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