The embankment behind the Central House of Artists/Tretyakov Gallery was fenced off, and a large stage was installed close to the Krymsky Bridge. Food stalls were placed along the Moscow River. The most interesting stall was called Nichego (Nothing) and literally sold nothing.
East India Youth was the first one to perform and it turned out that it's really a one-man show of William Doyle, who plays several instruments. William got the party going with his electronic tunes, and the next band on stage, the Wombats, really blew it up. Famous for their track "Let's Dance to Joy Division," they play an infectious blend of indie rock and alternative dance music.
The rain, which was forecast for the whole of Saturday, only started drizzling in the middle of the concert of the festival's headliners, the Libertines. But nothing could dampen the mood of the concertgoers, who quickly donned rain jackets and danced on to the Libertines tunes, which mostly included time-proven hits. Infamous front man Pete Doherty wore his trademark hat but behaved himself and didn't fall off stage.
With all the canceled festivals (Subbotnik, Martini Art Love) the Ahmad Tea Music Festival seems to have become a Moscow summer staple.
Karina Nersessova / For MT