Eugene Hutz, ClashEUGENE HUTZ
Published in Clash, dedicated to music and fashion
Gogol Bordello’s moustached main man Eugene Hutz talks us through his unique New York gypsy punk style.
Where are we today?
A Ukrainian restaurant in London. It has quite a classic Eastern European set up. I’m having free dinner for sure.
What are you wearing?
Whatever I picked up from my floor or travelling bag. This is my method of dressing.
Come on, your look cannot be accidental
It is an entirely spontaneous thing. For me, it just has to match the energy of that particular day. You know, it’s the colours. I’m not going to get all crazy and spiritual here and talk about Kandinsky but there are frequencies of colours that correspond with your mood. The colour of maroon is favoured by gypsies and is closest to my frequencies. Of course I get lucky too and there are crazy fucking clothes I am given that I beat to the ground until I can’t wear them any more.
What’s in your travelling bag at the moment?
It’s all pretty neon I must say, beat up neon. We got purple pants, super skinny style and long Adidas socks that go right over them. It’s how Ukrainian red necks wore it back in the 80s. They had a clueless creativity from being so far removed from any centre of culture that they would end up sticking their pants inside of their socks because it was more comfortable. As kids from the capital of Ukraine, I found it to be incredibly crude and nearly idiotic. Little did I know that was a lesson for the future.
Any favourite items?
I have a scarf made by gypsies in Kosovo, which reminds me an organisation called Voice of Roma USA that I’m part of. It helps imprisoned gypsies make money by manufacturing clothes and blankets. It’s one of the few things I carry around with me that can turn any room into my home. That’s the power value of that scarf.
Who are your style icons?
I ready about Einstein that he only had two outfits that were completely the same because he didn’t want any of his energy absorbed by what he was going to wear. That doesn’t work for me though.
How do strangers react to your style?
In fashion centrals like London and New York it’s understood but it’s funny in Romania or Ukraine. At one club they wouldn’t let me in my own gig because they were convinced I was some lunatic from the top of the hill. They were like ‘The way you dress is ridiculous. You have to change.’ The irony is that the place was called American and I was the only fucking American in it!
Current tour clothes?
I keep them to a minimum. The more you wear on stage, the more laundry your tour manager has to do. Also fans steal a lot of stuff. Hats just go.
Is that why you often end up naked?
I try as hard as possible to keep my clothes on. It is always my main intent.
What about your band’s image?
We are a collection of characters who all have personal style. Of course, partly there are elements I brought in as part of a stage representation of what Eastern European gypsy punk is. It’s an assault on all levels – music ideology and fashion. My ex girlfriend is a fashion designer and we came up with a lot of forms and shapes for Gogol Bordello. It’s a gypsy punk uniform that gets dishevelled in the trenches of touring. It was interesting growing up because uniforms were a must at school but people’s style still came through in the ways they wore their uniforms. Girls would lie that their families were too broke to buy new uniforms so they could wear a shorter skirt. That was pretty goddamn fun.
Your new album is called Super Taranta! Why?
Tarantella is an authentic Italian music invented to cure women of hysteria. The first time I saw a painting about the history of Tarantella, which depicted a woman on the floor in convulsions with musician standing over her with violins, I knew this is what Gogol Bordello was about. It killed me with its sexual mysticism. This album smelts cultures together in a cathartic orgasmo hysteria. There are songs about politics, sex, alcohol or super theories but they are all still connected by that one ultra passionate expression. Super Taranta! is a pretty extreme album and I think it’s ready to take on the world.
Words Helen Jennings