Thunderbike Jokerfest 2026

Major Healey – The Wild Side of the Seventies

Major Healey is a rock band with roots in classic rock and blues rock. The focus is on handmade music, clear guitar lines, and a straightforward sound that works live. Without a lot of staging, but with a lot of enthusiasm and closeness to the audience. As support at Jokerfest 2026, they provide the perfect start to the concert evening and set the stage for the main act.

Web link to Major Healey

The Leningrad Cowboys are a Finnish rock band known for their ironic style, exaggerated pompadour hairstyles, and pointed shoes. Founded in 1987 from the cult group Sleepy Sleepers, they combine rock 'n' roll with satire and absurd theater. They gained worldwide fame through films by director Aki Kaurismäki and their spectacular performances with the Alexandrov Ensemble (Red Army Choir).

Origin and style

• Establishment: 1987, Helsinki, Finland
• Genres: Comedy rock, hard rock, glam rock
• Well-known members: Sakke Järvenpää, Ville Tuomi, Varre Vartiainen
• cult film: Leningrad Cowboys Go America (1989)
• Current name: LC Cowboys (since 2025 for performances in Finland)  

Die Band entstand als satirisches Projekt von Kaurismäki und Mitgliedern der Sleepy Sleepers, um den Zusammenbruch der Sowjetunion humorvoll zu kommentieren. Ihr Look mit meterhohen Tollen und überlangen Schuhspitzen wurde zu einem Markenzeichen. Musikalisch mischen sie Coverversionen von The Beatles, Led Zeppelin oder Lynyrd Skynyrd mit Polka-, Folk- und Metal-Elementen – stets mit augenzwinkernder Selbstironie  .

Major appearances and collaborations

In 1993, the Leningrad Cowboys played the legendary Total Balalaika Show-Concert on Senate Square in Helsinki in front of 70,000 spectators with 160 singers from the Alexandrov Ensemble; followed in 1994 by the Berlin Nokia Balalaika Show-Spektakel. Sie traten auch bei den MTV Video Music Awards neben The Rolling Stones und Bruce Springsteen auf  .

Cinematic presence

Kaurismäki filmed their absurd adventures in Leningrad Cowboys Go America (1989) and Leningrad Cowboys Meet Moses (1994); the concert documentary Total Balalaika Show made the band famous worldwide. Today, these works are considered classics of Finnish cult cinema.

Recent activities

After a hiatus starting in 2013, the group returned in 2025 as LC Cowboys with the gospel group Harlem Angels. At the same time, they released the Christmas album Rockin’ Christmas! (2025) und kündigten eine Finnland-Tournee an  .

To this day, the Leningrad Cowboys embody a unique combination of rock, humor, and theatrical performance—a Finnish pop phenomenon with global cult status.

Web link to the Leningrad Cowboys