The beautiful adventure that we found ourselves into from Thursday 8/11 in the afternoon until the morning of Monday 11/11 at Sofia airport, due to the efforts of Made of Stone Productions and Christos in particular, came to a happy end leaving us with lots of priceless memories. Beautiful moments, laughs, late nights, thousands of miles, a lot of good music as we all shared a common goal and common bond, really…and the name of that bond is Blaze Bayley!
I am very lucky that the guys of Made of Stone Productions gave me the once in a lifetime opportunity to be with them for 4 days and together with the beloved Blaze Bayley to live the experience…right from the inside. From how a live show is done, how much effort it takes, how much work how much stress and how many phone calls have to be made to make sure everything is perfect. We see a live show for 2-3 hours but behind that there is incredible work that has to be done to get to the desired result.
On Thursday afternoon Blaze found his way to his favorite place in Athens, Gods’ restaurant in Acropolis, ready and willing to try once again all those traditional Greek dishes. A loyal follower of the Greek cuisine, he tasted everything and was completely satisfied. Relaxed with the company of his friends, his band, his fiancée and the beautiful sky of Athens bathing the dishes with musical notes and stories from his life. Stories that few people know and probably some will never know. The evening passed peacefully as the following Friday was the day of the big live show.
2 years ago at the same place, at Gagarin club, Blaze filled the venue and made a dynamic comeback to the Greek music scene. And as Mickey Rourke says “comeback, it’s a good word man”. His joy was evident. The pre-sale was very good. The appointment for the soundcheck had been made for early in the afternoon. Nice venue with great sound and everything went well. The surprise we found out early on was that he was going to do a song in memory of Paul Di’Anno which he also rehearsed! After all, the relationship between the two singers was very good. Blaze loved Paul because he was genuine, and an artist with huge potential. They had even done a joint tour together a few years ago called “Maiden united”.
The stage empties, the doors open and Blaze ready to greet the crowd, take pictures with everyone and sign some items. Just like he’s been doing for so many years. Whether it’s 50 people, like that night in Athens in 2009 up to nowadays when there were 1.000 fans outside. Even now with the open-heart surgery which has left him with a large cut on his chest to remind him that there was a good possibility if the ambulance was a little bit late that he wouldn’t be with us now. But everything went perfectly well.
In front of a packed Gagarin club Absolva, Blaze’s backing band really, opened the night and warmed us up with their fast, up-tempo songs and their overall sensational performance. 50 minutes later the scene doesn’t change but it was time for Blaze to hit the stage. The intro of “Lord of the Flies” starts and up came on stage Blaze with his hands raised thus setting the pace for the rest of the night!
The audience erupts and starts singing rhythmically! And then…”Sign of the Cross”! Mayhem! “Judgment of Heaven comes up next, and then Blaze pauses to greet us, thank us and tell us how he’s managed to cope with 6 months of not having to pick up a microphone and suffering fatigue putting a strain on his body.
Some songs from the new album, “Circle of Stone”, pleasantly surprise the audience, then back to the old songs and then 2 songs from the previous album, “War Within Me”. There must have been an earthquake at “Clansman” with the epicenter being the Gagarin club! “Man on the Edge” and “Futureal” didn’t let anyone catch their breath and finally the underrated “Angel and the Gambler” in a funkier and faster tempo, reminding everyone that it’s not a bad song. And that was really the end after a blasting night forever etched in our mind!
Smiles, joy and carefreeness. That’s what I saw on the faces of everyone who came to the concert and I saw them leave happy. Happy as they spent two hours listening to songs they love performed by a humble, honest and down to earth guy. The place emptied completely and we were left behind to see Blaze and the band off, receiving gratitude for being given the opportunity to play to so many people with so much pulse and love… Saturday morning and our wake up call is early. Sleepy but smiling faces appear in the hotel lobby. Comments from last night monopolize the conversations. The joy is great as another favorite destination is up ahead. Miles and miles, endless conversations, laughter, stories, Greek lessons to Absolva and Blaze, and here we are in beautiful Thessaloniki.
8ball club is waiting for us with its professional staff. Smaller venue than yesterday but the confidence that it will be full is evident. Soundcheck again, some rest time and all set. The doors open and the meet and greet begins. The fans one by one with military discipline and loyal to their turn they come to greet Blaze, bring him a gift and take a photo with him. Absolva gets the crowd going and Blaze takes over after them. Two years after his impressive performance at the same venue, he delivers once again the goods. The frantic Thessaloniki crowd cheers Blaze and rhythmically chants his name!
During “Clansman”, Blaze was evidently impressed of the moshpit created by the fans and took two steps back looking dumbfounded at what was happening! After 2 hours the concert is over and the date is set for next year. People with beers in hand and laughing leave the venue happy for what they experienced. For what Blaze generously gave them. And they’ll definitely be there again next time. The time is now 1:00 and we leave 8ball club. Some go to rest some go to the after party in an adjacent bar. The rendezvous for the next day is early again.
Sunday morning and cloudy Thessaloniki bids us farewell. Early in the morning we start for Sofia. The journey is shorter than yesterday but the queue at customs is huge. A while later we arrive at the capital of Bulgaria. Change of scenery as the cold is bitterly harsh…a temperature almost below zero. But we are so well warmed up by Blaze that we don’t even think about it. The Pave Club is ready for another live show. The owner is very welcoming and professional…we couldn’t have asked for more!
Blaze hasn’t played in Bulgaria for almost 10 years. I was there back then and I clearly remember the wonderful Bulgarian people. Lots of fans have already gathered outside the venue despite the cold. All set, the doors open and everyone rushes in to see Blaze. Meet and greet for everyone. Their joy was evident as they waited patiently one by one in line to see him, hug him, get a signature and take a picture.
Absolva opens the night and fills the room with sounds and powerful riffs, until an hour later Blaze appears and the place shakes. A very dynamic crowd with a pulse that made the two hours fly by. Blaze smiling and playing with the crowd, making them forget about their everyday problems and routine. Blaze promises to return and the fans are more than happy to hear the good news. The night closes and everyone leaves holding the precious autographed stuff in their hands and smiling as they reminisce about what they experienced. An hour later we go outside, and the cold remains harsh but we are not deterred. We are heading to the hotel absolutely satisfied.
The next day is difficult. It’s a bittersweet feeling, really. Joy on the one hand for what I’ve experienced and sadness because it’s ending. We meet at the hotel lobby to go to the airport. The final moments are approaching. Tired but smiling. Everything went perfectly and according to plan. The organization of Made of Stone Productions was perfect. Down to the smallest detail. Lucky to have experienced from the inside how a professional promoter works to set up and run a live show properly.
We arrive early at the airport to be comfortable with the unloading and the paperwork; we search for our gates…destination Athens for me, Liverpool theirs. Our flights are 10 minutes apart, so I have more time with them. Blaze thanked me several times for the help and renew our meeting for next year. He told me his plans for the new year. After all, we’ve known each other for years. He loves and trusts me. I have seen him 38 times and will see him as long as I am healthy and up for the task. He knows it and he appreciates it.
At some point time is ruthlessly calling us to separate. Tight hugs and a temporary goodbye. We have a lot to do which you’ll see in time! Everything will be fine as long as we have our health. I wish the same for all of you!
George Tsakoumis
