Damo

Damo Suzuki with V.O.M.: Bad Seed (Sax), Bimka (Broken Sound Devices, Clarinet), Grin’ko (Drums), Lampi (Sound Devices), Monochuvak (Bass), Stereochuvak (Guitar) and Zen Porno (Guitar, Noises) http://nobullshit.ru/!english

Next day We had time to walk around Pskov in the afternoon. Night had long legs last night. Every sound carriers drunk a lot….I mean Russian’s drink quite a lot no compare with West Europe. At 6pm We took Pskov to Moscow night train…12 hours it took. I and two Antons in same cabin with a businessman who was in Japan and he loves to be there. Normally, passengers buy before get into the night train, drinks and something to eat, 12 hours ride in train is endless long.

Anton, the organizer bought vodka and some snacks. You can order tee, cafe and warm foods in your cabin. There is always a service woman on each wagons. Train it’s self is kind of nostalgia time trip. Moscow has many central station like London or Paris. We arrived at Leningrad Station, next morning early at 6. Hundreds of people get out from the train, taxi driver is asking if you need taxi on platform already, also luggage carriers ask you to carry your heavy duties.

Morning at around station area is amazing and living. Food shops makes white smoke, flower shops (I always wonder there are lots of flower shops in Russia..one of mains shops..). People who’s going to their working place are in hurry and not really happy faces in cold morning. Say good bye to other sound carriers until this evening. Parted in some groups, go different direction melt in people. ….It took while to find Boris’s place even I’m several times in Moscow, I’d never went out alone always attended by friends. Boris with loud voice saying “Da~Mo~o-o!!…welcome to Mo-S-Coww!” his voice comes from his balcony. Boris don’t speak English, I don’t speak his language..still we are close friends since several years.

Actually wake up so early is not his world..he wasn’t having sleep last night he told me. Anton and Julian stayed for a while took breakfast together. After a while I slept for a couple of hours, anyway Boris seems to be very tired Ikura Club..translate : Caviar Club. If you’re expert for Japanese sushi then you know Ikura..this is actually Russian word. Not that much people realize that Hamburger is originally comes from Russia, even Gyoza (Korean bake pasta inside meat) is also Russia as origin. Not that much people know that Russian food is really tasty and interesting in a way they cook and serve. I like Russian foods a lot. Even fast food street eat away shop is better than western countries. Specially I like is Potatoes in Alufoil, you can choose two different sauce from seven or different sauce. Sauces are vegan, fish, meat, you can find for every taste. I like this fast food made in Russia. Much healthy tasty than Big M’s or Kings….You can find every corner of main street like you can find sausages in Germany. Korb (sausage) in Sweden.

The venue has long narrow carpet way to entrance from outside. Feeling like to get into secret meeting of those bosses from dark underworld. Kind of gorgeous (which is not seldom in Moscow). African, the guy from Ukline showed up, without him, we could not have this tour, also though him I met VOM people. I take this space and say thanks to African.

I stayed one extra day in Moscow. Boris took us to Azerbaijan Restaurant. Seems to be original ambient from it’s origin country. There are many former Soviets Union countries restaurant. Also Russia is huge country with many unknown things. Every visit I learn more…

Damo Suzuki with Magical Unicellular Music (V.O.M.4): Bimka (Broken Sound Devices, Guitar), Grin’ko (Drums), Monochuvak (Bass), Stereochuvak (Guitar) and Zen Porno (Guitar, Noises)

Julian, I know for years is a camera man making film from Peters. He joined our van to Pskov.

This is first time, I perform out of Peters and Moscow. Also know other cities in Russia is interesting. Van ride took around 4 hours through grey uncomfortable ambient and smells of winter, clouds are heavy looks like they might drop from sky at next moment This stretch is almost you can see nothing, ruin like farmer house, freezing woods, even this road is head up to Minsk, quite busy road. Pskov is a small city quite closer to Belarus.

