Moods were lifted tho when we arrived at our hotel and found out that Down was staying in the same place. Sadly it was too late to try and catch the show (good thing I saw them play Copenhell!), but luckily we had a chance to say hi when they rolled back in. At that point we learned that Blackmore's Night was also in the hood, so Matt and I decided the only logical thing to do was go out and celebrate over drinks :) The only thing better than making new friends in far away lands, is finding out their hometown is not so far away from yours. I shared beers with folks from as close as New Jersey and Long Island, and even met friends of the infamous Tommy Skriver. Tommy was working back line for King Diamond back when I first got this job, and is forever a member of the KD family. Now that I know my new friends, audio extraordinaire Pete Retsey and drummer David Keith, are hanging out up in Connecticut with him, I might just have to get up there for a visit!
I took the next day to get reacquainted with the down town. I ran into a stage that was blocked off for what seemed to be a dress rehearsal, but the sounds of the opera singer backed up by a full symphony that filled the air as I wondered Red Square made my walk pretty sweet. I had been there before so I wasn't as floored as the first time, but St. Basil's Cathederal is still an awesome sight to see. I also took this day to take advantage of HappyCow.com and map out some vegetarian restaurants. Have I mentioned I love HappyCow? In general, Russia is nightmare for vegans. The cuisine is primarily meat, and while I can always find something, it's very challenging when not even the alphabet is recognizable and few people speak English. I treated myself to a meal at Fresh (I say treated because Moscow is very expensive) and it was delish! Other than that, it was the girl at Subway who knew enough English to understand "all vegetables" that got me through my visit.
Playing the show in Moscow was a blast, but there were some disappointing details. We found out that ticket prices were either high, very high, or unbelievably high, depending on the section. Not cool. While we understand that this is a business, we want fans to be able to afford to see the show! There was also an issue with merch so we had none at the venue, and I've already read about fans being bummed out they couldn't buy a tee shirt. It's a shame because we have so much fun playing the shows and want the fans to walk away feeling like they had an incredible night. Remember, to catch up on KD news you can always find out the latest HERE. I also got my butt back on the FORUM so I can keep up with what fans are saying :)
I wanted to do some more sight seeing before we left town but I caught a cold and spent much of the rest of my time there trying to sleep it off. Apparently writing down "decongestant" in Russian and showing it to the counterperson at the pharmacy won't get you anything. Overall it was cool to be back in Russia, but I'm looking forward to Finland!
Pat Bruders looking un-human and a snarling David Keith |
Pete Restey |
Good morning Moscow! |
Look to the streets for signage in St. Pete |