I can’t stop listening to the new album by the Stagger Rats, a charismatic rock band from the small Scottish town of Dunbar. They remind me of all the best music I have heard over the last 30 years. Some critics use the word “Beatles” when trying to define their sound and you can see them on this surrealistic video which they made in Hungary last year. The Big Issue magazine describe them as “timeless, but also intriguingly fresh and unique” and Irvine Welsh said (on Twitter) “Great riffs and brilliant name for a band.”
I saw the Rats perform at the Control Club in Bucharest, a successful Indie club that has (for some bizzare reason) just closed down. The basement room was packed and the performance was a sensation. I spoke to the band members afterwards and several of them said to me “that was the best gig we ever did”, and I assume this is because of the peculiar magic of Romania.
I asked Daniel Paylor, their lead singer, what he thought of Romania and he sent me an email that is so different from the usual travel writing that I thought it essential to reproduce it here.
This is what he wrote:
“We were treated very well by everyone in Romania. As soon as we crossed the border in our old van we found potholes and ill-kept roads. We dodged horses-and-carts and old, weather-beaten, head-scarfed women. We never went faster than 40 mph.
At Cluj-Napoca we were warmly greeted at the club we were playing at and helped with our equipment – something which has never happened before or since. The club’s promoter – Raul – gave us free drinks all night, let us all stay in his flat and even cooked us dinner. We found out later that this was not as uncommon in Romania as it would be in the UK.
After Cluj we embarked upon a journey through the Carpathian Mountains. We saw little clearings next to the Danube and promised ourselves to return and camp among the wolves and bears. We tuned the radio to a local station playing traditional music and it perfectly sound-tracked our jaunt through that wild and strange land.
The next town we came to was Craiova. We were struck by how rustic and poor it seemed compared to Cluj. There was an abundance of single-story buildings and derelict shop fronts. We came to the venue and met our hosts who carried on the wave of generosity by bringing us pizza and free drinks all night, and putting us up in a local hotel.
We met some very interesting locals, including a Romanian Simple Minds fan hell-bent on telling me that everyone in Scotland constantly walks around listening to and singing the band’s eighties hits.
The next day we finally made it to Bucharest, a gritty city along the likes of Budapest and Berlin, although with a touch less grandeur about it. We burrowed through the side-streets in search of our hostel, which turned out to be a very charming apartment above a bar. The staff were golden and the rooms were simple, yet very comfortable.
In Romania, dogs are like a dominant species. We came across many roving packs of dogs. We saw packs of nine or ten just walking around town, seeing which way the wind blew, taking in the night. We saw dogs crossing major roads without the slightest alarm, looking for traffic both ways. I swore I once saw a dog waiting for the green man.
Our gigs went down well in each of the Romanian cities we visited: the crowds were large, they danced, they drank, they reacted, they said hello afterwards; very good crowds in comparison with other countries. We found the Croatians very aloof audience-wise, though the individuals we met were kind and funny. The German crowds were very appreciative even though I got the impression that we weren’t their ‘cup of tea’.
Our four days in Romania showed me a country of indescribable beauty. The cities looked intimidating at first, but as soon as you had a drink or spoke to a local that feeling evaporated. There’s a wonderful self-deprecating and pessimistic humour to the Romanians, which is an extremely Scottish trait we rarely see in other peoples. The Romanian dogs have the most character in the world, and the kindness of the people is unmatched by any I’ve seen.”
Aikido cu mintea si corpul coordonate. Invatati cum sa va relaxati si cum sa va pastrati calmul in conditii de stress. 
„but as soon as you had a drink or …”
Yeah. You must first get really drunk to say Ro it’s ok. That’s correct.
Mister Murray, thanks for posting this.
Editor’s note: was my fault. I solved your „PS” :)
„..Romanian dogs have the most character in the world” :)))
RO:
Acest e-mail ar trebui inclus intr-un pliant de promovare a Romaniei reale. Suna ca un omagiu pentru ceea ce noua ni se pare banal si chiar enervant (cateodata). Si sunt bucuros ca exista oameni care vad lucrurile si asa, ca scotienii astia, fratii nostri intru Sant’ Andrei si intru tarie :) …
EN:
This e-mail should be included in a flyer to promote the real Romania. It sounds like a tribute to what seems banal to us and even annoying (well, sometimes). And I am glad there are people who see things this way, as these Scots, our brothers into the Holy Saint Andrew and into the spirit :) …
The problem in Romania is not with its people but with the political class.
