These are probably rhetorical questions, but never mind that.
I should keep promise to myself that if I start something, I should continue that regardless of my moods, plans or anything that may occur. This time it's is blogging.
My last post was (oh dear Lord) in April...since then so many things happened, I've visited so many places, a gigantic amount of photographs is waiting for me to be sorted out...
The best way of getting ahead is getting started...that probably will be my motto for the next months.
Last year I made promise to myself to keep the track of events in my live via this blog, post pictures, thoughts, memorable stories here...despite the fact that there is a lot going on right now (this is the major reason why roof example I'm writing this post in my bed on my iPad at 3.50 am) - lectures, studying, writing dissertation for master's degree, job searching, kitchen refurbishment at our apartment an so on and so forth...from now on - I WILL regularly update my blog, even if it's just for me (or some of my friends to whom I casually send the link LOL).
So without further ado...let's get back to blogging!
On 5th of April I took a night train and arrived to a beautiful city of St. Petersburg in the morning. The whole trip was a real adventure, though it only lasted for 2 days, but it was fun. I spent afternoon exploring the city, after that I grabbed my booked-ages-ago-from-Moscow ticket from the agency, that part was particularly hard, because me + map + strange city = disaster, but I made it.
Fortunately finding Yubileyny Sports Palace was much easier, as it was right in front of the tube station (I got lost in St. Petersburg metro btw, but that's a long story).
We arrived 3 hours before the show, people were of course already gathering there, only a few hundreds (I say only a few hundreds, because I believe in the whole at least 10000 (!) people came to the gig, that includes both standing and sitting tickets). As you may recall on twitter Jesse was unsure whether they would be able to fully fill the stadium. On the contrary - it was packed!!! (I must add a number of folks like me, who traveled from Moscow was impressing, I recognized almost all of them from the previous gig).
Boys begun once again with 'My Shadow', but there was something wrong with the sound, so Tom started with the second line...but then decided to start the song all over again (giggling)...
The setlist was pretty much the same as at the Moscow gig:
My Shadow
You Are Young
Nothing In My Way
Everybody's Changing
The Starting Line
This Is The Last Time
Sovereign Light Café
Spiralling
A Bad Dream
Disconnected
Bend and Break
Black Rain
Perfect Symmetry
Somewhere Only We Know
On The Road
Bedshaped
Is It Any Wonder?
Encore:
18. Sea Fog
19. Silenced By The Night
20. Crystal Ball
Quick recap of the gig:
a) Gerberas were again thrown from the first rows onto the stage...
b) this time we lighted the glowsticks during 'Black Rain' at the words '...I open my eyes, everything shines...'
c) another girl did the same trick with 'Tom-wish-me-a-happy-b-day-sign'...not original anymore, but she got what she wanted!
'Would you like tonight to be you Birthday party?' - Tom Chaplin
d) Tom's reaction after 'A Bad Dream' - once again priceless. 'You guys went crazy!'
e) Tom's comparison of the song 'The Starting Line' to the vodka...xD
f) Only one word that Mr. Chaplin learned so far in Russian is - SPASIBO . I shoot that moment on my phone. One fan in the front row screamed 'Your Russian is great!' - Tom's reaction to that - 'Based on one word?' (after a few songs people cheered Spasibo - Guys were delighted, Tom's reply was - 'No, thank YOU'!)
g) Tom - 'In England we all complain about the weather, but really we're pussies compare to you'...'How long is the summer here, like 2 weeks?' - to what we screamed - 'Our summer started today!'
h) My favorite moment when Tom was given Russian flag with the words 'YOUR RUSSIAN ARMY' written on it! 'I guess have to be very careful when I say about this after all what's happened in the past...but it's brilliant to have you here on our side tonight...' - said Tom.
Pics spam:
And some more:
P.S. Lovely World flag was always covering the drums before the shows!
