Guns N' Roses live in Athens July 2023

Years ago, before Release Athens Festival became so huge (and we're glad that it did because it has offered us variety within the city of Athens) there used to be "The Big Summer Concert". It was one concert, usually during the summer, and usually at the Olympic Stadium, that was the biggest event of that year. In 1998 it was The Rolling Stones (of course). In 2007 it was George Michael. In 2008 it was Madonna. In 2009 it was AC/DC. In 2010 it was U2. In 2011 it was Bon Jovi. Well, in 2023 it was definitely Guns N' Roses!

Well, Axl Rose had already played in Greece with what he called "Guns N' Roses", but we all know that that wasn't the real GNR. What we wanted to see was the original line-up and when that reformed a few years ago, I knew that I had to see them. I had already been thinking of planning a trip abroad, but sometime during last winter I got lucky. They announced that they would be coming to Greece. I secured my ticket early enough (making sure they didn't clash with Bruce) and sat back and waited for the summer to come.

 

 

 

When the time came, which was the day following yet another Release Athens Festival date, I was ready even though it was the hottest day of the year. I went there quite early, but what I didn't expect was that I would get to the very front and also that I would find my friends there. I also found a guy I didn't know wearing a Billy Joel t-shirt and when I talked to him he confirmed that yes, he had also been at Hyde Park a few days earlier.

 

The Last Internationale, the support band were a pleasant surprise, with their very outstanding singer who managed to get us in the mood even though the sun was still shining and it was still, as a result, very hot.

 

 

 

What was to follow was three hours of Guns N' Roses. Yes, they do a Bruce Springsteen and play a 3 hour set on this tour. And as they don't have so many albums as Bruce you'd think they would manage to fit in everything during those three hours. Well, not so, because they wanted to include songs from Velvet Revolver, Chinese Democracy and other solo projects. Still, there were only a handful of classics left out, the most notable being "Don't Cry" (although personally I would prefer "Get In The Ring"). There were a few rumours that they would not be that good, however Axl had lost a lot of weight, his voice was a lot better than some people thought it would be and even though Slash was showing his age, the energy was still there. The hottest day of the year was just that: The hottest! Now all I had to do was pack my bags and go to Monza for another three hour concert : Bruce Springsteen!

SETLISTS:
THE LAST INTERNATIONALE
01. Killing Fields
02. Wanted Man
03. Life, Liberty, And The Pursuit Of Indian Blood
04. 1984
05. Freedom Town
06. Soul On Fire

GUNS N' ROSES
01. It's So Easy
02. Bad Obsession
03. Chinese Democracy
04. Slither
05. Pretty Tied Up
06. Mr. Brownstone
07. Welcome To The Jungle
08. Double Talkin' Jive
09. Hard Skool
10. Absurd
11. Estranged
12. Live And Let Die
13. Rocket Queen
14. Down On The Farm
15. You Could Be Mine
16. T.V. Eye
17. Anything Goes
18. Civil War
19. Slash Guitar Solo
20. Sweet Child O' Mine
21. November Rain
22. Reckless Life
23. Wichita Lineman
24. Locomotive
25. Knockin' On Heaven's Door
26. Nightrain
27. Patience
28. Happy Birthday to You
29. Paradise City

Release Athens Festival 2023 - Primal Scream, The Prodigy

 

On what would turn out to be a five day marathon of concerts and trips, I went to my last Release Athens Festival date for 2023. I chose it for just one reason: Primal Scream. The Prodigy were however a welcome addition. 

There were not many acts on that date. I arrived early, just as the doors were opening and the first act was not a live gig, but a DJ set from George Michalopoulos. That was a funny coincidence seeing as my last night out the previous week had also been a DJ set (from Fatboy Slim).

 

 

The first live act came next and this was Lip Forensics, an electronic music band from Greece. I had heard of them, but I had never heard them (or listened to them to be more precise). Their show became much livelier with the addition of female vocals courtesy of Kit Kido.

 

Then it was time for what for me was the main act: Primal Scream. Several people were maybe expecting a set full of dance tracks and loops remembering them in the very early 90's. And indeed that was probably the reason they were chosen to play the festival on this specific night among DJ sets and electronic and dance acts. But let's not forget that before (and after) that phase, Primal Scream were first and foremost an indie band. The set started with a gospel choir giving us the intro to "Movin' On Up". And yes, they played a very special version of "Loaded" but we got so much more, such as "Rocks", "Country Girl" and my personal favourite from their latest era, "2013" with its saxophone solo.

 

Finally, it was party time with The Prodigy. I remembered they had played on the 4th Rockwave Festival, back in 1999, but I had chosen to go on the previous day featuring Garbage and Patti Smith. Now many people would say they wouldn't want to see The Prodigy without Keith Flint, however when I discovered Prodigy back in 1991, Keith Flint, although he was an original member, did not yet sing. And he did not sing until 1996 and "Firestarter". Anyway, it was indeed a party and although it was live, it felt more like a DJ set with each song playing only for three minutes , usually followed without a pause by the next one. That's why it ended quite soon. But we did see a graphic representation of Keith on the screen.

I was out of Water Square and on my way home quite quickly, because on the very next day I was going to attend a concert of a very different kind: Guns N' Roses at the Olympic Stadium...

SETLISTS:
PRIMAL SCREAM
01. Movin' On Up
02. 2013
03. Can't Go Back
04. Big Jet Plane
05. It's Alright, It's OK
06. Suicide Bomb
07. Come Together
08. Jailbird
09. Loaded
10. Country Girl
11. Rocks

THE PRODIGY
01. Breathe
02. Omen
03. Light Up The Sky
04. Climbatize
05. Everybody In The Place
06. Voodoo People
07. Omen (Reprise)
08. Firestarter
09. Roadblox
10. No Good (Start The Dance)
11. Their Law
12. Get Your Fight On
13. Poison
14. Smack My Bitch Up
Encore:
15. Take Me To The Hospital
16. Invaders Must Die
17. We Live Forever
18. Out Of Space

Fatboy Slim live in Athens July 2023

As you probably know by now, I rarely go to see DJ's play live unless they are one of my favourites. So, after Tiesto in 2009 (and let's not forget Little Boots 10 years later - but that was after her live gig) it was now time for Fatboy Slim. (We could also mention here The Chemical Brothers in 2018 which was a dance music "live" gig). I wanted to see one of his sets especially after listening to his "Live On Brighton Beach" albums and watching the "Big Beach Boutique" DVD

He played at The Stavros Niarchor Foundation Cultural Center home of the Summer Nostos Festival. And what's more it was free (as the Summer Nostos Festival usually is). The support DJ set was by Hank K and what made it memorable for me was that he finished it by playing "Fired Up" by the Funky Green Dogs, one of my favourite dance tracks from more than 25 years before.

 

 

As I was getting my beer, Fatboy Slim (aka Norman Cook) was up on stage and he started by playing "Don't Stop Me Now" by Queen! What followed was two hours filled with favourite dance tracks from the past (some of which were his own) and more with a spectacular projection and light show.

 

The photos and videos I have posted here will give you just a taste of this amazing experience!