Given that the “irreverent” Russian punk rock band Pussy
Riot had been perceived by the global punk community as a Russian tourist
destination in themselves, will the harsh sentencing of the band eventually
ruin Russia’s tourism industry?
By: Ringo Bones
In this day and age of over commoditized American Idol
wannabe pseudo-musicians more interested in money than true artistry, genuine
politically addled punk rock has inadvertently become a musical tourist
destination in themselves – akin to Mississippi Delta Blues tourism and
all-acoustic unamplified Viennese string quartets. But with the recent harsh
sentencing of the Russian punk rock band Pussy Riot over their anti Vladimir
Putin protest in Moscow’s main cathedral back in March, will Russia’s tourism
industry be inadvertently ruined by missing out on the emergent music tourism –
make that punk rock tourism - movement?
Ever since the British punk rock band Sex Pistols sang a
brash polemic about HRH Queen Elizabeth II back in the mid 1970s, parts of
London with anything connecting them to Johnny Rotten and company had since
became the “Mecca” of punk rock tourism. Not to mention punk rock fashions by Vivienne
Westwood. And with the harsh sentencing of the three members of Pussy Riot to
two years in a labor camp might give anyone planning to visit Russia in the
coming months some second thoughts - especially since the inherent lack of
freedom of expression and rule of law of Vladimir Putin’s Russia will
definitely scare off potential tourists who are probably too scared to get
arrested over arcane legalese definition of hooliganism by the Russian court of
law.
Punk rock tourism, Pussy Riot tourism - any tourism will do. As long as the heavy-handed Russian FSB won't charge me with hooliganism for the flimsiest of reasons.
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