station in the country.
You can hang a lot of clichés, find similarities between THE HATTERS and other bands in the world, but in terms of the composition of the instruments, the variety of performances, and interactions with
the audience, all the compositions listened to, and seeing THE HATTERS live, it becomes clear why THE HATTERS calls their genre “Russian gypsy alco-hardcore on soulful instruments” – this has never happened before!

There are 9 people in the group, the main composition is 6 people!
Yury Muzychenko (Gatchina) Frontman/vocalist/violinist, Actor of the Litsedei Theatre, Participation in popular Internet projects (CLIK-CLAK, Thrash Lotto, Zabitye, Commodity expert, etc.), Director of the tattoo studio.
Pavel Lichadeev (Alma-Ata) - Vocalist/accordionist, - Multi-instrumentalist, - Worked as projectionist,
Alexander Anisimov (Gatchina) - bass guitar, - Participant of popular Internet projects (downtrodden, kolschik, problem, etc.), - Master engineer of microelectronics engineering and technology,
Dmitry Vecherinin (Yaroslavl) - drums,
Anna Nikitina (Tynda) Wife of vocalist Yura - - Backing vocals / shows / sound effects / percussion, - Actress of the theater "Litsedei", - Participant in popular Internet projects (merchandiser, etc.)
Anna Smirnova (St. Petersburg) Accordionist Pavel's girlfriend - - Backing vocals / shows / sound effects / percussion, - Graduate of SPbGATI (St. Petersburg State Academy of Theater Arts),
Vadim Rulev (St. Petersburg) - Trombone, - Professional musician, works in the St. Petersburg Chapel,
Boris Morozov (St. Petersburg) - Plays the saw, - Is a professional tattoo artist, - Participated in popular Internet projects (Boris Kolshchik, Home Tattoo),
Pavel Kozlov is a cheerleader.

And although, by definition, the domestic The Hatters are a folk, punk, rock band, the title of a song and dance ensemble is probably more suitable for it. Under their folk motives, flavored with gypsy tunes and performed accompanied by an accordion, violin, bass, balalaika, double bass, no one can resist - neither the connoisseur of "Wild Mint", nor the regular of "Invasion", nor himself.

History of creation and composition

There is little room for a creative person in a single chosen genre of art. The frontman gathered the Russians at the TV screens with a notebook and a pen to write down recipes. , delighting with sparkling humor every weekday evening on Channel One, traditionally invites you to the New Year's Eve film "Yolki" in winter. , head of a large group, in 2017 invited to the exhibition "Brandrealism Retrospective".

And the current "Hatters" at first honed their acting skills in "The Actors". Then, gathering together after performances and rehearsals, they brought instruments with them, played melodies that required further filling with images and texts. The common interests of those present helped here.

“It seemed that everyone was a fan of Balkan music, Kusturica, and trash in style. So we realized that we were going to play, but sincerely and more popularly, especially since the leading instruments - the violin and the accordion - dictate certain conditions, ”the head of the“ camp ”recalled later, a soloist to whom the clownery theater gave and acquaintance with his future wife.

In addition, the project participants, before creating their own band, had already tried to perform in musical groups, but they got tired of the genres they performed, the soul insistently asked, or rather, demanded a new one, completely unlike anything else.

The name came about by chance. Once, after the theatrical weekdays, the future pop stars went to the cinema, not wanting to take off their requisite hats. The brutal guys who came across the outfit did not appreciate it and, laughing, dubbed the strangers hatters.

However, there is also a share of sarcasm and irony in the chosen name. Bumping into comments like “Some kind of hat”, the musicians are happy to refer those who are dissatisfied to a direct translation of the word The Hatters.

The basic composition forms an octet. In addition to the already mentioned Yura and his wife Anna, Pavel and Anna Lichadeevs, Alexander Anisimov, Vadim Rulev, Dmitry Vecherinin, Altair Kozhakhmetov take part in it.

Music

Based on the Little Big Family label, created by St. Petersburg, the Hatters broke into the Web on Defender of the Fatherland Day in 2016, presenting the premiere single Russian Style to sophisticated users.

In the same summer, large-scale Russian festivals confidently began to storm. In autumn - large venues in two Russian capitals and prominent radio stations. Success was consolidated by joint performances with Tatarka and directors Emir Kusturica and Goran Bregovic. In mid-November, the video for the composition "Russian Style" saw the light, after 2 years it was recognized as the best at the Swiss film festival SIFF.

Exactly 365 days after the release of their debut track, The Hatters received the coveted record from Nashe Radio for "Hacking" their main chart. According to the participants of the project, they themselves did not expect such a powerful start, but their success did not knock them down: in the spring of 2017 they presented their first album, and after “Yes, it’s not easy with me” in “Evening Urgant”.

“When three generations of women from the same family come to your concert - grandmother, mother and daughter, this is an achievement. Mom likes my songs - this is an achievement. And Urgant was lucky. They did not have a team for the evening, but they knew about us. That's all, ”the vocalist of the group said about the incident.

The release of "Full Hat" was preceded by a very personal single for the leader of the band "Winter", dedicated to the deceased father. Already in the fall, to the delight of the fans, the discography of the artists was replenished with the second collection Forever Young, Forever Drunk.

As for the history of the creation of their own genre, here the main emphasis was placed on the heterogeneity and boringness of the melody and on the fundamental absence of a guitar. Strengthened the dissimilarity of the "Hatters" to other musical groups and the presence of namesakes-wives of vocalists.

“Really, rock and family don't contradict each other. The family does not interfere with brawling, expressing their opinions and making music. I will even say more: if we had not taken wives in The Hatters, now there would be no group. We would just get drunk, and that’s it, ”they said in an interview with Snob, half-jokingly, half-seriously.

Inspiration was drawn from the "soundtracks" to the classics of Soviet and foreign cinema. The main message, or rather the appeal of a large army of admirers is as follows:

"Don't be shy, come to us!"

Those who listen to him will be invited to an amazing journey, always a fun one. They have a tradition - to celebrate a birthday on the stage of their relatives "Litsedei", which they diligently do not violate. Access is also open to spectators.

The Hatters now

On July 20, 2018, 25 exclusively instrumental singles were combined in No Comments. Among them are those already known in an unusual sound (“Outside from the Inside”, “The Word of a Kid”, “Romance (Slow)”). The musicians provided the publication with the news about the next creation on VKontakte with a recording in their usual manner. Allegedly, everyone is allowed to use melodies without fear of consequences and blocking.

However, the guys treat other people's creativity without hesitation, but with a certain trepidation. They can re-sing, or they can release a touching version of “For That Guy” by May 9th.

In the fall, the Hatters went on a tour of Russian cities, releasing special concert production for fans. On November 9, a video for the song No Rules was released, which gained 1.5 million views in 6 days.

According to the plot, the group arrives for the birthday of a young, but very well-fed couch critic of their work, which he celebrates with his family, and they put the birthday boy in his place, destroying the apartment along the way. In the finale, a piano falls from the neighbors' dwelling into the center of the hall.

And "Evening Urgant" again did not keep itself waiting, where "the most fashionable and outrageous band" presented the composition "I did not hear" hitherto not performed anywhere.

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