Release Athens Festival 2023 - OMD, Mikro, Tash Sultana & Royksopp

I'm back! My first concert since last September's Belle And Sebastian and my first outdoor one since, well, Release Athens Festival 2022 (with Liam Gallagher & Iggy Pop).

Yes, I know, Royksopp were the headliners, but I really went for OMD. It was the second time I saw them and the first one since that legendary gig with Marsheaux at the Lycabettus Theatre 16 years ago. Finally Mikro were added to the bill who hadn't played live for, I think 8 years.

So, what we did was go just as the doors were opening in order to catch Mikro. A very short set, but it was nice to see them after all these years.

 

Then, it was time for OMD. They started the set with "Isotype" from their latest album and then went all the way back to "Electricity". Their set was quite long despite their being 3rd on the bill so that meant that we got to hear all our favourites. "(Forever) Live And Die", "Joan Of Arc", "Maid Of Orleans" (during which Andy still does "The Dance"), "Locomotion", "Souvenir", and even "Sailing On The Seven Seas". The crowd really enjoyed "If You Leave" from the Pretty In Pink movie, having grown up perhaps with Molly Ringwald (who was shown on the projection screen) and the rest of The Brat Pack thus making Andy ask them if there were any American tourists in the audience. But my highlight had to be the one song I hadn't heard at their previous gig in 2007, simply because it didn't exist back then: "History Of Modern (Part I)". The only notable absence for me was "Don't Go". This was their only new song from their latest best of compilation, but it is an exceptional song. They finished of course with none other than "Enola Gay".

 

 

Let me just mention here that this wasn't simply Release Athens Festival. It was combined with Summer Nostos Festival to create what was called "Release Athens Festival X SNF Nostos". Stavros Niarchos Foundation Cultural Center is next to Water Square and the two sites are connected by a footbridge. So after OMD finished their set we headed over there to catch one of the acts performing at the other site.

We were in for a great surprise: Tash Sultana was the headliner on the other side and she's an amazing performer.

 

We stayed there for a few of her songs and then headed back where M83 were performing their last two songs.

 

Then it was time for Royksopp, the headliners. As much as I like their dance sound which gave us the feeling of a summer open air club, there were a disappointment, simply because theirs was not a gig, but a DJ set. They usually bring a singer on their gigs abroad, but here everything was pre-recorded and they only brought a group of dancers whose routines left much to be desired.

It could have been so much better... We would be back though in two days for Siouxsie!

SETLISTS:
MIKRO
01. Se Trohia
02. Netrino
03. Apogionomai
04. Gefyra
05. I Seira Sou
06. Ayti I Poli

OMD
01. Isotype
02. Electricity
03. Messages
04. History Of Modern (Part I)
05. (Forever) Live And Die
06. If You Leave
07. Souvenir
08. Joan Of Arc
09. Maid Of Orleans
10. Talking Loud And Clear
11. Atomic Ranch
12. Locomotion
13. Sailing On The Seven Seas
14. Enola Gay

ROYKSOPP
01. Impossible
02. Suite For A Robotic Girl
03. Here She Comes Again
04. Monument
05. Feel It
06. Breathe
07. You Don't Have A Clue
08. Running To The Sea
09. What Else Is There?
10. Sordid Affair
11. Do It Again
12. Like An Old Dog