Mertvyj Piven’«The Dead Rooster»

www.deadrooster.org.ua

“The Dead Rooster” are:

Mykhaylo Barbara - vocal
Roman Chayka - guitar
Oleh (John) Suk - bass-guitar
Jurko Chopyk - guitar
Slobodyan Oleksiy - drums
Maryan Kozovyy - guitar
Bogdan Logvynenko - manager

Formed in 1989 and hailing from Lviv, Ukraine, DEAD ROOSTER, is a unique band that finds itself among the leaders of Western Ukraine’s modern cultural explosion. The band’s uniqueness lies in its ability to re-event itself throughout different periods of its relatively short but eventful existence. One thing, however, that has remained constant with DEAD ROOSTER is exciting, creative music expressing and complimenting beautiful, contemporary, Ukrainian poetry.

One rainy, fall day in a smokey Lviv cafe frequented by the re-awakened and restless “bohemian” scene (consisting of artist, writers, musicians, engineers, curious coffee sippers, etc.), a handful of students of various backgrounds decided to form a musical group. Initially playing at underground concerts (literally and figuratively) and at outdoor street festivals, the band soon developed a fanatic following and was forced to climb onto a larger stage.

A performance at the 1991 Chervona Ruta II Music Festival in Zaporizha, Ukraine in 1991 established the group as rock stars throughout this country. At this festival, DEAD ROOSTER received first prize out of over one hundred bands for its acoustic, ethnic flavored interpretation of modern Ukrainian poetry. At this point the band consisted of two vocalists, two guitarists, one violin player, one flautist, and everyone contributing on various, homemade percussion instruments.