A lively crowd of passionate fans eagerly gathered outside Elektrowerk, a repurposed Soviet-era factory in Tbilisi’s Isani district, last weekend. They were here to see[ME1] punk legends, The Exploited who had come from delivering electrifying shows in Yerevan and Istanbul just days earlier. Now they were bringing raw energy, rebellious spirit, and a dose of punk-infused chaos, to the Georgian capital.
The Caspian Post has published my article, accompanied by photographs, on the influx of alternative Russian musicians to Tbilisi following Putin’s further invasion of Ukraine last year. It’s a continuation of my work on the underground rock, metal, and punk scene in all three countries of the South Caucasus since 2001 and especially my personal project, Tbilisi Underground. The punk scene in Georgia, incidentally, has always been unique, but the arrival of often political bands from Russia and beyond has arguably diversified and reinvigorated it.
I almost missed Saturday’s gig by veteran Georgian punk band Vodka Vtraiom, but thankfully stumbled upon. the announcement of the event held at Tbilisi’s Dirty Habit bar with just two hours to spare. Kesha, the band’s vocalist had arrived in Georgia a day earlier and this was the first gig by the band in what must be almost three years.
Because of the COVID-19 pandemic I’ve not been going to many indoor gigs in Tbilisi at all. Indeed, I think I’ve only been to one in almost two years since the pandemic began, and that was only for the new year that recently passed if you don’t count special events staged for live-streaming with a skeleton and select audience. However, I have been to two outdoor events, last in December, another last June, and also another special live-streamed event.
Although I’ve been to two specially organised live-streamed metal events co-organised with the Tbilisi Municipality during the COVID-19 pandemic, I haven’t really been to any proper gigs. The last event closest was a do-it-yourself punk festival held at the Hippodrome in June that was attacked by a small group of neo-Nazi Georgian teens.
Another year has been and gone in the COVID-19 pandemic. Though 2020 was largely defined by the absence of any live gigs in Tbilisi I was at least fortunate enough to be able to attend band rehearsals and in September that year a special live-streamed event by Jam! Events in cooperation with the city’s municipality. This September, a repeat event for live-streaming was again held and I was also able to be part of a physical audience made up of band members, technicians, and a few friends.
It should have just been a fun afternoon in Tbilisi’s Old Hippodrome, but the planned punk festival, the first in ages because of the COVID-19 pandemic restrictions, took a violent turn when a group of neo-Nazis decided to disrupt it apparently because of one track, გერჩი – ყარს (Georgien über allen), by Georgian punk band, Gerchi.
I’ll be quite honest. Five years ago, in 2015, when I was told that Psychonaut 4 would be performing in Tbilisi, I really wasn’t interested in going to see them live. I hadn’t heard of the band until then and I really had no idea where they were coming from musically.
Two weeks ago saw Tbilisi Jam! Fest 2015 held close to Lisi Lake. Featuring metal bands from the U.S., Europe, and Israel, the event also saw another instalment of the Wacken Open Air (W.O.A) Metal Battle Caucasus in which groups from Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Georgia competed to represent the region in the German music festival.