How quaint and charming it is for dozens of people to die and thousands to get bitten every year, all because of foreign-funded „animal rights” NGOs supported by the local lunatic fringe! What an enchanted land to live in!
„I swore I once saw a dog waiting for the green man.” :D
If only we could offer every tourist the same experience!..
Mi se pare totusi ca putinele reactii la aceasta postare reflecta foarte bine problema si anume complexul de inferioritate al mentalitatii dominante romanesti. Infantil in esenta, este vorba despre reflexul de a arata partea luminoasa, de a demonstra strainilor ca nu suntem asa cum se spune, ci tocmai viceversa.
Faptul ca Romania este frumoasa iar romanii ospitalieri compensatorii pana la saturatie nu este o noutate. Nici gropile, cainii, nici diferenta dintre Cluj si Craiova. Nici atmosfera apasatoare a oraselor pe care o uiti dupa primul pahar cu prietenii. Unii dintre noi am trait asta decenii la rand inainte de nouazeci si inca un pic dupa aceea.
Fapt este ca baietii sunt simpatici, reactioneaza firesc tot asa cum este si muzica lor: directa, simpla si tributara traditiei uriase al beat/popului britanic.
Nimic deosebit asadar.
Lady, you’re plain wrong.
Mda… incearca sa explici asta parintilor japonezei care a fost violata si ucisa in rromanika…
Sau miilor de turisti care au venit increzatori in tara noastra ca pe urma sa se trezeasca inselati si jefuiti…
Nu ma pot opri sa ascult noul album al “Stagger Rats”, un grup rock carismatic din Dunbar, un orasel scotian. Ei imi aduc aminte de toata muzica buna pe care am ascultat-o in ultimii 30 de ani. Unii critici utilizeaza cuvantul “Beatles” cand incearca sa le defineasca sound-ul si ii puteti vedea in acest clip suprarealist pe care l-au facut in Ungaria anul trecut. Revista “The Big Issue” ii descrie ca “atemporali, dar si intrigant de proaspeti si unici”, iar Irvine Welsh a scris (pe Twitter): “excelente riff-uri si un nume de grup foarte intelligent”.
Am vazut show-ul celor de la Rats la Control Club in Bucuresti, un club de success al artistilor independenti care tocmai s-a-nchis (din cine stie ce motiv ciudat). Sala de la subsol era plina ochi si spectacolul a fost senzational. Dupa aceasta, am vorbit cu membrii grupului si unii dintre ei mi-au spus ca ”a fost cel mai bun live show pe care l-am facut vreodata”, probabil ca din cauza farmecului special al Romaniei.
L-am intrebat pe Daniel Paylor, vocalistul lor, care e parerea lui despre Romania, iar el mi-a trimis un email care este atat de diferit de impresiile de calatorie obisnuite ca m-am gandit ca e extrem de important sa vi-l dau si voua sa-l cititi.
Iata ce a scris:
“Am fost tratati foarte bine de toată lumea din România. De îndată ce am trecut granita in furgoneta noastra cea veche am găsit gropi și drumuri prost întreținute. Am evitat carute cu cai și femei batrane batute de intemperii, cu capetele in baticuri,. Nu am depasit niciodată mai mult de 40 km/hr.
La Cluj-Napoca, cei de la clubul la care cantam ne-au întâmpinat cu căldură și ne-au si ajutat la caratul echipamentului – ceea ce nu ni s-a mai întâmplat niciodata pana atunci sau după. Promotorul clubului – Raul – ne-a dat sa bem pe gratis toată noaptea, ne-a gazduit în apartamentul lui și ne-a facut seara de mancare. Am aflat mai târziu că acest lucru nu aste chiar atat de neobișnuit în România cum ar fi în Marea Britanie.
