Live: Radio Birdman @ Fuzz Club (Athens, October 25th, 2018)

It's been more than forty years since the outbreak of the punk rock revolution and it is amazing to see that Radio Birdman, one of the bands that started it all, is still able to kick up a storm on stage! The band that started by Deniz Tek and Rob Younger in 1974 recorded only a handful of songs in its first period, released on two albums and a few singles, but time has proven that each and every one of these songs were true punk rock masterpieces which still sound vital today, either you listen to them on record or you have the pleasure to witness them played live on stage once again.

In their latest visit to Athens, 12 years since the previous one, Radio Birdman played a scorching 80-minute set, kicking off with "Do the Pop", the surf-punk smash hit that never was (surely a number one hit in any parallel universe with half-decent taste in rock music) and continuing with an electrifying parade of most of their '70s classics, along with a couple of later date tracks (from their 2006 comeback album "Zeno Beach") and a few choice covers that reveal their influences and taste, including The Doors' "Not to Touch the Earth", Blue Öyster Cult's "Dominance and Submission", Magazine's "Shot by Both Sides" and, of course, 13th Floor Elevators' "You're Gonna Miss Me" which along with their own "Aloha Steve and Danno" were the perfect ending to an explosive punk rock night.

The night opened by a fast and loud set by local indie rockers Dark Rags which was sabotaged by bad sound (louder is not always better). Thankfully the sound mix was much improved when it was time for the main act to take the stage.

Dark Rags, live @ Fuzz Club (Oct. 25th, 2018)

 

Radio Birdman, live @ Fuzz Club (Oct. 25th, 2018)

Radio Birdman - Aloha Steve & Danno (live in Athens, Oct. 25th, 2018)

Radio Birdman - Shot by Both Sides (live in Athens, Oct. 25th, 2018)

Edit this setlist | More Radio Birdman setlists

Live: The Handsome Family / Laura Gibson @ Piraeus 117 Academy (Athens, October 19th, 2018)

The Handsome Family have been crafting some of the finest tunes you can find in alternative country for nearly 25 years now, yet it took a television show to bring them to the attention of a wider audience. Thanks to the fame brought on by this happy "accident", the band finally got an invitation to play a show in Athens and we had the opportunity to enjoy their dark, surrealistic blend of country, folk and rock up close and personal.

The husband and wife team of Brett and Rennie Sparks together with Alex McMahon (guitars, steel, keyboards) and drummer Jason Toth presented a set spanning a large part of their illustrious career, from their most recent work, 2016's "Unseen", going all the way back to the acclaimed 1998 album "Through the Trees" and including, of course, the hit "Far from Any Road" in a looser, slightly jazzy version.

Despite the fact that the choice of venue proved unsuccessful for this gig (there's not a big audience for alt. country in Greece and apparently True Detective was only a cult hit here), the band did a good job in creating an intimate atmosphere and communicating with the audience both with their melodic music and with Rennie's always entertaining, unpredictable song introductions.

The Handsome Family, live in Athens (Oct. 19th, 2018)

As an added bonus for us, before the fine set by The Handsome Family we also had the opportunity to enjoy an acoustic performance by singer-songwriter Laura Gibson. Her truly wonderful voice, accompanied only by an acoustic guitar, was enough to captivate the lucky few who turned up early to the venue to sample her work.

Gibson's latest album titled "Goners" is out next week and we were among the first ones to get our hands on a copy after the show, which is certainly going to feature among our selections for October.

Laura Gibson, live in Athens (Oct. 19th, 2018)

Sample below two tracks from The Handsome Family's performance in Athens as well as "The Fire" by Laura Gibson, a song off her 2012 album "La Grande":

The Handsome Family - Weightless Again (live in Athens, October 19th, 2018)

The Handsome Family - Far From Any Road (live in Athens, October 19th, 2018)

Laura Gibson - The Fire (live in Athens, October 19th, 2018)

Edit this setlist | More The Handsome Family setlists