Terravibe Park, Athens, Greece 02.07.2017
Going on a music festival is always a rush for me. Seeing the bands I like meeting people that we share the same love for some bands or maybe not. Arguing with a beer in our hand and screaming along the lyrics of our favorite music artists are some of the things that I enjoy most in such events. On the other hand I definitely don’t like the heat that was enormous the same day making us looking for a tree to get under it and some bottles of water cooling us off.
Arriving minutes after TARDIVE DYSKINESIA hit the stage and after finding that tree I was talking about, I saw a band giving their best and with an amazing sound as their ally surely made a hundred people go crazy in the pit, grilling under the sun and sympathizing with the guys on the stage. The rest of us were watching from a distance under the shade but with no less interest. Their modern progressive-groove metal worked as a wake-up call for all of us and despite the tremendous heat and the sun on their face the guys gave a great live show.
Next on the line-up were POEM. An also progressive metal band but with the “traditional” point of view. Smart heavy riffs with clever drumming and very good vocals is their recipe of success of these fellas. And having also a great sound surely helped win even those who POEM are not their kind “cup of tea”. The sun didn’t help them either but that wasn’t enough for them giving 100% of their energy and a bunch of people watching them up closely and cheer for them. Definitely a band worth watching on stage and listen to their albums.
I walked to Terra stage to watch EPICA for my first time and see what this fuzz is all about. I can tell you know that they surely have great musicians very good albums and a lovely voice but that’s it. I feel that they have what it takes to make the big step but never made it. Now on stage they are energy themselves. Very cheerful, smiling and having a good time and that was passing to us in every second of their performance. Their songs sound heavier live and Simone gives her best for sure but Mark’s vocals are just not good. I can’t say if this was a bad day thing or if it’s that way all the time, but they were sadly bad. The heat didn’t give them a break either and Simone sounded like strangling with it from a point and after (who can blame her). A great moment when Coen came down to the audience and played his part from his mobile keyboards. An hour later and taking a bit of a color the band thanked us and got off the stage giving me a feeling of something good that just happen but not something great.
I have a strange relationship with ANATHEMA. I love them and hate them at the same time. Well ok “hate them” is a bit of a strong phrase but surely I can’t settle with the idea of not playing songs from their first albums (yes I know the same old story, but still). Who to know that we were not going to enjoy songs even from their greater albums like “Alternative 4” or “Judgement”. Saying that, they surprised me by their on stage attitude. Always smiling, thanking us and naming us heroes for standing in the sun for our favorite bands. I can say now being sure about it and after watching them that their songs sounds even better live. They pass each songs feeling directly to us and making us smile, cry, feeling joy or sorrow, making us singing along with them and close our eyes just enjoy their art. For and old minded bastard like me (in some things) that is the meaning of music. Enjoy a live show to the depths of your soul the same way you are moshing around, you headbang like crazy or even you stand still with your eyes closed and enjoy the music that comes to you. And ANATHEMA did that. And I thank them for it. Now I’m just waiting to fulfill their promise for headline shows here in Greece.
After getting a bit of sentimental (or a lot), we had to watch the Irish invasion of FLOGGING MOLLY in Vibe stage. And that was and eye out invasion to tell the truth. The energy, the passion, the fun, the power, and tones of Irish kahunas (it should be a verb not only a nationality) came out of the speakers and we as a proper audience we made a big mess and a huge cloud of dust with our dancing and moshing. I truly don’t want to go to which songs they played or which ones they didn’t. This isn’t the point or something you stand on in such festivals. The point is having fan with the music you love and FLOGGING MOLLY love what they do. As for their relation with their fans. They never stopped getting those Irish tunes to us, we never stopped singing and dancing. I can say that was a great live show done.
I can’t remember if it was the 5th or 6th time I’ve watched PARADISE LOST. Yes, this love stands strong through all those years and it never gets old. And to tell the bitter truth half of the times I saw them their performance was at the least bad or extremely professional. A bad way to treat your fans especially for a band that has come to Greece many times. So, as you can imagine I was a bit curious and restrained of what to expect from them. Fortunately all went great. With the sun hiding behind the hills the band came out and for an hour they traveled us to their discography (well the most they could fit in an hour show). Holmes was enough cheerful to make the difference from the previous times we watched them and with his vice in great shape the show was a success for sure. I bet many of their fans (including me) are having problem with their voice after singing all 11 songs out loud. Thank you guys for that, we all needed it!
How can I describe a GOJIRA live show? How the fuck can I do it so I can pass what I saw and lived for a little over an hour in a way you can understand it?? Unfortunately the answer is that I can’t. Nobody can do it!! You can understand it only if you were there. The band is like an adrenaline injection. That’s the only proper description I can find. The live and breathe on stage. Their music if the future sound of heavy metal. I’m one of the many that still tries to describe what I’ve watched that night. The energy and the huge sound pounding on us was like an electric sock through our hearts and minds in every second of their performance. Their riffs sometimes simple sometime complicated but all genius. Mario’s drumming was at the least perfect. I wish I had 10 eyes to watch him!! The hour passed like a blink of an eye unfortunately and for the ending the band gave us an amazing cover of “Territory” (Sepultura). Well there went our last drops of energy. Hope to see them again soon.
To be honest I’m not EVANESCENCE biggest fan. Well maybe not even a smaller one. But I can surely be objective about them and what I saw that night. And what I saw was not even close to bad. Telling the truth I enjoyed most of their show especially some of their old songs. Amy Lee was in a great night although the air didn’t help the sound that was coming to us through the speakers. With surprise I also noticed that some of their not so knowable songs are even better from some of their hits. As for the audience, screaming, singing and dancing was a nonstop thing until the end (ok they stopped only for the slow songs of the band except from singing). The band seemed to enjoy themselves on stage and they made anything to show it to their fans. Amy Lee was thanking us in every opportunity she had and after an hour and 30 minutes their show came to an end. As I said before, maybe I’m not a fan but I surely enjoyed seeing them but most of all I enjoyed seeing all those smiled faces of young fans after their show.
Taking the way back home I could only think the way this day passed. With good music, beloved artists, great friends, funny arguments between friends, a lot of beer, a lot of singing and having a great time. Yes, my back, my feet and my head hurt a lot (I’m getting old) but I wouldn’t change this day for nothing. We need those days in our lives. Cheers people!
Photos by: Stergios Andreadis