Since Borland organized a really nice hostel for us we were able to get lots of sleep for the first time on tour. We left 9 in the morning. The roads to St. Petersburg were much better than in 2009, the trip went smoothly, the cops gave a fuck about us and we about them. The show took place in the V-Club, the V stands for Vegan and the club was in a huge industrial complex in the center of St. Petersburg on the famous Nevsky Prospect. Everything here was perfect for touring bands: secure parking right outside the door, a large room with enough space to hang out before the show and the comforting fact that we could sleep directly at the venue which rarely happens though it's always a good thing not to pack everything and move again after you got settled.
The first guests arrived, "Friends" was screened over a projector, and we were all pretty tired. Because the date of the show was changed a couple days before the show due to the estonian border problem, and it has become quite common for bands to play in St. Petersburg, our expectations weren't that high. But as always we were wrong. Quite a few showed up and a few seconds into the intro the pit exploded: So much energy and no bullshit, no matter if fast or mosh parts, they didn't care. Those Russians are definitely the toughest and have the most athletic moves we've seen on tour. And everything without aggressive bad vibes and shit. There were even some sing-a-longs!
To sum this up: Another great show! Where will this lead to with these shows in Russia?? Since we were too lazy before the show, Dima, our Russia connection, gave as a never-ending sightseeing tour which was worth every second of it. St. Petersburg is powerful!
Christian