Although I’m a fan of space rock, I had never even heard of HENGE before. My first contact with the band came when I saw their concert poster outside Gazarte. I noticed four strange-looking characters, two dressed in robes and the other two looking like alien monsters, as if they had just stepped out of a Star Wars episode. I immediately thought this must be an interesting band, and when I looked them up later, I discovered that they indeed play a style that combines space rock and progressive rock with rave and dance electronica, always through a comedic lens! Well, a band like this couldn’t leave me indifferent, and apparently, I wasn’t the only one who felt that way. So, on that Friday night, we found ourselves at Gazarte Ground Stage, ready to enjoy HENGE!
by Dimitris Zacharopoulos
photos by Iro Kalligeri (@irokalligeriphotography)
Gazarte wasn’t packed that night, but there was a decent crowd of people curious to see and hear HENGE live. Shortly after eight, we were already outside the venue in Gazi, ready for HENGE’s cosmic journey. A few minutes later, we were inside, arriving early enough to catch the support act, Bhukhurah.
Bhukhurah is the personal project of Greek musician and producer Christos Bekiris, who enjoys exploring indie pop sounds enriched with plenty of electronic, alternative and psychedelic elements. He took the stage alongside a drummer, and the two immediately got down to business with their own material. To be honest, I would divide their performance into two parts. I wasn’t particularly impressed by the first few songs, but as time went by, I gradually got into their groove. “Paramera” was definitely my favourite!
Bhukhurah may be musically on a different wavelength from HENGE, but that didn’t discourage them in the slightest. Quite the opposite, actually! They played with passion and dedication, winning over the audience. Bekiris gave everything he had on stage, making it clear that he has plenty to offer artistically. We’ re looking forward to hearing more great songs from Bhukhurah!
A few minutes after the support act’s performance, everything was ready for HENGE’s spaceship to land on Earth. And sure enough, the four musicians set foot on our planet, and we welcomed them with great excitement. After our first introduction to the four aliens, HENGE invited us aboard their spaceship. We became part of the crew, and our journey into the depths of space began!
It was absolutely beautiful to explore the universe alongside HENGE, who delivered an incredible live show right before our eyes! Playing their space rock with confidence and passion, the four musicians put on a technically flawless and emotionally rich performance. Through their wonderful space rock sounds, HENGE took us to distant and spectacular places, giving us the unique opportunity to experience something truly special.
The two Henge monsters, Nom on drums and Goo on bass/keyboards, were incredibly sweet and likeable, while the band’s frontman and guitarist, Zpor, was constantly on the move, acting as our guide on this interstellar journey. His theatrical and humorous stage presence was simply captivating! He talked to us, danced, pulled funny faces and clearly had a great time doing what he loves, spreading joy throughout the venue. Naturally, we danced along to HENGE’s rhythms and had an absolute blast with our captains!
Musically speaking, Henge’s “cosmic dross”, as they call their own sound, came through loud and crystal clear, with the keyboards playing a central role. In every respect, the adventure we experienced among the stars was incredible and wonderful, and one that will stay with us forever.
At the end of this fantastic concert, Zpor came down into the crowd, hugging people and taking pictures with us! We made it safely back to Earth, but we now have so many stories to tell about this extraordinary journey to the farthest reaches of the universe!
It was our very own Space Odyssey!
