MOSCOW — Some reflections on the Russian hockey arena experience at the Worlds:
Let The Music Do The Talking
As expected, Stompin’ Tom Connors’ “The Hockey Song” is not on the standard Russian hockey arena playlist. The song did, however, make a brief appearance during Team Canada games as a play-stoppage snippet.
An extended dance mix of the “Olé, olé olé olé” chant was prominently featured during intermissions. Its accompanying video is an odd combination of old hockey footage from the previous four times Moscow has hosted the Worlds; a voluptuous lead singer wearing strategically-placed pieces of black string; and a rapper in goalie equipment. It’s a bizarre collision of disparate images that left this viewer’s head spinning. It also firmly lodged the the “Olé” chant in my head for hours, much to my chagrin. Then again it was no worse than the disco remix of Dire Straits’ “Money for Nothing” which was, to say the least, unpleasant. A frequently-played bossa nova-ish version of “Smoke On The Water” was just bizarre.
Lest one think that Russian hockey arenas completely eschew the classics, our ears occasionally caught a break with traditional fare like Queen’s “We Will Rock You” and several flavors of AC/DC. Bon Jovi rocked the arena a few times, and we caught the dulcet strains of 80s tracks like Survivor’s “Eye of the Tiger” and even Opus’s “Life Is Life” at one point. For some reason none of us could suss out, the irritating Aerosmith tune “Shut Up And Dance” was played every ten minutes or so; why that lame song was chosen from the band’s extensive catalog, we’ll never know.
Back in Arena Mytischi, one of my fellow travelers mentioned that some songs sounded like Russian cover tunes, perhaps to avoid copyright issues. But a little research revealed that Mytischi boasts a “house band;” many of the PA songs are performed by a local rock band performing in the bowels of the arena. Apparently they prefer anonymity, however, because no one seemed to know the band’s name.
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