Dupa Cluj, am pornit pe un drum prin Muntii Carpati. Am văzut luminisuri pe lângă Dunăre și ne-am promis noua înșine să ne întoarcem și sa ridicam cortul printre lupi și urși. Am gasit si un post local de radio cu muzica populara care a mers la perfectie ca fundal sonor al drumului nostru prin acel taram sălbatic și ciudat.
Urmatorul oras in care am ajuns a fost Craiova. Am fost socati de cat de rustic și sărac părea față de Cluj. Am gasit o multime de cladiri cu un singur etaj și vitrine de magazin abandonate. Am ajuns la locul spectacolului și ne-am întâlnit cu gazdele noastre care au continuat valul de generozitate oferindu-ne pizza și băuturi gratuite toată noaptea, și ne-au pus într-un hotel local.
Ne-am întâlnit cu niște localnici foarte interesanti, inclusiv un fan roman al Simple Minds, chitit să-mi spuna că in Scotia oamenii n-au altceva de facut decat sa se plimbe ascultand si cantand hiturile lor din anii 80.
A doua zi am ajuns în sfarsit la București, un oraș cenusiu de genul Budapestei și Berlinului, deși cu ceva mai putina grandoare in el. Ne-am afundat pe diferite strădute în căutarea de pensiunii noastre, care sa dovedit a fi un apartament fermecător deasupra unui bar. Angajatii au fost pretiosi, iar camerele erau simple, desi foarte confortabile.
În România, câinii se comporta ca o specie dominantă. Am dat peste multe haite de câini ratacitori. I-am văzut in grupuri de nouă sau zece ratacind prin oras, mirosind in directia vantului, infruntand noaptea. Am văzut câini care traverseaza sosele largi fără nici cea mai mică frica, verificand mai intai traficul în ambele sensuri. Pot sa jur ca am văzut o dată si un câine asteptand lumina verde la stop.
Gig-uri noastre a fost bine primite în fiecare oraș din România pe care l-am vizitat: public numeros, au dansat, au băut, au interactionat cu noi, ne-au spus si „la revedere” cand s-a terminat; am avut foarte multi spectatori în comparație cu alte țări. Pe croați i-am gasit foarte distanti ca public, deși in mod individual erau drăguți și amuzanti. Germanii ne-au laudat foarte mult chiar dacă am avut impresia că nu am fost chiar pe gustul lor.
Cele patru zile în România mi-au arătat o tara de o frumusete de nedescris. Orașele lor ne-au intimidat la-nceput, dar acel sentiment s-a evaporat indata ce am inceput sa bem si sa vorbim cu localnicii. Romanii au un minunat simt al umorului, auto-peiorativ și pesimist – o trăsătură foarte scoțiana, greu de intalnit la alte popoare. Câinii din România au personalitatea cea mai puternica din lume, iar bunătatea oamenilor este de neegalat de către oricine altcineva.
Really, now? It’s such a beautiful and honest piece of writing and you lot manage to bring it around to dullness and ineptitude of everyday things: politics and who’s to blame for the dogs.
@Frustratu’: Don’t think for one second that people get murdered only in Romania as tourists. I just finished reading an article about a family that was brutally killed with multiple gunshots in a camping region in France. A cyclist bystander was also killed so he could not report anything to the police. Does that mean that France is now to be off limits for tourists? I don’t think they’ll bat an eye to that news and just carry on with promoting their country as usual. This stuff happens and criminals can be found in any country and can be of any race, nationality or religion. Let’s just get over ourselves on this one.
Getting back to Daniel’s letter, I can only say I’m happy that he has had such a great experience and I hope he can go on and debunk some of the myths that plague Romania. I’m also really happy to say he’s not the only foreigner that was pleasantly surprised by our country, its people and the general atmosphere.
I’ll listen their album. You made me wonder how good they are in music. I know that they are very polite, it’s very common in the west side of Europe. They are very kind not saying anything about the things they didn’t like. Like every country Romania has many problems but has also a lot of good things that the world has to know about. Romania it’s not the best country but it’s not the worst also. We had a lot of unfriendly media and people think that we are all gypsies and thieves. We are not! You should come and visit our beautiful country, we have plenty to offer. Mihai