Evgeny Havtan: "The subculture of mods will not go anywhere"

On July 23, the GIPSY club will host a festival of music and style Back to the 60's , dedicated to the leading sixties. The initiator of the festival, the leader of the Bravo group, Evgeny Havtan, spoke about what the 1960s must be appreciated for, about the subculture of mods and beloved Russian festivals.

- Did you personally come up with the Back to the 60's festival ?

- Life came up with! This kind of festivals are all over the world - in America, in Europe, in England. Here I have not invented anything new. We have many different festivals, but this has not yet happened. And the people who like the 1960s are. So I decided to eliminate this drawback.

- Who chooses artists for the festival?

- I am with Oleg Mironov. He is a DJ, a collector of old forty -fingers, owner of the site Moscow Mod Scene . He is my right hand. Together with him, we are responsible for the ideology of the festival. Back to the 60's differs from ordinary rock festivals. The people who come to us are well versed in this music and style. Step to the left, step to the right is execution.

- Who is your personal favorite in the linap of the festival this year?

- I really like the Messer Chups group. We wanted to get them to the festival last year, but they were very loaded. Their tour is painted for the whole summer, they play at all surfing festivals. They are very well known in the West and are almost unknown with us.

The Israeli group M E N of North Country I also really like it. When I heard them for the first time, I thought it was an English group. They are signed on the British label Acid Jazz Records .

Many musician friends call me and ask them to take them to the festival, because it seems to them that they are suitable for the style of the 50-60s. I refused a lot and, probably, made myself enemies. But, as I said, the audience is very legible - you can’t deceive it.

-For you, the 1960s are important because this is the time of your childhood, and what attracts the current 20-year-olds in them?

-No, I just love this music and I think that the 60s are mine. As a child, I had another music, and I met this much later. Probably at the institute.

What attracts young people in it - we must ask them. It's hard for me to be responsible for them. They are different. But there is no less drive than in any modern style. There is something for which they love real rock and roll-a primitive drive, real gunpowder.

-When you were a student, in Moscow there was a party of lovers of the 1960s?

- It seems to me that this party appeared not so long ago - ten years ago. She is spinning around the association of Moscow Vespa Club and the club "Full Moon". With them there were several groups that formed this audience. There are not many Moscow mods, and they appeared not so long ago. And in my time, in the 1980s and in the early 1990s, there were dudes. Although they were very similar to the manner of behaving and dressing.

I really like the original subculture of mods. They had their own music, their own clothes and their own cars. Their cars were Italian- Vespa scooters, music-American rhythm-n-blouse, and they learned to sew their clothes themselves in England. They had all their own - unlike metallists or punk.

-Now in Moscow, subcultures have somehow been subsided, do not you think? Steel are less noticeable.

“Now, if you get to the“ Poster Pickery ”, you will not understand the appearance of the people that they listen to. They look the same, while they can listen to rap, electronics or hardcore. They are dressed from Topman and other mass fashion stores. And if you see a real fashion and a pijon, then you will immediately understand what kind of music it listens to.

The subculture of mods will not go anywhere. These people can be a little less or a little more, but they will always be.

-At the Bravo festival, he is going to perform several cover versions of the songs of the 1960s. What will you play?

- I do not want to open the cards. We will play four Cavers. At past festivals, we played the English 1960s, and this will be the California 1960s. Only one song will be a very famous English group.

I refused a lot and, probably, made myself enemies.

- What are your favorite music festivals in Russia?

- I really liked Kubana , the spirit of this festival. Bravo played there three times - including at the extreme festival, after their relocation to Riga. Despite the fact that this is a festival of alternative music - Punk, SKA and Regg, we were always accepted there as relatives. Oddly enough, there are a lot of punks among our fans.

I like AHMAD TEA Music Festival . Actual British groups are brought there, which right now in the topic. We were at the last festival - we stood in pouring rain and received a lot of pleasure.

- How did Bravo play on the “invasion” this year?

- It was great. We played at the “invasion” five or six times. It was our best performance for all the time - both for reception and energy. Every time we played there, everything was fine with us, but something was missing. This time everything turned out.

- How do you feel about the partnership of the “invasion” with the Russian army and the parallel military program that is present there?

- I clearly understand that if this is not there, there will be no festival.

-That is, without an exhibition of military equipment, you cannot hold a rock festival in Russia?

- Yes - this is a prerequisite. Unfortunately, this is our reality.

- What are the plans of Bravo after the Back to the 60's festival ?

-We are going to perform at the Great Festival in Minsk-“Rock against Beaver” or “Rock for Beaver”-some strange name. In August we have a vacation, and in September we will gather and will record something new. We will move on.