It’s true that in recent years we haven’t had many live shows of pure, unfiltered, straight-up hard rock in our country. For that reason, the announcement of Destiny Calls’ concert at Kyttaro was great news for all Greek fans of the genre. Myth of Rock, in high spirits and with a serious thirst for hard rock, made sure to be at the historic venue that Sunday night. Here you can read what went down at this particular show, which was opened by Diamond Signs and Stellar Veil.
by Dimitris Zacharopoulos
photos by Iro Kalligeri (@irokalligeriphotography)
Doors opened at 8:30 p.m. and right on time people started getting into Kyttaro. In the end, there was a good turnout — the venue didn’t sell out, but it was comfortably full, with plenty of space to enjoy the show. After a short while, the live kicked off with Diamond Signs as the opening band. The all-female group took the stage and immediately launched into a set packed with covers of well-known hard rock and heavy metal songs. “Gutter Ballet” (Savatage), “The Tower” (Bruce Dickinson), “Fairies Wear Boots” (Black Sabbath), “Lonely” (Crimson Glory), “Women” (Def Leppard), “Girl from Lebanon” (Europe), “Sails of Charon” (Scorpions), “Cold Sweat” (Thin Lizzy) and “Wrathchild” (Iron Maiden) were performed flawlessly and with real passion by the four girls. With a solid sound and tight rehearsals behind them, Diamond Signs managed to warm us up properly and set the mood for a fantastic hard n’ heavy night. Joan Kollia impressed everyone with the incredible range and power of her voice, while the rest of the band proved they are truly outstanding musicians. Diamond Signs kicked off the hard rock celebration in the best possible way.
Taking the baton from Diamond Signs were the hard rockers Stellar Veil. Balancing somewhere between AOR and melodic heavy metal, Stellar Veil performed their own material from their debut album, titled “Calling The Hearts Of The World”. They were excellent at what they did and carried the night forward exactly as it should have been. Led by Jon Soti — who once again thrilled us with his beautiful voice — the band won over the audience with their refined melodies and technique. Of course, the overall positive impression was further strengthened by Dimitris Paloudis’ tasteful guitar work and Peter Papadimatos’ elegant keyboard lines. Stellar Veil also enjoyed a very good sound, played with passion and satisfied everyone in attendance — even those who weren’t already familiar with their songs. Seeing them live, you can clearly sense that this is a band with a lot to offer in the near future, especially if they keep up the momentum they’ve built.
With Stellar Veil wrapping up their set, it was almost time for Destiny Calls to take the stage. Before getting into what happened during the headliners’ performance, I should mention that this was the first time I was seeing Destiny Calls live. The Athens-based band didn’t waste a second — they stormed onto the stage with joy and tons of energy, and from the very first songs they made me realize I should have seen them live a long time ago. How had I missed them all this time? Experiencing Destiny Calls on stage, I quickly understood that we’re talking about a top-tier, incredibly talented band. First of all, their singer, Aggeliki Rossolatou, has an amazing voice — gritty, full of character and instantly captivating. Then there’s their outstanding guitarist, Spiros Fousekis, whose playing truly sticks with you. The rhythm section is rock solid as well, with Loukas Adamopoulos delivering steady bass lines, Petros Papapetros pounding out thunderous drums and Georgos Georgiou adding his touch on keyboards. I was blown away. Destiny Calls not only performed songs from their debut album “Alive”, but also delivered fantastic covers of Cher’s “I Found Someone”, Survivor’s “Desperate Dreams” and “Hide Your Heart” (Bonnie Tyler, Kiss, Molly Hatchet, etc.). We had an incredible time — both the audience, who applauded nonstop, and the band themselves, with the humble Rossolatou and the overexcited Fousekis constantly interacting with the crowd. It was a wild hard rock party that won’t be forgotten. Yes, Destiny Calls are a massive band, their songs are compelling and every live show of theirs feels like a major artistic event for hard rock music.
The end of the concert found all of us with a wide smile painted across our faces. How could it be any different after witnessing three remarkable bands shaking us up with their hard n’ heavy anthems? Whenever you hear about a live show by Diamond Signs, Stellar Veil or Destiny Calls, make sure you’re there. You’ll be more than rewarded!
