Ten was always one of the most remarkable bands that managed to carry the torch of hard rock music when times were tough for the genre back in the 90s. In addition, Gary Hughes is a gifted songwriter with a unique charisma of harmonically blending melody with a clear epic feeling.
Ten released two albums in a row (as a matter of fact in a time period of just 6 months) and thought that it would be an ideal opportunity of coming over once again to Greece for two shows (an acoustic and an electric one). It seems, also, that the band has heard the voices of the Greek fans and as you will see below they presented a perfect set that was radically different to the one that Ten played in 2013.
Overlord’s Perpetual was the opening act; a Greek band that is the brainchild of guitarist-extraordinaire, Kostas Varras. Its neoclassical style bears striking resemblance to Yngwie Malmsteen’s Rising Force has definitely strong compositional moments (especially on such songs as “I Can’t Wait” and “I’ll Never Cry Again” where Varras has come up with some very inspiring riffs) but on the other hand I believe that it is far better on CD than to a live environment. It was obvious that the band needs some extra work when it comes to live shows although they seemed more at home when they covered three classic tracks: “The Sails of Charon” (Scorpions), “All Night Long” (Rainbow), “I’ll See The Light Tonight” (Malmsteen).
The second act of the evening was a completely unknown musical entity to me called Ganzi Gun and what an awesome live experience that was! I couldn’t believe that an up and coming band from Greece could be so cool and well rehearsed on stage. I’ve seen numerous Greek bands with flawless technical abilities that when they hit the stage they forget everything they know! Ganzi Gun was totally on the other end of the rope! Not only they were flawless but they presented a highly professional show that could have easily envied by top names of the industry! Its modern hard n’ heavy melodic sound is influenced by everything that goes on right now in the States…just imagine something in between Shinedown, Puddle of Mudd with the commercial touch of Nickelback and you instantly get a first picture of Ganzi Gun. You should definitely check out their debut “Welcome To The Show”…I most definitely will do so!
At 10:40 the pre-recorded intro of “The March of the Argonauts” rushed through the speakers of Kyttaro Club and almost instantly a very positive vibe was evident in the atmosphere. It was like everyone expected to see a great Ten concert filled with all their timeless hits and believe me when I am saying, not only did that but they delivered the goods in the most extraordinary way, too! “Fear The Force” essentially opened the show; the sound was crystal clear and Gary Hughes seemed (and was) determined that night to lead Ten and create the ideal background for a night to remember! In order to do so, he “unearthed” almost all the brilliant gems from Ten’s back catalogue and as you will read at the end, the set list was comprised almost entirely of timeless Ten tunes. As a matter of fact, with the exception of “Gunrunning” and “A Smuggler’s Tale”, every other track is considered, more or less, classic amongst the rock aficionados. Personally, I was pleasantly surprised with the addition of two favorite (and almost forgotten) tracks of mine…“Lamb To The Slaughter” and “Goodnight Saigon”. All in all, Ten took us by storm and proved that it is a live force to be reckoned with…not that we didn’t know that but it is far better when it is enhanced by a perfect set list…right?
I am sure that all 250 fans that found their way on Kyttaro Club that night left under the best impressions but I must say that I expected many more people…I know that the financial situation is pretty bad here in Greece but the ticket price was low and I guess everyone could have afforded it…well, maybe next time!
Set List: The March Of The Argonauts/Fear The Force, Gunrunning, Spellbound, A Smuggler’s Tale, Wildest Dreams, The Robe, Apparition, Ten Fathoms Deep, Don’t Cry, Glimmer Of Evil, Goodnight Saigon, Battlefield, Valentine, After The Love Has Gone, Red, Lamb To The Slaughter, The Name Of The Rose
Sakis Nikas
A special thanks goes to Lorenzo Pietra for his photos!
