Performing at private swanky parties hosted by Russian oligarchs has long been a lucrative part-time job for many pop stars. Robbie Williams, Christina Aguilera, Jennifer Lopez, Sting and many more have easily earned millions with concerts in recent years from Putin’s generous friends.
That could soon be over. After Putin’s bloody attack on Ukraine, the first stars renounced their business with Russia.
Elton John and the rock band Deep Purple have announced they will no longer hold concerts for people associated with the Putin regime.
Elton John hates Putin, but not the oligarchs so far
Elton John (74) is an opponent of Putin because the Russian dictator has an obsessive hatred of gays. “I hate him,” he cried out last week as he dedicated his song “Don’t Let the Sun Go Down on Me” to the people of Ukraine at a concert in the United States.
Nevertheless, he sang at an oligarch party in 2017: alongside DJ Mark Ronson and singer Mariah Carey, he performed at the wedding of Irene Kogan, the granddaughter of the Israeli-Russian oligarch Valery Kogan – according to the “Forbes” list, place 41 of the richest men of Russia.
It is not exactly known how well the performance was paid for, but according to the “Sunday Times” market experts assume that private concerts cost well over 1 million euros.
Deep Purple played for Dmitry Medvedev and Gazprom
The rock band Deep Purple even played for the Russian President himself on several occasions. At the time, he was called Dimitri Medvedev because Russia still had a constitution that forced Vladimir Putin to take a break from office during which he was “only” prime minister.
A concert in the Kremlin in 2008 marked the 15th anniversary of the founding of Gazprom, the notorious state-owned natural gas supplier.
Photo: AFP / Getty Images
” data-zoom-src=”https://bilder.bild.de/fotos/2008-deep-purple-mit-dem-damalen-russia-presidenten-dimitri-medwedew-rechts-neben-medwedew-gaz-2d96af8d24c24b77800b637dba44d225- 79371918/image/2.image.jpg”/> 2008: Deep Purple with then-Russian President Dmitry Medvedev. Right next to Medvedev: Gazprom boss Alexei MillerPhoto: AFP / Getty Images
“We are a non-political band”
But only now does Deep Purple pull the ripcord under their Russia friendship. Addressing the Medvedev gatherings in a Facebook post, the band said: “We are a non-political band and in no way have our intentions ever been political. It was music.”
But these days are different, they write: “We condemn Putin’s military for the atrocities against innocent men, women and children in Ukraine. And we apologize to our Russian and Ukrainian fans that the shows have been cancelled.”
The band also announce that keyboardist Don Airey has returned the autograph he received at a dinner at the Russian President’s Medvedev residence in 2011.
They also post the lyrics of one of their biggest songs, “Sweet Child in Time” – because it can also be related to Putin. Roughly translated into English: “Sweet child, in time you will see the line that runs between good and evil, see the blind man shooting at the world.”
Robbie Williams, whose song “Party like a Russian” was apparently inspired by a private concert at the then FC Chelsea owner Roman Abramowitsch, performed several times in Russia during the 2018 World Cup. According to the Sunday Times, he has not yet commented on Putin’s invasion of Ukraine.