I had first seen Imiskoumbria, a Greek hip-hop group, 10 years ago when they were celebrating their 20th anniversary. Now, they were not only celebrating their 30th anniversary, but also the title of their first album which translates as "30 Years Of Hits". What's more they hadn't played live for 10 years, since that performance I went to. This year's concert was quickly sold out before I had a chance to buy a ticket, so they soon announced a second one. I got a ticket for the latter, but a friend of mine a few days ago offered me one of hers for the first one.
A couple of guest singers, who had collaborated with them over the years, appeared on stage with them (Foivos Delivorias & Evridiki), but the most important moment came when the members of Going Through (another Greek hip hop group of that era) came up on stage to pay their respect, without performing, though.
Food was once again provided by Jackaroo, which had created an exclusive sandwich for the festival called "The Headliner".
Finally, the funniest moment of the night was when we realized that standing behind us were the same two gitls that were standing behind us at the Supergrass concert last year and had photobombed one of our selfies.
As it stands now, I will also go to the second concert in a few days with my own ticket this timr. If they are only going to play live once every ten years, why not experience it twice?
SETLIST; 01. Ta Imiz Einai Edo 02. Imiskoubria (Isagogi) 03. Le Ham 04. Katalavate I Na Kano Kai Kaka 05. Noris 06. Dimosio Forevah 07. O Kyris Tou Spitiou 08. ...Me Ti Mama Sou 09. O Erastis 10. Tsonta 11. Horevontas Me To Lipos 12. Greek Lover 13. Brazil - Imiz 1-0 14. Je Suis Bossu 15. To Sex 16. O Diavolos Katevike Sto Xolargo 17. To Doro Tou Kaisara 18. Katadotes 19. O Ypoklopeas 20. Pos Na Sou To Po 21. To Skliro Mp3 Tou Diskou 22. To Ipotheto 23. La Klikaria 24. Oi Laikes 25. METH Sto Volan 26. O Monahos 27. Voukoliko 28. An Isoun Allos 29. I Magiki Tsatsara 30. Pame Oloi Mazi Se Mia Paralia 31. Sti Discotheque
This month, I had the chance to watch a live TV show at the studio where it was being broadcast. The show in question was "Just The Two Of Us" or J2US as it is known over here. The original format of the show was conceived in the UK by the BBC. Sadly, I have never watched the original, it began after I had moved back to Greece from the UK and I don't know what kind of music was featured in it. You see this show, is about music. From what I have understood, celebrities are paired with vocal coaches who are usually singers themselves and they are given songs to perform. They are then judged by a committee comprised of four showbiz celebrities.
I do not listen to that particular kind of Greek music that is featured in the show (although on that particular night two golden oldies were featured which were among my favourites) but I had received invitations from work and I thought that it would be an interesting and unique experience. A coach picked us up from a specific location to take us to the studio which is located in one of the venues used for the 2004 Olympic Games (I had watched table tennis matches there back in the day), and returned us to where we were picked up from after the end of the show.
I have often been accused that some of my favourite Bruce Springsteen songs are from the original "Tracks" CD set. "These are outtakes" they told me, "they're not from a 'proper' album". "How can they be your favourite songs?". Well there is a reason for that. When Springsteen consigned some of his songs to the vault it wasn't because they weren't good enough. It was just that they didn't fit into the particular album he was preparing at the time. More of these songs resurfaced on the deluxe box set editions of older albums that were re-released ("The Promise - The Darkness On The Edge Of Town Story" and "The Ties That Bind - The River Collection") however in the case of "Tracks II" we're talking about whole albums that went missing.
You will probably wonder why I'm reviewing this now almost a year after it has been released. Well, it was a very expensive box set. Very expensive. There's certainly no comparison with the original "Tracks" nor with the larger "Darkness" and "River" box sets. (We're still waiting for the "Born In The U.S.A." one by the way. Just sayin'). I couldn't buy it when it came out. I had to go to Milano to see Bruce live remember?
