To hell with Athens as well...take me to the land of National
There was only one reason why we attended Fly Beyond Festival this year (a couple of days ago). Non other than one of the best bands on the planet at the moment, National!!
I have fallen in love with their last album Boxer, which was their best album so far and my favorite album of 2007 (along with Radiohead). So it was inevitable that we would head down to Karaiskaki stadium for their live performance. We finally made it on time (the stupid organizers had printed on the tickets that the festival starts at 21:00 but National came out 40 minutes earlier...total disorganization). And if this wasn't enough, they put National first, Massive Attack second (totally unimpressive live performance from them) and Gogol Borderllo last (I didn't even bother staying for them...only saw a couple of songs). All this meant that National came out on an empty stadium (only around 500 people in front of the stage) and with the sun shining well above us (unbearable heat).
Thankfully, National were unbelievable on stage, giving an amazing performance and playing many of the songs we came to love and adore during the past years. Despite the stupid crowd around me (which totally pissed me off and was ready to start a fight with a couple of them), it was the highlight of the great summer concerts I've attended this year (mostly abroad). What a pity that the music crowd in Athens is going from bad to worst (thousands stormed to see Manu Chao last week although he hasn't released anything worthwhile during the last half-decade..and totally ignored one of the top bands in the world at the pick of their career). Athens seems to deserve it's musical isolation...Hopefully they'll wake up again at some point and start appreciating good music like they have in the past.
Until then, here's an abstract from one of my favorite lyrics (and piano themes) from the incredible Slow Show. National for ever!!!
I have fallen in love with their last album Boxer, which was their best album so far and my favorite album of 2007 (along with Radiohead). So it was inevitable that we would head down to Karaiskaki stadium for their live performance. We finally made it on time (the stupid organizers had printed on the tickets that the festival starts at 21:00 but National came out 40 minutes earlier...total disorganization). And if this wasn't enough, they put National first, Massive Attack second (totally unimpressive live performance from them) and Gogol Borderllo last (I didn't even bother staying for them...only saw a couple of songs). All this meant that National came out on an empty stadium (only around 500 people in front of the stage) and with the sun shining well above us (unbearable heat).
Thankfully, National were unbelievable on stage, giving an amazing performance and playing many of the songs we came to love and adore during the past years. Despite the stupid crowd around me (which totally pissed me off and was ready to start a fight with a couple of them), it was the highlight of the great summer concerts I've attended this year (mostly abroad). What a pity that the music crowd in Athens is going from bad to worst (thousands stormed to see Manu Chao last week although he hasn't released anything worthwhile during the last half-decade..and totally ignored one of the top bands in the world at the pick of their career). Athens seems to deserve it's musical isolation...Hopefully they'll wake up again at some point and start appreciating good music like they have in the past.Until then, here's an abstract from one of my favorite lyrics (and piano themes) from the incredible Slow Show. National for ever!!!
Και γω μόνο γι αυτούς πήγα αλλά τελικά μου άρεσαν και οι massive, πρώτη φορά τους έβλεπα και δεν με άφησαν αδιάφορο. Οι natiolan όμως ήταν όλα τα λεφτά. Βίντεο και φώτο σύντομα.
Δυστυχώς - αν και ήμουν Αθήνα μια μέρα πριν - δεν μπόρεσα να πάω. Όντως το boxer ήταν από τους καλύτερους δίσκους του 2007 και μάλιστα είναι από τους λίγους που συνεχίζω ακόμα να ακούω χωρίς να έχω βαρεθεί.Σε ζηλεύω για ακόμα μια φορά! Κρίμα πάντως αν ήταν έτσι ο κόσμος...Είναι αυτό που λες: έχουμε τις συναυλίες που μας αξίζουν. Με τέτοια - χάλια - προσέλευση φέτος στις συναυλίες και στα φεστιβάλ, νομίζω ότι θα κάνουμε καιρό να ξαναδούμε καλοκαίρι σαν αυτό.
Ούτε εγώ τους είχα ξαναδεί τους massive και όντως δεν ήταν εντελώς χάλια αλλά σε σχέση με τα απίστευτα άλμπουμ που έχουν βγάλει on-stage είναι μέτριοι..
Ας ελπίσουμε ότι απλά έτυχε άσχημη μέρα (διακοπές, πολλές συναυλίες συνεχόμενα) και να μην ξαναπέσουμε σε συναυλιακή νηστεία..