[Live Report] Full Throttle JAM vol.1

Barcode Music along with Full Throttle radio show organized their first “mini festival” a.k.a.  JAM at Kyttaro music stage on January 18^th. We had the opportunity to enjoy a variety of Greek underground heavy bands in an attempt for the audience to come closer and the bands to spread their music. GodSleep were supposed to be the headliners of that first attempt but they didn’t make it unfortunately and they were replaced by 45Rats. We hope to (and we think we will) see GodSleep in the next Full Throtle JAM!

Jaw Breaker

The gig started with a little delay but the fresh-new Greek underground Jaw Breaker rewarded us. Jaw Breaker is a fresh add in the Greek heavy underground scene and we should wait a lot from these guys. Their sound could be described us southern metal with lots of Zakk Wylde influences in their guitar playing. Although their “freshness”, they were communicative and they have quite a firm sound. Jaw Breaker is definitely a band that we want to follow and listen to again in the future because of their promising sound and the lack of southern metal in the local underground scene.

Spacement

Spacement then followed, a new band that is already embraced in the underground scene. Instead of the heavy riffs and solos of Jaw Breaker, Spacement focuses on psychedelic doom sounds with distinct influences from bands like Reverend Bizarre and Sleep but with the proper bit of sludge. They seem to have been working through lots of heavy sounds in order to shape their own. To assure us for their purposes, they covered Electric Wizard’s “Return Trip”. Sure thing is that this band has already started to mark their area in the scene and they get better and better in every live we have the opportunity to enjoy them. They’re very active and we should wait to watch them often in great evening like this.

Korsikov featuring Babis (Planet of Zeus)

Korsikov were next and they marked the gig with their doom- sludge sound. Korsikov is a known band in the scene and our guess is that most of the people there knew what they should expect; heavy riffs, intense doom playing. We think that the most exceptional moments of the evening were while Korsikov were on stage and they had two great vocal guests; Stavros from Sadhus (the smoking community) and Babis from Planet of Zeus. Korsikov can’t actually let the audience unsatisfied because their tracks are very well-worked and genuinely doom. We’re looking forward to their first release!

45Rats

45Rats finished the evening. Although their sound is different than the ones we’ve already heard, we enjoyed them one more time. 45Rats is a remarkable example of rock n’ roll sound and they’ve been highly active through the years. Being headliners added a nice & different touch in the evening, because of that different and more-easy-to-hear sound they have in comparison with their previous bands. Rock n’ roll riffs, high skills and lots of fun spirit. We’re able to listen to three new tracks of theirs which we hope to hear in a second upcoming release soon. Unfortunately, because of the past time, they had to minimize their set and it was ok because, not only we know that we’ll enjoy them soon again, but because the evening was already great.

We listened to great bands in the first Full Throttle JAM and we’re very curious to attend the second one, which we hope that will have a bigger audience. Besides, it’s just the beginning. We hope Barcode Music and Full Throttle to keep on promoting the good music and the underground scene. The bands really enjoyed themselves which was important for the audience and it’s very pleasant to watch together many bands with lots of spirit and energy! See you in Vol. 2.

by Gaia

[Live Report] Kadavar, 45Rats live at An Club, Athens, Greece 30/11/2014

Delivering the goods

A few years back the norm was to arrive late at the venue and skip the support band. Tonight that wasn't the case since 45Rats have made a name for themselves in the local scene. It's a classic power trio band that plays instrumental songs. Despite the lack of vocals their compositions where a nice warm up to our ears, while we were waiting for Kadavar. Their presence on stage was subtle focusing on delivering their arrangements. Among others they offered us a preview of two new songs and ended their set with “Prediction: Pain”. They need to work a bit more on their stage presence but overall their performance was flawless.

An club's stage is quite small for Kadavar’s drummer set-up therefore he had to be placed at the front of the stage.  The drummer and bass player were dressed all in black looking like they had come out of an early 70's photo-shoot. It took them about half an hour to set-up the stage and everything started according to plan. Unlike what usually happens in gigs here in Greece, where people have to wait for a long time before the headliners show up on stage CTS productions had posted a schedule of tonight's show and tried to keep to it. I really don't think people minded a ten minute delay. The club was half-full with around 250 punters from a very rough estimate. Those who showed up though for tonight's show were actual fans of the bands. The show started with a few problems since the singer couldn't hear his own voice. That didn't affect the band's performance since we could hear him and he said, that he'll try to sing louder. The second and biggest problem (if you ask me) was all those annoying wannabe photographers that crammed themselves in front of the band at such a small venue essentially blocking the view of the group for the rest of us. Thankfully the band was aware of that and twenty minutes into the show their roadie didn't allow anybody with a camera at the front of the stage, giving us space to enjoy the rest of the show.

