Music agenda starting to grow after sluggish August
Following the Athenian concert circuit’s customary lack of activity during August, and the considerable number of concert cancellations earlier this month as a result of the overall devastation caused by the tragic wildfires around the country, the agenda for upcoming shows is now beginning to grow. Shows announced by local promoters for the coming days, weeks and months include performances by rock icon Patti Smith, the Brit-pop trio Muse, Gallon Drunk, Beasts of Bourbon, Television Personalities, Radio Birdman, Tuxedomoon, Electralane and Girls Against Boys. Nowadays releasing work on a far more regular basis following a dry recording spell between the late 70s and mid-90s, broken by just one album, 1996’s «Gone Again,» the rebel-minded and poetic Patti Smith returns after a recent performance for a night at the Lycabettus Theater on Saturday. In her most recent effort, Smith put out «Twelve,» an album of cover songs, last April. The selections include numbers by rock legends such as Jimi Hendrix, Jefferson Airplane, Bob Dylan and the Doors, a radically reworked version of grunge-era Nirvana’s «Smells Like Teen Spirit» and an 80s pop hit, «Everybody Wants To Rule The World» by Tears For Fears, which stands as the release’s most surprising selection. Highlighting the veteran’s refound vigor for recording and performing, «Twelve» is Smith’s fifth studio album in just over a decade. The popular Brit-pop band Muse, whose current popularity led to a recent sold-out show at the new-look Wembley Stadium in London, have been booked for October 4 at the Terra Vibe venue on the outskirts of Athens, 37 kilometers north of the city center. In what should be one of the more eventful concert evenings this fall season, a triple-treat featuring the indie rock bands Gallon Drunk from the UK, Beasts of Bourbon from Australia and Thessaloniki act Dread Astaire, has been lined up for October 12 at Gagarin in Athens. Gallon Drunk, fronted by James Johnston, an explosive frontman who has occasionally worked with Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, have played several shows here over the past decade or so. As for the Beasts of Bourbon, the performance will be their first in Greece. Frontman Tex Perkins has worked with a number of raw-sounding Sydney bands since the early 80s, and, later on, enjoyed major commercial success in Australia with the far smoother-sounding Cruel Sea, a domestic chart-topper in the early 90s with a fresh blues-reggae-calypso style. Beasts of Bourbon guitarist Charlie Owen has perfomed here on numerous occasions alongside Sydney blues-jazz-rock musician Louis Tillett. The British indie-pop cult act Television Personalities are expected October 20 at Gagarin. Another Australian band, the legendary garage-rock act Radio Birdman whose long history dates back to the mid-70s, returns for a second show in two years at the An Club in Exarchia on October 27. American experimental band Tuxedomoon, celebrating their 30th year of activity this year, have been booked for two shows, at the Ydrogeios Club in Thessaloniki on November 2 and the Gagarin in Athens the following night. Other forthcoming shows include the Devastations on November 2 at the Gagarin Club in Athens, and the British all-girl quartet Electralane on November 11 at the same venue.
