Athens, 10th March 2006 (merged)

O.K. Just wake up.
Fantastic night. The band so tight, they do rock. Like nothing has been changed for the last 25 ~ 30 years.
So , the setlist:
1) Uknown (a good one)
2) Bo D.
3) Clasp Hands
4) Sparta F.C. (.....it's all Greek to me) (something like a hit single in Greece)
5) What About Us (fantastic, long long version)
6) Pacifying Joint
7) Wrong Place / Grass Grow (they screw wrong place)
8) Mountain Energai
9) Aspen (beautyful, very beautiful)
10) Uknown (this one, fantastic. One of the tops, a hit, a masterpiece)
11) Touch Sencitive
-------------------------
(after 2 minutes)
Touch Sencitive (again, oh yes again)
Blindness (9 minutes version)

They came upon the stage 23:15, they left 00:25. Not bad.

Mark, came out with blood (!!!) in his right hand. No glove.
Ben, Steven and Spencer played fantastic. Like it was their last night.
I couldn't hear Eleni. I was at the opposite side. Well looking.

Mark in his typical mood. A few loughs, the mics, the amps, his jacket with the packet of cigarettes, we all know him. But also very vey close to the audience.
Cheers lads

thanks Costas

apart, possibly, from the 2 you didnt recognise this sounds like the set from last autumn

Maybe chris southon. I was at the second row from the stage and I couldn't hear very well.
People from the back told me (after the gig) that the sound was clear (and loud). They all admire Steven as a bass player.
Oh, the crowd. About 1.000 in the venue. A lot of pogo dance in front.
The acceptance took also place at the 2nd uknown (for me) song, that all the venue did the pogo thing. Back to '77 !!
Of course, at the end, people shouted for more.
I don't know how to upload a few fotos, so I'm gonna e-mail them to the adms.
Cheers

Just woke up, my head still spinning.

Awesome:

New Song, so and so.
Bo D.
Clasp Hands
Sparta F.C. (serious dancing in the crowd)
What About Us ( Oh that was niiice)
Pacifying Joint
Wrong Place / Grass Grow
Mountain Energai (strange version)
Aspen
New Song, very good
Touch Sencitive (x2!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!)
Blindness (monsterous)

They played like 70 minutes or something. Encore was Touch Sensitive, Blindness.

Mark in excellent condition, no fucking around with amps. He was standing next to Eleni many times, together like studying the keyboards!

Eleni not even one greek word. Pitty

Greetings to Greece! That reads very good & promising. Curious for what's next...

Was a great turnout alright; I was surprised. I was towards the back, before the step up to the top of the hall and the sound was great there, although I don't think I could hear Eleni playing at all. The only time I could clearly hear the keyboard was when MES went over to press a few keys.

The music was great but the band (especially Ms Smith) could have said a word or two to the crowd. Would have been great if Mark E said something but I suppose you can’t have everything.

Thought the audience was a bit lame. There was a bit of pogoing up the front but there wasn't much movement around me.

The band would have done a second encore if the crowd *really* wanted it and showed it.

The band would have done a second encore if the crowd *really* wanted it and showed it.
M5*1, sorry , but i disagree with ya. If you really know this band, and how they react, you should know, that a second encore is not one of their best
After all , they are not Ramones, or Coldplay, or Clash, or Robin Williams.
I should be worried about them, if they started doing things like "hello Athens" , "we love Greece" , "kalimera, kalinihta" "bouzouki and retsina and feta" etc
They are not The Fall.
Try to expect those things from bands like the Verve, Arctic Monkeys, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Dandy W., Rolling Stones etc
By by and sorry to be rude
Costas

That's great
Well said Costas

great reviews
thanks

This sounds fanttastic I wonder of the greek gods inspired them, I must hear this.....

It has happened, though. We all live in hope.

Alithia? Thanks for reminding me. I've been to enough Fall concerts to notice.

That's not what I was after. A few grunts here and there would have been fine.

Don't worry, I've been living in Athens for quite a while now and am well used to it.

imo the second unknown/new/whatever song was in fact "assume" in a fairly unrecognizable version due to heavily improvised lyrics ("decadent man" and "systematic abuse is the truth" were two prominent themes, if one is to trust my MES de-garbling skills of course). what was mighty impressive about the song is that it actually benefitted from smith's knob-twiddling!!!

all in all it was a highly enjoyable gig... aah and i for one didn't mind not hearing eleni speak greek BUT i sure wish i could hear her keyboards, as they were practically inaudible!

http://www.dimeadozen.org/torrents-details.php?id=86375

The band would have done a second encore if the crowd *really* wanted it and showed it.
M5*1, sorry , but i disagree with ya. If you really know this band, and how they react, you should know, that a second encore is not one of their best
After all , they are not Ramones, or Coldplay, or Clash, or Robin Williams.
I should be worried about them, if they started doing things like "hello Athens" , "we love Greece" , "kalimera, kalinihta" "bouzouki and retsina and feta" etc

Although they could have used my hilarious 'Fet-A Hotel' line that went down so well on the Official site...

Thanks Costas - Stefan hasn't updated the newspage yet with them, but I see Clayts has them too - here or on flickr - here.

I send them to clats. They 're my photos.
Say to Stefan to wake up. Its time.
Cheers

Having listened to the CD, the first track was "The Boss". First played at Antwerp

Which site, which CD, where's the Boss ?

See Dr_Cic's link some posts up

hey Dr. tnx for your services to the public ; )

after all i was wrong to assume that assume (with improvised lyrics) was played in athens. a couple of people who saw the setlist in salonica and croydon have posted that it's a new one indeed called "systematic" (unsurprisingly). i stand corrected!

Yr most welcome Dr.

i could be mistaken but i think that apart from our pseudonymic profession we also share our love for all things thirlwell?

THANK YOU

Just downloaded Athens gig - sounds good