The members of British band KEANE have such a fear of flying, they took a train across Russia on their recent tour of the country.
The Is It Any Wonder? hitmakers have just wrapped up a whirlwind string of gigs in the former Soviet Union, which saw them take in St. Petersburg and Moscow earlier this month (Sep09).
But none of the group likes flying – so they agreed on an alternative means of travel.
Frontman Tom Chaplin says, “As soon as I get on a plane, I’m completely out of breath and very fearful. The more I’ve flown, the more I’ve come to hate it.
“We decided to get on the train, which is something we’ve done quite a bit in recent times. They tacked on a carriage to some rickety old train that runs from St. Petersburg to Moscow and we had a jolly time just hanging out and seeing the world go by. Which, compared to getting on an airplane, was a joyful experience.”
The trio also intends to avoid flying on their upcoming trek of Canada – and will instead hire cars to travel between cities.
Chaplin adds, “What will be lovely is that we’ll be driving – there will be no flying – and seeing the Canadian countryside and getting a sense of the enormity of the place. It’s really exciting for us.”