Athens, GA is a diverse college town know as much for its legendary music scene as it is for its reputation in college sports. When artists, musicians and students want to get away from the chaos of the stadium they flee to a little bar on the far corner of town that is populated by a diverse cast of characters. This mecca of music and dancing is known as the GOBAR.
In this small but prominent club, faithful locals gather to drink, dance, and create. The ringleaders that truly make this scene are GOBAR'S passionate employees. In addition to working behind the bar or at the door, the staff is also responsible for putting on some of the most notorious dance parties in town. They spin the best tunes, they play in the best bands, and, most famously, they put together the most stellar tribute shows. These dance nights pack the bar every weekend, with kids pouring out into the street.
It is from this tribute-happy dance floor mania that USSR was born. After the successful 2005 Halloween debut of Bauhaus tribute band DARK ENTRIES, the staff got together and decided to put their skills to use and start a real band. Dan Geller, the club’s resident djay and mastermind behind I AM THE WORLD TRADE CENTER and KINDERCORE RECORDS, suggested that the project should feature the young, charismatic Peter Murphy sound alike Winston Parker as front man. Geller had been working on some songs with doorman and guitarist for JUJU, the Siouxsie and the Banshees tribute band, Shane Davis. They felt Winston’s haunting voice would be perfect for the dark songs they were writing. They then enlisted the talents of Brian Smith who had played lead guitar for Dark Entries, as well as JUJU and BIGMOUTH (The Smith’s tribute). Jeremy Smith, also of Bigmouth fame, filled out the ranks on drums. Since Mike Mills, the bassist for JuJu and another well-known local band, was unavailable, Geller took over bass duties. Geller was soon quoted as saying, “This is perfect; I am in a band with a fake Johnny Marr, Peter Murphy, Mike Joyce, and Daniel Ash. Good thing I am a fake bass player!”
USSR began practicing in the GOBAR during the daylight hours and soon turned the bar into a studio where they began recording. At night, when the bar opened for business, the band would hide their equipment under the small stage on which they would make their live debut a few months later.
So what happens when you blend new wave and goth influences against the backdrop of a small Southern town? Dance floor-ready tunes and memorable hooks that are both refreshing yet eerily familiar. In the end USSR comes together to make dark pop songs that sound more like Public Image Limited or Television than any of the direct influences the band members had previously paid tribute to. Certainly an anomaly amidst the current scene in Athens, USSR seems destined for success outside of their hometown; as one fan put it “these guys are way too dramatic for this place”.
