Charlotte and I were home for just under two weeks before setting off for the historically cultural expanse known as Greece. Ancient Greece has earned and is owed so many thanks from all of us for its striving invention of democracy, philosophy, secularism and its pursuit of intellectualism and free-thought. No country has done so much for the world of thinking human beings! And dammit were we looking forward to arriving! The others, those being our manager, drummer and a few members of our crew, arrived four days before our adventure to Athens - but were surprisingly synced up with the time differences having flown back from Australia! We landed safely after emerging from a really frightening storm. As usual, I kept my cool as passengers panicked and screamed around me, phoning their loved ones and signing their last will and testaments. Not really. But it was a little frightening!
Pulling up to the hotel in our transit van we were ecstatic to see that the lobby was full of teenagers - oh yes, we had a school trip on our hands. This clearly meant sleepless nights from all the noise and shenanigans that young reckless go-getters tend to make. But what the hell, we were all young once and it's not like we don't make our fair share of noise! The next morning we all woke (having slept just fine considering the door slamming and general adolescent humdrum) to the tune of our alarms and went to the lobby of our hotel to conduct in some interviews. And weren’t they just delightful! How lovely! We like Greece! A short expedition around the city was on the cards, regardless of how little time we had left before sound check! The Acropolis was a MUST! Until we found out that we'd arrived at the gate three minutes too late...! Damn! Still, check these out...
What a view! Athens is pretty nice too!
Ice cream from a great height! Nothing like it!
Amongst ruins that for once I didn't create!
No matter how much of a giant man thinks he is, he's nothing compared to the will of STONE!
Athens Olympic Arena!
These guys performed a routine that commemorated the many lost lives of unknown Greek soldiers! After seeing all this we headed by tram (my favourite mode of transportation!) to the venue. Sound check passed without a hitch (okay, maybe a few hitches here and there - but they were tweaked and sorted in no time at all!) and before we knew it we were on the stage and rocking out. And the place was packed! We were not expecting this at all. And they were crazy! As you can see for yourself, I tried my hand at some Greek...
It's all written phonetically so that my poor poor brain can handle it! After taking a leap from the stage into the audience and then making my way to the balcony for one final dive before we left the stage I couldn't believe how loud and raucous everything was sounding. The noise! Oh, it was BEAUTIFUL! Thank you, Athens!
On to Thessaloniki! We drove seven hours in a cramped van and checked into our hotel, only to realise that another party of schoolchildren on a trip were also staying there at the hotel. And then...ANOTHER completely different school of children came through the doors to check in also. There were hundreds of them! We headed off to the venue to soundcheck (this one actually passing without so much as a teeny tiny hitch!) and then we all jumped in a van to head to a restaurant that our wonderful rep, George, had booked for us! With a good deal of very tasty food in our bellies we walked onstage and kicked straight into "Kalifornia". Today my Greek was a little better, even if I did get a bit tongue tied at the thought of singing "Rock & Roll Queen" in such a difficult language! Once again the audience were crazy! One guy jumped on the stage only to be taken offstage by security thrashing like a lunatic! That's what we like to see! Greece, you have the SPIRIT!
We are definitely coming back! Thank you for two wonderful shows!
William Lunn (Esquire)
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