Yeah, so on Sunday I got up pretty early to get to Moscow DME airport, and take S7 airlines to Novosibirsk.
Novosibirsk was founded in 1893 as the future site of the Trans-Siberian Railway bridge crossing the great Siberian river Ob, and was known as Novonikolayevsk after Tsar Nicholas II. The bridge opened for traffic in the spring of 1897. Its importance further increased early in the 20th century with the completion of the Turkestan-Siberia Railway, connecting Novosibirsk to Central Asia and the Caspian Sea. (Ok that's from Wikipedia...)
Yeah so basically Novosibirsk is a pretty young city for Russia, and its right in the middle of the country - there's a little church with a gold roof that some people say is the exact heart of Russia. Pretty cool. And that river Ob is HUGE. The widest river I think I've ever driven over.
Luckily this time it wasn't winter time, so I didn't freeze my nuts off - and the hotel was nice too, they even gave us Quesedillas at 4am when I got back from the club. Although their wine was eeeeuuuurrrrghhhh! hahah!
AS predicted the flight was pretty painful, S7 have got a lot more 737s these days, although I bet they're OLD ones - but this was on my least favourite, the
Tupolev Tu-154.
Supposidely they're very strong and safe, but inside they are SOOOOO cramped and uncomfortable and mega-old looking. Anyway, I made it there and back safe so I won't complain much. But when people applaud on landing like you sometimes get anywhere, you really get a sense its quiet appreciation that we were all still alive...
Gotta say too that the stewardesses were a lot friendlier than I've had in the past, in both directions on this airline. In the past on aeroflot I've been shaken awake, while asleep with earplugs in and eyepatch on, and almost shouted at, intially in Russian, then just "WHITE MEAT OR DARRRRRRRK MEATTTTTT". hahaha. These guys were cool though, I think it helps when I comically try to speak Russian to them, at least a bit of "Spasiba". I learned how to ask for a window seat this time actually, which they loved - "Miessta oo ochna pajalista". Rock on!
The club was really cool though, Rock City - one of those multi-room places I see a lot in Eastern Europe/Russia, where there's a Restuarant, several different mini-clubs inside, sometimes a casino, all sorts of stuff, and loads of flashing strobe lights outside. I hadn't eaten all day so they sorted me out a really nice salad and steak that the waitress poured something on and set alight right at the table. Yum.
Oh yeah and the owner was into big game hunting and there were all sorts of hunting trophies up on the wall, all around me, antelopes, wild boar, even an elephant skull. Intense...
They had really good wine for russia though, I got a nice Chenin Blanc & Chardonnay blend so was happy. Until some drunk girl tried to grab it off me while I was playing. I put her in her place. DO NOT STEAL JOHN B'S PRECIOUS WINE THAT WAS HARD TO FIND. Stealing fine wine off me in Russia is like stealing the last bottle of water in a post apokalyptic bomb shelter as far as I'm concerned. ;-)
Did a fun interview with a lady from MTV Russia backstage (complete with the dancers getting changed right next to us - a first) and then a couple more for internet things I think. I'll post them up here if anyone shows me where they are...
Gig went really well as usual, very intense crowd - half the time it almost looked like they wanted to eat me or something! Really good fun, and took loads of pictures and signed things afterwards usually - but folks - you gotta get some good pens - ball-points really aren't any good for proper body-part-signing! hahah!
Here's a few photos I just took in the club with my iPhone, hopefully I'll be able to find the galleries the professional photographers took this week. If any Russian fans are out there and can send the links I'd be very grateful thanks!
Anyway, thanks to the promoters for putting on great events and BIG thanks to all my Russian fans that came to the parties! See you in Samara and Ufa over the summer... ;-)