People in Peters and Moscow say Pskov is nice place to visit for sentimental reason. Buildings are standing still since long and there is no modernization. I mean this nostalgia is thing that only domestic people can feel and smell as they know history and situations however. So, ? was staying my brain whole day. “Nostalgia”? Hum…maybe that is feeling like if I come back to 60’s. Anyway Peters and Moscow people like this city for this reason. Not many foreigner artists come here and perform even Russian artists to perform here is seems to be seldom..so, when we started full of people. Nina was good looking young lady who translated my interview. Off course I had fun to give interview for local paper. Place like here is still foreigner like me is very seldom. Many eyes concentrate to my direction when I walking down the street. Peters and Moscow sound carries traveled together. They’re enjoying to be here escape from busy top 2 cities of Russia.

Damo Suzuki with Magical Unicellular Music (V.O.M.4): Bimka (Broken Sound Devices), Grin’ko (Drums), Monochuvak (Bass), Stereochuvak (Guitar) and Zen Porno (Guitar, Noises)

After 10 hours of did-I-sleep?-or-I-couldn’t-sleep situation, the Night train slide into Belarus Station (Moscow has nine railway terminals) , we get out from the train as last guest in that wagon, we have still enough time. Early morning at railway station has much ambient, workers going, small shops around the station has been opened waiting for customers, many things to eat already at this time, café shop, etc….nice smells and white steam smoke from the ground c….

I like Moscow in this period of the day. Through all these living ambient, we took metro (most beautiful tube in the world….station is like in museum or castle… ) to get Europe Square where we can change train to Airport. It’s quite new railway and railway station. Inside train was enough place for suits cases and stretch legs. Flight was also getting modern than last time I took exactly same line and same route a few years ago. St.Petersburg is one of most amazing city in Europe for my taste for long time. Moscow is interesting city too. But, becoming money orientated city…. as far as I heard 70 percents of Russian budget flew to Moscow. Peters (St.Petersburg) is just opposite…it’s cultural metropolis….. It’ very difficult to find one classical music composer who had never been here to, study or work. Prokofiev, Rachmaninov, Shostakovich, Tchaikovsky, Mussorgsky, etc……all were here…and there sons of St.Petersburg.

In fact the city has full of interesting places to go . Don’t forget Hermitage..a great museum, Peters inhabitants are proud of. Or look at all those 18th century buildings in spot light in the night. You feel you are back to 18th century. Peters is not that old around 250 years old. Still Peters is kind of culture metropolis and much original also provocative than Moscow. Much power comes from deep, while Moscow is elegant and trendy. Performance at this venue is first time even I perform in Peters for 6 times. People here is so friendly. At this stage I feel getting gout again. Concert went pretty good… met a couple of friends, Kate, Julian, etc….. After I went to Sashas place. He told me he has difficulties with financial crisis and lost many many money. He has publishing company. Since I came to Russia people’s talk number one is world wide financial crises. It was kind of lucky in unlucky. This stage my gout was getting really terrible with pain. I was lucky that Sasha has also problem with gout and he had strong medicine against this painful attack. He gave me some medicine for tonight and for following days. And I tell you this helped me a lot next days. Sasha, Sasha’s wife, Kate and other guy who is looks like a singer of Stones ate and talk….theme was off course world financial crises.…

Damo Suzuki with Magical Unicellular Music (V.O.M.3 + V.O.M.5 + V.O.M.23): Batman Electricity (Guitar), Dee (Guitar), Hamlet (Bass), Lampi (Sound Devices), Mitya (Bass), Stereochuvak (Guitar) and Tubbi (Drums)

There is a quite few direct flight from outside to Minsk, a capital of last communist country in Europe feeling, I’m going to very isolated place….near but so far. Took flight Cologne to Prague (has modern airport it’s like Western Europe, price here at airport is already level of West.)

Get to terminal to Minsk, not so many people were waiting for flight. Some 15 people? It’s not like international flight, much like island to island private jet. Minsk Airport placed around 40 km outside the city.

