N.O.M.

N.O.M.
N.O.M, in Odintsovo, 2009. Yuri Saltykov (left) and Andrey Kagadeyev
Background information
Origin	Saint Petersburg
Genres	Art rock, avant-rock, ska, post-punk
Years active	1986–present
Labels	Фирма "Мелодия" SoLyd Records General Records Caravan Records SNC Records
Associated acts	AVIA
Website	http://www.nomspb.ru/
Members	Andrey Kagadeyev Nikolay Gusev Alexander Liver Vitaly Lapin Nikolai Kopeykin Varvara Zverkova Vadim Latyshev Fedool Zhadniy
Past members	Ivan Turist (Yuri Saltykov) Sergey Kagadeyev Ivan Sokolovsky Alexey Rakhov Sergey Butuzov Nikolai Rodionov Vladimir Postnichenko

N.O.M. (also, NOM: Neformálnoye objedinénie molodiózhi, The Informal Youth Association) is a Soviet/Russian experimental rock band, formed in 1987 in Saint Petersburg (then Leningrad), known for its mix of art rock, ska, folklore, classical influences (including occasional bouts of operatic singing) and eccentric theatrical stage shows. N.O.M.'s national breakthrough came in the late 1980s when LenTV started playing the band's controversial videos. Short-time heroes of post-Perestroika alternative culture, N.O.M. have never been accepted neither by the massive pop/rock audiences, nor by the mainstream Russian media, but gathered a strong cult following. The band split into two in 1997, but the 2000s saw NOM-Zhir and NOM-Euro gradually reintegrating, the official reunion concert held on 20 April 2007 in the Saint Petersburg's "Port" Club.

The band was formed in Pushkin, Saint Petersburg in 1986 by a group of friends, then students of technical colleges and young engineers, who shared the same interests in music, literature and theatre. The name Neformalnoye objedinenie molodyozhi came from the Perestroika media lexicon and referred to the (generally derided) umbrella term by which the 'reforming' Communist party tried to 'organize' (and this way control) whatever youth communities they deemed 'informal' (and therefore potentially dangerous).

N.O.M.'s founding members were: Sergey Kagadeyev (vocals), Andrey Kagadeyev (bass guitar), Dmitry Tikhonov (keyboards, vocals), Sergey Butuzov (guitar) and Nikolai Rodionov (drums, flute). Exotic monikers, used by the musicians later became their stage alter egos.

In February 1987 N.O.M. released their debut demo. Initially intended as a musical and theatrical illustration to Andrey Kagadeyev's short story Протез ("Prosthetic"), it was recorded at his home on the primitive Soviet Astra tape-recorder and reminded the absurdist rock of Zvuki Mu. Soon after that N.O.M. took part in the TV musical competition, performed there "Ламца-Дрица" humorous couplets and were surprised to find themselves among the laureates. The band decided to become professional and defined their artistic credo as "the idiotization of all the dramatic sides of our everyday and cultural life, as well as over-dramatizaton of [life's] most idiotic aspects."