Jethro Tull in Yerevan, Armenia

With the Armenian prime minister believed to be one of the biggest Jethro Tull fans in the country, rumors circulating last year that the legendary British rock band would perform in Yerevan were certainly not to be sneezed at. However, while initial efforts to have the band perform last year didn’t come to fruition, the speculation was only confirmed a few months ago. Their concert which some joke might be attended by as many government members as ordinary citizens is scheduled for tonight. PanArmenian.Net covers the news.

Within the frames of its European tours, Jethro Tull legendary rock group will organize one concert in Yerevan on May 22. Armenian rock fans and connoisseurs of the British rock group can attend the concert in Sports-Concert Complex after Karen Demirtchyan. During the concert which will last two hours, the group conducted by Ian Anderson will perform both old and news songs of its repertoire.

“World-famous celebrities, Jethro Tull musicians turned out exceptionally modest, and unlike Scorpions, didn’t demand 7 limousines of latest fashion,” Head of Vibrographus company Vardan Grigoryan told a news conference.

The group’s music is a mixture of blues, folk-rock and a little bit of jazz. Jethro Tull was formed in 1963, out of the amalgamation of the John Evan Band and McGregor’s Engine, two blues-based local UK groups. Over the 40 years of its existence Jethro Tull has released 40 albums and sold over 60 million recording discs.

Concert organizers say they are now negotiating with Deep Purple, Paul McCartny and Russian DDT and Mashina Vremeni groups for inviting them to Yerevan.

Unfortunately, press coverage of the concert is strictly controlled by the organizers and The Caucasian Knot is unable to photograph the concert. However, it did attend yesterday’s reception for the band held 18 hours after their arrival in Yerevan and interviewed the band’s frontman, Ian Anderson, as well as Gideon Dewhirst, Deputy Head of Mission at the British Embassy, on Jethro Tull’s concert in Armenia.

There will also be another post on Jethro Tull for The Frontline Club later, but for now a terrible Internet connection in Armenia doesn’t allow the site to even open let alone be posted to.

Photo and video © Onnik Krikorian / Oneworld Multimedia 2009