ArtistInfo

Vágtázó Halottkémek

Band, HU
Alternative
A.k.a. Vágtázó Csodaszarvas Vágtázó Életerő

Galloping Coroners, or Vágtázó Halottkémek (VHK), emerged in 1975, finding instinctively its path to play instinctive primeval music eliberating the elementary powers of nature creating ourselves and revolting to its high completion in a free spontaneity and overwhelming energy. The VHK discovered a new method of playing music, which is not a simple improvisation but a completely free creation of music born on stage, liberating the deepest musical creative power, as well as playing more or less pre-written materials. This music is called as shamanistic/psychedelic hardcore but is in reality an unrestricted outburst of life energy. This is not only a music, but an attitude to grasp the essence of life with our deepest nature and grow it by its own law. The group says it is a magical natural music, a cosmic vision about the origin of presence. It develops in a sovereign way as a self-revelation with its elementary power. The VHK is a distinguished cultic band in Hungary as well as in Germany. The first eight concerts were interrupted by the authorities in an afraid from the consequences. The band was banished for eleven years, nevertheless even at that time it continuously found spontaneous occasions to act by chance pushed by the audience of an other group, or simply playing by pseudonyms, as guest musicians of friend bands and without declaring themselves as a band at their the concert. Meantime they won the festival of the experimental film studio in 1981. The video of this event was presented many times in the West German TV. Gábor Bódy, the internationally famous and youngly died film-director made his film "Dog's Night Song" with them, including the lead howler Attila Grandpierre in one of the featuring roles. VHK plays from 1984 regularly in the West. In 1986, when Amsterdam was the "cultural capital of Europe", the Dutch Queen, Beatrix personally intervened at the Hungarian authorities in order to allow the guest performance of the band. A similar event happened in 1987 when Fred Sinowatz, the Austrian chancellor had to interact with the Hungarian Ministry of Culture. They played in the "Mythen, Monstren and Mutationen" festival in Berlin, Tempodrom, 1988, together with La Fura dels Baus, where VHK was the best surprise (Zitty Berlin, 1988). Einstürzende Neubauten, Henry Rollins, Jello Biafra and Iggy Pop regarded VHK as one of the most important bands. VHK hosted Rollins Band in Hungary where they were shocked on the overwhelming effect of VHK on the audience. Rollins Band invited VHK for a tour in England which occured in 1989. In 1992, the CD "Hammering on the Gates of Nothingness" reached the 2nd position on the Top-100 list of the year of a Belgian Radio. Dietmar Lupfer, the first manager of the band, and later on the famous American cult label Alternative Tentacles released "Teach Death a Lesson" (1988), "Jump Out the World-Instinct"(1990), "Hammering on the Gates of Nothingness" (1992). The London chief of Alternative Tentacles Bill Gilliam described the music of VHK as "primal God-feeling". Many American managers suggested VHK to play in USA, telling that "every American band wants to play such a music what you, do but they cannot." The VHK released the live-album "Giant Space!"(1994). Dietmar took the band to the New Music Seminar in 1990, New York. The New York Times wrote "the Coroner's music is basic and elemental and filled with obsessive, galvanizing passion." Melody Maker wrote on their show at the Pop Komm!, the large international festival of Germany, where they get the greatest power on the audience. VHK played in the Steirischer Herbst '95, completed with the fellows of Les Tambours du Bronx, 27 people on the same stage. VHK attracted 40000 people in 1996 in the Diáksziget (Student's Island) festival, one of the biggest festivals of Europe, and reached an extraordinary effect on the crowd. Iggy Pop declared them as the most interesting band today (1996). They split up in 2001. The band reformed as Vágtázó Életerő (Galloping Life Force) in 2008, their reunion show was at Pecsa music hall on April 26, 2009. They decided to change the name because the original drummer couldn't be a part of the reunion (and because they thought that the new name fits their activity more). In 2012 they released their new album as Vágtázó Halottkémek and appeared at the World's End festival as VHK again. Vágtázó Halottkémek (Hungarian), also known as Galloping Coroners (English), Rasende Leichenbeschauer (German).

Members

	Balatoni Endre perc, kal, voc
	Soós Lajos b, vn, voc
	Grandpierre Attila voc
	Ipacs László dr
	Németh László g
	Czakó Sándor g, voc
	Sidoó Attila g
	Molnár Lajos g
	Mestyán Ádám b, voc
	Árvai Viktor
	Tóth Csenge b