Siekiera
Encyclopedia
Siekiera was one of the most influential and popular punk rock
bands in Poland
. With fast, aggressive music and lyrics filled with obscenities, the band was a sensation in the 1984 Jarocin Festival
. After changes in the lineup, the band switched to new wave
and dissolved in 1988.
- vocals, Jerzy Janaczek - bass, and Irek "Borys" Czerniak - drums. They started by playing cover songs of UK Subs
and The Exploited
. In the autumn of 1983 they changed they name to Siekiera (Polish for "Axe"). There is a legend that the name came from a guy who heard their music and compared it to an axe. The original line-up was Tomasz Adamski(a.k.a. Dzwon) - guitar, leader, the author of all lyrics and music, Tomasz Budzyński (a.k.a. Budzy) - vocals, Dariusz Malinowski (a.k.a. Malina) - bass, and Krzysztof Grela (a.k.a. Koben) - drums. For a while some guy called Piotr Szewczyk played guitar, but they fired him because of his blues influences.
In 1984 they played their first official show in a club "Remont" in Warsaw
. They also performed at the Jarocin Festival
, and they were well-received by the audience. In October 1984, after a huge show with TZN Xenna
and Youth Brigade
, Budzynski left the band (he wanted to have some influence on the band's music and lyrics, but Adamski wasn't happy about that). With that line-up they played only 6 shows. After that Budzynski formed a band called Armia
(with Robert Brylewski
).
Tomasz Adamski reformed Siekiera with two new members: Zbigniew Musinski - drums and Pawel Mlynarczyk - keyboards. Dariusz Malinowski took the vocal duties (besides playing bass). In February 1985 they recorded eight new tracks, some of them were played on the radio. In May and June they recorded some songs for an EP and the Jak Punk to Punk compilation LP. In 1985 they played again at the Jarocin festival, but the orthodox punk public didn't like their new wave image and music.
In 1986 Siekiera released their only LP, Nowa Aleksandria
- it is influenced mainly by Killing Joke
and regarded as one of the greatest Polish albums of all time. In 1987, a new guitarist, Wieslaw Borysewicz, was recruited, and Tomasz Adamski concentrated on singing. In 1987 they also played a mini-tour with Variete a Polish new wave band. Finally, in 1988 they broke up. They were expected to re-form in 1989 with an almost original line up (with Stopa who used to play in Moskwa
and Armia as the drummer), but somehow it didn't work out.
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 in Poland
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...
. With fast, aggressive music and lyrics filled with obscenities, the band was a sensation in the 1984 Jarocin Festival
Jarocin Festival
Jarocin Festival was one of the biggest and most important rock music festivals in the 1980s Europe, by far the biggest festival of alternative music in the Warsaw Pact countries....
. After changes in the lineup, the band switched to new wave
New Wave music
New Wave is a subgenre of :rock music that emerged in the mid to late 1970s alongside punk rock. The term at first generally was synonymous with punk rock before being considered a genre in its own right that incorporated aspects of electronic and experimental music, mod subculture, disco and 1960s...
and dissolved in 1988.
Career
Siekiera formed in 1982 or 1983 in Puławy, Poland, under the name of "Trafo". The line-up then was Tomasz Adamski - guitar, Tomasz BudzyńskiTomasz Budzynski
Tomasz Budzyński is Polish musician, painter and poet, the lead vocalist of the band Armia.He worked with bands 2Tm2,3, Budzy i Trupia Czaszka, he was also first vocalist of punk rock band Siekiera.-With Armia:...
- vocals, Jerzy Janaczek - bass, and Irek "Borys" Czerniak - drums. They started by playing cover songs of 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...
and The Exploited
The Exploited
The Exploited are a Scottish punk band from the second wave of UK punk, formed in 1979. Originally a street punk band, they transformed into a faster hardcore punk band with a heavy political influence. From about 1987 on they changed into a crossover thrash band...
. In the autumn of 1983 they changed they name to Siekiera (Polish for "Axe"). There is a legend that the name came from a guy who heard their music and compared it to an axe. The original line-up was Tomasz Adamski(a.k.a. Dzwon) - guitar, leader, the author of all lyrics and music, Tomasz Budzyński (a.k.a. Budzy) - vocals, Dariusz Malinowski (a.k.a. Malina) - bass, and Krzysztof Grela (a.k.a. Koben) - drums. For a while some guy called Piotr Szewczyk played guitar, but they fired him because of his blues influences.
In 1984 they played their first official show in a club "Remont" in Warsaw
Warsaw
Warsaw is the capital and largest city of Poland. It is located on the Vistula River, roughly from the Baltic Sea and from the Carpathian Mountains. Its population in 2010 was estimated at 1,716,855 residents with a greater metropolitan area of 2,631,902 residents, making Warsaw the 10th most...
