This Saturday, on the 6th of January, 2024, we are going to witness a fiery hard rock/metal live show at Temple Athens! Wild Machine, Dr. Crüe and Snakebite are the protagonists of this rock n’ roll celebration – Myth of Rock, ready for this party, talked with the members of Dr. Crüe, the great Greek Mötley Crüe tribute band, in a very interesting interview. Let’s rock n’ roll!
by Ira Bounia
Which is the current line-up of the band? Can you introduce the members of the band to us?
(Stiven Dixxon) The band consists of Tasos (aka Stacey W.) on vocals, Andreas (aka Andy Skal) on the guitar, Stavros (aka Stiven Dixxon) on the bass and the backing vocals, Nikitas (aka Nicky Roxx) on the drums and finally, Anna-Maria (aka En Mari Liz) on the backing vocals.
When was the band founded? Were you from the beginning hard rock boys and girls?
The band was formed in late 2021 with other members on drums and guitar and the final form of the band took shape in 2022. Musically we come from almost the same background, but hard rock is definitely our common love. I believe the bond and energy we bring out on stage is due to everyone’s different way of thinking, which always results in the common goal, the Rock N’ Roll party feeling that we want everyone present to receive!
Was your love of Mötley Crüe the source of your dynamic performances? What I want to say in essence is that in your live shows there is an amazing simulation of Mötley Crüe.
(Stiven Dixxon) Certainly this contributes a lot to how we ourselves act on stage, without wanting to be another imitation of the band, so each of us adds his own personal style along with the respective role we have in the band. We’re not Mötley Crüe and we don’t want to give that impression.
Which album from Mötley Crüe’s discography do you prefer and which song of theirs do you think it’s the most complete musically?
(Andy Skal) “Shout At The Devil” – Well here we have a super classic heavy metal album for me, which passed into the pantheon of ‘80s super epics! With all the tracks being catchy, listenable and ready for war! Forgive me though, because my personal favorite song is “On with the Show” from “Too Fast For Love”. It touches my soul, guys, what can we do now (haha!).
(Nicky Roxx) “Girls, Girls, Girls” – This is where the Crüe nailed it, set themselves free, and mixed the polished with the reckless so well. From the beginning to the end you can’t get enough of the record! My personal choice “You’re All I Need”.
(Εn Mari) “Shout At The Devil” – You push play, “In the Beginning” starts, you say here we are! And before you know it, you’ve spent half an hour that you never regretted wasting, 10/10! My personal choice is “Too Young To Fall In Love”.
(Stacey W.): “Shout at the Devil”/ “Saints of Los Angeles” – Ehhh… about “Shout at the Devil”, the other guys said everything, and they could have said more! “Bastard” is my personal choice! “Saints of Los Angeles”, it’s my personal weakness, the first official Crüe release, since I fell in love with them at 14, bought it on the first day from Metropolis in Peristeri, and played it endlessly on the hi-fi, waiting for the eponymous clip to play on Mad’s TV War! My choice from it is “Face Down In the Dirt” (This is how the big albums open!).
Stiven: “Too Fast For Love” – “Too Fast For Love”, the first Leathür Records release, since there the Crüe themselves had a large part in the production and mixing of the album. In this way they directly showed the world their intentions and what they are capable of, avoiding yet another polished release. “Piece of your action” is my personal choice!
Looking at your progress so far, one realizes that you are gaining more and more fans. Do you think it has to do with the type of music, the shows and your live performances, etc.?
(Stacey W.) Good evening from me too, I wish you a happy, lucky and healthy year! This musical idiom has many fans in Greece, who often act as unsung heroes! If we cut the pie of the “metal” scene in our country, hard/glam/sleaze Rock, it would take a much bigger piece than what most rockers/metalheads have in mind. The older ones who stayed and continue their decent jobs contribute to this, but also the younger ones who seem to be trying for the best on stage and in their recording jobs. So, the answer is that if you convey to the public this love for the genre, in connection with the extravaganza show and the -to the point- effects, you have no reason to fear that you will not have a little more impact every time!
There is public response in other cities as well. How do you receive the response of the public outside of Athens? What messages are you receiving?
(Stacey W.) One of the main reasons for being in a rock band is the ritual of leaving your hometown and seeing what fish you catch in another! And that’s because there you play with the disadvantage of “sure friends and acquaintances won’t come” (let’s be honest about that, hahaha!) … When you cut a three-digit number of tickets in cities outside of Athens, you can’t describe the joy and the obligation to do the right thing, to entertain the audience. Especially when all this comes together with the incredibly beautiful feedback we receive right after the live show… The feelings there are indescribable!
January 6th and we have an explosive concert at Temple Athens with two equally beloved bands Snakebite (Alice Cooper tribute band) and Wild Machine. Which are your feelings?
(Εn Mari) I think it was time to play “at home” after the absence of one year! First off let’s thank Snakebite and Wild Machine for accepting the invitation to this Party! Then we’re really looking forward to this live show, as we wanted to play earlier in ’23, but unfortunately due to certain circumstances, it didn’t happen. ‘Good things come to those who wait”, says Jon Bon Jovi, so on Saturday all this joy, tension and anticipation, be sure that it will be transferred from us to you!
And after Temple?
(Stacey W.) A group, which becomes a tribute band, has an alpha acceptance and… what happens after that? (One two, one – two, can you hear me? Haha!) So, we decided and wrote original material, which in the coming months will be released under a different name, but with the same members! The next few months we will focus on this, finishing the recordings, with the first singles coming in the first half of 2024. We are looking forward to presenting our work there! So this Saturday’s live will be a very strong dose of Mötley Crüe effect, until the next one! We are waiting for you!
