Strangely enough, this year the winter in Odessa happened to be the winter. Frosts were frosts and remained rather for a long time. But on February, 19-th it occurred marvellously warm. Probably, weather was warmed from the heat which was given at the concert by the band named Fleur.
The hall was absolutely ordinary. The Palace of Students, 19.02, 19.00... Interesting coincidence of numbers: Public who began to gather for the concert and, which is very pleasant, could get inside the hall half an hour before the beginning of performance, was not too oustanding. One could come across gloomy young people in dark long coats with their hair collected in accurate 'pony-tails', or young people feet to head covered with various pins, ear rings and inscriptions, done in the proper and not proper places, or small companies, munching away the contents of McDonald's packs in expectation for the beginning - and others are people as people, public, hearers.
The sound was being polished off, the light was being done up... And then...
The hall gets murky and the sounds of the introduction can be heard but there is still nobody on the stage - D.Vekov likes every possible sound producer's insertions of his own. I could err but I made sure later on in a course of performance (an ending of the 'Sad Clown', besides every possible 'bridges' between songs), - he is obviously not indifferent to this sort of business.
The group appeared, and 'Formalin', already habitual and loved by public, was heard. The beginning was good and everybody seemed to be glad. But for some reason I felt as if something was not all right, something was wrong, though, this sensation existed only in me. The rest of the hearers had hurray-met the remaining program: 'On the Other Side of the Moon', 'Dark Blue Shadows', 'Medallion' (which has been for some reason separated from other new songs), 'Injection', the 'Sad Clown', 'I Shall Do This', the 'Dancing God', 'On Soft Paws' (the hall has begun to help Olya in an active manner, than has caused her big approving smile), 'the Lullaby to the Sun', 'Heart', 'Blue Soft Plates', 'Repair', 'Russian Roulette', 'Legion' (being already heard at the previous concert, they caused approving whispers amongst public), 'Horizon', 'Go away, February!' and 'Never'. Quality of the sound was excellent; the hall has appreciated it with plentiful applause after each work of art (I cannot refer to this band's work in any other way: a combination of positively amazing texts and bewitchingly arranged melodies, which people who appreciate Music are really keen on).
As the band was going to disappear behind the scenes, the audience, having realized at once that this was the end, had burst in a storm of applause and was rewarded for quick wits and fast reaction with an encore. 'You have slept away the night and already missed an encore', said Olya with a smile, but, nevertheless, the audience got one more song from her. Why from her? Because she was the one who performed it.
After the performance Flëur still distributed their autographs for a long time and were pictured with those who wished; and I was worried about such a thing: on performances flutists always take place in front of the rest, and here this time Yulia couldn't be seen at all - strange enough... The reality was simple and anguishingly cruel: she had been run over by a car one day before the concert... Thank God, she remained alive and was healthy (less or more for that moment)... "That's what felt wrong, isn't it," I thought...
In general, the concert was delightful and, as a hearer, I am still astonished by ease and speed at which cordiality travels from one person to another with the help of music. I think nobody who had visited the concert could remain deprived of this something which lacks so much in everyday life and which one could receive only here, because of these fine people I wish everyone could fill the others by means of his own occupation with what the Fleur share with the public: that is - kindness, inexpressible light and warm sensations...
People who went out of the Palace of Students didn't care about the February frosts, being warmed with heat of the Flëur (French for 'flower') that came out in front of our eyes and in our own hearts and souls.

© Zhenia, translation - Marelia