As was expected most of their set list was made up of their latest release "Abra Kadavar". Thus the audience enjoyed live versions of some of favourite tracks like: "Living in your head", "Come Back Life" and "Creature of the Demon". Tiger’s relentless drumming stole the audience’s focus from the singer a lot. Mr. Lindermann didn't seem to be intimated by that. On the contrary, he praised both his co-travellers on this trip through time, that's how it felt for as long as their show lasted. It was a trip down memory lane to a past that almost none of us had actually ever experienced, since the majority of the crowd was in their late twenties, early thirties.

Nonetheless Kadavar's appearance that night was thrilling and despite the fact that it was two shows before the end of the tour they didn't look at all tired. Thank you for your visit and we hope to see you again soon.

by Christos A

[Live Report] Kadavar, 45Rats, Astray @ Eightball, Salonica, 29/11/2014

Kadavar visited Greece for the second time in their career, after releasing their amazing second album for two shows in Thessaloniki and Athens. Along with them, we enjoyed the well-known Greek band, 45Rats and Astray, a fresh new stoner rock band. Kadavar’s retro sound spread quickly with their first self-titled album and until their second release, “Abra Kadavar” (released by the almighty Nuclear Blast) they have already been a must-listen retro band.

Everybody was chilling on Eightball until Astray took the stage. In 2013, Astray released their first EP and they’ve been composing their first full-length release since then. They have a clear stoner rock sound with heavy riffs and an obvious love for classic stoner rock band such as Kyuss and Corrosion of Conformity. You don’t get the chance to hear new stoner rock bands without other influences, but Astray was pretty close to that. The audience warmed just fine and we listened to a fine band with classic roots. We wish them the best and we’re waiting for their first release.

Afterwards, we watched the Athenian 45Rats. Last year, 45Rats released their first full length album, “Electric” and later soon, “GQ” took their opening track for a promo video with Michael Fassbender! Their sound could be described as instrumental heavy rock with definite 70’s heavy psych and progressive influences. 45Rats was a total fit in this time machine, they shooked us and everyone could feel the evening’s vibe. They also introduced us to two new songs that we’ll be able to listen in their upcoming second release, which we hope to hear from soon.

Eightball was close to full and we were happy to see a variety of age groups in the audience, waiting for Kadavar… Soon enough the first tone of “Liquid Dream” sounded with a more heavy feeling and we dived into Kadavar’s time machine. A lot of bands tend to revive the classic 70’s bands and sounds, but a few make it to have their personal sound at the same time. Kadavar is the kind of that exception and their performance proved us that they actually are professionals. We had the chance to enjoy a full set from both their releases, along with a brand new blast song named “Into the night”.

The impressive thing with their performance was the balanced sound, especially between their rhythm section. Drums were extremely heavy and powerful (Tiger didn’t stop head banging in the whole live!) while bass guitar was grooving in a more steady way. At the same time guitar had many amazing solos and riffs at a very skilful level. A characteristic moment of this description was their beloved “Black Sun”. For an hour and a half Kadavar were endlessly grooving, Eightball went crazy! Soon after their typical closing, they returned and treated us with “Creature of the Demon” and “Purple Sage” for encore and it was just the right thing… It was definitely a gig that the audience loved and that they’ll remember. Kadavar merged their unique cool sound with a retro performance. What makes them so special is that they don’t just cover usual 70’s sounds, they transform them into something new and personal and that was exactly what their performance was about!

Kadavar | 45Rats | Astray

(Thanks a lot Gaia for words & Assumpta for photos)
powered by Kavaldi

[Live Report] Earthless & Tuber @ An Club, Athens, 12/11/2014

Greece finally made it to see Earthless for the first time, in Athens. Smoke the Fuzz Gigs brought along with them, Tuber from Serres.

The gig started 15 minutes after 21.00 with Tuber on stage bringing a lot of psychedelia with them, mostly from their first EP & LP releases. They had a crystal clear sound although the fuzziness in their guitars and they seemed like they have been through a lot of progress until their final forms and compositions. 

Most of their compositions have a main riff which actually is going through a lot of tension until it finally explodes. They also amused us with a new song and they stood on stage for almost an hour. Their sound could be described as instrumental - post - psychedelic rock. Tuber is a very promising band and we’re happy that they managed to get us into the night’s feeling. We wish Tuber the best and let ‘em kick ass in next year’s Freak Valley Festival.

At 22.30 Earthless went on stage, they grabbed us and threw us into the night’s groove - just like that. With their Endless jams and solos, Earthless are proud Jimi Hendrix continuers with a lot of psychedelia in their sound. An Club was just a bit close from being really full… Earthless started with “Uluru Rock”, jumping into their long-lasting compositions from the first minute. Groovy basslines, a fascinating guitar level playing and heavy drums. Earthless were tiptop at their performance. After the bluesy “Uluru Rock”, came the “Violence of the Red Sea” and we dived into psychedelia. Guitars were screaming and grooving for 15+ raw minutes. All their tracks are highly elaborate and they didn’t let anyone to question it that night… Their most loved song, “Sonic Prayer” just came after and the evening just begun. The band was very focused at their playing and they gave another top performance. For half an hour Earthless trapped us into their smoky sounds and they proved their greatness, adding Led Zeppelin’s “Dazed and Confused” amazing solo in the middle! It was definitely the gig’s best moment. You could see people around you being fascinated by their performance.

