@Traktor, Asleep in the Park and The C-Men at Bochka Khmilna, Oct. 5th, 2008

Oct. 8th, 2008 | 11:12 am
mood: cheerful

Now that was fun.

We were very grateful to be asked to perform as special guests and what we knew would be a great show and we weren’t disappointed.

I got to Bochka at 7 am for soundcheck, finding myself the only C-Man there at that time.  Various bodies were scattered around, however, mostly of Australian extraction.  Marty and his ever-present winter hat seemed to be the most lively.  Max was right out of it with fatigue, barely clinging to the stair upon which she had perched herself.  Simon and Naomi were laid out on the bench seats, somehow managing to sleep while the preternaturally perky Sasha and Alyona of @Traktor went through their check.  Eventually, other C-People showed up, except for Mick, who lives (I think) in Minsk and is a prima donna 🙂

I was absolutely calm right up until we started, but then my right leg started shaking as though it were possessed by Elvis.  The others were their normal selves and seemed unaffected, especially the real “showmen” in the band, Mick and Ira.  At one point, Ira had some young fan licking her knee.  Mick was clearly enraged with envy and – no matter how much his thrust his extremities at the audience – no one took it upon him/herself to lick them.

We did our 11 songs and hied off the stage, to make way for Asleep in the Park.  Man, they were good.  I’m never really sure just how to categorise their music; I just know that I like it.  Really well-written tunes, with unforgettable hooks and played with an extraordinary amount of energy.  They really got people moving.  And they played both “Skeleton” (my favourite tune of theirs,) as well as “Jailbreak,” by AC/DC!  What more could I ask?

@Traktor is not a band suited for quiet reflection.  Sasha and Alyona really bang it out and the audience lapped it up.  They gained a huge fan immediately in the person of our Ira, who gushed enthusiastically about their performance.

All in all, although 50 UAH is a lot for many people, I truly believe they got their money’s worth.

P.S.  Irka has correctly pointed out that AITP did NOT play “Jailbreak,” but rather “TNT” by AC/DC/  This is a clear case of my believing what I wanted to believe.