Release Athens Festival X SNF Nostos 2026 - Jean Michel Jarre

I had already seen Jean Michel Jarre live 16 years ago at an indoor venue very near this year's which was an outdoor one. What I had neglected to do back then though, was to inform a very close friend of mine that I was going there. I thought he would be "too electronic" for her. You see, she is one of those rock fans who accuse me of listening to too much of "that electronic stuff". As it turned out though, she really liked him and wished she had come with me. We had to wait 16 years to rectify the situation.

Playing support was Sebastian Tellier and artist who I had first heard of through one of the first blogs I started following on Blogger, That Girl Needs Therapy. He then went on to represent France in the Eurovision Song Contest.

When his set was over, I rushed out for a brief snack (no Jackaroo at the SNFCC I'm afraid) and headed back up for the main event.

We had to wait quite a while for Jean Michel Jarre to come on stage. It seemed that he was quite late. It was worth the wait though.

Now, one of the reasons I wanted to see Jean Michel Jarre again, was that contrary to the indoor concert of 2010 this was going to be an outdoor one and I felt that this was going to be a spectacular show. Of course I didn't expect the displays he was doing at Houston and Lyon back in the 80's, but I did at least expect the lazer harp of the 2010 concert. It was nowhere to be seen however, instead there were the usual lazer displays almost everyone does these days. This didn't mean I was disappointed though, because it turned out to be a completely different show. As someone from the audience commented, comparec to the first show, this was more like a DJ set. Indeed he was playing dancier, remixed versions of some of his songs. And between tracks, his explanatory comments on the music were also translated in Greek on the screens.

He left the stage, came back for an encore, then left again leaving everybody happy.

SETLIST:

01. The Opening

02. Magnetic Fields 1

03. Sex In The Machine

04. Oxymore

05. Oxygène 2

06. Arpegiator

07. Équinoxe 7

08. The Architect

09. Zoolookologie

10. Zero Gravity (Above & Beyond Remix)

11. Industrial Révolution 2

12. Herbalizer

13. Oxygène 19

14. Exit

15. Équinoxe 4

16. Brutalism

17. Oxygène 4 (Astral Projection Remix)

18. Epica

19. Stardust

Encore:

20. Fourth Rendez-Vous

21. Magnetic Fields 2

Release Athens Festival 2026 - Imiskoumbria

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

J2US

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.