Following the ongoing invasion of Russian forces in the country of Ukraine on the 24th February 2022, the country is under heavy fire in what President Putin has deemed a “special military operation”. With heavy casualties of Ukrainian citizens and millions fleeing to seek safety, brave artists such as the punk band Beton are speaking out in protest of the conflict.
Covering perhaps The Clash’s most famous song “London Calling”, the namesake for their iconic third album whose influence is as pertinent today as perhaps ever. Beton have called out Putin’s regime and highlighted the lion-hearted defiance shown by residents of the sovereign country. Singing “Cause Kyiv is rising, we live for resistance!”
As told here by Beton singer Andriy Zholob “Many Ukrainian musicians are now on battlefields or in territorial defence. This time they’ve changed guitars to guns. We hope this song shows Ukrainians’ spirit and our defiance to Russian aggression.”
Commenting on the inspiration behind the cover, Zholob stated; “The Clash were one of our inspirations when we fell in love with punk rock and music in general, there is no snobbery or pretentiousness to the music, they had something to say and voiced their opinions against human anger. London Calling epitomises all of that and we are very happy to be able to take this iconic classic and turn it into our own anthem with new meaning and life.”
Aside from this brave form of constructive art, Zholob works as an orthopaedic doctor providing aid to soldiers and the victims of war. While his fellow bandmates Bohdan Hrynko and Oleg Hula are both active members of the Ukrainian territorial defence.
Audio engineer and producer Danny Saber (who previously collaborated with The Clash’s frontman Joe Stummer with his band The Mescaleros) mixed “Kyiv Calling”. Donating all proceeds to the Free Ukraine Resistance Movement (FURM).
Countless other artists helping to raise awareness and funding such as Arcade Fire, Belle and Sebastian, Bring Me The Horizon and The Subways to name just a few. Showing that the plight of the Ukrainian people has captivated the hearts and minds of people across the world.
Zholob went on to say; “We are glad it is being played not just in Ukraine but around the world as a symbol of solidarity and hope. Our country will defend our hard-won liberty and protect our right to self-determination. We have no doubt about our victory, we are proud to be Ukrainians and feel support from musicians abroad. This means so much!”
Opportunities to donate to a registered charity organization in aid of those affected by the crisis can be found below;
https://donate.redcross.org.uk
