I think it’s important to be able to see a band live in all phases of their career. I mean, which finger would you cut off to see Iron Maiden or another legendary band in their early days? Would you sell your soul to see Black Sabbath with Tony Martin play all of TYR? I find the list goes on and on.
So, it’s very important to be able to see a band at their very best. Such was the case with the show on this hot Sunday in June. Riot City are the hottest thing power/speed metal has to offer in recent years and with two excellent albums under their belt, it was time to enjoy them at their first headline show in our country. To recall that the band had already appeared in a previous Up The Hammers.
With just one support I was wondering to see what kind of crowd the Canadians can gather on their own in a period with many festivals in our country, football and the first summer holidays for some. The answer was a lot! The venue may not have been full and the balcony remained closed even for us old folks, but there were more than a few fans who honoured the two bands with their presence.
First on stage were Thelemite. The band from Athens has three albums to their credit, although I believe that they started to engage people more intensely with their latest work entitled “Survival Of The Fittest” from 2023. However, they presented a setlist that mainly focused on the band’s previous work “Thelemism”.
Their performance couldn’t miss the hit of their new album, “Night of The Wolf”, but also a nice cover of Judas Priest’s “Some Heads Are Gonna Roll”. Yannis Manolopoulos and his team warmed up the venue just as much as they should have. Their sound may bring to mind many, many, many, favorite bands but it’s all done through a personal filter. It was my first time seeing them and personally they left me with the best impressions.
But it was the turn of the band from the kindest country in the world. I hadn’t managed to see Riot City at their previous performance in our country and I generally avoid watching live videos on youtube as these amateur shots rarely capture the magic of a band on stage.
Even so, I could hardly tell you that I was prepared for what happened for the next 90, something, minutes on stage. A brief introduction and the band spilled out onto the stage of the venue that seemed unable to hold them. Jordan Jacobs in particular performed like an animal in a cage. Really of all the acts I’ve seen in the venue these were one of the few that didn’t fit!
The explosive stage presence was not without substance though. Throughout the set which was straight out of the average power/speed elitist’s wettest dreams the band looked absolutely wound up and in demonic form. Playing against the enemy of the Athens heat, “We’re practically from the Arctic Circle ourselves” Jordan said jokingly, the Canadians took no prisoners that night.
They presented their two epics almost in their entirety. We had the pleasure to hear live the titanic “Severed Ties”, their longest song. The crowd didn’t stop singing, at points almost covering the band while the beating was liberally falling in the centre of the venue, which I avoided like freelancers avoid taxes.
I don’t believe a note was missed that night. And if it was, no one noticed it in the chaos that was going on. The enthusiasm of the crowd was overwhelming the band. Yeah, I know, everybody says that wherever they go, that’s where they meet the best audience. But you can’t hide the emotions from your face and so Riot City were glowing and smiling on stage.
I wonder what to first mention as a highlight? The popular demand of the crowd to hear “Tyrant” again? The beer crate crowd surfing? The nuclear holocaust of Grim Reaper’s “See you in hell”? The whole night was a highlight.
Both bands gave it their all and I don’t think anyone left the venue with a complaint. A live performance from the… old days, no smoke and mirrors. Pure metal and a lot of violence!
Michael Ntalakos