Already raising over 6 million dollars for the Ukraine appeal, this venture is Pussy Riot's biggest statement yet - donating all proceeds to Ohmatdyt, a Ukraine Children's Hospital on the front line.
Diana Burkot, Maria Alyokhina, Riot Days tour
Photography Oliver Bodmer/Münchner Merkur via DAZED
Pussy Riot are a Feminist performance art collective who made worldwide headlines following multiple member arrests in 2012. Imprisoned for protesting the re-election of Russian President and evil villains, Vladimir Putin, the outfit object to a church ran state and the perceived corruption in the Russian Orthodox corporations. Touring in 2022, Europe has seen the return of the Riot Grrrl activism with the ensembles thought provoking new piece: 'Riot Days'.
We call for action against the horrible Putin's war in Ukraine. Help us to support the victims of Russian aggression.
A play based on Pussy Riot's Maria Alyokhina's book, Riot Days is a story of resistance, repression and revolution. Presented in a mixed format of concert, rally, theatre and political happening, the event has toured globally. Enlisting over 200 performances in Europe, USA, Brazil, Australia and New Zealand, the production has received prestigious international awards - including Herald Angel Award, Lustrum Award and Total Theatre Award of Edinburgh Festivals.
Influenced by American riot grrrl, Oi! bands, and cultural commentators like Julia Kristeva, "the collective's musical performances combine politically charged lyrics chanted against abrasive guitar riffing". Attracting international attention after their February 2012 performance at Moscow's Cathedral of Christ the Saviour, they took and begged in a mock prayer for the Virgin Mary to take Putin out of power. This lead to the arrest of members Maria Alyokhina, Yekaterina Samutsevich, and Nadezhda Tolokonnikova, and the fleeing of an additional two members. In mid-August 2012, the three women were each sentenced to serve two years in a penal colony. The case's combination of censorship and severe response by authorities compelled Russian allies and international figures - including Paul McCartney - to speak out in support of the collective. Samutsevich was released on a suspended sentence in October, and Alyokhina and Tolokonnikova were freed under a general amnesty in December 2013. Putin claimed such actions were drafted to mark the 20th anniversary of Russia's post-Soviet constitution - Alyokhina and Tolokonnikova formed the independent media outlet, Mediazona, several months after their release.
A rotating amalgamation of approximately ten to twenty members, Pussy Riot were notorious for their disguises of pseudonyms, brightly coloured dresses, and balaclavas as they stage guerrilla-style performances in public spaces.
"Swaggering, throbbing gig. Clever and enthralling" THE TIMES
Initially known for playing lo-fi punk rock at impromptu protest performances, the group has incorporated left-field pop, dance, and hip-hop with a familiar punk movement of revolution and anarchy. Starting in 2016, Pussy Riot became more prolific as a recording act and began debuting music to an attentive global audience. During the early 2020s, they released collaborations with Tom Morello, Dorian Electra, and Big Freedia, with their mixtape 'Matriarchy Now' in 2022. 'EP xxx' included singles "Police State" (2017), "Bad Apples" (with Dave Sitek, 2018), and "Track About Good Cop" (2018) that spoke out against corruption in the criminal justice system.
The group's first North America tour took place in 2018 prior to, they released hip-hop tracks "Black Snow" (with Mara 37) and "Hangerz" (with Junglepussy and Vic Mensa), written in response to Alabama's anti-abortion legislation. Breaking genre defying boundaries, 2020 saw a new direction for Pussy Riot: "1312" is a rap-metal track featuring Dillom and Muerejoven. Cementing their place on the Women in Music hall of fame, the artists teamed up with Dorian Electra once again for 2021's "Toxic", produced by 100 gecs' Dylan Brady. Neon Gold released Pussy Riot's 2022 mixtape Matriarchy Now, which included guests such as Big Freedia, iLoveMakonnen, and Slayyyter.