The Humorless Ladies of Border Control–Franz Nicolay

Franz Nicolay, former member of The Hold Steady and other bands, toured Eastern Europe as a solo act, and wrote down what he found — first in a tour through Russia, Ukraine and Mongolia, and then in two tours in the Balkans — in this book that is part state of the punk worldwide, part history lesson on the most provincial and ancient sites through his route.

Despite being a figure in the international punk scene, Nicolay rarely mentions his concerts. He only does so to introduce the slew of odd characters who are bookers, concert producers and bar managers who show him around and often share their worldview, or at least their view on their cities. He instead focuses on the politics of what people say it’s important to them. But Nicolay doesn’t just take their word for it. He is well-read and he constantly compares his travels and his notes to other travellers who have written down, in different centuries, about the places he visits, as well as to local thinkers.

This makes the book full of interesting characters and anecdotes that never develop further, because it’s always time to pack up and head somewhere else. Yet Nicolay tries to find a connecting thread, though it’s not very clear what, exactly, is that. There is both an attempt to paint the soul of slavic people and the carefulness of not being too broad, so the book ends up feeling fragmented. However, its description of landscape, history and, especially, people, are definitely worth a read for those interested in those parts of the world.