We assuming it’s pronounced “Bee Oh Em Gee” as “BOMG” is quite hard to say otherwise…
Simple things first – where are you guys from?
We are from Ukraine, currently living in Kyiv.
How long have you been playing as a band?
It’s been 10 years since we formed it.
Before you get sick of being asked… where does the band name come from?
For us specifically, it’s a good question: many just assume all kinds of stuff. The name comes from terminology that described vagabond people in the late USSR, early ones burned their passports to not being identified by the system and escaped to unoccupied territories. Overall, it represents a certain degree of freedom, but not begging or giving up on life.
What are your influences?
Aside from the first four Black Sabbath albums: obscure local literature and history, sci-fi, psychedelic experience, metaphysics and questioning of reality, fuzzy one-hit wonders from the mid to late ‘60s, the first wave of experimental music. And of course, US and UK ‘80s – ‘00s heavy underground scene.
Describe your music. What makes you unique?
Don’t know if it’s unique or not: vintage instruments, high-power amplification and sound systems, subsonic frequencies, effect saturation, odd timing, soundscape and psychedelia.
Do you have any particular lyrical themes?
Each release has its own. Some came from stories, some are done from the ground up. Not sure if describing lyrics do it justice, maybe the best way to describe it is to observe it.
What’s your live show like? How many shows have you played?
We try to make it as loud as possible. There been around 30 shows.
What’s the wildest thing you’ve seen or done at a live show?
People freaking/passing out, sticking their head right into the speakers, our friend lying in the center of the crowd and others running circle pit around him. Some dude one time hopped on stage and proposed to his girlfriend right before the set. Often playing in late hours, you see some chaos going on, it’s hard to remember as we often at times were as chaotic as them. One time we were rehearsing in a huge old hall in the local “art center” and Jehovah’s witnesses’ mass was scheduled right after rehearsal. Man, the look on their faces was something else. As for ourselves, we try to focus on playing. Nonetheless, our ex-frontman Hleb always brought a huge amount of freakout on stage, shoutouts to him.
What kit do you use / guitars do you play / etc.?
We’re keen on collecting weird gear: vintage Musima guitars and basses (Orfeus and Cremona too), amps that have been redone from old radio broadcast amplifiers, rare Mexican Sunn Concert Bass amp, Tesla audio equipment (amps, EQ’s, effect pedals), Oktava ribbon mics from 60’s and ’70s, Rogers drum kit from ’70s and at least 60 years old 24” steel bass drum. Most of it came to us seeming from nowhere or from where it was collecting dust for several decades. For example, one bass got to us from kids just carrying it on the street – it could be wrecked the same day, so we bought it from them. Turned out someone just threw it away and they picked it up. Sometimes it seems like gear finds us and not the other way around.
What, if anything, are you plugging/promoting at the moment?
We released our second album, 4LP Peregrination some time ago, it is now available on various streaming platforms via Robustfellow.
All going well and depending on the current situation, what are your plans for the rest of 2020?
If it goes well, then maybe doing some live shows, definitely recording some new material, the previous one took us several years to complete. However, doubts creep up every day, things are not going well so far, hope that humanity will find the cure soon.
If you were second on a three-band bill, which band would you love to be supporting and which band would you choose to open for you? A chance to plug someone you’ve toured with, or a mate’s band we’ve not heard of before!
For both scenarios, it’s too many bands that come in mind, and many of them do not exist now.
From previous Band of the Day, N.E.S.H.: At a local level, what do you think can be done to help the music industry and bands of the future?
It is possible that for some time the only way to do something is by doing it online.
From Fall Flavored: What would you do with an eleventh finger?
Assuming it is on the left hand, utilize 5 frets instead of 4.