Independence Day Blow-out with VV

Petro Lopata

(TORONTO, August 24) – You’ve got to give Vopli Vidoppliassova credit. They flew in just a couple days before the concert and delivered three tremendous rock performances in less than 36 hours. Amazingly, the legendary Kyiv rockers played with increasing intensity at each respective show.

Friday morning, VV’s Oleh Skrypka chatted with journalists during a two-hour press conference at Ukrainian Credit Union’s (UCU) head office in the Ukrainian National Federation building. (UCU sponsored VV’s Canadian trip.) Even venerable New Pathway co-editor Vera Ke was there, taking pictures. VV’s charismatic front man responded to her pointed questions with tact and humour.

Friday evening, VV delivered the first blow of what would prove to be a double-whammy with two incredibly energized performances over two nights at the Bloor West Village Ukrainian Festival.

The hat trick arrived early Sunday morning around midnight. VV blasted off through a driving two-hour performance at the Palais Royale. For nearly 700 fans, what a way to meet Ukrainian Independence Day!

About half way into the show, Skrypka reminded the audience just what day it was. Not that anybody needed much reminding. During the show, one young fellow lucky enough to get himself in front of the stage used a large Ukrainian flag to fan down in turn both Skrypka and VV guitarist Yevhen Rohachevsky.

In terms of energy, some attendees compared VV’s show to the Rolling Stones’ legendary performance at the same venue a few years back.

Skrypka’s theatrics and Rohachevsky’s energetic leads were backed up by one of Ukraine’s most revered rhythm sections – bassist Oleh Pipa and drummer Serhiy Sakhno. These last two – together with Skrypka – founded VV in 1986,with guitarist Yuri Zdorenko. He started his own group Ya Ya Ya in the mid-nineties.

While the festival shows had more songs off VV’s latest release “Fayno” – “More” and “Pops” standing out among them – the smaller, legal-aged crowd at the Palais let the band display its punk roots with power-chord driven anthems like 1988’s “Hey Lubo”.

Later, with Skrypka announcing that he had heard there were many intellectuals in Toronto, VV launched into a wild version of another 1988 classic, “Mahatma”. While striking a series of bizarre, yoga-like poses, Skrypka sings about his chance roadside meeting with a sage. The song, which he penned the lyrics to, ends with the line: “Wise Mahatma, may your words that renew the soul be eternal”.

If they met him on the street, many fans would surely tell Skrypka the same thing.