The Doors open for Russia
Much can turn on meeting somebody in the right place and at the right time. It can define your fate and future. The coming together of these men sparked an explosion as California and then the rest of the world felt the force of their magical music.
The Doors emerged in the 1960s in LA, when hippy culture, free love and the anti-war movement were on the rise along with a massive surge in the use of psychedelic drugs like LSD. This was the fertile ground on which music was to flourish. That is when Ray Manzarek met Jim Morrison and founded The Doors.
The line-up that entered the history of world music as one of the most controversial rock acts of the 1960s featured the legendary vocalist Jim Morrison; Ray Manzarek, the band`s keyboardist and songwriter; guitarist and songwriter Robby Krieger and drummer John Densmore. The band took its name from Aldous Huxley`s book, The Doors of Perception, which had inspired the band`s members in their youth.
After Morrison`s death in 1971, it soon became clear that the band would never be the same without its wild, unpredictable and ravishing front man. They tried to continue as a trio for a few years but realized that without Morrison, The Doors as a band had ceased to exist. However, the spirit of The Doors never left its musicians. The band was their life, their true passion, and would eventually help them to break through to new success.
Two of the founding members, Ray Manzarek and Robby Krieger, joined forces to tour the world and found they could still share that spirit with devoted fans of The Doors around the globe. Their project went through several name changes, from Riders on the Storm, to The Doors of the 21st Century, eventually arriving at Manzarek-Krieger. But the musicians still faced the most difficult issue of all: somebody has to sing, to sing instead of Jim Morrison?
And this question is the critical one for the fans. Why go to a concert of The Doors without its leader? Why listen to somebody else who cannot and never will be anything like Jim? He is, of course, irreplaceable. But if seeing the legends of the original The Doors line-up playing Light My Fire and Break On Through live means anything at all, this concert should not be missed.
Back in the 1960s, they made the band what it was. It was Ray Manzarek and Robby Krieger who created the group`s distinctive sound. Manzarek became known for his trademark keyboard solos and Robby Krieger was, after Morrison, The Doors` principal lyricist and the creator of most of the band`s hits.
The concert in Moscow on Wednesday July 7 at Crocus City Hall will see 72-year-old Ray Manzarek and 65-year-old Robby Krieger share the stage with Mark Farner, the former front man of Grand Funk Railroad. They will play only The Doors` hits. The tour coincides with the 40th anniversary of the tragic death of The Doors front man Jim Morrison and is named in his honor: "Manzarek-Krieger: 40 years without Jim Morrison."
This concert will be the famous team`s debut performance in Russia.
Diana El-Bakri, RT
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