DAY THREE (3)
Sunday, August 31, and we set off for the Golden R. Festival, eager to experience a day full of diverse, highly interesting, and quality music! We arrived just before the soundcheck finished, and as soon as we got settled, the first band took the stage.
by Dimitris Zacharopoulos
photos by Iro Kalligeri (@irokalligeriphotography)
Secret Range: Secret Range kicked off the third and final day of the festival with energy, playing some of their own compositions as well as covering classic metal songs, including “Holy Diver” (Dio), during which Marios Iliopoulos joined them on stage to sing. Having recently returned to the scene, Secret Range warmed us up for what was to come, while also managing to showcase some of their own ideas. Overall, I saw a band with real talent — both in songwriting and technical skill — driven by ambition and determination. With plenty of hard work, they are sure to achieve great things.
Blacken: From Secret Range, we moved on to Blacken, a band from Volos that plays in modern/heavy/southern rock styles. I really enjoyed their songs, as well as the confidence and ease they showed during their live performance. Blacken have a certain boldness in their music that comes across strongly and directly in a live setting, along with passion and dedication to what they do — a combination that the audience can clearly feel. Although their set wasn’t long, they still managed to win over the crowd. I’m definitely looking forward to hearing Blacken’s studio work!
Telma: The festival continued, and it was time for Telma! Another band from the Greek scene that’s definitely worth checking out and keeping an eye on. That afternoon in Volos, Telma delivered an explosive performance! Their alt/groove metal, with touches of thrash, sounded thunderous and blew our weary ears away. During their set, Telma showcased their skills, and with excellent sound, they thrilled every metalhead in attendance. Special mention goes to the vocalist — his voice and stage presence perfectly matched Telma’s overall musical style. It was a performance that truly raised the bar.
Afterimage: But Afterimage managed to raise the bar even higher with their amazing performance! Truly, this band, which follows a highly progressive metal style with touches of power metal, captivated us with their lyricism and grandiose approach. I want to highlight the unique vocals of Christos Papadakis, who sang every single word with a remarkable, almost proverbial precision. Of course, their guitar work was outstanding, especially since they had three guitarists on stage! Yes! Their songs are catchy, and I loved them even though it was my first time hearing them. And what melodies! They truly deserve all the praise!
Blues Wire: Now we move on to another historic Greek band, one of the top names in their field, electric blues. I’m talking about Blues Wire, a band that has spent their entire lives on stage, and that night in Nea Anchialos, they took us straight to heaven — which was no surprise! The power trio dove right in, playing the blues in their own deeply expressive way. It was obvious that this band loves the blues and pours their soul into every performance. Their execution was outstanding, and they seemed ready to play for another two or three hours. However, they had to stop after about an hour approximately, as Kostas Tournas was up next.
Kostas Tournas: One of the pioneers of Greek pop/rock, one of the finest representatives of Greek music, a beautiful, distinctive voice, and an accomplished composer — ladies and gentlemen, Kostas Tournas, who honored the Golden R. Festival with his performance. Many attendees had come to the festival that day just for Tournas, so by the time he and his band took the stage, a large crowd had gathered in front. The Greek musician began to perform and play his guitar, immediately captivating us, taking us on a journey, sending chills down our spines! We heard all his biggest hits, feeling so uplifted, romantic, and radiant. His band was perfectly in tune, providing the ideal support for Tournas to deliver the signature melodies of his songs flawlessly. At the end, we also heard two hits from Poll. Truly one of the festival’s standout moments!
Bonfire: Just before Bonfire took the stage, we got the news: Nazareth wouldn’t be performing after all due to flight issues, but their singer, who was already in Greece, would jam with Bonfire on some Nazareth songs. I was disappointed, but thought at least we’d get to see Bonfire as headliners — and that’s exactly what happened! Bonfire appeared on stage in a very impressive and commanding way — though one issue: their sound was initially extremely loud, to the point where it felt a bit distorted. Fortunately, the sound soon leveled out, and we could fully enjoy Bonfire. As mentioned, they started strong and kept the momentum going. Performing their classic hits, the German melodic hard rock/metallers kept us entertained and having a blast for quite a while! All the members were cheerful and lively — special mention goes to the fantastic stage presence and vocal performance of Bonfire’s Greek singer, Dyan. Yes, one of our own is on the microphone, and he has an amazing voice and charisma, fully deserving praise! Bonfire’s show closed the Golden R. Festival in style and included a jam session with Nazareth’s singer, Carl Sentance, who joined them on stage amid loud applause. Accompanied by three Bonfire members, he performed “This Flight Tonight”, “Love Hurts” and “Hair of the Dog” — a fantastic moment that gave us a great dose of Nazareth classics! Bonfire continued with more of their own songs, including my personal favorite, “Don’t Touch the Light”. With the crowd headbanging and swaying to their melodic hard rock/metal, Bonfire wrapped up their set and drew the festival’s curtain. I have to say — always such experiences, please!
And so, another Golden R. Festival passed into history, written in golden letters in the annals of the Greek rock/metal scene. Overall, the festival didn’t draw a huge crowd, but it was an absolute success! Kudos to the organizers, to the bands and their crews, and to everyone who came to Nea Anchialos to enjoy great rock and metal music! The most of the names for next year’s lineup have already been announced!
