The Kremlin

Excerpt from a 2005 interview: "Communism is dead, as the saying went in the '90s. This was certainly easy enough to believe with the collapse of the Soviet Union and the Eastern Bloc. But apparently it's hard to keep a good communist down or, well, dead as it happens in this case. Which is why Leon Trotsky...and Comrade Lenin...along with their lackey Prince Igor...have come back from the dead and formed a communist surf rock band. With go-go dancers....As for why they're here [in Newfoundland], well, they got lost. Communists aren't good with directions, apparently. "Really, we just went off course," Trotsky claims. "We were heading for the United States, landed here and it seemed like a good enough place to start. Since we started, we've gained a lot of support from the proletariat, the masses and the workers. There seems to be a lot of discontent about the way things are." That's why they formed the Kremlin Dance Party of Canada. They are seeking to bring about the revolution in St. John's. That involves the peaceful overthrowing of capitalists, power to the proletariat and making some really cool surf rock music people can dance to....Says Lenin: "We hope the momentum continues to build, that we get more members in the KDPC, get a little bit larger army of support and we keep surfing the red wave of proletariat surf rock." - The Express

Excerpt from a 2006 Interview: [The Kremlin] have a niche carved out in the local music scene. "We basically dominate the communist serf market in St. John's. Some people call us the best communist serf band on the Avalon Peninsula, and others have said that we might be the best in all of Newfoundland," said Lenin. - The Muse

Excerpt from 2005 interview: Forget political mandates scarfed in tie-dye and B.O., The Kremlin are blastin' socialist propaganda out the P.A. These Old World tyrants can appropriate with the best of the West, reclaiming surf music as their own serf music for the proletariat. If Tarantino could choreograph a killing spree to Dick Dale and His Del-Tones, surely, serf music could be the soundtrack to Bolshevism, gulags, and famine. They're imposing their dance mandate on the masses mercilessly. You'll dance like it were for Stalin himself. Having checked out The Kremlin's Red April Summit at Roxxy's, I'm still unsure as to wtf their M.O. truly is. Are these guys actually commies? Bad Russian accents and meatless borscht aside (actual recruitment tactic), the personas of Comrade Lenin (guitar, vocals), Trotsky (bass, vocals) and the enslaved Prince Igor (drums, futile protests) were unfaltering. The whole affair reeked of espionage and split personality. I was forced to play along. It was altogether totalitarian. - The Current

Excerpt from 2005 interview: "Beginning a revolution is hard work. With the world in the evil clutches of capitalism, good friends and Russian revolutionaries Leon Trotsky and Vladimir Lenin rose from the ashes of 20th century Russia and banded together in resurrecting Prince Igor Sviatoslavich to teach the world about the benefits of socialism and communism....They created The Kremlin Dance Party of Canada to make a "pure revolutionary art," available to the masses. Their medium: "proletariat-serf rock played at clubs in the St. John's area. Or so the story goes.....I guess primarily the Kremlin, as an independent political organization, is interested in beginning a socialist revolution...based on freeing art from the types of chains of the capitalist industry," Lenin tells The Independent from the group's Cabot Street studio. - The Independent

Exceprt from 2006 article: There's a scourge in St. John's--the scourge of communist rock 'n' roll....Even though their outlook is ridiculous, do not underestimate the power these men have and the real threat they possess. "one of the things The Kremlin has been criticized for...is people don't think that we're seriously politically engaged. That's a rumour we'd like to dispel,' said Comrade Lenin. Remember! The Kremlin is much more than a rock 'n' roll band: it is an entire ethos subverting the Newfoundland lifestyle. Their reign of terror must come to an end. Each and every red-blooded Newfoundlander should infiltrate their rally on Feb. 18 and help bring this communist upheaval to its natural Red End! - The Muse

City of Song doles out the awards
The Music Industry Association of Newfoundland and Labrador (deep breath) will kick off their 2007 City of Song MusicNL Conference and Awards Gala on October 26. Running the entire weekend, the conference recognizes some of the more popular musical artists in the St. John’s circuit. Though this year’s slate rattles off Newfoundland names you’d expect—Shanneyganock, Ian Foster (who should clean up for Male Artist of the Year), Funky Dory, etc.—one band’s mention caught me by surprise: serf rockers and proletariat party bahs, The Kremlin.

Nominated for the Entertainer of the Year, GALAXIE Rising Star of the CBC/Group of the Year, and Alternative Artist/Group of the Year awards, the band, by rights, should sweep the gala this year as one of the most unique acts to come out of this province.

I can’t be blamed for any bias here, it’s mathematical: Communist dance jams > Craig Sharpe. - The Scope

Venture down Solomon’s Lane and you’ll no doubt hear the Ship Pub before you see it. A low-ceilinged tavern that reeks of old wood, tall tales and good times, the Ship has been the nerve centre of Newfoundland’s folk scene for decades, and nurtures local bands of all stripes. One such band is the Kremlin, a surf-rock trio partial to performing in gas masks and Soviet regalia. “The Ship is the number-one venue in town,” guitarist Adam Beardsworth tells me. He adds with a laugh, “It’s not hard to get people to come out to bars here.” - Aeroplan (May 2009)

I remember seeing Pete Seeger at the Vancouver International Folk Festival a few (quite a few) years ago. It was one of those horrible rainy days that seem to plague events in this city and my first view of Pete was in a black garbage bag to ward off the rain. That one moment stayed with me because I realized that this is the real thing, the real guy. No fancy, weather proofed anorak, just a guy who needed to stay dry long enough to entertain the people who came to see him perform.

This lovely memory flooded (sorry for that) back to this morning when I read about the Pete Seeger tribute for his 90th birthday last night at Madison Square Gardens. Not that he needs people to sing his songs for him; he can still do it, and did at end of the concert.

Just reading about the event, and the fact that this 90-year-old folk singer is still most relevant, got me all warm feeling about this ol' music business. Despite claims that it's all a big conspiracy to make money with vapid, teen stars (okay, it is - but let me have this moment), the truly passionate and committed do endure. Feel better?

If you still feel unsure, then maybe my interview with Komrad Lenin of the Newfoundland trio The Kremlin will help. The band just signed up to CBC Radio 3 and is my featured artist for New Music Monday. Spreading the message of Marxism through surf music isn't the most lucrative of pursuits, but then neither is writing "Where Have All the Flowers Gone?"

Join me today for Appetite for Distraction, 6-9 p.m. music, meanderings and Marxism... - CBC Radio 3 Blog