Lady Pank is a popular Polish rock band, started in 1981 in Warsaw by Jan Borysewicz and Andrzej Mogielnicki. Its first hit was Mała Lady Punk ("Little Lady Punk").
Lady Pank garnered some attention in the United States in 1986, when MTV placed the video for the band's single Minus Zero on rotation. The title was somewhat changed for the English language release; the original Polish title Mniej niż zero means "less than zero".
Lady Pank was quite a curiosity on the Polish musical market in that they gained widespread attention and notoriety even before they were actually formed. The group, which was originally planning to call itself "Żużel" ("clinker", but also "speedway"), received a lot of media coverage as a result of a skillfully conducted promotional campaign.
The video for one of the band's greatest hits Zawsze Tam Gdzie Ty is set on Chicago's 'L', the Quincy Station in particular.
Lineups and musicians edit:
Lady Pank's lineup has changed many times over the years but the core of Jan Borysewicz and Janusz Panasewicz have maintained a specific and recognizable sound for the quintet. The role of the frontman is played by lead vocalist Panasewicz, with occasional help from guitarist Borysewicz (who has sung lead on a few tracks).
The original members of band were:
Jan Borysewicz - solo guitar,
Janusz Panasewicz - vocal,
Paweł Mścisławski - bass guitar,
Edmund Stasiak - guitar,
Jarosław Szlagowski - drums,
The band's current line up is:
Jan Borysewicz - solo guitar/vocal,
Janusz Panasewicz - vocal,
Kuba Jabłoński- drums,
Krzysztof Kieliszkiewicz - bass guitar,
Michal Sitarski - guitar,
The band's most popular songs are: Tańcz głupia, tańcz ("Dance stupid, dance"), Mniej niż zero ("Less than zero"), Wciąż bardziej obcy ("More and more strange"), Kryzysowa narzeczona ("A Crisis fiancée"), Zamki na piasku ("Castles on the sand"), Tacy sami ("Just the same"), Zostawcie Titanica ("Leave the Titanic"), Mała wojna ("Small war"), Zawsze tam gdzie ty ("Always there, where you are"), Znowu pada deszcz ("It's raining again"), Na granicy ("On the Border"), Stacja Warszawa (" WarsawStation").
Live performances edit:
In 1983 alone, the group performed live 369 times. After another three years the total number of live shows grew to over 800, a record at the time in Poland. On November 30, 2000 Lady Pank played a jubilee concert in Wrocław, celebrating the group's 18th birthday.
Instruments edit:
Both Jan Borysewicz and the other guitar players in the band have a soft spot in their hearts for Fender Stratocaster guitars and Marshall amplifiers, although recently they have also been experimenting with Orange amplifiers. Lady Pank's road crew is also very partial to this equipment.