After three songs of theirs that lasted and hour (!), Earthlessplayed three amazing covers. Some needed vocals added, just to make a little difference… First, it was Groundhogs’ “Mistreated”, a groovy-prog song which was improvised with detail and lots of rock n’ roll spirit. “Cherry Red”, another Groundhog song followed, which is a known Earthless’ cover too. Rock n’ roll playing was there to finish us, and so it did with Earl King’s cover “Come On (Let the good times roll)”, mostly known by a Jimi Hendrix version, for Encore. Following the spirit of Jimi Hendrix and classic’s psychedelic-progressive 70’s rock, Earthless gave us an outstanding performance, definitely one of the year’s best. We hope that we’ll be able to enjoy them again soon.

Setlist

Uluru Rock

Violence Of the Red Sea

Sonic Prayer

Mistreated (Groundhogs cover)

Cherry Red (Groundhogs cover)

Come On (Earl King, Jimi Hendrix cover)

(Thanks a lot Gaia for words & Alexandros Hatziaggelou for photos)

for more & more & more photos click here Stoned-on-Stage

by Kavaldi

[Live Report] Planet of Zeus, Beggar's Blues Diary, Allochiria @ Stage Club, Larissa 24/4/2014

What happens when planets align? Astronomers say “actually, nothing special”. What happened when “Planet of Zeus” aligned with “Allochiria” and “Beggar’s Blues Diary” at Stage Club in Larissa? I‘d say “a great rock night to remember”.

Allochiria were the first band to appear on, and from the very first minute they seemed quite comfortable up there. They focused on their recently released debut album “Omonoia”, and their mixture of post metal with psychedelia, gained the –still gathering at the time- audience’s interest from the beginning.  The great quality of the sound during their set is the result of their decision not to play extra loud, and this made their doomy parts sound crystal clear and heavy as fuck. The only unanswered question after Allochiria’s performance, is how such a cute face like - Irene, Allochiria’s singer -  can produce such great and convincing sludgy vocals, but I guess the answer will be given another time…

Up next, it was Beggar’s Blues Diary turn on stage. At this point I have to admit that this was the very first contact I had with their material, and I was pleasantly surprised when I realized that they play some heavy rock n’ roll stuff. The vocal lines sometimes reminded me of the early Motorhead, and the rhythm section was solid and groovy throughout their whole set. After watching them live for the very first time, I have to tell you folks, that their energetic groovy rock is the best way to give you a good mood, and yesterday (24/4) this reached its peak  among the crowd when they decided to cover Neil Young’s “Rocking in the free world”. Being the definition of “feel good” band on stage, Beggar’s Blues Diary set the temperature in the proper levels for what was about to follow.

After nearly 45 minutes, it was Planet of Zeus’ turn to set foot on stage. This was their fourth visit in Larissa in the last 6 years if I’m not mistaken, and the flourishing bond between the band and the local audience was reflected perfectly in the high attendance of the crowd which nearly filled up the venue.  The riff of the opening “Macho Libre” set in motion everyone in Stage Club and this didn’t come to an end till the very last note of the band’s set. I think that Planet of Zeus is currently one of the very few heavy rock bands in Greece that can cause such energetic reactions among the Greek audience. The confirmation of this notion came when Planet decided to play “Vigilante” -their title song of their freshly released (made available just two days before the gig) third album-  and the crowd was singing the “gospel” type vocals by heart! Of course “Vigilante” wasn’t the only brand new song we had the chance to listen. “Burn this city down”, “A girl named Greed”, “The great Dandolos”, “Sky High Heels” were played also, and the combination of their new material with the “old guard” from “Eleven the hard way” and “Macho Libre” made a powerful mix, showing that Planet of Zeus  have added extra depth to their arsenal. So, the good sound and the great performance on stage, and the crowd’s warm reactions off stage, made a lot of faces smile by the end of the show, some 90 minutes later from Planet’s first riff.

All in all, it was a great night by three great bands that you should definitely watch live, if you have the chance. Hope to see you again soon lads!

by Vasilis Durden

[Live Report] Uncle Acid & The Deadbeats, This is Nowhere @An Club, Athens 11/4/2014

After three great albums, and a tour supporting the mighty Black Sabbath, Uncle Acid & the Deadbeats visited Greece for the very first time, starting from An Club in Athens. The packed up venue, and “This is Nowhere” as opening act, seemed the best way to set solid foundations for a great gig.
 