I did get a taste of what was in there when I managed to get the "Lost And Found - Selections From The Lost Albums" 2CD set. And I very much liked what I heard. Finally I managed to get the whole set in December, using my credit card to pay in installments. Which means I'm still paying for it. And during the Christmas holidays I found the time to sit down and listen to it. And one of the reasons I'm writing this review is that I didn't expect to like it so much. I would listen to two albums every day and it was like "Wow! A new Bruce Springsteen album!". And then "Wow! Another new Bruce Springsteen album!". Bliss!
So, let's start at the beginning: "LA Garage Sessions '83". This is classic 80's Bruce and several of the songs are clearly in demo form. There are several songs we were already familiar with, some from b-sides ("Johnny Bye Bye", "Shut Out The Light"), some from concerts and bootlegs ("Follow That Dream") and there's even an alternate version of "My Hometown" thrown in for good measure.
Next up is "Streets Of Philadelphia Sessions". That was the one I was mostly looking forward to. There was always talk about that "lost electronic album" from the 90's where Bruce plays synthesizers and uses drum loops. Now I have been accused (by the same people, mind you) that "I listen to that electronic stuff a lot". It's true. I like synth-pop and during the 90's I was into dance music. So I was intrigued that Bruce had the same influences and filled a whole album with them. As he mentioned on the book that is inside the box set he bought CD's full of drum tracks (maybe some that I own as well from Simon Harris's "Beats Breaks And Scratches" series? Who knows?). In the same book he goes on to say that they used these drum loops but later replaced them and played them themselves. They did keep a couple though and one of them is in the version of "Secret Garden" that's featured here. And as an added bonus, "Waiting On The End Of The World" is another song on this album, a track that previously I could only find on a YouTube video featuring an image of a Rolling Stone issue with Bruce on the cover.
The next album in the set is "Faithless", a soundtrack to a film that was never made. That was the one I expected to like the least. I thought that it wouldn't work without having seen the film. But, there is no film, is there?. That fact alone makes this conversation irrelevant. As expected, there are a few instrumentals, but the title track is my favourite.
"Somewhere North Of Nashville", the next album is a country album that Bruce was working on simultaneously with "Ghost Of Tom Joad". I was surprised to find here alternate versions of my two favourite b-sides "Stand On It" and "Janey Don't You Lose Heart".
"Inyo" on the other hand, is Bruce's "Mexican" album if you can call it that. The songs tell stories that take place around te Mexican border which immediately bring "The Ghost Of Tom Joad" to mind.
The penultimate album "Twilight Hours" is the companion to "Western Stars" with more Burt Bacharach and less Glen Campbell this time Now this is one album I really didn't expect to like. I wouldn't want to listen to Bruce playing the "crooner", I thought. But, surprise, surprise, it's one of my favourite albums on the set. Maybe I'm getting old... Anyway, "Sunday Love" is simply brilliant and "I'll Stand By You" which was originally written for the first Harry Potter movie but was later featured in the "Blinded By The Light" film is also included here.
Finally "Perfect World" wasn't a "lost album" per se, but something that was put together by Bruce collecting tracks from the vault with several of them being quite recent. This could have easily been an E Street band album and "You Lifted Me Up" is one of my favourite songs of the whole box set.
All in all, "Tracks II - The Lost Albums" made my Christmas holiday much brighter and I still wonder why Bruce wouldn't released these albums one by one every couple of years. It would have been cheaper for the fans. Aah, but I can't complain... I finally BOUGHT IT! (And Bruce promises there are more tracks in the vault)
There really is only one place to celebrate St Patrick's Day in Athens. And that's the James Joyce Irish Pub. Each year on March 17 people gather not just inside but also outside the pub drinking Guinness and they are given a special Guinness hat as a gift.
They even sell Guinness outside the pub and last year someone was also selling souvlaki there.
In the past I was able to get inside and even order a cottage pie to drink with my Guinness.
In the last two years when I have started going there again, having now set my foot on Ireland for the first time to see Bruce Springsteen in 2024, there was a band playing a gig outside. Last year it was After The Race, this year it was Two Smokin' Barrels.
Both bands played a selection of Irish favorites and some rock standards while this year, Two Smokin' Barrels even played a 90's Techno medley in a rock arrangement of course.
