In a world where fads come and go and tastes seemingly change with the seasons, it is unusual to find much in the way of stability and consistency. Yet two staples of Kyiv expat life offer just that.
The first staple is Speeding Lisa, which likes to bill itself as Kyiv's greatest expatriate rock band. Never mind that it is probably Kyiv's only expat band, or that its members are masters at the art of self-deprecating overstatement. The band will celebrate its fifth year next month, and that entitles the group to senior - if not geriatric - status in a music world dominated by groups that burn out in a fortnight.
The second staple is Baraban (The Drum), a cozy little basement cafe-bar tucked away in the courtyard behind the Kozak Mamai restaurant off Prorizna. The Drum is three years old in an industry where many places come and go in less than 18 months. Early on, the bar was a favorite of Ukrainian and foreign journalists. Its clientele expanded during the winter, 2001 anti-presidential demonstrations after political dissidents discovered the hideaway. A gaggle of diplomats, businesspeople, jazz lovers and students eventually found it as well, and a regular clientele has formed.
Scot Euan MacDonald provides a common link between the band and the bistro. Speeding Lisa's lead guitarist and a longtime member, MacDonald's love of music goes well beyond the cover band's sporadic gigs, extending into the theme for the bar, which was largely designed by MacDonald's wife, Katya Gorchinskaya. True to its name, Baraban is decorated with various musical instruments and the walls are papered with sheet music. Live jazz and blues are performed for a few hours most nights.
Though Speeding Lisa is not the first band MacDonald has played in (he debuted with a funk band in his native Glasgow, Scotland) he's been with the band almost from the start. Bassist Nick Morris is the only remaining original member. Drummer Mark Lewis, an American, has been with the group several years. The newest member is singer Jennifer AuCoin, a Canadian.
MacDonald noted that the band has survived despite the fact that the capital's expat community is dwindling. Foreigners used to be the band's fan base, he said, but now young Ukrainians are following the cover band.
He attributes that phenomenon, in part, to the fact that Morris teaches for the London School of English, and his students come to watch their instructor. If Morris' students are attracted to the band, AuCoin may draw a similar crowd - she's a mathematics and physics teacher at Kyiv's British International School.
MacDonald and AuCoin provide most of the band's vocals, but AuCoin may not be limited to singing, MacDonald said. She also plays acoustical guitar and keyboards.
MacDonald said that the band, which plays an eclectic mix of tunes made popular by groups as diverse as The Beatles and Nirvana, may cut its first CD this month. When it does, he said that the album would be likely to include at least one original song - a break with its reputation as solely a cover band.
Making an album in the land famous for copyright pirates doesn't bother MacDonald, who doubts anyone would go to the trouble to bootleg Speeding Lisa. MacDonald denies that popular Ukrainian acts like Okean Elzy would become nervous if Speeding Lisa started recording.
"They'd be more like embarrassed," MacDonald mused.
Music plays an important part in MacDonald's family. He claims that Gorchinskaya has a good singing voice, and that the couple's five year-old son, nicknamed "Shunzie," is developing musical tastes as well, having expressed a preferences for The Red Hot Chili Peppers and Elvis Presley.
While Speeding Lisa is MacDonald's hobby, it hardly pays the bills. Baraban fulfills that role. The bar has been sufficiently successful that it encouraged MacDonald to open a summer bar, Bukhta, on the left bank last year. That experiment won't be repeated this summer, he said, but the couple is keeping their options open, and may eventually open another bar in the center.
Before opening Baraban, neither MacDonald nor Gorchinskaya had restaurant or bar experience, except as customers. But they had toured a number of bars in Edinburgh and Glasgow.
"Katya is a talented designer, and she has an eye for color," MacDonald said, adding that her flair gave the bar its homey, comfortable feel.
Both MacDonald and Gorchinskaya enjoy cooking, though MacDonald says that his wife is the better cook of the two. She created the bar's original menu.
But opening a bar in Kyiv isn't as easy as it may seem, he said. "You have to be bloody persevering," he said.
"Be sure that whatever problems you encounter can be overcome," MacDonald said, adding that in Ukraine, "you can use unconventional approaches to ensure that you remain in the good graces of the authorities."
MacDonald said that the bar's regular patrons have largely come to know one another over the years. Though the bar is small, its patrons are a diverse lot.
"We started off with mostly friends from the media, and at the beginning the novelty value was important," he said. "There is a wider clientele now."
Baraban's staff tends to stay with the bar, another factor customers claim makes the place comfortable. MacDonald said that he recruits employees for their character.
"They are happy to work here despite the long hours," he said. "They are 'people-people.'"
"We've been lucky," he said. "But we also keep preaching to our staff about providing exceptional service, an element that is still not widely found in cafes and bars here."
As a Scot, MacDonald isn't intimidated by the city's profusion of Irish pubs. Scotland, he said, doesn't have the same pub tradition. And while there is a market for mid-priced pubs in the city, MacDonald said that it's unlikely that there would be a big demand for Scottish dishes.
"Diced sheep brains, heart, liver and lungs make offering haggis problematic," he said. "Besides, Irish pubs have better PR."
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