vlad.tribnet.com / Issue #591 / Arts and Ideas / Reading article...

“We think that we bring happiness in Russia because whenever we play we see people smile in the audience,” Kelly Groucutt, the band’s bass guitar and vocals, revealed in the interview. “We hope that for the Russian audience it is coming back to those ages when we played out first concert in Moscow in 1994,” Groucutt added.

ELO Part II is an offshoot band formed by former Electric Light Orchestra drummer Bev Bevan. In 1988, ELO drummer Bev Bevan approached Jeff Lynne, wanting to do another ELO album. After Lynne declined to participate, Bevan intended to continue the band without him. The legal agreement reached between Lynne and Bevan resulted in ELO officially disbanding and Bevan forming a new band, initially called Electric Light Orchestra Part Two. A six-piece band with a slightly altered name, Electric Light Orchestra Part II Former Members, toured the UK extensively in 2006.

The musicians admitted that they had come a long way to perform in the remote cities of the Russian Far East. “We could not believe we have made it that far. Of course I knew where Vladivostok is but I never thought it is almost the end of world,” Groucutt shared smiling. Mik Kaminski, violin player for the group, added diplomatically that ‘a 10-hour time difference with England feels strange.’

The musicians are filming their concerts and impressions of Russia and will possibly release a documentary after the tour. They revealed that it turned out to be longer than they had expected and they had to spend long hours on a train where they saved themselves from cold with Russian vodka. “Red caviar, vodka and borshch are good in Russia,” Groucutt said frankly revealing his preferences.

But when it comes to playing a concert, be it in the Soviet-style city of Khabarovsk or the breezy port of Vladivostok, the audience receives the musicians with such a warm welcome that it makes it rewarding for tiresome days on rails across Russia. “We arranged the play list for the Russian audiences in such a way that they could recognize the songs they love,” Groucutt commented.

During the concert the Vladivostok audience clapped, danced and tried to sing in English together with the musicians. The hall was crowded with people asking for more and more songs to be performed and when the concert was over naturally did not let the musicians go. “We would not feel happy if they let us go from the first attempt,” they smiled cheerfully after the concert, the final one for Vladivostok and Russia. It feels that for them it is more than a pure sharing of melodies and tunes but leaving a piece of their hearts with the people who came to share their love for enduring songs.