Mertvyi Piven

Date of foundation – 1989
City – Lviv
Language – Ukrainian
Genre – rock

First line-up (1989—1992):

Lyubomyr “Lyubko”, “Futor” Futorsky – vocalist, founder of the group;
Roman “Romko Sigal” Chaika – guitar;
Misko Barbara – vocals;
Roman “Romko” Ros – violin;
Yaryna Yakub'yak – vocals;
Yuriy Chopyk – guitar;
Taras Banakh – sopilka (in 1989—1991).

Band composition 2023 – present:

Yurko Roketsky – vocals;
Svitlana Kyrylchuk – vocals;
Oleg “John” Suk – bass guitar;
Roman Chayka – guitar;
Oles Slobodyan – drums;
Mykola Yerega – guitar;
Lyubko Radomsky – flute;
Yuriy Chopyk – guitar;
Andriy Alfavitsky – percussion.

History of the band Mertvyi Piven

Mertvyi Piven is a Ukrainian rock band formed in 1989 by young musicians who studied at the Ivan Franko University of Lviv. The leader of the group was its first vocalist Lyubko Futorsky. The name of the group was not chosen by chance: an iron figurine of a rooster adorned the cafe "Stary Lviv", where the participants of the future legend of the domestic rock scene often gathered. Since the 70s, the institution "Stary Lviv" was a center of Lviv's "flower children". That is why the group members began to introduce themselves as "the fourth generation of hippies".

During the first performances of the young group, exclusively acoustic instruments were used, and the compositions symbolized the musical experiments of the "Roosters". The first recognition of critics and the listening audience came. Starting as pioneers of Ukrainian alternative music, the group Mertvyi Piven gradually gained cult status. The main feature of the team's creativity was distinguished, which is creating songs based on poems by prominent Ukrainian poets - Taras Shevchenko, Viktor Neborak, Oleksandr Irvanets, Yuriy Andrukhovych, Serhiy Zhadan and others.

Over the three decades of creative history, the composition of the team has undergone many changes. After Lyubko Futorsky moved to another group, the co-founder of the team Misko Barbara became the vocalist of "Pivniv", who was also engaged in acting in the Kharkiv theater "Arabesque". Leading several projects in various fields of culture and art was a characteristic feature for many members of the group.

Creative path

The first live performance of the group can be considered a victorious performance at the Lviv festival "VyVyh" in 1990. The following year, the team appeared on the stage of the festival "Chervona Ruta". The first release under the name "ETO" took place in 1992. Given that Mertvyi Piven never tried to single out certain genre bindings for their own work, each album was distinguished by its own characteristics: sound, semantic nuances. Thus, bard rock prevailed in the debut album. 18 songs that entered the Golden Treasury of Ukrainian rock and roll were recorded without the use of drums and bass guitar.

The band's active tours took place in the 90s. Mertvyi Piven's music was heard in Ukraine and abroad: in Poland, Germany, Slovakia, Austria, France. Experiments with sound continued, new instruments were added, including electric guitars and a rhythm section. Mertvyi Piven participated in the recording of the compilation album "Choir of Mongolian Militiamen" based on poems by Serhiy Zhadan. The album was released in 2007.

2011 actually became the moment of cessation of the creative activity of "Pivniv". But in the spring of 2023, a loud revival of the team took place. Yuriy Roketsky became the new vocalist of the group. The band gathered again, literally piece by piece. There were movements in different genre directions. Notes of blues, hard rock, elements of psychedelics appeared in the compositions. The musicians continued to create in the key that was interesting to them.

Awards and distinctions, social activity

The active creative activity of the original team was marked by the affection of a huge army of fans and festival prizes. Among them:

«VyVyh» (Lviv, 1990);
«Chervona Ruta» (Zaporizhzhia, 1991) – first prize in the category «Acoustic Music».

The group members have always been active in public life, appearing at various protests and other events aimed at supporting human rights and freedoms.

No dates available