The band formed in 1984 in Trowbridge, Wiltshire. The original lineup consisted of singer/guitarist Trevor Tanner, drummer Jan Kalicki, and bassist Nick Chown; Tanner and Kalicki had previously played together in the short-lived punk band Moskow, where Trevor performed as Trevor Flynn (his mothers maiden name). Early gigs supported the likes of The Cult, The March Violets, and Lords of the New Church. In 1985, the band released their debut single, Sob Story, followed by the mini-album, Giants and their hit song "Happy Boy". Word of mouth was such that the Bolshoi were able to sell out many of their early headlining performances.
The band migrated to London in 1985, and their lineup expanded to include Paul Clark on keyboards. In 1986, they released their first full-length album, Friends, and expanded their touring schedule to U.S., South America, and Poland. It was followed in 1987 by the album Lindy's Party, on which the sound was more pop-oriented. TC Wall, reviewing the album in Underground magazine, described Lindy's Party as "completely confident, commercial, professional, and dangerously catchy" and "a fine album that'll be caressed for generations".
Stylistically, The Bolshoi was difficult to categorize. It has been described as a proto-goth band, similar in their live act to fellow Beggars Banquet signees, Bauhaus. Tanner was recognized for his dark, pensive lyrics that belied a social responsibility and awareness.
After the release of Lindy's Party, the band recorded a fourth album, but problems with their record label management impeded its release, and they disbanded as the 1980s drew to a close. The unreleased fourth album, apparently titled "Country Life", is reportedly still in the vaults at Beggars Banquet.
Trevor Tanner started a new group, Kite, who sounded similar to the Bolshoi, with Jason Stainthorpe from Then Jericho on bass and Ian Whitehead on drums, and recorded an album with Adrian Borland from The Sound. This album still remains unreleased to this day.
Since the band disbanded Trevor Tanner moved across the Atlantic to the USA and has continued to record both as a solo artist and as a founding member of 'cult' Celtic Rock band Rathkeltair. Paul Clark also moved to the USA, to Seattle, and is currently the owner/editor of electronicmusic.com and working on a solo recording.
Discography
Studio albums
Giants (1985)
Friends (1986)
Lindy's Party (1987)
Country Life (c.1988, unreleased)
Compilations
Bigger Giants (1990)
A Way - Best of The Bolshoi (1999)
