Irene Ketikidi, the exquisite rock/metal guitarist from Greece, has been remarkably active lately. In the coming days, she is embarking on a short joint tour with Vonavibe, performing live in a co-headlining concert with Spineless in Athens, and also leading a guitar masterclass in Ioannina! Recognizing her artistry and growing momentum, Myth of Rock reached out to Irene Ketikidi for an exclusive interview. Irene was kind enough to respond to our questions with grace and insight, offering thoughtful and engaging answers. Keep an eye on Irene — she is an exceptionally talented and charismatic musician, whose star is rising higher and higher!
by Dimitris Zacharopoulos
photos by Iro Kalligeri (@irokalligeriphotography)
Irene, you are one of the few female guitar heroes in Greece. When and how did you first get in contact with music? Did you take guitar lessons or are you self-taught?
My father had a cassette of Pink Floyd’s “The Wall”. That’s the earliest recording I remember listening to as a kid. I started playing guitar as a teenager after watching all the cool rock bands on MTV. I did take some entry guitar lessons briefly, then took a long break, just playing and learning by myself. Quite a few years later, I went on to study in London and get a Bachelor in Popular music performance.
Which were the first bands/artists that you listened to? What music do you listen to nowadays?
Other than Pink Floyd, Oasis, Skunk Anansie, Red Hot Chili Peppers and the Prodigy were some of the first bands I listened to. Most recently, I’ve been listening to Steven Wilson, St. Vincent and Opeth.
As far as guitar playing is concerned, which are your main influences? Who is your favorite guitar player?
My main influences are Joe Satriani, Steve Vai, Eddie Van Halen and Eric Clapton. Satriani is my all-time favourite guitar player.
Can you present to us briefly the albums you have released until now? Which is your favourite?
My first album ‘Martial Arts & Magic Tricks’ is a high-energy shred rock record, with its occasional soft moments. Most of the tracks are up-tempo, but there are a couple of power ballads too. My second album ‘A Sky For All’ is definitely moodier and darker as far as songwriting is concerned. Also, the compositions are almost all mid to slow-tempo, with focus on the melodies and not as many face melting guitar solos. I don’t have a favourite, I love both records for different reasons.
I know that you are a solo artist. Have you ever been a member of a band? If not, why is that?
I’ve been a member of quite a few bands like Gravil, the Black Capes, Lia Hide and Jozette. And of course numerous session bands during my ongoing career as a session player.
Are you also a guitar teacher?
I’ve been a guitar instructor for over 15 years and fully enjoyed it. Nowadays, I’m focusing on live performances and studio work, however I do contribute instructional material to the Gibson guitar learning app.
Can you tell us about the guitar course (“Secrets of Melodic Rock”) that you have released?
It’s a complete course on melodic guitar phrasing. It includes essential scales, expressive techniques and ways to ‘vocalise’ your guitar melodies, as well as three guitar solos using all those concepts so you can have fun while learning! It was filmed and released by JamPlay originally and now available via TrueFire, one of the major online guitar instructional providers worldwide.
Do you think that as a guitar player, you have a personal style? Can you describe your guitar playing style?
I have my own sound and tone, which is basically another way of saying I have my own way of playing and performing. I think every artist is like this. I’m not sure I can put it into words entirely, but my style is a mix of prog rock, metal, blues and ambience.
Which are your favourite guitar techniques?
Legato and vibrato are my favourites.
How is it to be a woman guitar hero in the men-dominated world of rock/metal music? Is it tough or not? Why?
It certainly felt strange in my early days. The goal was to find my place in the music scene, which felt challenging, complicated and of course male-dominated. I worked hard and at the same time tried to maintain my character and integrity. Deep down, I’ve always wanted to redefine what being a woman in music is about. I wanted to be both powerful and sensitive, aggressive and emotional, outgoing and introspective. I think I’ve managed this to a great degree and it makes me feel proud and free.
Would you say that you are a rock/metal guitarist or would you say that you go beyond labels and genres?
I’m a rock guitarist who is capable of playing a lot more different styles as well.
Are there any other Greek guitarists that you admire?
So many! Elias Zaikos is my top favourite. Then of course Gus G, Gus Drax, Foivos, Fotis Delinikolas, George Tsourapis, Kostas Sampanis, Steelianos and George Marios.
Have you written any new songs for your next album? If yes, how does the new material sound?
I have written a couple of new songs and they’re both in the pre-production stage at the moment. The new album concept is clear in my mind and the sound will be similar to my latest single ‘MAGGOTS’ – basically modern prog rock/metal, with immersive guitar tones and real life sampled sounds.
Some people say that instrumental guitar music is boring. What things should instrumental guitar music have in order to be interesting?
Boring music is boring. Instrumental guitar music is just another genre. If I write a great melody, add a great arrangement and dynamics, tell my story using soundscapes and effects, then I have a great song. I can ‘sing’ notes on my guitar, piano or any lead instrument other than the voice. It’s all about the intention, delivery and authority of my musical composition.
Is there any chance that you will release songs with lyrics?
Not any time soon, but you never know 🙂
How much important is feeling and emotion for you and your music?
It’s intrinsically important. Music cannot exist without emotions. Feeling things, putting them into notes and riffs and melodies is what keeps me and my music alive.
If you could cooperate with a famous guitarist, who would he/she be and why?
It would be Devin Townsend. He is not just a guitarist, but also a great songwriter and vocalist. I love his aesthetic and productions, also his live guitar tone and performances are just magical.
I have seen you two times in concert, the first time with Jon Voyager as a support act of Geoff Tate and the second time as a member of the rock band of Frosso Stylianou at Stavros tou Notou. What do you remember from these live shows?
Supporting Geoff Tate was one of our best gigs ever. The sound was amazing, the stage felt great and me and my band were in the moment throughout the show. The crowd was so receptive and cool, I made eye contact with a lot of people in the audience vibing to the songs, it was just amazing. I always love playing with Jon Voyager too, he’s such a versatile artist and a badass performer.
Frosso Stylianou band is a really different kind of project and I’m so excited to play with these guys. The musicianship in this band is just incredible! We’ve taken a bunch of hit songs from the 70s-80s Greek laikò scene and arranged them for a rock band. I play a lot of the original keyboard, bouzouki or tzouras parts on the guitar with some pretty wild, unpredictable sound effects. Together with the rhythm section and Frosso’s powerful voice, we’ve transformed the songs in a way that feels fresh, relevant and ever so powerful lyrically.
In some days you playing with Spineless at AN club. Which are your feelings for this upcoming live gig?
I am simply too excited! I can’t wait for us to do this again – we’ve played together with Spineless before the pandemic and it was such a blast. Chrysa is a very special performer and she’s really pushing her art with Spineless to new levels. As for me and my band, we’ve added three new songs to our set list, so I cannot wait to play those live!
You are also going to play as a co-headline act with Vonavibe. Can you give us all the info?
We’ve been planning this first leg of our joint ‘THIS IS NOT A TOUR’ tour with Vonavibe for quite a while now, so it’s great to be able to finally talk about it! Vonavibe is one of the first bands I met in Athens after moving back from London. We’ve shared the stage many times and we’ve mutual respect for each other’s music and work ethic. The tour starts in Larisa on the 25th April and next up we play Ioannina on the 26th April. I’m also doing a guitar masterclass on the 27th April at Stars Music Academy in Ioannina. Really looking forward to those dates and meeting all our fans outside Athens, so hope to see you all there!
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