In the fall of 1983, the new wave group Variété was formed in Bydgoszcz, initially under the name Zyzyzy, which was changed to Variete Est Morte (Variety has died), and then to Variete. The original lineup included vocalist, lyricist, and leader Grzegorz Kaźmierczak, as well as Wojciech Woźniak (bass guitar), Jacek Buhl (drums), Radosław Urbański (guitar), and Sławomir Abramowicz (saxophone). The band debuted before a wider audience at the Jarocin Festival in 1984, showcasing music in the cold wave genre, partially inspired by the achievements of The Cure or Joy Division, enriched with Kaźmierczak’s original poetic lyrics. The band was distinguished at the festival. It’s worth noting that the group returned to the Jarocin stage in 1985 (Golden Ten), 1986 (as a star), and in 1990-92 and 1994.
In 1985, Variété entered the studio to record two tracks for their debut single “And Again, Someone Moved the Stones”/”These Days” (the original title “Cross” was vetoed by censorship). In March 1986, Variété, assisted by violinist Bernard Pyrzyk, recorded material for their first album, tentatively titled “Bydgoszcz”. When everything was ready for release, unknown perpetrators stole the master tape from a car belonging to a friend of the band, which has not been found to this day. Only poor-quality copies circulated in Poland. One of these was published in 1992 by Academic Radio Pomorze without the musicians’ consent. The album was officially released on CD in 2002 by Furia Musica under the modified title “Bydgoszcz 1986”.
The Jarocin ’86 concert was filmed by a BBC television crew making the documentary “My Blood Your Blood”. Due to poor stage lighting, it ultimately did not make it into the film.
A year later, the band suspended activities but resumed a few months later with the lineup of Kaźmierczak-Woźniak-Buhl. Urbański joined soon after, alternating with Marek Maciejewski from 1988, who became a full member in 1990 after Urbański left. Jacek Buhl was replaced in 1989 by Tomasz “Pearl” Dorn (drums) from Abaddon. This lineup recorded the simply titled “Variété” album in 1993, marking a partial stylistic change (jazz elements can be heard), as well as subsequent albums. In 1992, Kaźmierczak and company won the FMR Jarocin. Before recording the “New Material” album, Dorn was replaced by Jarek Hejman. In 2006, co-founder Woźniak left the group. In the fall of that year, the band went to New York, where they recorded the album “The Scent of Departure” during a six-month stay with American musicians Luigi Francescini (drums) and Donald Dixon (bass guitar). The album was released in April 2008 by the independent label Kuka Records.
Although Variété is considered by many to be a leading representative of the cold wave, Grzegorz Kaźmierczak seems to distance himself from this genre in contemporary statements. It is worth noting that he is also the author of two collections of poems: “Hunger and Surfeit” and “Record-Play”.
The official discography is supplemented by a demo cassette titled “Nothing” distributed by the band in 1984.
Discography – Studio Albums:
– And Again, Someone Moved the Stones – single, 1984
– Nothing – bootleg, 1984
– Bydgoszcz (recorded in 1986, released in 1992)
– Variété (1993)
– Koncert Teatr STU (Concert at the STU Theatre – live concert album, 1995)
– Wieczór przy balustradzie (Evening by the Balustrade, 1996)
– Nowy materiał (New Material, 2005)
– Zapach wyjścia (The Scent of Departure, 2008)
– Piosenki Kolonistów (Colonists’ Songs, 2013)
– PPA (Live from Przegląd Piosenki Aktorskiej, Wrocław 2015)
– Nie Wiem (I Don’t Know, 2017)
– Dziki Książę (Wild duke, 2021)