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

Summer Nostos Festival 2019 - Neneh Cherry

Summer Nostos Festival is an annual week-long festival organized by the Stavros Niarchos Foundation at its wonderful Cultural Centre which also houses the Greek National Opera and the Greek National Library. There's so much more going on apart from concerts such as dance performances, art exhibitions, theatre, sports events and activities for families and children.

Last year I attended because I wanted to see Stereo Nova, Greece's most famous “techno” band from the 90's. This year I went in order to see the legendary and fabulous Neneh Cherry.

Not only is the festival free, but the center provides its own mini buses taking you to and from the nearest metro stations. We had arrived much earlier, so we had a chance to have a glimpse at Balthazar, the band playing before Neneh Cherry at another area of the festival grounds.

After that we walked straight on to the stage where Neneh Cherry would be appearing. She was right on time and one of the first songs she performed was “Manchild”. She continued both with songs from her latest albums and old favourites. My only complaint lies with “7 Seconds” and it is that the male voice was pre-recorded. She couldn't bring Youssou'N'Dour along with her of course, but I'm sure she could have added a decent backing singer to her band who would be up to the task. Her own performance was nevertheless wonderful. 

And she finished with a wonderful medley of “I've Got You Under My Skin” and “Buffalo Stance”.

Stereo Nova @ Summer Nostos Festival

In the 90's we had Greek hip-hop (not only Imiskoubria, who I eventually saw two years ago, but also Going Through, Terror-X-Crew and Active Member among others) and we also had Greek techno, which came in the form of Stereo Nova who, like their hip-hop counterparts mentioned above, were using Greek lyrics. That didn't stop them from getting featured on MTV Europe. Unfortunately they disbanded before the millennium. They reunited ten years ago for just one gig but I somehow managed to miss that. This year though they had a proper reunion with a new album as well. And this time I was not going to miss it.
It was still winter when it was announced that they were going to appear at the Summer Nostos Festival. This festival is absolutely free and is held at the newly built Stavros Niarchos Foundation Cultural Center which houses the Greek National Opera, the National Library Of Greece as well as a large park. And it is at this park that the festival was held.

We arrived quite early and realized that not many people had arrived before us. That meant that we could secure our places right at the front of the stage. And that's exactly what we did. 

Meanwhile, more people were coming while the music played by the DJ made this feel like a true 90's party.

The two presenters announced Stereo Nova early on (at least one hour before they came on stage) as "the event that we have been waiting for for the last 20 years" (It was actually 10 as I have already mentioned above). 

The very same presenters appeared again when it was finally time for the group to appear.

It was indeed what we had been waiting for. Not only did they play the familiar songs from the 90's but also several from the new album which is one of the best I've heard this year.

I heard several people saying that they felt like they had gone back in time. Indeed, like the DJ set that preceded it, the gig felt like a 90's party as well!

Apart from that the venue is simply great, perfect for the Athenian summer, the festival is, as I have already mentioned, free and on top of that it lasts for a week so there's bound to be something for everyone especially if you take into account the fact that it doesn't only feature concerts but also sports events and other activities. Let's wait and see what it will feature next year!

SETLIST:
01. Telson
02. Nea Zoi
03. 3000 meres
04. Atlas
05. Isorropia
06. Enas Megalos Kosmos
07. Mathima
08. Ena klemmeno podilato
09. Video Club
10. Den allazo ta icheia mou
11. To Taxidi Tis Falainas
12. Assymetri Diataxi
13. Ta Dentra
14. Motokouzi
15. Proastia
16. Ti Vi O
17. Ouranos
18. Nea Moda
19. Mikro Agori
20. To Puzzle Ston Aera