Aquarium (band)
In 1972, two friends met in Leningrad to start a musical group that would eventually become the most important rock band in Russian history. Boris Grebenshchikov was then a student of applied mathematics at Leningrad State University while Anatoly Gunitsky worked as a playwright and absurdist poet. They formed Aquarium with Alexander Tsatsanidi on bass, Vadim Vasilyev on keyboards, and Valery Obogrelov handling sound. The name came from various sources including a Budapest street pub called The Aquarium or perhaps a glass aquarium-like building nearby. Their first performance took place in March 1973 at a small country venue or possibly at the Leningrad restaurant Hold located within Central Park of Culture and Recreation where they received fifty rubles in cash for their work.
During the 1970s and early 1980s Soviet authorities strictly regulated all rock and roll music allowing only a few artists to sign with the government record label Melodiya. Aquarium's usual concert venues became private apartments known as квартирники which were unique to Soviet underground musicians. These performances remained acoustic because noise could cause neighbors to call the Militsiya police force. Limited space fostered an atmosphere of intimacy between the group and its audience who listened with bated breath while someone recorded the concert on a simple tape recorder. This approach resembled the concept of Russian bards but created something entirely new within the Soviet system. In 1973 Aquarium performed their first live concert but did not follow it up with regular concerts until later years when they began performing more frequently.
Aquarium burst into the consciousness of the Soviet rock scene by competing at the 1980 Tbilisi Rock Festival where they caused a scandal with their performance. During the set Grebenshchikov lay down on the stage making provocative movements while playing guitar causing all jury members to demonstratively leave the hall. The band faced accusations of promoting homosexuality through the guitar actions, incest due to changed words in the song Marina though this may have been poor technique, and general indecency. They received no prizes but were banned from the festival entirely. As a result Grebenshchikov lost his job and was expelled from the Komsomol Young Communist's League which was expected of working Russians. The incident became known throughout Leningrad and made Aquarium a symbol of Soviet alternative culture despite official bans.
The advent of Glasnost in the second half of the 1980s brought many underground Russian rock musicians to public recognition and Aquarium became one of the most popular acts. They were allowed to play in large concert halls appearing on state-owned television and recording soundtracks for several films including Assa directed by Sergei Solovyov. In 1987 they recorded their first album for the state-owned Melodiya record label which became a huge hit selling well over a million copies within a few months. With official backing and legalized distribution the group achieved massive commercial success that had been impossible during previous decades. Grebenshchikov subsequently recorded two albums in English and toured with several different backing bands while maintaining their position as Russia's premier rock band.
After the break-up of the Soviet Union in 1992 Grebenshchikov kept touring and shortly returned to calling his band Aquarium though the lineup bore little resemblance to the original band. In 1996 Aquarium co-headlined the VladiROCKstok music festival in Vladivostok where at one memorable point Grebenshchikov famously invited thousands of fans to stream out of their grandstand seats into the area near the performance stage. The band continued to release more albums and tour extensively over the former Soviet Union Eastern Europe and places with Russian-speaking immigrant communities in Germany Israel and the United States. In 2007 Aquarium performed for the first time at the Royal Albert Hall in London marking another international milestone. Their 2008 album Loshad' Belaya White Horse was released similarly to Radiohead's 2007 In Rainbows being offered for free download in mp3 format with the downloader opting to pay the amount they saw fit.
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Common questions
Who founded the Russian rock band Aquarium in 1972?
Boris Grebenshchikov and Anatoly Gunitsky formed Aquarium in Leningrad during 1972. Grebenshchikov was a student of applied mathematics at Leningrad State University while Gunitsky worked as a playwright and absurdist poet.
When did Aquarium perform their first live concert in March 1973?
Aquarium performed their first live concert in March 1973 at either a small country venue or the Leningrad restaurant Hold located within Central Park of Culture and Recreation. The group received fifty rubles in cash for this initial performance.
What happened to Boris Grebenshchikov after the 1980 Tbilisi Rock Festival scandal?
Grebenshchikov lost his job and was expelled from the Komsomol Young Communist's League following the 1980 Tbilisi Rock Festival incident. The jury members demonstratively left the hall due to provocative movements made by Grebenshchikov during the set.
Which year did Aquarium record their first album for Melodiya selling over a million copies?
In 1987 Aquarium recorded their first album for the state-owned Melodiya record label which became a huge hit selling well over a million copies within a few months. This release occurred during the second half of the 1980s when Glasnost allowed underground musicians public recognition.
Where did Aquarium perform for the first time at the Royal Albert Hall in London in 2007?
Aquarium performed for the first time at the Royal Albert Hall in London on an unspecified date in 2007 marking another international milestone for the band. The group continued to tour extensively over the former Soviet Union Eastern Europe and places with Russian-speaking immigrant communities in Germany Israel and the United States.