In 2011, a group of young women in brightly coloured tights and balaclavas stormed the altar of a cathedral in Moscow. To the half tune of an electric guitar, the women sang and shouted in condemnation of Russian leader Vladimir Putin and his regime. They managed a performance of no more than 40 seconds, before they were forcibly removed. But this didn’t matter. During a period of arrest and detention of various members of the protest, a video of the group, calling themselves Pussy Riot, went viral.
Pussy Riot has since developed from an anti-Putin, all-female punk band to a greater political-punk collective. Original group member Maria Alyokhina recently published a book recounting the occurrences in her life, and the life of Pussy Riot, subsequent to the Moscow cathedral protest. From protests and arrest to destroying Sim cards and moving apartments twice a week, to her own near starvation while detained in Sochi, Maria Alyokhina tells of the attempts of Russian officials to stifle their protest in Riot Days.
Last night, Alyokhina along with three other members of the Pussy Riot collective, brought a theatrical run-through of Riot Days to the Button Factory. I wasn’t sure what to expect, but this was far more than a concert. In fact, we heard none of Pussy Riot’s hits.
A long way from the frozen streets of Moscow, Pussy Riot, through the medium of their self-proclaimed style “Pussy Riot theatre”, brought pivotal moments of Alyokhina’s Pussy Riot days to life on stage.
Far left was a male musician, who kept drums and synth booming steadily from start to finish. To the right of him, a female member who, between her screams into the microphone, played a droning saxophone under the voices of her fellow performers. Alyokhina stood next in line alongside a shirtless, muscular actor and performer who shapeshifted to fit characters in her story. Sentiment flowed from anger and oppression to humour and revolution, all centred around Alyokhina’s statement that: “Freedom only exists if you fight for it everyday.”
Following a short prologue, the performance was divided into chapter-like segments from the initial cathedral protest to the present day. The performers sang, shouted and recited their story: removing and replacing their Pussy Riot masks, changing their dress or putting on sunglasses as necessary. All speaking Russian, a slideshow of video footage and photographs with English subtitles ran behind the performers.
As the performance came to its climax, the male performer to the right of the stage soaked the audience with bottles of water, while the drums still boomed and Alyokhina spoke. There was an atmosphere of violence and frustration, which allowed you to experience the life of Pussy Riot in real time. Nearing the end of the show, a band member pulled on an Irish repeal sweater, causing cheers in the audience. With fists held high, the audience cheered and applauded in support of Pussy Riot’s cause. A mix of boos and cheers accompanied the mention of Donald Trump. This was an evening of absolute left-wing objection to those attempting to strip people of their voice, freedom and agency. It was hot, moving, saddening, empowering and oh so political.
Opportunities to see what Pussy Riot do first hand are few and far between in Ireland. Last night will be long remembered by all in attendance.