I was picked up by Sasha, 21 young guy, is organizing probably alone indie/alternative concerts in Minsk with Alexj after waiting some 10 minutes at meeting point airport. Shops (There were not much) were closed even exchange office..this time almost nobody is at airport. I didn’t check it but, I guess there are not that much flight start and land.

Belarus is isolated.. and one of most unknown countries for many people. I don’t have any idea to expect as this is absolutely exotic country for me. Drive into the city, you can find only field after another, sometimes there are small villages far from the road. On the way you may find parking place with communism propaganda stature. When car get into the city there are block apartment houses in typical communism building style. Somewhere between placed proud communism style official or party building (I imagine). Belarus is far as they don’t have any relationship to Europe for political reason, this country is ruled by a dictator. The city has around 2 million of population and the country has around 9 million people. All solutions are similar to all those communist countries before 1989.

They brought me to Antons apartment. There are many of these apartment house block, almost all buildings are bombed at WW2, so all building is exist after that period…after the war apartment complexes. Anton’s girlfriend who is one of organizer of this show cooked me Salmon and vegetable before I took rest. I slept quite well and deep. When I woke up it was already dark outside. I was invited by Minsk part of V.O.M. V.O.M. is kind of relationship of minimalist musicians since 1993 found here in Minsk then in Moscow. Actually, these people are doing what I am doing…connecting people with music. V.O.M. has different formations…Anything like 50 musicians under same name. From formation to formation they put no…..V.O.M. 4 is Moscow band, etc…..

In the evening we went to rehearsing room belongs to part of V.O.M. sound carriers, who will perform with me tomorrow. In very tiny room, tight to next people. After I, Sasha and the girl who cooked me went to their friend DJ, where I can internet access , She cooked me again food with goods just we bought on the way here in supermarket. Suddenly, I get tired and slept… One thing is so, if you go to foreigner country and you don’t understand speech, you get quite tired.

Next fresh morning we took walk through the city. Pedestrians way is so wide. I just wonder why so wide pedestrians way? I was asking them, what is traditional national food? They say there is not…….Food generally her is same like Russian food. We get into restaurant/bar. I order vodka and the dish a girl beside me recommended …and was good. At this point we were joined by two girls both are students and speaks English. One of both is girlfriend of Sasha, a cute friendly person. Sasha have to prepare for tonight’s concert. So, he let me alone with three nice girls for sightseeing. Then, took taxi to pick up all my stuff as I have to leave at midnight, 10 hours by train to Moscow then get airplane to St/Petersburg. On the way to the venue, I saw thousands of people in public viewing, watching soccer at square, buildings are like dream spotlight from low..many Russian cities has this kind of illumination.

The venue is at middle of main street, clean and modern… place with restaurant/bar upstairs. During sound check appeared Anton from Moscow (There are many Antons), who is organizing this Russian tour and also as sound carrier on guitar and an another Anton (from Minsk). I tell you, how stands this Russian tour… There is a guy called African who contacted me from Ukraine asking if I’m interesting to perform in Ukraine around two years ago via internet. For any reason (mainly financial part), i couldn’t meet the agreement. Later African asked me if I have interest to perform with Russian band he likes/ So, he forwarded my mails to Anton. Then everything went quickly, get visas for Russia and Belarus, etc….Then fixed, Moscow, St.Petersburg and Pskov.

After the show we went to restaurant before take train..we had quite enough time, also station is just few blocks. Eat fake Sushi..(now a days even you can get Sushi at place like here) which wasn’t that bad, was also cheap. Drink and talk, then we went to station through middle of the city in night air. At the platform, many other young people came to say “goodbye” to me and two Antons (one Anton, organiser/guitarist, an another Anton is founder of V.O.M. lives in Minsk).

Train didn’t start soon we had enough time to see each faces on platform and three in train through window. Very sentimental moment….when I’ll see them again?..hopefully take not long. The long train to Moscow carry his weight forwards, very slowly, but seculity. Young people is getting smaller and smaller in midnight.