Hair Peace Salon is an independent band, which playing mostly in indie rock and power pop styles from Minsk, Belarus. The group was founded in 1998 and on today they have released one full-length album Gentleman and numerous singles and EPs. On the mid of 2013 musicians paused co-working and some people of their latest roster including frontman and co-founder Aleh Vial, whom is considered as one of the best rock performers in Belarus, founded another rock music band Bristeil followed a birth of a solo electronic music project called Helaiv in 2017.
Video Hair Peace Salon
History
Early years (1998-2002)
Aleh Vial wanted to play music in the 1996 year yet. In the next year his brother bought a drum set for himself band and there was the first material ground to start. Aleh Vial have been wanting to join to them, but he has was not taken because he had not been playing any musical instruments. In the 1998 year Aleh Vial collected two schoolmates Maxim Devichensky and Alex Vashchilo in a band. This guys have desired to play music too inspired their friends local music bands and world-famous groups like Nirvana. The first years have been spent to learn how to play and to experiment with new ideas and methods of songwriting. Their very first public live performance was presented on 22 February 2002 at the Minsk city club "The Base". This show was dedicated to the birthday of Kurt Cobain and Hair Peace Salon played a couple of songs. In this year their drummer Alex Vashchilo left the band and Artur Luchkov became his successor.
First releases (2003-2006)
In the 2003 year the number of band members increased to quartet with new solo guitarist Vadim Dubina. They played on a festival of avant-garde mode in Minsk on March. Hair Peace Salon recorded the first single "Next Level" contained two songs for promotional purposes and it was released in the early of 2004. In this year the band performed at the festival "Puieridetta Musica" (Narva, Estonia).
Their lead guitarist Vadim Dubina left the group due family circumstances in 2005. There were a few months without a full-time guitar player, but Hair Peace Salon found at the end of searching Vadim Isaev, guitarist from Zhodzina. Their next CD was self made in 2005. It contained EP "Hover" with self-titled lead single, which was being taken to be presented on the music compilation of various artist "Spotlight On" released by Matchbox Recordings. They hit the road to successfully play at the Basowiszcza'05 festival in Poland.
Musicians spent the 2006 year to be on the stage on numerous live shows and participating in some abroad festivals such as Polish "Rock Bez Igly" (Tychy), "Wioslo Jacwinga" (Suwa?ki), "Fiesta Borealis" (Olecko). At the same time Aleh Vial (guitar, vocal) and Artur Luchkov (drums) were playing in the other indie and alternative rock band Jitters, which was headed by its frontman Konstantin Karman, whom were playing on bass as well as singing lead vocal parties. These bans were performing at the same concerts often and their members known each other and were friends.
Gipsy and in Tune (2007-2009)
2007 year was the year of the second EP release. All songs were performed by all four official members of the band while keyboards parties were played by a few different session musicians. The band won the nominee "Rush of the year" at the award show "???-????????? 2007" in February, the contest "????????" in Juny with its prize as a song recording on a professional studio, performed at the biggest country stage during the Day of the city Minsk and at the festival "??????????" was held by the Belarusian embassy of US in September, and achieved self-final on Global Battle of the Bands in which they were performing during the second part of the 2007 year. To the end of 2007 the number of the official members was increased, because Konstantin Karman paused the existence of his band Jitters and was invited to play in Hair Peace Salon on a regular basis. The band had already a full-time bass player and because Konstantin Karman had bought a solid keyboard instrument he became a keyboardist with singing vocal parties as well as composing songs. On 28 October 2007 the EP Gipsy was self-made released. The new look of the band was shown at the presentation of the EP Gipsy supported Open Space and some others musicians on 18 November 2007.
On 28 November 2007 the split album named "Split Before, Together Now" was released on West Records to promote this new collaboration. This CD contained Hair Peace Salon's (Gypsy) and Gitters's (Pick Me Up) EPs with the original artwork filled with two tied laces shoes as a symbol that there were two bands, but since that release they are united now.
The official video on the self-titled lead single of the EP "Hover" was filmed subsequently to promote Hair Peace Salon's new look featuring the new band member Konstantin Karman in the early of 2008. They took second place on the contest "??????????? ????????". During the first part of the 2008 year the brand new single "Stand The Rain" was recorded on the OSMOS studio as a winning prize in the contest "????????".
In March of the 2008 the lead guitarist Vadim Isaev left the band. There was a hit during the record sessions of the upcoming EP yet, and the band tried to find new solo guitarist, but failed. Despite of that the rest quartet was wanting to not slow their recording tempo as well as to not decrease a number of live performances. They took 2nd place in the contest "??????????? ????????". The very first presentation of the EP "In Tune" was held on its release date 1 November 2008. This CD was being filled with four songs. Despite the fact that Vadim Isaev was not the band member yet his solo guitar parties are presented on two tracks of this EP: "Like A Whale" and "Stand The Rain" as a bonus-track.
