Musik für eine freie Ukraine 2004

Konzert Manual

Im Folgenden finden sich Tipps und Handlungsanweisung von unserem Korrespondenten vor Ort für allejene, die selbst mit ihrer Band nach Kiew fahren wollen, um die Demokratiebewegung zu unterstützen.

Be prepared for things to change. The situation over there, the Ukrainian consulate's demands for visa requirements, where you'll be staying in Kyiv, some of the stuff I tell you in this e-mail that looks like really good advice - everything will change.

LOCAL CONTACT

You need a good local contact who speaks English (or German) and Russian (or Ukrainian). It doesn't have to be somebody who knows the music business; it has to be somebody with good contacts and the ability to make more, access to a mobile phone and a fax machine, and the ability to get shit done fast in a very chaotic situation. It will take up to 1.5 hours a day, but in short, frenzied bursts, so it has to be somebody with a very flexible job. I've asked my guy if he can do it, and think about the contacts you have.

VISAS

According to the law, EU and US citizens don't need invitations for business visas, but none of the consuls I've met has ever heard of this rule (though you might try it over there). You know that you will need patience and strength.

TIMING

By the time you get there, the local dignitaries may have gotten bored of appearing on stage. But don't count on it - what politician has ever gotten tired of that? So you should arrange to also play on one of the smaller stages they have set up around the city, or in the worst case pay for a truck with the equipment - I know somebody who can arrange it and his band (local expat cover band) would also play and share some of the cost.

MUSIC

Like I said, the best idea is something you can pogo to, and folk elements go over real well - think Gogol Bordello.

MUSICIANS

They should be big enough to attract attention in the German press - big enough to be known in Ukraine, if possible, though that's asking a lot - but small enough to handle really crazy conditions. Former dissidents are ideal, both because they know they're there for a reason and are willing to go through the complications, and also because they can talk to the crowds.

MOBILITY

You may have to fight your way through a crowd of 200,000 people to get to the stage. There are drums on the stage but no keyboard. So don't invite a band that needs a stand-up bass or a harpsichord or anything like that, cuz you're gonna have to carry it yourself and it just ain't gonna happen. And at least, there was no place to store equipment beforehand. The whole of the center is closed off to cars, so you'll have to take a taxi and walk at least half a kilometer. And on the main square, your cell phones probably won't work - there's just too damn many people trying to call or send SMSes.

HAPPY

Think upbeat ska-type stuff, not "we're gonna smash the cops in the head with a baseball bat".

LANGUAGE

You should probably find a someone who can interpret into Ukrainian, not Russian, for the main stage. That shouldn't be too hard if you plan it right. If you're playing on the sound truck or a smaller stage, if the singer can speak Russian that should be okay. DO NOT expect people to understand English, and make sure to show that you know they're not Russians but it's just that this is the best way to communicate.

ORANGE

That's the color of the revolution. Everybody in the band should at least have an orange armband, and big orange sunglasses, floppy orange hats and orange hair are also good.

CROWDS

Make sure you allot time to walk around and meet people. Just knowing that people in the West care about them, support them and believe in what they're doing is incredibly important to people. Meeting a coal miner who's been freezing in a tent for three weeks is an experience that's not to be missed.

FLAGS

Bring flags for when you're walking around - people will stop and talk to you - and to wave around on stage. German flags are cool, but if you have something from a more offbeat place (like Bavaria or Berlin) that's also great. Something that people will stop and look at and try to figure out what it is, then you can chat with them and tell them how much you support them. But it should be a place that people have heard of.

BOOZE

Despite Ukraine's reputation, there's not a lot of booze on the streets, and none at all in the tent city. I personally heard some young guys tell a drunk "The nation is drunk on freedom, you don't need vodka." So anyway, tell the musicians they're going to a party where there's a natural high (and there really is). It's not like Mormonism - the bars are still open, and there are some good ones - but it's just not necessary.

WEATHER

When we were there it was nice and warm - about 8 degrees above freezing. But it may be 10 below. Make sure the musicians know this.

Free Ukraine!

Nat

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