No not that one… nor the one with the Salsa dipping sauce and Mojo Webb soundtrack… no. It is my Finnish pleasure.

I can’t recall exactly when I cam across this musical… umm.. phenomenon… and I can’t remember who introduced me to them but I am externally grateful. They always brings a smile to my dial and when the creative well is a little shallow, this outfit always seems to refresh and re-energise me.

They are a Finish Rock Band created by a Finnish (you’ll notice that I really like using the word Finnish where ever possible in this paragraph) film director Aki Kaurismaki (seriously that is his name, cool huh?) who featured in his Finish film cunningly titled “Leningrad Cowboys Go America” starring a fictional Finish progressive rock band with a taste for polka – the Leningrad Cowboys. Finished with laboring the Finish.

After the film, the band not expectantly took on a life of its own. Recording music, making videos and giving concerts. The band appeared in two other Aki Kaurismäki films, “Leningrad Cowboys Meets Moses” and “Total Balalaika Show”.

This second film featured the band in concert and for the first time with the 160-member Alexandrov Ensemble. It was in Helsinki and it was magic.

The Cowboys followed this up with a slightly smaller ensemble, about 70 odd Alexandrov member. They played at the 11th Annual MTV Music Awards in New York to an estimated global audience of 250 million people worldwide. Not bad at all.

This strange musical fusion of Finnish Art-Pop and Russian Military gave birth to some of the oddest cover renditions I have heard, but nothing more so than their glorious take of “Sweet Home Alabama” – the signature hit song from one of the most famous airplane crash band’s Lynyrd Skynyrd.

Check out the wacky glory of the Cowboys and the Alexandrov’s in action below.

About ten years after this concert film the Cowboys and the Ensemble got back together for a concert imaginatively titled “Global Balalaika Show“. And they were still popular! They have since toured regularly including private corporate functions… although I suspect seeing them perform without the Alexandrov Ensemble would be a little disappointing in some ways. For me anyway. The clash of stiff Cold War feeling military uniforms with the pop-art explosion of the Cowboys loud-jackets and Cirque de Soleil inspired pointed hair and shoes. It’s this visual and audible clash set to music that makes it all work so wonderfully.

As a general rule, the Leningrad Cowboys consist of eleven cowboys and two Leningrad Ladies. Their songs indicate a strong thematic preference for Genghis Khan, Russian folk standards, tractors and rockets, Led Zeppelin and the Beatles, and of course vodka.  Naturally.

That’s not to say that they haven’t tried their hand at more contemporary-ish songs.

The second clip embedded below is their version of that late ’90′s hit from punk-ish group Offspring. In some ways I like this song “Pretty Fly for a White Guy” more so than their other offerings. If for no other reason than it features the Ladies auxiliary of the ensemble opening the track by singing “Give It To Me Baby” in heavy accented English. Adorable and fun.

AND check out the way they have gone about staging the concert. Tiered stage levels and an elevated catwalk flown through and above the audience. Transferable to a memorable corporate environment? Yes sir.

The Leningrad Cowboys official site can be found overrrrr….overrr… here!

and the wonderful Russian Choir and Backing band is the Alexandrov Ensemble… and their site can be found……over….. there!

As a special added bonus for 168′ers – we have organized, kinda, for their entire site to be presented totally in Russian for a greater cultural experience. Awwww pretty.

Your most welcome.

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Options and combinations. Endless sides. Huge laminated menus. But thankfully they all shared a common trait – they were all unimaginatively literal. They detailed exactly what was in the meal to the exclusion of everything else. And that’s mighty handy for a traveler half out of her mind with roadtrip candy and cola.

America is the land of choice. No doubt about it. When I visit for business and pleasure, I always try to make time to spend sometime walking the floors of their supermarkets like Winn-Dixie or Vons. The long cabinets packed full of every different type of ice cream flavor possibly imagined. It leaves me gob-smacked and disgruntled by my poor excuse for a diary aisle back home.  Our chocolate and beer is far superior. There is that.

A personal favorite is the more upmarket (eye of the beholder) and the seemingly more personal service offered by Trader Joe’s. Love their little hand written menu suggestions, in-store product reviews, and a selection of cute shop-boys hard at it.

The thick paper bags in the West Hollywood store are so retro cute. They make me feel so much greener while I over consume  – well more so than my normal plastics. And they sound great when you crumple the tops up as you walk.

Anyway back on message – Americans are a lot of things, good and not so good, and one of them is that they are literal. They say it how it is. They are not shy about coming forward and spelling it out. Unlike say the French… sure they always sound cool and exotic in their accented English but really… what are they really saying? So… obscure.