In the January 2009 the band was playing on the local final of the Bandscan festival the final of which must be take its place in Sweden, but they took the second place only while The Toobes was the winner. The official video was shot in the February to the single "In Tune". During the springtime the drummer Artur Luchkov left the band as a result of disagreements within Hair Peace Salon, but after no too long searching the drum chair took Alexey Kuznetsov, ex-member of Prophetic Dream and some other bands. During the upcoming a half of the year period Hair Peace Salon were working in the studio on new music materials.
At the end of the 2009 year the band were presenting brand new promo look: they fully updated their official site designed courtesy by Polina Pastushenko, the director of the In Tune video to support the release of the brand new clip on "Like A Whale" filmed as a participant of the TV-show "PRO???????? +". Aftermath in December 2009 Alexey Kuznetsov left the band. The frontman Aleh Vial would say later that the reason of leaving was they have been not playing in harmony with him well. In the coming months Vladimir Agayan, a fan of the band who won new drummer selections became his successor. So, Vial, Devichensky, Karman and Agayan began to cooperate on new CD.
Gentleman (2010-2012)
On 5 April 2010 the very first single of the upcoming full-length album called "Happy for a While" was released on the China market firstly with different artwork to support the sign of a new drummer, its worldwide release was 5 days later. In September 2010 the band made a double release: the brand new internet-single "Rolz'n'Rulz" and the experimental remix EP "HPS Remixed" filled with 6 remixes of the songs from latest two singles from different Minsk electronic stage DJs. All two songs from the singles "Happy for a While" (Happy for a While, Out of Time) and self-called "Rolz'n'Rulz" were credited with Alexey Kuznetsov as the drummer despite his leaving Hair Peace Salon almost a year ago.
During the 2011 year the band was working on the upcoming debut album. 11 tracks were planned initially to be put on CD and the topics of nobility, generosity, fortitude, lust for life, plus a few oddities and self-irony had to run through it like a red thread. After almost finished work on the music side of the album at the end of the 2011 the band was seeking for a "true artist" who would draw its artwork.
On 18 March 2012 the band made an official reveal of the first full-length album in a short video clip. The music work from the past three years was merged in the album Gentleman and this release was being started rolling out for free from the official band's website hairpeacesalon.com from 21 March 2012. It's worth to note that despite the previously announce, only 10 tracks appeared in the final release. On the front cover and CD package were used drawings of Sergei Balenok, one of the most famous Belarusian artists of the 20th century.
The album was received mostly positive response: "beautiful voice, good lyrics, excellent sound, flawless execution, competent flow", ""Rolz'n'Rulz" rules", "this band is just or not close at all to the standard of the European tradition of combining rock instruments with enough pop melody", "melodic and melancholic songs, beautiful guitars and the recognizable high vocals of Aleh Vial", "the charm of HPS is not only in stylistic restraint, not only in impeccably qualitatively arrangements and compositional work, but also in unconditional organicness". At the same time reviewers noted a lack of brightness and originality, because the record was being heard like an ordinary British wave album. The album Gentleman was selected in a few tops of Belarussian albums released in that year and its first track "Borderline" was selected in the top of the best contemporary Belarusian music songs by Lenta.ru.
Following the album launch a substitution was made in the band: the new drummer Alex Stepanovich was being found to replace Vladimir Agayan, who left Hair Peace Salon. The new band member was officially introduced in September 2012. Despite of that the release party show was moved on 11 October 2012. In this day Hair Peace Salon played a solo gig in one of the most popular concert places in Minsk, RE:PUBLIC club. The band sang the songs from the Gentleman album, some old classics and self-covers in Belarusian language as well as a duet "Garela Sasna", the brand new song featuring Irena Katvickaya, vocalist of the ethnic band Akana, during the live show.
Break-up (2013-present)
During the following months the band gave a few additional concerts at different venues including acoustic ones. The latest show at the moment was played on 19 May 2013 when Hair Peace Salon gave a joint concert with pop-rock band Open Space at Minsk TNT rock club. In February 2014 the official site was shut down and subsequently the domain hairpeacesalon.com was merged with bristeil.com - the official site of the new Aleh Vial's music project Bristeil, where he took the Hair Peace Salon's drummer Alex Stepanovich too. The band never claimed about its break-up, but since 2012 there were no new songs.
Maps Hair Peace Salon
Band name
One day the name "Hair Peace Salon" has been suggested by an Aleh Vial's friend whom has been making music too. Aleh Vial seen a piece of his lyric to the song called "Hair Peace Salon". His friend took this spelling from an American film, it was just a sign on a house. Aleh Vial made a research and not found any bands called like this, there was detected only a hairdresser in Denver, Colorado. Another writing of 'Hair Peace' has been investigated by Aleh Vial on a window in the documentary about John Lennon and Yoko Ono Bed-In.
Band members
- Timeline
References
External links
o Official Website o Official YouTube o Official Twitter
Source of the article : Wikipedia
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