Having listened and totally enjoyed This is Nowhere’s recently released debut album (“Turn on, Tune Down, Drop D”), I was really anxious to watch their live version on stage. The result I personally got its kinda mixed. The band from Thessaloniki, decided to play their set non-stop, with a lot of improvisations and the addition of some unreleased material. This fact, accompanied with an over-reverbed and sometimes kinda “blurry” sound, prevented me from “bonding” further with their set. In order to not be misunderstood, I don’t mean that their performance was bad (in fact it was quite decent,) but the most of the time, I had the feeling that I was listening to something unfamiliar, despite the well played psychedelic grooves they kept sending us from stage.

Nearly 20 minutes from the last note we heard from This is Nowhere, and while the time was 23:40 already (I remind you that the original scheduled time for the show’s start was 21:00), Uncle Acid got on stage with their latest album opener “Mt. Abraxas”. The crowd instantly seemed to enjoy this opening choice, while from the first riffs of the song, you could easily understand that the sound of the club was significantly improved. The band from Cambridge was quite energetic on stage, playing with great precision their songs, and judging from the order of their setlist, they had the intention to demolish the place (“Mt. Abraxas”, “Mind Crawler”, “Crystal Spiders”, “I'll Cut You Down” just for the beginning!). Unfortunately, this great flow of passionate Sabbathian heavy rock vibes ended earlier than we expected. After something more than 65 minutes of playing, Uncle Acid & The Deadbeats stepped down the stage, and they didn’t come back not even for a single encore. I don’t know if this is the band’s policy or this happened because of the significant delay of the show’s start, but after such a great performance with such a great set, it was kinda pity that ended so early, leaving us with an unfulfilling taste in our mouths. Despite this, if you like Uncle Acid records, you have to watch them live. Judging from their performance on stage, they totally deserve it.

by Vasilis Durden

[Live Report] Villagers of Ioannina City, Chinese Basement @ Mylos Club Thessaloniki 2014-04-04

This isn't an ordinary live report because it wasn't supposed to be a report, I knew it couldn't be just a   report... All the following are some feelings I would like to (try to) share with the world. Such feelings usually are hard to be described by words but right now this is the best that I can do for you. I will just try to describe you all that I experienced that night and I hope I can make it (well at least I want to try).

Going to this gig I knew what I was going to face... I knew in what kind of meteorite's trajectory I was walking in, and I was eager to do it. I arrived in the venue much sooner that the expected starting time of the gig 'cause I wanted to meet with some friends. Entering the venue I noticed that people was already inside and I thought this was a good sign... a sign that those people knew where they came and what for. I had the chance to meet friends that I had pretty much time to see and the chance to meet some new people also.

After a slight delay (or was I so eager?) the "Chinese Basement" finally appeared on stage! I've heard many good things about them in the past but never had the chance to enjoy them in a live gig. Those guys are totally nuts! I am talking about 3 guys around 20 years old that can beat the shit out of their instruments giving you the impression that you are listening to a band that has already been on the "job" for many years.  Rehearsing under a Chinese restaurant, this band's history begins in 2008. Their style is included in a scene that I never was eager or had the time to explore that much, but listening them live I felt that maybe I should do it some time in the near future. People around me informed me that they have already made two independent releases sold only on their concerts. Not bad at all if you consider their age and that they started back in 2008. The sure thing for me is that the variety of their musical influences, that were obvious in their performance, gives them the chance to evolve into anything they like the most, from grunge to folk, from punk to more experimental.

Considering their age I just hope they keep their minds closely to the ground and their eyes to the sky... just to make sure they don't get "burned out", because we need such kind of bands, especially nowadays in Greece.

Having already drunk a considerable (but never enough) amount of "Tsipouro" I was just prepared to face the "ultimate challenge" of V.I.C. I've watched them two times in the past and I can recall both of them like it was yesterday. V.I.C's music, is a mix, a "musical alloy",as we would call it in Greek, of the traditional folk music of "EPIRUS" enhanced with the contemporary psychedelic-heavy-rock music influences of the band. This means that all the emotions that this folk music encapsulates are expressed in a more contemporary way but without loosing their colour, without loosing their original roots.

I believe that the folk music of every and each place on this world is the most "real", "true" and expressive music, and if you add the lyrics into the "recipe" then you have an explosive mixture. A mixture so powerful that can stun you, make you feel the love around you, make you dance with the people around you, make you sing with your soul, make you sing in tears, make you cry... I was ready for this explosion before I came to this gig... and I knew there was nothing in the world that it could stop this explosion. I was ready to let myself be drifted away by the river...

This was the third time that I was seeing V.I.C. on stage, and it surely was the most intense! I am not sure that the right words exist to describe such emotions, maybe it is useless just to try to fully describe them. The music itself along with the lyrics describe the best all those emotions. Such kind of music used to make me cry, it just happens, I can't help it, maybe I am just "damaged" I think :-p but I like it! Except from the Clarinet the band added "caval", the "shepherd's flute" and a bagpipe and I think that they are gaining their place among the rest of the instruments.

