At the end of the previous week I had another trip, at this time to this wonderful city. Great news for all: Rio de Janeiro is still beautiful! Unfortunately, the period I spent there was too short, so I didn’t have time to benefit from all the charm of this city.
The show was arranged to Sunday, 5th of April, at Circo Voador, one of the most traditional places for concerts in Brazil. But my saga started on Saturday, 4th of April, because I have a contract to play every Saturday in my life (at least, for now) in some pub in Brasília called UK Brasil. I play there with my pop/rock band Zero10 and the venue is always full of nice and funny people and the place itself is really cool. This is the idea for those who stay here on weekends… The show of Zero10 finished closer to 3:00 a.m. I was waiting for our roadie to put my equipment in the car and to go away, when my telephone played: TRIMMM. Who could do it at this time of the night? It was my friend Kaká who lives in Sao Paolo, she stayed for the holy week here in Brasília with her family.
- Did you eat?
- No.
- Let’s go to some café.
- Hum… (thinking that no one bag is packed yet)… let’s go. (thinking that we meet very rarely and who knows when the next opportunity is going to happen).
Kaká came to UK doors and we went to McDonalds to drink some McCafé... :lol: It was quite short, but it was enough time for her to tell me that after holidays she should start rehearsals for the musical Hair Spray, where she would work with Miguel Falabella (famous Brazilian TV, cinema and theater actor, producer and director) and others celebrities... I became happy by this news, besides that fact that there were no news. Since some time she changes one great performance for another, always staying on the billboards of some great stuff. So, my congratulations one more time. :lol: ;)
Almost 4 a.m... My flight departs on 8:30 and what is important, I should be at the airport on 7:30 a.m. and have to wake up on 6:30 a.m. for that. Why, GOD? I go to sleep on 4 a.m. and something, alarm clock is set for 6:30 a.m., two hours to sleep… it should help. I’m going to sleep, good ni…. TRRIIIIIIIIMMMMM!!!!!! It’s impossible! Ok, there’s no use complaining. I wake up, take a bath, pack a bag (only for one day, it’s easy) and my equipment. Then I’m going to call a taxi. Ops... it’s already 7:15... but if a taxi arrives too late? Since it’s only for one day, I go to my car, leave it at the airport and take it on the next day. I boarded and spent the flight half-sleeping, half-awake.
I landed in RJ about 10 a.m. The promoter was waiting for me at the airport (his name was Rodrigo, if I’m not mistaken, a great guy). From there we went to another airport to meet Edu and Felipe. Moreira and Paulo arrived one day before. From there we went to a hotel in Copacabana, located close to the hotel where I stayed the previous year for the show of Khallice with Dream Theater… We checked-in close to the noon, the launch was fixed on 13-00 and the soundcheck should start on 14 p.m. So, there’s some time to sleep a little biii… TRIIMMMMMMMM! WHAT THE HELL! It’s impossible. Ok... We had a lunch in a very good restaurant, they said this is one of Martinho da Vila (a Brazilian samba musician). I think the name was Graça da Vila or Vila da Graça... something like that.
The soundcheck: we arrived a little bit after 14-00 to Circo Voador and became very happy with what we had seen. The place is VERY cool. It’s one of the best places I’ve ever played in. Besides that, there was the first-class equipment and the technics were super and very polite persons (like most of the “cariocas”) in addition to their great professional qualities. The soundcheck proceeded until 3 p.m. and something, and on the way to the hotel (almost on 6 p.m.) I got to know that we should be on stage on 8 p.m., or at least, to be in Circo before this time. Ok, everyone has a rest, which he deserves… We were on 7-15 p.m. at the lobby. I’m going to stay a bit here in the bed tryin….TRIIIIIMMMMMM Zombie way: we arrived there on the show time when the opening act was already finishing their show. I thought whether my aunt and my uncle had come in time and whether some of my friends were there. There was no time to check…
As for me the show was very cool. I admire the public in Rio de Janeiro and this show made me do it even more. It was cool to see people singing Almah songs and to see the excitement of everybody when we began to play their favorite songs. Besides that, it was some pleasant feeling, some aura of playing on the stage where such worshipful bands started their careers. During the show I was succeed in noticing my aunt and my uncle, both in GTR T-shirts. So it was easy… :lol: Despite the heat on the stage and my tiredness from traveling I kept in mind every moment of the show and I believe that the public did the same.
After the show finished, we stayed for some time backstage with some fans and friends, taking photos and giving autographs. I talked a little bit with my aunt and Varotto, they were those two friends I was waiting for to see at the show. I became happy that they had come. We went out about 11 p.m. and we decided to leave our equipment in the hotel before going to eat something. We went to some place called Sindicato do Chopp, it is located right on the shore. I think on Copacabana as well…. Or close to that… In the end, the food was very good, they said the “chopp” is good as well, but do you know what’s the problem? The last four times I visited RJ different persons who didn’t know each other took me exactly to this place! I begin to think that there’s not accidentally… who knows, maybe some discount for those who bring tourists.
In order to not to feed up my fame of a grumbler and wasting the time for sleep I didn’t complain, also because I admire the “picanha com farofa de ovos” they cook there. Besides the band, some people from the local promoter were there. It was a real fun to be there with these very nice people. Closer to 1 a.m. I was already overcome by sleep. Since I knew that the hotel was located not far from there and people still were eating and drinking, I let them know that I would go by feet. In the end, some walk along the coast shouldn’t be bad. Felipe and Paulo decided to go with me.
We came to the hotel on 1 a.m. and something and after some short chat with my room-mate Felipe I fall asleep. I was able to wake up on 7-30 a.m. so as to take a bath, to eat something and to be at the lobby on 8-30 to take a van to the airport. Finally I could sleep a bit more and to wake up rested… TRRRRRRIIIIIIIIMMMMMMMMM! Thunder and lightning! Bath, cafe, van, airport, plain, MY CAR (By the way: I paid R$ 41 for one day at its parking lot, it’s more or less the same I should usually pay for every trip by a taxi to my house. As far as I would have needed two trips, there and back, I saved R$41) eeeeeeeeeee GTR. It was already afternoon and I had to give lessons from 2 p.m. to 8 p.m.
Thanks a lot to everybody assisted at the show in RJ. I’m waiting for to see you again soon!
Everyone has a LIFE he deserves. And in the end… I admire this kind of life! ;)
Translated by Irina Ivanova
The original review in Portuguese is here
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