Alice Moore
This week, I was given the opportunity to watch Pussy RiotÔÇÖs ÔÇÿRiot DaysÔÇÖ show at Llais Festival.
Llais, held at the Wales Millennium Centre, is an international music and arts festival which welcomes talent from across the globe.
Venturing round the foyer before the show, the festival was in full swing. The centre was bustling with life as people of all ages and backgrounds gathered to watch eclectic performances of immersive art. A true sense of community filled the air, and I eagerly awaited what ÔÇÿRiot DaysÔÇÖ had in store.
The groupÔÇÖs music is predominantly themed in opposition to Russian president Vladimir Putin and his authoritative regime.
Pussy Riot is a Russian feminist protest group, sporting provocative punk rock and pop music. The groupÔÇÖs music is predominantly themed in opposition to Russian president Vladimir Putin and his authoritative regime. Their global fame and notoriety began when five members of the group staged a performance inside MoscowÔÇÖs Cathedral of Christ the Saviour in February 2012 to protest PutinÔÇÖs links to the leadership of the Russian Orthodox Church, despite being a secular state. Three members were arrested and subsequently, two were imprisoned. Pussy Riot has since used this to fuel both their music and political agenda, continuing to oppose authority figures and the dystopian world within Russia.┬á
The ÔÇÿRiot DaysÔÇÖ show itself can only be described as a work of art. Producer Alexander Cheparukhin initially gave a speech on the ideology of the band, denouncing Putin and rallying in support of Ukraine. He poetically spoke of their conquests over the past decade, giving adequate context to the successive show, and was met with mountains of applause. Then, it was time for the main event to begin.┬á
Four members of the band marched onto the stage to aggressive electro and strobe lights, donned with coloured balaclavas and haunting stares. They began to tell their story: an aggressive spoken-word mantra over a punk-pop backdrop. The entire show was in Russian, with presentation of subtitles and video footage above the stage. To me, this truly encapsulated the bandÔÇÖs message; I couldnÔÇÖt understand a word, and yet I understood everything.┬á
I would highly recommend the ÔÇÿRiot DaysÔÇÖ tour to anyone seeking a moving yet exhilarating concert.
The performance was split into chapters, starting with the corrupt background of PutinÔÇÖs presidency as context for their 2012 protest. They detailed their preparation for their guerilla gig in the Moscow cathedral, as well as having to abandon their families to flee from the police in the following days. The next segments detail their tainted trial, imprisonment and finally, their release. Their story was riveting; I couldnÔÇÖt believe that the women on the stage in front of me had been through all of this strife and still lived to tell the tale. It exposed me to a world outside of my protected life, and I am forever grateful for that.┬á
Pussy Riot truly give ÔÇÿGirl PowerÔÇÖ a whole new meaning.
Instead of auditions, record deals and sold out stadiums, Pussy Riot is founded on radical action and a genuine want for a better world. Their connection with the audience was unlike no other, venturing off the stage to create a more immersive experience. In all, I would highly recommend the ÔÇÿRiot DaysÔÇÖ tour to anyone seeking a moving yet exhilarating concert. Pussy Riot truly give ÔÇÿGirl PowerÔÇÖ a whole new meaning.
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