the BAND
The Leningrad Cowboys are Finland’s most bizarre and brilliant rock export — a band that looks like they crash-landed from another planet armed with towering pompadours, impossibly long pointy shoes, and a mission to turn rock ’n’ roll on its head. Born in the late ’80s out of the legendary Sleepy Sleepers and fueled by a mix of satire, swagger, and sheer madness, the Cowboys quickly became a global cult sensation.
Their music is a wild cocktail of straight-up rock anthems, cheeky covers, and vodka-soaked originals, often performed in over-the-top style with the help of none other than the Alexandrov Red Army Ensemble. And if that wasn’t enough, they’ve also taken over the silver screen in Aki Kaurismäki’s cult films Leningrad Cowboys Go America and Leningrad Cowboys Meet Moses, bringing their deadpan humor and surreal adventures to audiences worldwide.
The band’s mainly known for their unique live shows. Over more than 20 years, they’ve performed 1,000+ concerts in over 60 countries — from massive joint spectacles with the Red Army Choir, to confusing audiences at the MTV Music Awards, to rocking out with classical orchestras, and playing hundreds of festivals and clubs around the globe. No matter where they go, they leave a trail of astonished faces, sore dancing feet, and big grins behind.
Whether on stage, on record, or on screen, the Leningrad Cowboys are more than just a band — they’re a living, breathing, pompadoured spectacle that proves rock ’n’ roll should never be taken too seriously.
Thank You Very Many!
Photography by Dirk Behlau