And I suspect that as a nation the French share a limited appreciation for a massive range of diary confectionery goods to choose from. A vast wine or cheese selection? Sure. The French love it. Mint Ribbon Ice Cream with Pralines… nope. Only us Australians and Americans there… the English? Most probably still in the pub eating salt and vinegar Walker Crisps and nursing a pint of something warm that may with care and refrigeration resemble beer. Gross generalization but there you have it.

Sometimes being literal yields the most unexpected results. Rather than the extended song and dance… just ask for the sale… wondering – just ask her/him out. Unhappy? They’ll never know unless you literally spell it. Just as importantly – happy? Then literally tell someone… tell everyone.

The guys and gals from Dustfilms agree and have recreated some really funny results from their compact series of ‘literal videos’.

Drawing on their personal music video favorites (they are without a doubt Gen X), they have remastered them with ‘literal’ lyrics to match the video clip.

Sure – it is a little hit and miss.The Billy Idol rendition of ‘White Wedding’ isn’t so hot.However the following clip from Tears for Fears featured below is a clear winner. Enjoy.

* Check out the old card filing system in this video. Yes Virginia – their really was a world before the world wide web and ‘puters. Entire libraries were full of paper books with covers and woven spines, and ka-thousands of index cards and heavy date stampers to manage them all.

Take an electronic leaf out of the kindle book – and just say it how it is. What you want, what you expect, what you like, what you don’t. And hopefully there will be someone who will be listening and care – like we do…. and perhaps the cute guys at Trader Joe’s.  Literally speak and listen.

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Some were voted because of significant popular culture reasons – like Jackson’s performance of Billie Jean at the Motown celebrations. This was the performance that introduced the world to the moonwalk and that glove. And of course it is an outstanding pop song with it’s driving baseline.

Love it almost as much as Smooth Criminal which introduced the anti-gravity foot lean dance movement. Sheer entertainment musically and visually that put many of it’s contemporaries of the time to shame. I’m talking about you Van Halen.

Others were unanimously nominated because they are plain and simple fabulous songs. Notably two of his earlier hits fall into this category -  Rock with You and Don’t Stop Till You Get Enough.

He was a very handsome man back then – young, black smiling, and with a ‘softness’.

Other songs were considered very good but the larger than life big budget of Black and White pushed it up the rankings and crowned Jackson as the undisputed Pop King of music video blockbusters.

You’ll note some songs didn’t make our top 5. Notably Thriller and Bad.

Sure – they were better than okay, sensational production values, and those group dance moves were something else buuuuut… well over time they didn’t seem to hold up on their own merits as well as the less ‘flashy’ efforts from Jackson. And Man in the Mirror and Dirty Diana were considered way too creepy, even for us fragile souls.

The number one track was selected because of it’s timeless quality, it’s sheer energy and groove, and as event professionals we well know that if you ever want to fill a dance floor quickly or lighten the mood – cue this track. It is our favorite.

The Top 5 Michael Jackson Songs

Number 5. Rock With You (1979)

4. Black or White (1990)

Number 3. Billie Jean (1982)

Number 2. Smooth Criminal (1987)

Number 1. Don’t Stop Till You Get Enough (1979)

SPECIAL MENTION goes to one of the best live performances with Jackson performing at the American NFL Superbowl with a ‘medley’ of his hits.

and in keeping with the Top 5 list – the best of The Jackson 5 with Michael up front.  “Blame It on the Boogie” (1978)

With thanks -Lean-to Image from Wikipedia, Rock with You courtesy of DailyMotion.com, Black and White from MetaCafe.com, Billie Jean from French site Wat.tv, Don’t Stop Till You Drop from MySpace Video, and all others from… you guessed it… Youtube.com.

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A good example is Jerome Murat, an Italian Mime. He is fabulous but virtually impossible to track down and book directly. We did but the exercise left us feeling like Indiana Jones and the Temple of Mimes. Was it worth it? Yes. Here’s why.

He’s unique. He connects and he engages with his audience completely.

He creates an emotional buzz.

About three years ago, Jerome performed on a European variety show and I understand won it. Pretty amazing for a mime and puppeteer… normally they are lynched or stoned well before they make it to a wider televised audience.

This particular performance has since become a global phenomenon, having featured on many appreciative websites around the world. Even though his performance has aged a little, it still impresses.

At the risk of presenting something ‘old as new again’ – we think his act is so good, so spellbinding and inventive, engaging and emotionally moving that it warrants an encore revisit.

Consider it a worthy lightning rod for further creative inspiration when your creative well starts to dry. A great act like this can make your event truly memorable.

We present for viewing pleasure – Jerome Murat as ‘The Two Headed Man’.

This videoclip courtesy of myspace video. Thanks Mr Murdoch.

FACTOR168 | Creative Event Management Company