The band played the whole album "RIZA" and 7 more tracks! TWO HOURS of musical paradise where everybody wished that it could last a little bit longer :) I really tried to stay sober (no I didn't) and keep my mind in place so that I can recall the setlist but I didn't manage to do it 100%... this is of minor importance though. There was chaos, there were tears, there was love all around, I would be despicable if I wasn't a part of all this.... Each one of the tracks was a different highlight that night. The band felt the energy and the emotional frenzy of the crowd and that functioned perfectly for our benefit as it gave more passion to their performance and that was obvious. "Age of Aquarius" and "Echoes" were the first tracks to "torture" the speakers of the venue and after that there was the appearance of the guest "Nobody" in the track "Tabourla" and a loud applause for his appearance was gifted by the croud. Tracks talking about emigration followed up and as "Jiannim" was performed the crowd started to get warmer and more effusive, as we all were waiting for the blast that it was going to follow! The band performed some new tracks along with "Perdikomata" and the instrumental "Skaros". The new tracks sounded great and I can recall that at least one of the lacked the presence of clarinet. My voice got a hoarseness in "Perdikomata" (a marital song sung in the past by the groom and his friends when he was outside the bride's house) and that was only the beginning. The crowd was starting to be more energetic, most of them singing along, everybody seemed to be living the moment, drinking from the music that V.I.C. were offering, the music that we love.

AND AFTER ALL THESE, THERE CAME THE BLAST!

"Ti kako". The track that a lot of people were waiting that night to explode themselves. Literally our jaws were touching the floor and we were struggling to pick them up. Chaos allover, the crowd was not in the venue anymore, everybody was in orbit... And that was only the start! Those fuckers right after that track, the chose to play "Krasi". This was enough to make the walls tremble and send people to ecstasy. A traditional song that we used to sing and dance in many situations in Epirus but now played in a slightly enhanced version, bringing memories of situations, of people and places to our minds, adding emotion to the whole scene (at least to me).

This was the second blast... but those fuckers had it all planned from the beginning.... they've planned to even blow our remains up. So they decided to play "St. Triad". At this point I just wish you knew how to read Greek or I just knew the right way to explain this properly in English. This was the real BLAST, an emotional implosion that led to the final big bang!

A blast in front of us, a blast inside us, a blast around us, a blast on stage, a blast among us, a blast of love. People just started joining their hands and dancing together as they should be, in circles, as it is used in Epirus' traditional Dances. You have to see that and be a part of it some time... and I hope you like it as much as we do. I thought that it would take me long before I overcome the shock but realizing that the gig was reaching its end I gave a slap on my brain to wake up. The crowd was cheering in ecstasy, the band thanked everyone for this great night and announced that the next one will be the last track.

I was expecting that track from the beginning and I was pretty sure that they would leave it for the end.

This wasn't a traditional Epirus song but a song in the category or "Rembetiko", another genre of Greek folk music and it is titled "Toutoi oi mpatsoi". The crowd's participation was massive to this one too, showing their gratitude to the band for a great night. A great gig from a great band that holds its future in its hands. There is now doubt that there is potential in them, no matter what path they choose to walk. They've inherited some great music and they didn't just perform it the same way, instead they added their personal influences and a more contemporary touch. They seem to know the music they chose to "mess" with and they know it so well that they produce new musical gems out of it without "raping" the original compositions.

Forgive me for any exaggerations but this one was so emotional and it will always be with this kind of music. I don't know if I will ever try to write down such a "report", maybe it's useless...

We need music that talks to our hearts... and there is enough out there for everyone.


by Sotos

a small taste of that night:

[Live Report] Belzebong, Automaton, Omega Monolith @ Six d.o.g.s., Athens 5/4/2014

It seems that being a stoner rock /stoner doom fan in Greece, is kind of blessing these days. The local “scene” has a solid presence, and lots of well-known bands of this genre visit Greece quite often. On Saturday (5/4) it was Belzebong’s turn to pay a visit to our country, and more specifically to Six d.o.g.s. club in Athens. “Omega Monolith” and “Automaton” were also there, and judging from the result, they were something more than “supporting” bands.

It was nearly 20:50 when Omega Monolith hit the stage. I have to admit that it was the second time that I would be able to watch them live, and I had great expectations. Despite the fact that they decided to focus on new material, they didn’t let me down. It seems that the duo from Athens, has done a lot of work in order to make its personal sound and to create some very special music. Compositions in the direction of “Black Campaign”, slowly building and leading to a strange journey, sometimes within heavy passages, sometimes with post metal twists and turns. Unfortunately, some problems with the gear on stage were undermining the band’s flow, but this wasn’t enough to prevent someone from appreciating the “monolith”.

