Messed Up Explained

Landscape:no
Origin:Grodno, Belarus
Genre:Punk rock
Label:Audiolith Records
Associated Acts:Mister X
The Goonzz!
Current Members:
  • Nastya
  • Liza
  • Masha

Messed Up are a Belarusian punk rock band from Grodno, West Belarus.[1] [2] Formed in 2015, they have been referred to as the first all-female punk band in Belarus[3] and compared to the riot grrrl movement.[4]

Their lyrical themes are mostly concerned with "how a post-Soviet society favours an ordinary person, and how people in positions of power oppress those who choose to live differently".[5] Due to their country's authoritarian government, restriction of personal and political freedoms, as well as its patriarchal social norms, Messed Up have oftentimes had to organise concerts practically illegally[6] and thus have arguably found greater success playing abroad in the neighbouring countries of Poland and Lithuania, where they have frequently performed at numerous points throughout the band's history.[7] [8] Igor Bancer, frontman of Grodno-based street punk group Mister X, has helped the band grow and aided its members with translation as well as promotion; Messed Up and Mister X have also performed together at various concerts in several countries across Eastern Europe. For a time, Messed Up founding member Katya also played as the drummer for Mister X.[9]

All members of the band are activists in their personal lives and are strictly opposed to sexism, homophobia, racism, fascism, and ageism.[10] Inspired by left-wing and anarchist themes,[11] all the founding members were in their late teens when the band was formed and identify as feminists.[12] Messed Up have played alongside Moscow Death Brigade in Germany,[13] at the Wrocław Tattoo Konwent 2017,[14] [15] as well as performing at the fourth edition of the 161 Fest in Warszawa, Poland.[16] They released their first demo available for free download in October 2016. Their first full-length album, released on vinyl and CD in November 2019 via Audiolith Records, was met with positive reviews[17] [18] [19] and followed by a promotional tour throughout Germany[20] with their own workshops about the feminist scene in Belarus.[21] The band has been featured in a number of international media, from interviews in old-school punk zines to articles in online multilingual projects.[22] [23]

In early to mid August 2020, when the 2020 Belarusian protests escalated following the announcement of falsified election results, two members of the band (first Timofei and then Maryia) were imprisoned by police forces of the authoritarian government for taking part in demonstrations against the regime. However, eventually they were both released after some time in arrest.[24] [25] Most members of Messed Up were eventually forced to leave Belarus due to political repression and found refuge in Poland; due to this and the damaging effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, in July 2021, the band decided to indefinitely cease their activity.[26] Nearly a year later, in March 2022, the band announced a return.[27]

Band members

The band started out as an all-female group, but in late 2018 their drummer Katya left the band and moved out of Grodno to pursue her career.[28] While looking for a new female drummer, Artur Lemantovich from The Goonzz! and Mister X stepped in to help as a temporary drummer for Messed Up. Liza, one of the founding members and the band's guitarist, writes the lyrics for Messed Up's songs.

Current members

Former members

Discography

Notes and References

  1. Web site: У гарадзенскіх Messed Up – дэбютны альбом. 2016-10-13. Radyjo Racyja. be. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20191107071753/https://www.racyja.com/kultura/u-garadzenskikh-messed-up-debyutny-albom/. 2019-11-07. 2019-11-07.
  2. Web site: [FFM066] Messed Up – Everything You Believe In]. Fire and Flames. October 14, 2019. November 6, 2019.
  3. Web site: Belarus' messed up punk scene. Cafébabel. Noah Groves. June 19, 2017. November 6, 2019.
  4. Web site: Creating the legacy for the Belarusian punk scene: Interview with Grodno punks Messed Up. Messed!Up. Jimi Nilsson. December 15, 2019. December 16, 2019.
  5. Web site: Messed!Up presents Belarus punkers Messed Up. Messed!Up. Jimi Nilsson. September 10, 2019. November 6, 2019.
  6. Web site: Messed Up – Everything You Believe In. PrettyInNoise. Paul Schall. November 5, 2019. November 7, 2019.
  7. Web site: Koncert - Mister X, Messed UP- Belarusian Punk. Gazeta Wyborcza. January 29, 2017. November 10, 2019.
  8. Web site: "Nie jesteśmy w Korei Północnej. Nie od razu zabierają cię do paki. Wszystkich nie mogą zamknąć". Newsweek Polska. Eva-Lena Lörzer. November 8, 2019. November 10, 2019.
  9. Web site: Běloruská SHARP úderka Mister X se vrací do České republiky. Kids and Heroes. Misantroop. August 25, 2016. November 7, 2019.
  10. Web site: Messed Up - Из-за чего вся эта суматоха?!!!. YouTube. Street Beat Records. June 8, 2019. November 6, 2019.
  11. Web site: Messed Up / Shi Offline Interview. Audiolith Records. Lizzie and Alisa. November 6, 2019. November 7, 2019.
  12. Web site: "Фемінізм зачапіў у 15 гадоў". У Гродне арганізавалі гендарны лекторый для моладзі. 2019-11-22. Hrodna.life. Ірына Новік. 2019-11-28.
  13. Web site: Moscow Death Brigade+MisterX & Messed Up. Klubhaus Saalfeld e.V.. February 9, 2018. November 10, 2019.
  14. News: Wrocław Tattoo Konwent 2017. W weekend festiwal tatuażu (BILETY, PROGRAM). Gazeta Wrocławska. MAL. May 20, 2017. November 10, 2019.
  15. Web site: Wrocławskie święto tatuażu coraz bliżej. Onet.pl. Tomasz Pajączek. May 8, 2017. November 10, 2019.
  16. Web site: 161 Fest #4 - Warszawa 2019. 161 Crew. All Events in City. March 16, 2019. November 7, 2019.
  17. News: Weißrussische Punkband Messed Up: Nicht einverstanden. Du Pham. Die Tageszeitung: Taz . taz.de. October 24, 2019. November 6, 2019.
  18. Web site: REZENSION: Messed Up – Everything You Believe In. Julia. minutenmusik. October 28, 2019. November 6, 2019.
  19. Web site: PLATTENREVIEWS: Messed Up – Everything You Believe In. Max. TRVE LOVE. October 29, 2019. November 6, 2019.
  20. Web site: Гарадзенскі Messed Up едзе ў тур па Польшчы і Нямеччыне. 2019-04-09. Radyjo Racyja. be. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20191107060644/https://www.racyja.com/kultura/garadzenski-messed-up-edze-u-tur-pa-polshchy-i-n/. 2019-11-07. 2019-11-07.
  21. Web site: Messed Up: Record release und tour im November. Henni. Plastic Bomb. October 25, 2019. November 7, 2019.
  22. Web site: Das aktuelle Ox: Ox-Fanzine #146. Ox-Fanzine. November 1, 2019. November 7, 2019.
  23. . Wywiad z Messed Up. Chaos w mojej głowie. Krapkowice. 19. June 28, 2019.
  24. Web site: Messed Up on Facebook. Facebook. Messed Up. August 11, 2020. August 16, 2020.
  25. Web site: Messed Up on Facebook. Facebook. Messed Up. August 11, 2020. August 16, 2020.
  26. Web site: Hey punxx. Facebook. Messed Up. 2021-07-24. 2021-08-09.
  27. Web site: Facebook . 2024-03-22 . www.facebook.com.
  28. Web site: Messed Up - VK post from 27th September, 2018. VK. Messed Up. September 27, 2018. November 6, 2019.
  29. Web site: Всё во что ты веришь / Everything You Believe In. Bandcamp. Messed Up. November 6, 2019.