Red Fulka — Moscow Experience

On my way home from 1 week in Moscow with 4 Live appearances

November 26 2012

I am sitting in Munich airport, waiting for my connection flight to return home. 1 week Moscow feels like much longer and much shorter at the same time. I really enjoyed it there — weather was mild and even sunny some days, our apartment was in a nice area near main street Tverskaya — one day we walked the 3 km to Red Square where we took the obligatory tourist pictures that prove … yes, we've been there!! Our organizer Usha was just fantastic, so relaxed and on the ball at the same time, always with humor and nothing was impossible. Due to visa and ticket problems I was the first 4 days alone without Kareem — my first Live date was at a group of Veetmano, an American Sannyasin who's becoming very popular in Russia because of appearing since many months in a weekly TV program about people with paranormal abilities — it was held at White Cloud Center and there were about 130 people, mostly women, as always in Russia at this kind of consciousness events. They were incredibly enthusiastic and I played quite a lot as support of Veetmano’s work, both for meditation and for wild dancing. Next day I played at the same place, as guest in the concert of a friend, Italian Hang master Davide Swarup. It was great fun and the music was adventurous and spontaneous. Next day was with Red Fulka at an event called Sticky Jam, where 6 or 7 bands were performing between 10pm and 7am next morning. The venue, Moscow Hall, was black, gloomy and smoky and we first felt a bit our of place (well, I did, not sure about Kareem) – luckily we were the first band and did not have to wait til 6 am – it was meant to be a small promotion for our main concert the next day and we played only 30 minutes, 4 songs – but to our surprise the people who had come early enough to see us (about 100) were immediately into it and started dancing 10 seconds into the first song Tantric Tiger. Russian audiences are direct and fun and don’t waste any time- they show you what they feel and think without hiding (which applies to Russians in general, as much as I can judge that) — it puts a smile on my face just to think of the final big Red Fulka concert last night at the Open World (230 tickets sold, not bad for the premi?re in Russia) –the people were screaming and jumping and having so much fun. After the concert, what seemed like half of the audience, jumped up on stage to give Kareem and me a hug!! Well, I had asked them to give someone ABNITS, as they call the hugs — didn't expect they were all going to come to us. So after being sandwiched for 30 minutes, we went to eat at a lovely Asian Fusion Restaurant – Moscow has so many exciting places and never sleeps- you can eat a meal pretty much any time of the day or night – also many many supermarkets are open 24 hours. The Ruble rolls fast in this 18-million city. I like Russians – but their charming character treat of showing their true face can also be confronting at times, as with the waiter who treated us like shit because he disliked that I was not happy with the tea I ordered and wanted to change – when he came back with the food plate he literally threw it onto the table and walked on with a stoic face. We all laughed and thought it was hilarious – think of an American waitress at pizza hut doing this – there it’s often the opposite, only fake smiles and pretended interest in the customers. So the first Red Fulka visit tastes like more (smaakt naar meer) and we hope to be able to go back earlier than next year autumn – let’s see, for now, Spassiba Moskva, Lju Blju Vas!

Comments

Please log in to add comments

Sign up with your social networks:

Upcoming events

April 30—May 5, Meeuwenveen, Meeuwenveenweg 1-3, 7970 AB Havelte, The Netherlands
MUSICIAN'S QUEST
Workshops

Community members

Praful cwallackshane Светлана Praful Pachauri Finn Pilegaard ai Michael anvoop Vanessa Syphax Walker Anna Whirling michael butler Keith Traynham