DDT (or ДДТ in Cyrillic) is a popular Russian rock band. It was founded by its lead singer and only remaining original member, Yuri Shevchuk (Юрий Шевчук), in Ufa (Bashkir ASSR, RSFSR) in 1980. The band was named after the pesticide DDT.
History
Ufa period (1980-1985) The band was formed in 1980 in Ufa, Bashkir ASSR and originally consisted of five members: Yuri Shevchuk — vocals, guitar Vladimir Sigachyov — keyboard Rustem Asanbayev — guitar Gennady Rodin — bass Rustam Karimov — percussion
In 1982, the Komsomolskaya Pravda paper sponsored a competition for young musicians called Zolotoy Kamerton (lit. 'Golden Tuning Fork'). DDT submitted three compositions - "Inoplanetyane" (Aliens), "Chyornoye solntse" (Black Sun), and "Ne streliai!" (Don't Shoot!). During the long-running competition, the group published their first album (on tape), Svinya na raduge (Pig on a Rainbow). The album contained elements of rock and roll, blues and country music. During this time, popular music in the former Soviet Union was split between sanctioned "official" performers who were admitted to the musicians' union, and underground artists. Such underground artists were often highly trained musicians who also had other jobs. A complex underground network evolved in the 1980s and "unofficial" music became widely distributed (although the compensation for the artists was very limited), by "magnitizdat", i.e., in a similar way to the underground channels that had existed for non-state sanctioned literature (samizdat).
DDT's submission to Zolotoy Kamerton reached the final round of the competition and the group was invited to perform in concert at Moscow's Orlyonok complex, together with the other finalist, Rok-sentyabr (Rock-September) from Cherepovets. DDT and three members of Rock-September, Vyacheslav Kobrin, Yevgeny Belozyorov and Andrey Maslennikov, soon produced a collaborative album (on tape), Monolog v Saigone (Monologue in Saigon), later renamed Kompromiss (Compromise). After recording the album, Sigachyov and Shevchuk returned to Ufa.
Sigachyov distanced himself from the group, while Shevchuk recruited new members including Rodin, drummer Sergey Rudoy, guitarist Rustam Rezvanov and keyboard player Vladislav Senchillo.
In May 1983, DDT successfully performed at the Luzhniki Stadium in Moscow, as part of a three-day, sanctioned festival, "Rok za mir" (Rock for Peace). Their performance, however, was edited out of the official television program covering the event.
The new collective produced the album Periferia (Periphery) in April 1984. After recording this album, some members of the group landed on a KGB watch list and were subjected to government persecution. The band's music was banned, forcing them to go underground.
Although they never considered themselves political activists, Shevchuk always felt it his duty as a citizen and a songwriter to address not only the strengths but the weaknesses of his country's government, a dangerous stance to take in the former Soviet Union. DDT continued to work as a "non-conformist" group, producing albums and giving concerts throughout the Soviet Union. This was no easy feat, as they received little if any money for the records they produced during this period, and very little for their concerts. Like other dissident artists, they survived through a combination of cleverness, perseverance, and unofficial help from their fan base.
Shevchuk spent some time in Sverdlovsk (present-day Yekaterinburg), performing with the group Urfin Juis. In November 1985, DDT covertly recorded the album Vremya (Time) in Moscow with additional musicians, but the recording process was very difficult.
1986-1997
In 1986, Shevchuk moved to Leningrad (now Saint Petersburg) with his wife, son and mother. The move helped him to establish himself at the forefront of the Russian rock scene as St. Petersburg was a center of a musical resurgence. In 1987, he recreated DDT. Its new members included: Vadim Kurilev — bass Andrei "Skinny" Vasiliev — guitar Igor Dotsenko — drums Nikita "Zoltsman" Zaitsev — violin, guitar Mikhail "Uncle Misha" Chernov — saxophone Andrey Muratov — keyboards
On January 23, 1987, the new lineup debuted on the stage of the Leningrad Rock Club. In June 1987, DDT performed at the "Leningrad Rock Festival" in front of a crowd of 3,000 crammed into a venue with a capacity of 1,000.
In the summer of 1988, DDT toured across Russia and recorded a new album, Ya poluchil etu rol (I was given this role), which contained some songs from their old albums re-recorded in a professional studio. In 1988, the band also made their first visit to the U.S.; their concert in Los Angeles was covered by MTV.