And a little treat (from Igor Malakhov): (by little treat I mean HQ photos)
We have been waiting since September the 3rd 2009! And here they are! Keane came to Russia to present their fourth studio album 'Strangeland'. A gig took place at relatively new venue - ArenaMoscow, which opened maybe a year and a half ago. One of the biggest venues in Moscow - Arena seated approximately 5 thousand (!) Keane fans on 4th of April!
I must say, we came prepared for the show. A month ago about 100 of us decided that we should prepare memorable welcome for our favorite band and so we did the following...
firstly, hundred of white A4 signs with the words 'WELCOMEBACK!' rose in the air as soon as we saw the boys taking the stage!
secondly, right after the first song dozens of flowers (Gerberas) were thrown on the stage (in Russia it's usually very common to thank artists for their performances with flowers). To this we got Tom's reply - "I think, that's the most beautifully decorated stage I've ever been to". Right after these words poor Tom spent a few minutes collecting them off the stage. He got a handful of the flowers and put them in that box he usually stands on during some songs.
I took a vid of that...
thirdly, the glowsticks - we agreed on lighting them together precisely at the beginning of 'Silenced By the Night' - for the mood! I bet from the stage it looked beautiful.
to all of this I must add endless FREAKIN' LOUD screaming of 'WE LOVE KEANE', 'THANK YOU KEANE', 'СПАСИБО KEANE', 'RUSSIA LOVES KEANE' or simply 'KEANE' on repeat. Sometimes the crowd screamed so loud and for so long, guys couldn't start the song (poor chaps were giving us signals to calm down, but hey - WE CAN'T CALM DOWN, KEANE DON'T COME TO RUSSIA EVERY DAY!)
anyways, the atmosphere was magical/electrified/captivating/energized - those who have been on Keane gigs can continue the list...
Here's the setlist:
My Shadow
Day Will Come
Nothing In My Way
Everybody's Changing
The Starting Line
This Is the Last Time
Sovereign Light Café
Spiralling
A Bad Dream
Disconnected
Bend and Break
Black Rain
Perfect Symmetry
You Are Young
Somewhere Only We Know
On the Road
Bedshaped
Is It Any Wonder?
Encore:
19.Sea Fog
20.Silenced by the Night
21.Crystal Ball
Boys started with 'My Shadow', which was a bit unusual as we all expected something energetic, but nevertheless everyone in the crowd took up the melody and started singing!
Tom was especially shocked when during the new songs he heard us also singing along - "I'm so happy to hear you guys know already all the lyrics. You guys are Internet geniuses." - he said.
During the gig there was a girl standing with a sign - 'Tom, please wish me a Happy Birthday!'.
Tom took the sigh and asked her name. "Kate!" - first, he didn't hear and said "Gay?!" xD and then "ah, Kate! But wait that's an English name, are you English?!" (anyways Tom being lovely as usual wished her a Happy B-day and continued the show).
Here it is...
Right before 'A Bad Dream' - Tom mentioned that they haven't played it for ages, but were asked to sing it at the gig during the radio show in the morning. (He also said that they had no idea the song was so popular in Russia, since the venue squealed with delight after he introduced that song - the same happened at St. Petersburg gig btw).
Here's that part...(plus the moment of how Tom reacts on flowers thrown on the stage)
Tom apologizing for the fact that it's taken them so long to release a new record...
I always love the moment when 'Everybody's Changing' starts - the venue bursts with screams. I even saw a grumpy security guard singing along to it.
"You guys are fucking brilliant!" - Tom Chaplin.
Pics time (first ones are from phone)...
sorry for a bit crappy quality but I decided to share everything...
Photos (for some reason blogger is acting up, so I can't upload all of them, so click if you want here for my flickr):
Exclusive treat for you from Anton B. at lifemusic.ru:
Twentysomething. Living in Moscow. Currently obtaining Master's Degree in International Business Management. This blog is simply my outlook on life. Thank you for reading! Hope you engoy! x
