Festyval

Hailing from Oldham, The Ukrainians were formed in 1990 by guitarist Peter Solowka (he being of Ukrainian and Yugoslav heritage). The Ukrainians initially attracted plenty of attention – the Soviet Union was disintegrating and Ukraine finally had its independence, so who were this odd British band? – and the likes of John Peel and the NME championed them. Wider success never came but this has not stopped them from regularly touring and recording. Here they celebrate turning 30 by gathering a selection of short films, rare live performances, animations, and lo-fi lockdown-recorded videos spanning their three decade career.

For fans of The Ukrainians this is a true feast. For the rest of us, it is interesting but unlikely to change minds that the band are indie rock journeymen. Solowka sings in Ukrainian throughout – I recognise Sex Pistols, Smiths and Velvet Underground songs – and the most fascinating footage comes from the band’s initial visits to the newly independent Ukraine (still looking very Soviet). Some of this is very rough, taken as it is from old Beta tapes, adding a fascinating sense of ‘a lost time’ to proceedings. There are lots of clips from a Polish rock festival that are not quite so interesting.