Report: DESERTFEST Day 1st – Athens, Greece

Desertfest Athens Day 1st // Iera Odos, Athens, Greece // 07.10.2016

HOUSE OF BROKEN PROMISES (STAGE 2)

Desertfest Athens kicked off with HOUSE OF BROKEN PROMISES on the fourth floor of Gazi music hall. They started strong and full of energy with “The Hurt (Paid My Dues)” and immediately I realized that it was a bad choice regarding the quality of the sound which in some cases was almost annoying. Anyway a good start from the band.A good start whatsoever.

Stelios “Powertrip” Makris

BEGGARS (STAGE 1)

Time to go to stage one, where BEGGARS made the opening. The best choice ever! Strong and energetic, with the crowd below already familiar with their tracks and a set covering all their albums, giving weight to ”Devil’s highway” and as a surprise, a live saxophone on stage, for the needs of ”Not my war” and ”Rita”. How cool is that? Great performance and a hell of a good start.

Stelios “Powertrip” Makris

SADHUS (STAGE 2)

It is just about 19:40, with the crowd almost packing the venue that hosted the second stage where SADHUS were launching their sludge attack! The singer was screaming his lungs out, while the band played with passion and might, their heavy as-a-ten-ton-airplane-engine riffs. The people in front of the stage, spared not their powers for the other bands and they head-banged continuously while the people in the back, were being awed by the tremendous sound that was coming by the speakers. Their forty-five minutes show was the best on the second stage, no doubt about it!

Achileas Noir

TORCHE (STAGE 1)

The large venue, was able to host more than three thousand people, but only twenty per cent of the venue was filled with fans, by the time TORCHE begun their set. The band played their hits pretty early (“Healer”, “Restarter”) but only a few people (that knew the songs from the records) seemed to be having fun. That is not because the band didn’t play well, but because the sound was bad. There was a continuous bass humming, that covered all the other instruments and didn’t let, most of the crowd, get into the groove. I tried different locations in the venue, but in vain, the sound wasn’t clear at all no matter where I stood. The band was sweating to get their crowd moving, but unfortunately, that wasn’t enough. Well, maybe next time guys.

Achileas Noir

WE.OWN.THE.SKY (STAGE 2)

We crossed the traffic of “Iera Odos” and then we took the elevator that got us to the fourth floor to watch post rockers WE.OWN.THE.SKY. The sound was –once again- not good enough, but the music that these five guys were playing, was interesting enough to keep the crowd watching and even dancing! They chose their heavier tracks, in order to fit better to the feeling of this festival and judging by the attendees’ reactions, they did well. They finished their set with the song “Penny For Your Thoughts”, whose ending gave us a great, last impression. Good job!

Achileas Noir

TRUCKFIGHTERS (STAGE 1)

By the time we finished watching WE.OWN.THE.SKY at stage two, a strong rain started and we had to cross a sea of water so that we can enjoy TRUCKFIGHTERS, that were about to begin. With a new album already released, they gave us a show that only these crazy Swedish guys know! With guitarist Mr Dango, sweeping across the whole stage, making all kings of tricks with his guitar, it was a pretty enjoyable show, to see. Sound was a bit funny and couldn’t give full potential, to their performance. Tracks from their new album, were pretty much made with the same recipe, no surprises there, and yes mr dango we might not know the titles or which songs to request, but we love them don’t do that please…Play the freaking song and simply announce which one it is!

Stelios “Powertrip” Makris

BLACK RAINBOWS (STAGE 2)

It was still raining when BLACK RAINBOWS got up on stage. About three hundred souls had gathered on the second stage, to watch them play their groovy retro-heavy songs, which we would enjoy ourselves if the sound quality, wasn’t so annoying. The band played well their set, but the sound was so fuzzy, that the songs were unrecognizable. By then I realized that it wasn’t the bands’ fault, but it was the venue that was causing the sound to echo and caused dizziness to anyone that was in front of the speakers. While the band was playing, people walked in and out of that “garage-like” space, all the time and I don’t think that anyone really felt the magic, that they create with their music in their albums.

Achileas Noir

1000MODS (STAGE 1)

When the lights were turned down and 1000MODS’ logo appeared above the stage the crowd started roaring because they knew what was coming: one the best Heavy Rock bands in Europe! “Above 179”, the opening track from their new album, started their show with its Doom Metal riff and the crowd already knew the song! Followed by the Stoner/Doom hymn that “Road To Burn” is, everyone was under the influence of their riffs and everyone was banging their heads to the rhythm of the –fantastic- drumming! The sound was the best up to that moment, but that didn’t matter when they started “Claws” because that ‘hit’ is so well known, that people were singing the lyrics louder than the band! “Loose”, was the chance of the guitarists to shine with its long solos and they did! ‘You know what to do…’ said the band’s singer Dani and –yes- we knew, “Low” ‘caused everyone to dance like it was the 90s once again! Next, “On A Stone”, one of the best songs on an album that has only good songs (aka their 2016 release “Repeated Exposure To…”). “El Rollito”, and the pit was on fire. And then… “Vidage”, a nine minute song, with no air play, doesn’t have a video-clip, but it has managed to make everyone sing the deliberating chorus. Goosebumps and screams, that couldn’t get any higher, while the band was performing this epic track, nothing less than an acoustic orgasm. “Super Van Vacation” and there was the proof that this band is making history as we speak.

Achileas Noir

RED FANG (STAGE 1)

It is the moment I personally have been waiting all night. RED “FUCKING” FANG live man!!!Since I had lost their first time in Greece, my anticipation was great and my beer level just right to observe tons of heavy riffing and well ok you got the point! Kicking their set off with ”Wires” and you could already see 2000 and more people, dancing ,cheering and screaming their lungs out, to the sound of it. Followed by ”Blood Like Cream”- ”Hank Is Dead”-”Malverde”and tracks from their new album “Only Ghosts”( ”Flies”, ”Cut It Short”, ”No Air”) it was absolutely amazing. Fortunately, the sound was very good and the band in great mood, with lead singer Aaron Beam raising his beer to the frenzied crowd below, saying ”geia mas”, ”opa” and ”mpira” , drummer John Serman, playing his orange drum set with surgical precision and overall the guys performed perfectly and with professionalism, that you only meet in such great bands. The rest of their track list was ”No Hope”, ” The Deep” , ”The Smell of the Sound” , ”1516”, ”Throw Up” and their closing track, the one and only ”Prehistoric Dog ” that raised the whole stage to the ground, not a single one below and on the balconies above was standing still. Absolutely amazing band and a truly superb performance! Cheers you crazy motherfuckers, hope to see you again soon!