Fan of the Month!
Interviewed by Kayt

For our first Fan of the Month for 2005 we go all the way to Russia to greet Ivan, who lives in Moscow and told me in his introductory email that his girlfriend said he had to be a fan of the month. We agree; it's about time we had a Russian Fan of the Month!

For the record, what is your name?
Ivan Pavlovich Chugunov

Where were you born, and where did you grow up?
Moscow, Russia

What were your main interests, entertainment and otherwise, growing up? Any obsessions you don’t mind people knowing about?
Listening to and playing music, hanging out with friends, playing and watching soccer, talking to people.

Tell us about your musical endeavors and any musical instruments you play…
I played piano for three years, and I've been playing guitar for eight years now. I'm in a surf band called the Vivisectors and I'm trying to start a rock/country/rockabilly band with my girlfriend.

What accomplishments are you most proud of at this point in your life?
I'm proud of having gotten into my academy on my own (without having to bribe anyone), but that's about it so far. I'm proud that Sarah loves me.

What are your favorite movies?
"La Bamba," "The Unforgiven," "12 Chairs," "Black Cat, White Cat"...I like a lot of movies, so I won't go into it all.

Do you have any favorite books?
"The Old Man and the Sea," "The Master and Margarita," "Billy's Log," "Tom Sawyer," "ðÏ×ÅÓÔÉ âÅÌËÉÎÁ."

What music are you into, in addition to Red Elvises?
Here we go...'50s music in general, surf, the Beatles, the Pogues, the Clash, modern rockabilly, blues, gypsy folk music, Hank Williams, Patsy Cline, Flogging Molly...again, it's just too much to get into.

When, where, how, etc. did you first hear and experience Red Elvises?
1999, my classmate, Andrei, gave me a pirated "Best Of" Red Elvises CD.

How many times have you seen them?
Once, but I tried to see them another night, before I finally saw them, and the show was cancelled due to very heavy rains and the fact that the stage was outdoors.

What is it about Red Elvises that draws you to them, that you like the most?
The mixture of Russian roots music and rock-n-roll.

What’s the farthest you’ve traveled to see them? And do you have a good story around that?
Since I've only seen them once, I traveled 1 hour and 15 minutes by metro to see them that night. The good story is that I met my girlfriend through the Red Elvises' music and 2004 Moscow tour, and it was the second time I got to hang out with her, in addition to being my first time seeing Red Elvises. And there was another great band performing that night, too, called Mister Twister.

What are your favorite Red Elvises songs?
"Boogie on the Beach," "I Wanna See You Bellydance," "My Love is Killing Me," "Hanky Panky Kind of Love."

What would you like to see them do in the future? Any ideas? Anything you’d like to say to the band?
My personal goal for next year: Catch every single show on the Moscow tour 2005 and hopefully see you guys in the States some day.

Okay, last question… Do you have anything you’d especially like to say to all the fans?
Listen to music - it will never betray you.