After nearly 45 minutes, it was Automaton’s turn to treat our ears. They started their set with their EP opener “Going Doing”, and massive doom grooves released from the speakers. At the same time the venue’s projector started to play vintage black and white footages in the backdrop, making the ideal atmosphere for the band’s music. For someone who hasn’t listened to Automaton’s music, they play atmospheric doom with sludgy vocals, and they doing it in a very convincing way. Of course the representation of “Echoes of Mount Ida” EP in their playlist didn’t end with “Going Doing”, but the result wasn’t predictable as someone would expect. The element of surprise for the audience emerged when the female singer of the band “Burning Sticks” got on stage adding some ethereal backing vocals to Automaton’s music. The result was great and the crowd seemed embracing this move. The time had passed though, and it was time for some joints to light up… 

Just before Belzebong get on stage, the lights went green (and stayed that way till the end of the show) and the projector started to play footages of vintage horror b-movies in green sepia. A few seconds later the first notes of “Bong thrower” were vibrating the already thick air of six d.o.g.s. and the heavily fuzzed out trip had just started. The “Sonic Scapes and Weedy Grooves” material had of course the lion’s share in the playlist (we listened it in its entity) but we had also the chance to listen to the epic composition of “Dungeon Vultures” along with two new Belzebong tracks.

At this point, one thing  I have to say, is that if you think that Greece is the only country that has the privilege of a boiling stoner rock/stoner doom scene nowadays, please think again. Poland seems to have made some serious steps at this music direction (e.g. Dopelord, Weedpecker) and Belzebong is undoubtedly among the pioneers in this country. This statement, was emphatically verified by Belzebong’s performance on Saturday, cause they gave us a sound result so great, that was really close to the epic sound their recordings have (congrats also to the six d.o.g.s. crew for this). 

The other thing that I want to underline, is that some of us who listen to this kind of music, sometimes we tend to avoid the term “stoner” in order to describe it. The Belzebong show though, was literally the definition of a stoner act! I can’t remember another show that I have attended in the past, with so many joints lighted up at the same time (I haven’t seen Sleep or Electric Wizard live so far :P ), with the band giving the….”good example” itself by lighting up twice some …cigars and passing them to the crowd. "A true stoner doom …Holy Communion ritual" someone would say, and he would be right.

The show continued this way, full of heavy riffs hidden in the green shades of smoke. Nearly 70 minutes after Belzebong's appearance on stage, the members of this “community” (somewhere between 250 and 300 people - we were informed that it was a sold out show) seemed to be more than pleased having watched three very promising bands filling up with grooves their Saturday night.

by Vasilis Durden

[Live Report] Ufomammut & Last Rizla @ An Club, Athens, 29/03/2014

Finally, after years of waiting, Athens and Thessaloniki finally watched Ufomammut in their first live in Greece. Everybody, in the full of people An Club on Saturday night, shared the same enthusiasm on enjoying the greatest psych doom band alive. Along with them we watched Last Rizla, a very powerful greek band in a similar heavy sound.

On 21.30 Last Rizla hit the stage. From the first minute they were able to show how serious they were. The trio played heavy post-sludge tracks and warmed the stage, while they were doing their own thing. What we heard was mostly new instrumental compositions, heavier than their oldest and much more grown. The exception took place when vocalist Stavros from Sadhus (the smoking community) came along and took over the singing section, giving a special touch. The drums were heavy and stood-out for their sound, and basslines with guitars gave a very strong and psychedelic meaning to the whole. After 40 minutes of listening to them, we can make sure that we want to see them again in such a high turnout event.

Around 22.30 some sparkling and chaotic shapes started to show up on the screen. We knew it was time and Vita stood behind the drums giving the main steady rhythm for “Superjunkhead”. Poia on guitars and Urlo on bass and vocals came after and their unique space doom sound filled the place. It was the place and time where Eyehategod met Pink Floyd, live. They played a variety of compositions, from their first album “Godlike Snake” to the latest “Oro” duology. We heard distorted trippy vocals from Urlo’s voice, a very saturnine rhythm section, which did an extraordinary match with the pure psychedelic – although distorted - guitars. These three guys were excellent performers as they shared their adrenaline with the crowd, which was very responsive to it. We listened some big moments from their career like the obscure “Stigma” and the riffage “Eve Pt. III”. They decided to finish the official playlist after 70 minutes of tripping, but soon, they came back to stage giving us two momentous encores, with songs such as the atmospheric “Stardog” and the jam-groovy “God” for around 40 minutes. We can easily guess how into them was the Athenian crowd; not only because of Ufomammut’s outstanding performance, but for the kind of sing along help they gave in the exceptional “Stardog”, definitely the greatest moment from the live.

After 15 years of their beginning, Ufomammut stood in front of us and gave their best effort. Ufomammut are taking their sound seriously as they have members for every part that makes their dark-atmospheric live that special responsible for the visual effects is another member, Lu from “Malleus Rock Art Club”. They are performers and they have very strong and firm tracks. To be fair, it was a great share between a jamming psychedelic band and a heavy sludge doom one. Seeing the trio live, we made sure what “Ufo” and “Mammut” stands for. We hope to see them again soon with new tracks.

