Here are the band which could without any exaggeration be called solid. No doubt they are now one of the leaders on a rockabilly scene of the country. And if there was something they were losing to MISTER TWISTER in 1996-98, it was not the pace they were getting. They are a really commercially successful outfit, which went on to promote the style by all means, including the presence on a Petrograd scene. The musicians did a lot: made a video, got on cable TV and on local radio. Just like MISTER TWISTER, CRAZY MEN CRAZY, and OFFBEAT the RATTLESNAKES performed in Finland. They also toured this country a bit, and settled steadily at the capital's clubs, let alone the clubs of the home city of St.Petersburg. Unlike all other rockabillies here they released 2 albums.

The first lineup was:

Yury Sootkovoy - vocal/lead guitar

Alexander Karnazov - bass/back vocals

Alexey Goobin - drums

Oleg Hoodkin - guitar

Before the SNAKES they performed in unknown bands: Goobin and Hoodkin in SUNSTROKERS, and Sootkovoy played psychobilly in ATRAKARS. After Sootkovoy had gathered his own material and desire to perform before wider audience, than psychobilly admirers, he formed RATTLESNAKES. Their first show was done at Money Honey Saloon in November, 1995. Yury Sootkovoy recalls that performance as not as successful: a year or so had passed before the band started to play really well.

In 1997 the band records and releases a record "Cabaliero" to the positive review in the local music magazine "Fuzz" (4 asterisks). The same year the musicians make a video, which is aired not only on Petersburg channels, but also on the Russian cable "Mus̉V". RATTLESNAKES frequently go in Moscow playing different clubs, and they land steady dates in the now defunct Poor People, Tex-Mex bar "Armadillo" and "Dump". Besides Moscow the SNAKES go to the near Petrozavodsk, Yaroslavl, Penza and Vologda - that's all geography of their gigging. MR TWISTER meanwhile goes all over the country (from Europe to Asia). Anyway very few rockabillies had done so much travelling. In 1999 RATTLESNAKES go to Finland where play a festival "Rock'n'Roll Jamboree" on different stages including one show before 3000 strong crowd.

In 1999 the large interviews with the band appeared in magazines, local stations "Radio Baltic" and "Modern" played RATTLESNAKES' songs. They got the radio time not just due to the rockabilly fans, but for a simple reason of having of a good studio recording and a full-blooded album on a CD. In 1999 they put out the 2nd disk "Lady Wild", with which Yury Sootkovoy is not very happy. He laments the absence of the producers and sound engineers familiar with rockabilly in the country's studios. The review of a record can be read at the end of an article.

However for different reasons the band breaks up: in autumn 2001 the trio keeps working independently as the PHANTOMS, and Sootkovoy hires new musicians known from the CADILLACS/SPOOTNICS. Tey are a bass player Alexander Loginov, a guitarist Andy Androsenko and a drummer Yury Zamytsky (HOT WHEELS). The new lineup plans a recording and a release.

Discography 

(Rattle, 1997)

1. Lady wild (Sootkovoy/Titov)
2. She was cursing (Sootkovoy/Shpagin)
3. Wild one (Sootkovoy/Titov)
4. Angel eyes (Sootkovoy/Titov/Shamarina)
5. I know (Sootkovoy/Titov)
6. Queen of the night (Sootkovoy/Titov)
7. Time to wake up (Sootkovoy/Titov)
8. So far away from home (Sootkovoy/Titov)
9. Caravella (Sootkovoy)
10. Wild life (Sootkovoy/Titov)

Lady Wild

(Rattle, 1999)

It's a common knowledge that a rather large rockabilly community exists in both capitals, but it's the first time for last four years when a rockabilly record got into my hands...
Actually "Lady Wild" is the second album of the Petersburgers; as well as their first one it was released at their own expense.
The cover leaves much to be desired. The contents, alas, too. To begin with there is no focused stylistics on "Lady Wild". Here you'll find both pure rockabilly, psycho, and a ballad, and stylized tarantinish texmex surf, and just downright rock. On the one hand it is good, like the guys are able to do everything. On the other hand, it is not clear, what is closer to them. The musicians play competently, almost without flops, even the female vocals do not spoil the broth (5 guest musicians!)... But they say that the SNAKES nearly burst with fire live, and on record it is absolutely inaudible. This trouble is considered the plague with all such bands... But one has to struggle with troubles, hasn't one? The texts are written almost competently — for a Russian, taught English at school. No more.
In general the disk is good only for die-hard fans of a genre and of the band. Or for sale after shows in distant foreign countries. If those are planned.

Artyom Lipatov