The death of frontman Pyotr Mamonov to Covid-19 marks the end of a group whose ordinary looks and extraordinary performances showed Russians the richness of life
With a receding hairline and sporting a plaid blazer, a man in his late-30s growls the lyrics to a song sung from the perspective of a pigeon into his mic. “I may be the most dispensable, disgusting, shit – but at least I know how to fly!” run the monotonous
Russian words, bellowed across the stage. To accompany the singing, the man spasms and contorts his body and face with the clumsy precision of a broken marionette.
The year is 1987, and the Soviet rock band Zvuki Mu (Sounds of Mu), at the dawn of their musical career, are performing a concert airing on official state television. The audience members smile and bob their heads, some bewildered, and others comforted by this bizarre showman whose familiar appearance more closely resembles a neighbourhood tram conductor than a rock star.