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KSU (band)
Encyclopedia
KSU is one of the oldest and most influential Polish
punk rock
bands, founded in 1977 in the southeastern town of Ustrzyki Dolne
(in the Bieszczady Mountains
). According to its creator, Eugeniusz Olejarczyk, creation of the band was the fruit of listening of radio stations from Western Europe, in which several punk rock songs were played. Young listeners from Ustrzyki decided to play covers of Black Sabbath
, Deep Purple
and Led Zeppelin
, and in 1978 they came up with the name KSU, which comes from car licence plates, issued by the Krosno Voivodeship
authorities for vehicles from Ustrzyki Dolne. With new name came new music - KSU began playing songs inspired by Sex Pistols
, Damned, and UK Subs
.
In 1980, due to friendship with Kazimierz Staszewski, KSU travelled across Poland to Kolobrzeg
, to participate in the New Wave Festival. The band was dubbed a sensation, but soon afterwards its members were one after one called up to the Polish Army and KSU ceased to exist. In 1988 KSU recorded a LP "Pod prąd" ("Against the flow"), which was warmly welcomed by its fans.
Currently KSU consists of four members, including Olejarczyk. Its lyrics are in most cases written by Maciej Augustyn, the brother of former singer Bogdan "Bohun" Augustyn.
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
punk rock
Punk rock
Punk rock is a rock music genre that developed between 1974 and 1976 in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia. Rooted in garage rock and other forms of what is now known as protopunk music, punk rock bands eschewed perceived excesses of mainstream 1970s rock...
bands, founded in 1977 in the southeastern town of Ustrzyki Dolne
Ustrzyki Dolne
Ustrzyki Dolne is a town in south-eastern Poland, close to the border with Ukraine, with 9,383 inhabitants .Situated in the Subcarpathian Voivodeship , it is the capital of Bieszczady County....
(in the Bieszczady Mountains
Bieszczady Mountains
Bieszczady is the Polish name for a mountain range in the extreme south-east of Poland, extending into Ukraine and Slovakia...
). According to its creator, Eugeniusz Olejarczyk, creation of the band was the fruit of listening of radio stations from Western Europe, in which several punk rock songs were played. Young listeners from Ustrzyki decided to play covers of Black Sabbath
Black Sabbath
Black Sabbath are an English heavy metal band, formed in Aston, Birmingham in 1969 by Ozzy Osbourne , Tony Iommi , Geezer Butler , and Bill Ward . The band has since experienced multiple line-up changes, with Tony Iommi the only constant presence in the band through the years. A total of 22...
, Deep Purple
Deep Purple
Deep Purple are an English rock band formed in Hertford in 1968. Along with Led Zeppelin and Black Sabbath, they are considered to be among the pioneers of heavy metal and modern hard rock, although some band members believe that their music cannot be categorised as belonging to any one genre...
and Led Zeppelin
Led Zeppelin
Led Zeppelin were an English rock band, active in the late 1960s and throughout the 1970s. Formed in 1968, they consisted of guitarist Jimmy Page, singer Robert Plant, bassist/keyboardist John Paul Jones, and drummer John Bonham...
, and in 1978 they came up with the name KSU, which comes from car licence plates, issued by the Krosno Voivodeship
Krosno Voivodeship
Krosno Voivodeship was a unit of administrative division and local government in Poland in years 1975–1998, superseded by Subcarpathian Voivodeship . Its capital city was Krosno....
authorities for vehicles from Ustrzyki Dolne. With new name came new music - KSU began playing songs inspired by Sex Pistols
Sex Pistols
The Sex Pistols were an English punk rock band that formed in London in 1975. They were responsible for initiating the punk movement in the United Kingdom and inspiring many later punk and alternative rock musicians...
, Damned, and UK Subs
UK Subs
The U.K. Subs are an English punk rock band, among the earliest in the first wave of British punk. Formed in 1976, the mainstay of the band has been vocalist Charlie Harper, originally a singer in Britain's R&B scene. They were also one of the first street punk bands.-Career:The U.K...
.
In 1980, due to friendship with Kazimierz Staszewski, KSU travelled across Poland to Kolobrzeg
Kolobrzeg
Kołobrzeg is a city in Middle Pomerania in north-western Poland with some 50,000 inhabitants . Kołobrzeg is located on the Parsęta River on the south coast of the Baltic Sea...
, to participate in the New Wave Festival. The band was dubbed a sensation, but soon afterwards its members were one after one called up to the Polish Army and KSU ceased to exist. In 1988 KSU recorded a LP "Pod prąd" ("Against the flow"), which was warmly welcomed by its fans.
Currently KSU consists of four members, including Olejarczyk. Its lyrics are in most cases written by Maciej Augustyn, the brother of former singer Bogdan "Bohun" Augustyn.
Current line-up
- Eugeniusz Olejarczyk ("Siczka") – guitarGuitarThe guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
, vocals - Jarosław Kidawa ("Jasiu") – guitar, backing vocals
- Paweł Gawlik ("Kojak") – bass guitarBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
- Leszek Dziarek ("Dziaro") – drumsPercussion instrumentA percussion instrument is any object which produces a sound when hit with an implement or when it is shaken, rubbed, scraped, or otherwise acted upon in a way that sets the object into vibration...
, backing vocals, programming - Piotr Leszega ("Piter") - guitar, backing vocals
Discography
- Pod prąd (1988)
- Ustrzyki (1990)
- Moje Bieszczady (1993)
- Na 15 lecie! (1994)
- Bez prądu (1995)
- 21 (1999)
- Ludzie bez twarzy (2002)
- Kto cię obroni Polsko (2004)
- Nasze słowa (2005) POL #14
- Akustycznie XXX-lecie (2008) POL #21
Sources
- http://www.temi.pl/archiwum/2004/2004-09-22/06_kultura2.php?id=1 (Polish)
- http://homepages.nyu.edu/~cch223/poland/ksu_main.html (English)