. They also performed at the Jarocin Festival
Jarocin Festival
Jarocin Festival was one of the biggest and most important rock music festivals in the 1980s Europe, by far the biggest festival of alternative music in the Warsaw Pact countries....
, and they were well-received by the audience. In October 1984, after a huge show with TZN Xenna
TZN Xenna
TZN Xenna - was one of the early Polish punk rock bands.-1981 - 1983:*Krzysztof Chojnacki Zygzak *Marek Kucharski Marcus *Sidney *Tomasz Kożuchowski Gogo Szulc -1983 - 1987:...
and Youth Brigade
Youth Brigade
Youth Brigade can refer to two different punk music groups:*Youth Brigade , from Los Angeles, California*Youth Brigade , from Washington, DCYouth Brigade can refer to members of the*National Youth Service ....
, Budzynski left the band (he wanted to have some influence on the band's music and lyrics, but Adamski wasn't happy about that). With that line-up they played only 6 shows. After that Budzynski formed a band called Armia
Armia
Armia is Polish punk rock and hardcore punk music band founded in 1985 by Tomasz Budzyński, Sławomir Gołaszewski and Robert Brylewski. Armia is famous for its use of horn, which was unusual of punk rock bands in late 1980s and 1990s...
(with Robert Brylewski
Robert Brylewski
Robert Maksymilian Brylewski , born May 25, 1961 in Warsaw, is a Polish rock musician, lead guitarist of several punk-rock and reggae bands, such as Kryzys, Brygada Kryzys, Izrael, Armia and Falarek Band. He is one of the most influential rock musicians in Poland, and is considered a founding...
).
Tomasz Adamski reformed Siekiera with two new members: Zbigniew Musinski - drums and Pawel Mlynarczyk - keyboards. Dariusz Malinowski took the vocal duties (besides playing bass). In February 1985 they recorded eight new tracks, some of them were played on the radio. In May and June they recorded some songs for an EP and the Jak Punk to Punk compilation LP. In 1985 they played again at the Jarocin festival, but the orthodox punk public didn't like their new wave image and music.
In 1986 Siekiera released their only LP, Nowa Aleksandria
Nowa Aleksandria
Nowa Aleksandria is the debut album of Polish band Siekiera, released in 1986, by Tonpress. All songs were written by leader and band founder Tomasz Adamski. Recording engineer: Włodzimierz Kowalczyk....
- it is influenced mainly by Killing Joke
Killing Joke
Killing Joke are an English post-punk band formed in October 1978 in Notting Hill, London, England; other sources report the band formed in early 1979.Related news articles: Founding members Jaz Coleman and Geordie Walker have been the only constant members.A key influence on industrial rock,...
and regarded as one of the greatest Polish albums of all time. In 1987, a new guitarist, Wieslaw Borysewicz, was recruited, and Tomasz Adamski concentrated on singing. In 1987 they also played a mini-tour with Variete a Polish new wave band. Finally, in 1988 they broke up. They were expected to re-form in 1989 with an almost original line up (with Stopa who used to play in Moskwa
Moskwa
Moskwa is a Polish punk-rock band created in 1983 by Paweł "Guma" Gumola , Piotr "Rogoza" Rogoziński and Tomek "Pałker" Gron in Łódz city.- Discography :...
and Armia as the drummer), but somehow it didn't work out.
After Siekiera
Tomasz Adamski's interests shifted towards classical music, particularly J.S. Bach. A published poet, he lives in Puławy. Tomasz Budzyński is still Armia's vocalist, he also plays with a Christian band 2Tm2,3. He recently started performing solo, and his music and lyrics have nothing in common with punk now. Dariusz Malinowski has got a new band called Tra-band. Zbigniew Musinski is now in Germany. Krzysztof Grela was killed in a pub in Puławy in January 1992.Discography
- Demo bootlegBootleg recordingA bootleg recording is an audio or video recording of a performance that was not officially released by the artist or under other legal authority. The process of making and distributing such recordings is known as bootlegging...
(1984) - Fala / Idzie wojna LP składanka Fala (Tonpress 1985)
- Jest bezpiecznie / Misiowie puszyści (Tonpress 1986)
- Nowa AleksandriaNowa AleksandriaNowa Aleksandria is the debut album of Polish band Siekiera, released in 1986, by Tonpress. All songs were written by leader and band founder Tomasz Adamski. Recording engineer: Włodzimierz Kowalczyk....
(Tonpress 1986) - Ja stoję, ja tańczę, ja walczę / Ludzie wschodu LP Jak punk to punk (Tonpress 1987)
- Na Wszystkich Frontach Świata CD (Manufaktura Legenda 2008) (slightly remastered recordings from the punk period)
- 1984 LP (Manufaktura Legenda 2008) extra records from punk period-one of last trial with Tomasz Budzynski and Krzysztof Grala in squad. Limited edition.