Watching one of you favorite bands for the first time is a unique and unforgettable experience. It’s a dream that may have seemed elusive, but it’s finally becoming a reality. That is something so powerful that you want to experience it with all your being. And that’s exactly what I did on the night of Friday, March 22nd.
First up was Volk, a duo from America, with Eleot Reich singing and playing drums and Christopher Lowe on guitar, who have played several times with the Supersuckers, as it found out while I was looking for information about them. Although I don’t have a great affinity for such groups, what I was listening to at first, that sounded like ZZ Top, was good, but later on when Lowe indulged in improvisation they lost me.
Right after that it was the turn of Nothing Thrives with their awesome logo, which however doesn’t refer to the punk-ish rock they play. The singer appeared on stage with long hair, but it turned out that he was wearing a wig, which he threw at the audience. With plenty of energy and non-stop movement up and down the stage he got the crowd going. “Riot”, where the first mosh-pit formed, definitely stood out.
Liptards from Thessaloniki that followed were for me the revelation of the night. With Theo, an arrogant brat, fronting and kept stearing aggressively at the audience below while barely standing still, rockstar Joe on lead guitar wearing a jacket, scarf, zebra shirt and round-brimmed hat, striking haughty poses and on the opposite side, Jerry, in the rhythm section looking like a member of the Clash with his tight jeans with rolled up shutterbugs, his (Dwarves) shirt with folded sleeves, rookie haircut and Doc Martens boots, it was certain that they wouldn’t go unnoticed. Musically they reminded me a lot of my favourites, Gluecifer, from the first three albums, straddling the line between punk and rock’n’roll. They played exclusively their own material from their debut album “Bowery Smiles” and their two singles “Loose Noose” and “Paycheck”. I will check them out immediately. Thankfully, there are still groups like this in our country and they are holding the banner high giving us hope for the future.
And with the clock showing almost 11:30 the self-proclaimed “greatest rock’n’roll band in the world” took to the stage unleashing an epic rock’n’roll attack of the highest octanes with the first songs hitting the crowd like slaps in the face. They kicked off with one of their most famous songs, “Pretty Fucked Up” and immediately followed it up with the more recent “All Of The Times” and the super classic “The Evil Powers Of Rock’n’Roll”, with “Rock’n’Roll Records” back to back, while a real mayhem was taking place at the venue, with everyone shouting, screaming, whistling, dancing, beating up each others, fists in the air at Kyttaro whose floor was filled with about 300 boys and girls initiated to the original American rock’n’roll. Actually, some one said that “non-Americans should be banned from playing rock’n’roll”, and it sounded right!
Now, sometimes when you expect too much of something your demands and expectations become a mountain and you may not be satisfied, or even worse be disappointed by reality, and that’s probably the worst thing that can happen to a fan. Fortunately, that didn’t happen in this case. From the first moment I saw them at sound check with fatigue painted on their faces, but with a glistening eye, I knew the show would be as I expected, only it turned out to be even better.
You see, it was not only the characteristic ease and the swagger of the three Supersuckers, but also the material that they presented to us. Generally, with 30 or so years under their belt and a granite bond between them, they’re the kind of band that change setlists at will, play one-off songs, covers that you’re trying to figure out what they are, and more. Athens (I don’t know about Thessaloniki and Volos -I’d love to have seen them twice more!) was lucky enough to hear a brand new song, from the upcoming studio album (“Maybe I’m Just Messing With You”), but also a frenetic cover of The Coasters’ “That Is Rock’n’Roll”, ZZ Top’s “Beer Drinkers & Hell Raisers”, which they haven’t played anywhere else so far, and “Rocket 69”, which is another cover of the Lee Harvey Oswald Band from 1996, who are apparently unknown to the general public, but not to the Supersuckers, as their former guitarist, Rick Sims, played for them, whom they honored in this way. If you haven’t figured it out yet we’re talking about one of the most raw and unpretentious bands ever, and they’re certainly worthy of the ultimate accolade Lemmy gave them when he said “if you don’t like the Supersuckers, you don’t like rock’n’roll”.
Somewhere towards the middle of the set, guitarist “Metal” Marty Chandler took over the lead vocals and presented three songs from his solo album, which the crowd greeted warmly. At that point, Eddie Spaghetti asked the crowd to request songs and “I Want The Drugs” and the beloved “Sleepy Vampire” were played, from my favorite album so far, “Motherfuckers Be Trippin'”. Speaking of Eddie, he really is a great figure, a true encyclopedia of rock’n’roll, a philosopher, but at the same time a very simple and everyday man, who becomes the ultimate rocker when he takes the stage. With his voice a little battered by hardship he performed all the songs as he should have in the 80 minutes or so (if I counted correctly) that had no interruptions, no encore, literally no breathing room, apart from the short introductions to some of the songs.
Chris Von Streicher in the back, the band’s “engine” with a drum set so plain and simple you thought something it was missing parts, but he made it sound like a bomber airplane. With such a solid rhythm section, Marty with his scruffy guitar hanging too low threw a party with impressive playing, solos, fills and backing vocals.
The crowd had a great time and it was somewhat comforting to see that at least the bottom of the venue was full and that there was a lot of youth, apart from the old-timers who wouldn’t miss this for the world.
In an ideal world the Supersuckers should be at the top, an honorary member of the Rock’n’Roll Hall Of Fame, a benchmark for music and playing arenas as one of the most authentic and honest bands out there. Hopefully, Made Of Stone, to whom we at least owe a debt of gratitude, will bring them back and see them again and more people will come to see them and fill the venues they play because first and foremost they deserve it, but we want it too. In all fairness, we need them more, than they need us.
Yiannis Dolas
Pretty Fucked Up, All Of The Time, The Evil Powers Of Rock’n’Roll, Rock’n’Roll Records (Ain’t Selling This Year), Coattail Driver, Creepy Jackalope Eye, Get The Hell, Ain’t Gonna Stop (Until I Stop It), Dead Inside, Maybe I’m Just Messing With You, The History Of Rock’n’Roll, How Many Turns Will It Take to Unscrew It Up, Fisticuffs, Rock Your Ass, Workin’ My Ass Off, Goddamn Divorce, Idaho Baby!, I Want The Drugs, Sleepy Vampire, That Is Rock’n’Roll (The Coasters), I Tried To Write A Song, Rocket 69 (Lee Harvey Oswald Band), Supersuckers Drive-By Blues, Beer Drinkers & Hell Raisers (ZZ Top), Born With A Tail