Ufomammut

(Thanks a lot Gaia for words & Ganga Dhara for photos) 

by Kavaldi 

[Tour Diary] Singapore Sling live in Greece chronicle

Day 1

It was almost 08:30 when I boarded the train to Athens from Larissa to meet Victor who was already on board from Thessaloniki. Thursday the 3rd of October, a date long anticipated for the first ever Singapore Sling gig on Greek soil, in the legendary Αν Club of Athens. Subsequently, we would go on a small Greek tour with them. The journey was typical, the compartments half empty, quiet in general. When we arrived at Athens me & Victor (the driver) headed to a friend’s (Filitsa we love you) place to leave baggage and chill until 17:30 when the sound check supposedly would begin. Around 16:30 Victor gets a call from someone, who would later discover was Bjorn Victorsson the band’s drummer, saying that none is at the airport to pick them up!! Thankfully, Michael (from You Trip Me Up) got in touch with the local promoters and the matter was solved but the sound check was running already late.

We strolled down Patision Avenue and got to An Club around 18:30 to meet the band. To our surprise Henrik informs us that the bassist had missed his flight!!! Major blow for a band to lose half of the rhythm section and as later found out, the bass would be imported from an i-pod in conjunction with the drums. The sound check lasted about an hour and as I was sitting there watching them I did not have a clue what to expect. Last year, in London the bassist was there and gave a completely different groove to the sound along with Henrik’s wife, the lovely Elsa, who played marakes. Today, no bass and the band a little bit tired and edgy, who knows, we would eventually find out later.

The promoters left with the band and I went uphill Exarcheia to meet up with Victor at The Lab. We ended up watching PAOK vs. Alkmaar at a nearby place waiting for the concert to start. It was very cold for an October night and the spectacle of PAOK was disheartening as well. We managed to draw with the Dutch side and then after 3 beers we entered the venue. Quite a lot people showed up, not a sold out at any case but due to the fact that psych is quite popular among hipsters; it was a decent hip crowd. My Drunken Haze hit the stage and all started to make sense. The band was awesomely solid; the female vocal gave a dreamy yet poppy texture to the music. An unexpected cover of the stone’s Citadel was a highlight as well their last song that completely set the crowd off, Pleasing Illusions. I wish they played two or three more songs. In my opinion, they have a great future ahead of them, if you are near a place they play DO NOT miss them, their performance will be worthwhile. Well done guys.

The main course of the night was of course the Slings. They went on stage clearly awkward and did not know what to expect. They deliver the songs at their best but the crowd was restless. The absence of the bassist and the typical stage presence discouraged the lively Greek audience. The three songs where Bjorn played the drums were highlights as they added more power to Henrik’s dark, fuzzy chords. Helgi was widely referred to as the Morissey lookalike but really gave enough energy with his guitar pedals and steady playing. Later Henrik admitted that it was one of the most awkward shows ever cause they haven’t been in this situation again. They felt bad for letting the people down but at the end of the day everyone deserves understanding. We had a nice chat and a couple of drinks backstage with all three of them and then the guys from Arte Fiasco took over for the rest of the night. We made arrangements to pick them up on the following morning and then headed towards Mo Better for a taste of Psycho Grandmamas. It was a good night but tomorrow was far more promising.

Day 2

Early morning, a quick coffee and with anticipation growing we headed to pick up the rental van on which we would embark on the mini Singapore Sling tour for the next 3 days. The paperwork was submitted, we got the keys, cd into the player and off we go to pick up the band. Fortunately we managed to avoid an accident in downtown Athens, it would have really spoil the upcoming fun. It was so close but Victor’s undisputed driving skills prevented the accident. The guys already were waiting in the lobby, very punctual throughout the tour I must admit, we loaded the van and headed to Larissa for the next show. The journey from Athens was delightful. Small talk with the guys about music, great sunny weather, a few necessary stops and after a couple of hours exhaustion kicked in so they all fell asleep leaving us to joke around and try to be at Larissa on time. Sound check at Stage Club was almost on time, then off to the hotel for a brief rest and because everyone was starving we went for dinner. Helgi and Haldberg thoroughly enjoyed the Greek specialties of Akamatra, while Henrik was indulging on beer and indoors smoking!!!

