Vintage Vladimir: Putin on the Karaoke - Steroids Source Talk

admin · #1 (**permalink**) 12-14-2010, 09:35 AM

(Dec. 13 ) -- The battle for the Russian presidency is unexpectedly turning into a battle of the bands. And former President and current Prime Minister Vladimir Putin struck the first blow Friday, stunning a crowd of Russian VIPs and Western celebrities with a knockout musical performance.

The Ice Palace, an enormous skating rink on the outskirts of St. Petersburg, was filled with tables sold at exorbitant prices Friday night to aid child cancer victims. The plastic seats were draped with white cloths, and carpets covered the ice surface as the patrons gathered.

An odd mix of film and music stars were there to perform, including Mickey Rourke, Gerard Depardieu, Paul Anka, Ornella Muti, Monica Bellucci, Kurt Russell, Goldie Hawn, Sharon Stone and Kevin Costner, who played guitar with the stage band. Depardieu read a poem by Sergei Esenin, a Russian poet of the 1920s, half in Russian, half in French.

But the key to the evening, according to numerous reports, came when the mistress of ceremonies turned to Putin, who was seated at the table of honor among the guests, and asked: "Will you sing something for us?"

Putin's repertoire is remarkable -- he has demonstrated his black-belt judo skills, participated in an Orthodox bikers' ride on a Harley-Davidson tricycle (for which he was inducted into the local Hells Angels group), co-piloted amphibious jet planes to fight wildfires this summer, shot a tiger (with a tranquilizer gun), harpooned gray whales with a crossbow and even made a painting that sold for $1 million at another charitable event in 2009. But crooning hasn't been a part of it.

Cornish_Celt · #2 (**permalink**) 12-14-2010, 09:58 AM

Now that's just class!