Hans Zimmer took time during his London gig earlier this week to pay tribute to a Ukrainian pianist who went viral for playing the Inception theme in a bomb shelter.
Earlier this month, footage spread online of a young pianist named Alex, which saw the musician refusing to stop playing Zimmer’s theme song for the 2010 film even after air raid sirens began to sound in a subway station in Lviv, western Ukraine.
āWhen bomb sirens began, police asked everyone to move inside the railway station,ā photographer John Stanmeyer wrote on Instagram alongside footage of the incident. āAlex wouldnāt stop, playing his piano louder against the air raid warning. His friend joined with the most calming pink nails. A simple, overwhelming one-minute passion against fear, against warā¦ā
At his London show at The O2 this week (March 23), Zimmer took time to play the clip on the big screen at the venue, and also directly spoke to Alex via a video on social media.
āHello, Alex. This is Hans Zimmer and Iām just astonished by your rendition of āTimeā in the time of crisis,ā he said in the video.
āIām astonished by what you did with the music. It absolutely lifts the spirits of the Ukrainian people. [We] are on your side. We will play āTimeā for you tonight. We will always play āTimeā for you. We will always be there for you. Thank you.ā
See the video, as reposted by Alex, alongside footage from the London show, below.
Elsewhere at the London gig, Zimmer teamed up with Ukraineās Odessa Opera Orchestra and began the show with an emotional tribute to his orchestra and all Ukrainians suffering during the ongoing war in Ukraine.
āWhen Covid stopped us from coming here 885 days ago, we booked our orchestra from the Ukraine, from Odessa, and we only managed to get 10 people outā¦ So just welcome themā¦ā he said before he introduced the orchestra, to a standing ovation.
Zimmer continued: āOne of the things which I thought was remarkable about the people that we did bring back out of the Ukraine, that were left behind from the orchestra, it was a lot of women. They taught me who the real wonder women are and so I would like to celebrate them with this little ditty calledĀ Wonder Woman.ā
Meanwhile, popular Ukrainian band Antytila have offered to perform remotely from Kyiv at next weekās āConcert For Ukraineā in Birmingham, but have been told they can’t perform as the concert must avoid association with the military.
Announced last week, the two-hour benefit show will air March 29 on ITV in aid of theĀ Disasters Emergency Committeeās (DEC) Ukraine Humanitarian Appeal.
Nile Rodgers and Chic,Ā Manic Street Preachers,Ā Tom Odell,Ā Becky HillĀ and The Kingdom Choir have all beenĀ freshly announced for the show, which takes place at Resorts World Arena Birmingham.Ā Previously announced actsĀ also includeĀ Ed Sheeran,Ā Camila Cabello,Ā Emeli SandĆ©, Gregory Porter andĀ Snow Patrol.
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