I picked them all up from the hotel around 22:00 but because of an unexpected high attendance (almost 160) there was no room to sit inside the club, so Victor’s idea to turn the van into backstage proved to be a brilliant idea. Sadly, we didn’t see Electro Vampires (support band from Thessaloniki) play but I had a feeling that we would see the better of them. Hail the Vamps. We had some beers and laughs, loads of friends “paraded” and met the guys, had a few beers and soon we went in cause the show was about to begin. The sound and the lights were far better than Athens, the Slings put on their priest collars and gave the Larissa crowd a taste of their fuzzy, reverbed tunes. Their whole stage presence had an awkward reception from the crowd, as they rarely moved or engaged in any interaction, but as they later admitted it was all an act, another world they wanted to create. They are all very easygoing and talkative people but we must realize that they are up there to play music and not be your friends. Some people were expecting a different approach from the band so they were disappointed. Singapore Sling delivered the set, Overdriver being the highlight for me, also Dirty Water, The Nothing Inside. Life Is Killing My Rock N’ Roll and Godman stood out from the rest of the set. The few records remaining from their merch were vanished in a blink of an eye so there was nothing left for Thessaloniki the next day. The boys enjoyed the show, stayed for some drinks afterwards to meet fans, we ended up at Peripou bar. We kindly accepted the owner’s proposal to have some drinks there, listened to some quality music from our friend Vaggelis and after an hour, about 03:00. The hotel bed was the only destination for all of us. Victor needed rest so he was long gone, I accompanied the guys back to the hotel, arranged tomorrow’s plan and I was off out again to conclude the night on my own.

Day 3

I woke up with a terrible back pain, couldn’t even get out of bed. I really struggled to get to the hotel to meet up with the band and Victor. Agonizing pain!! We set off with a half an hour delay after playing at my home turf (Larissa) it was Victor’s time to play on his (Salonica) Next stop Platamon though, for a chilling coffee break in front of the sea, a few laughs and Victor getting on my nerves by desperately trying to find a WI-FI!! Agggrrrr!!! We decided to do a mini photo shoot on a lifeguard bay which went unexpectedly well, sea, sun and Singapore Sling!! Next stop Thessaloniki for the third and final show of this mini tour. Mount Olympus raised a few eyebrows as a part of Greek mythology was in front of them. It would be nice to have more time to show them a little bit more around monuments but the schedule was tight! Victor proved to be a very trustworthy driver as we got to Eightball Club on time again despite the traffic and delay on the road.

No sound check problems but it took us a while. The sound engineer of 8ball club did a damn good job so waited to have dinner on the second floor of the club and headed to the hotel. The band decided to have a rest as we had a good two hours before the show. Me and Henrik were waiting for the rest of the guys to get ready and the hotel lobby was buzzing with laughter and shouts from backpackers. Suddenly a girl steps up and asks if we were in a band. Henrik says “ Yes we are” “but (pointing at me) he isn’t” . There goes my first and last chance of being in a band, thank you very much Henrik!!!  We had a laugh afterwards about it but the girl never came to the concert despite her promise. The band arrived a quarter to 11 at the club headed for the dressing rooms and watched a bit of the Electro Vampires set. We missed Psychedelic Trips To Death but rest was essential. The Vamps played tirelessly in front of their home crowd proving again that they are a solid, grooving rock n roll machine. The audience was ready for Singapore Sling, walked them on stage through a good crowd of about 150 people and the “priests” delivered probably their best show yet in Greece in front of the warmest crowd so far. Thessaloniki knows how to uplift bands and the guys did not disappoint them. There is no point really commenting on the songs as they were mostly the same but the band seemed to enjoy their last gig in Greece.

As soon as they finished and after gearing up the guys from Electro Vampires were kind enough to invite us over at their brilliant studio to continue the rest of the night. What happened there is really between us all that were present but it was a night to remember. An interstellar jam began as band members from Singapore Sling, Electro Vampires and Roundlights jammed until the early hours of the morning. The band took every opportunity to compensate the guys for their hospitality and played quite a few songs, including a scary Goo Goo Muck version with me and Henrik on vocals. Thank you guys it was really something else.

Day 4

Still excited form that great night out, a bit tired and sleepless we headed back to the hotel to pack up as the time was already 04:30  and in an hour Victor would pick us up to get back in Athens for the morning flight. The road to Athens seemed endless from the beginning and after a few laughs in the van they all fell asleep. I was struggling to stay awake, as I was sleepless from yesterday morning, to keep company to Victor but soon it was my turn to switch off. The driver did a very good job on his own for at least two hours when I came around again. We were on time and reached Eleftherios Venizelos 11:30. Their flight was at 13:00 so they had plenty of time for checking in. We had a farewell photo at the airport and the band thanked us for everything provided during the tour.

Here I need to point out that the Slings on stage and the Slings as people were a completely different thing. Many people in all the shows they did not realize that this cold, still  and distant attitude on stage was a theatrical performance, deliberate enough to create a world of their own. The guys proved that despite being from Iceland (Northeners) they turned out very good natured, polite and above all people who appreciate help and friendship. I am not saying this cause I toured with them, I am saying it because, having met them, I believe everyone in my shoes would say the same thing. Watching from distance and experiencing from the inside are two completely different situations. If we fail to realize this we are led to false conclusions about everything.

words: Pol Lord

pictures: Victor Malkievic