Money Honey

There is some irony in the fact that Finnish filmmaker Aki Kaurismaki's classic 1980s comedy, Leningrad Cowboys Go America, which follows a morose Soviet rockabilly band on a road trip through the United States, would prove prophetic. However, under a decade later there really was an explosion of rockabilly and psychobilly in St. Petersburg, and it centered on Money Honey, where local bands with big quiffs and checked shirts came to play loud, straightforward rock 'n roll to adoring, hard-drinking fans.

Money Honey club in Saint Petersburg

Although it's long past its heyday, Money Honey still hosts live music every night, by veteran local acts like Rattlesnakes, Barbulators, and The Cadillacs. Many of the patrons are now Russian tourists from out of town, for whom it's become a cultural institution, but there are still enough local regulars to retain a certain atmosphere. While everything else in the club is heavily American-inspired, the menu is inexplicably filled with bland Russian standards, so eating beforehand is advised.