[Grigoris]: Even if it seems easy to separate the music from the artist, the artist from the core fans and the core fans from the general crowd_arena vibe, the equation is not easy to work at all in ease. Still, it's kinda trouble-free to confirm why the hell some milestone bands like the SCORPIONS have their name written in the Hard Rock/Heavy Metal pantheon book; a name that's not probably gonna fade easily, at least with performances like the one witnessed at Karaiskaki Stadium, Faliro on a sweating July evening. Can't say the same for the so-called Greek cellphone-orgy Rock crowd, though...

The Karaiskaki Staduim is an ideal place for open air concerts and a respectful number of 30,000 attendees - maybe more? - honoured once more one of the creators of German Hard Rock_Heavy Metal music as developed the last 35+ years. The announced guest participation of glorious former band members like Uli Jon Roth, Michael Schenker and Herman Rarebell was an even more teasing attraction for those aware of the Hannover-based legends' history, while the opening slot handed to Greek Metal legends SPITFIRE ensured a trustful party vibe willing to go on. In between, a famous Greek pop/Rock icon named Vasilis Papakonstantinou (many rockers/metalheads were linked to some of his songs back in the late 80s/early 90s) would fill in with his band, bringing in even more spectators also creating a contradicting atmosphere in (at least) the arena...

SPITFIRE

[Grigoris]: We rushed(?) in - as if we could jump upon hundreds of fans waiting eagerly to enter the arena - as soon as the Greek traditional metallers stormed in to open up this fest evening. SPITFIRE suffered from an average sound (probably due to their support identity?) and tried to match up things with a striking performance. With their Die Fighting CD recently released (at last!) the Athenian sextet delivered a string of songs from this new effort plus some memorable cuts from their trademark First Attack debut LP back in 1986.

With personal emotions being left aside, I think SPITFIRE's performance was not that impressive. Be it the fuzzy sound (only the rhythm section was as thunderous as needed), the 'wavy' vocals performance plus a suspicion for less rehearsals than requested, it was a matter of personal taste to finally/personally enjoy or not newest (let's say, since some of them have been written even 15 year ago but never cut on CD) songs like King Of The Mountain, Macedonia and Danger In The World while old-school metallers (an obvious minority among the crowd, at the time) banged along the non-fading supremacy of tunes like Taste The Fire, Fool Enough, Evil Thoughts Around, Whispers and Lady Of The Night.

Wrapping up the set with their evergreen Lead Me On opus, SPITFIRE completed a 'good' musical performance dressed in full honesty and dignity. The band seemed to fancy each and every minute of their recital and - to cut a long story short - so did the conscious fans. A rather wise decision was it to have this band opening up for the SCORPIONS.

VASILIS PAPAKONSTANTINOU

[Harry]: Unfortunately, I wasn't able to get to the stadium earlier to catch SPITFIRE onstage. I got into the arena and found Grigoris almost at the same time that Vasilis Papakonstantinou started. To tell you the truth, I was a fan back in the early 80's but as time passed by he gradually became too 'mainstream' for my ears and nowadays I can say that I don't like any of his new stuff. The good thing is that he performed old songs mostly (I won't write any titles since everything will be Greek for you). The sound was kinda weak but that didn't hold back his fans, which were probably more than the metalheads, singing with him every song.

Despite his age, I have to admit his performance had a bit of the essence of his past. OK, maybe his voice is not like it used to be, the musicians that were playing with him made some mistakes, one of the two monitors died and resurrected after 15 minutes but I can say that in some moments I was having a good time. In some others, to tell you the truth, I was joking with my friends, waiting for the headliners to hit the stage and think what the crowd's reception would be for SCORPIONS since most of them - I bet on that - knew only Wind Of Change, Holiday and Send Me An Angel.

SCORPIONS

[Grigoris]: The SCORPIONS have been regular visitors the last years, confirming their strong unique bond with the Greek crowd (for various reasons). While waiting eagerly for the stage crew to set up everything OK for the German quintet, funny thing was the strange - once again - allocation among the spectators. Old rockers, Metal warriors, juvenile metallers, average ballad-melting ladies, family rosters, foreign die-hards...a strange alloy, indeed. The Scorps would not care less, though, while storming out in rage kicking in the fast part of Coming Home. Woah...the sound was a little bit dim apart from the front rows (and it would not be 100% fixed throughout the gig), but the lights_fireworks_flames spectacle drove everyone crazy.

The band seemed to be in a fine mood throughout the whole set. With unique professionalism but nothing less that honest majesty they proved to be the dominator that evening. Loving You Sunday Morning and Is There Anybody There? (summer time!) followed while the first chords of Make it Real and The Zoo surely evoked passionate memories in the hearts of old-school metalheads. The time, now, for Uli Jon Roth had come. Pictured Life and Backstage Queen set the night of fire while in Robot Man - for a strange reason - I did not find the instrumentation standing in the same level. Still, We'll Burn The Sky brought back the power and Uli Jon Roth (having a great sound!) smiled widely to the astonishing applaud after his guest participation.

Once there were lighters, now it was time for cellphones and cameras...Send Me An Angel kicked in and then Holiday was greeted with endless enthusiasm; Claus Meine invited Vasilis Papakonstantinou to sing along in this one, while the whole stadium had their own vocal thing going. And then there was the return of the axeman; Michael Schenker himself, in an early 80s outfit, building up a wall of guitars along with his brother Rudolf and Matthias Jabs during Coast To Coast. It was Lovedrive's and Another Piece Of Meat's time now, where Michael's star shined all the way through (I was afraid if he'd be sober enough, to be honest) with the reflection of his playing on every amateur/professional guitarist among the crowd being a rather elementary story.

Doctor Doctor, isn't it? Yes, it is! The U.F.O. classic added a special note to the event and the final strike of Michael before leaving the sage proved why he still is a living legend. Then the dancing girls came out and some 'hair' Metal the German way (sic!) was engraved to the start of Tease Me, Please Me, while - shortly afterwards - the infamous James Kottak drum solo - featuring his wife/Tommy Lee's sister Athena as a short-time skins guest! - acted as an intermezzo until Blackout stormed in, also denoting the arrival of Herman Rarebell behind the drum kit!

The summer breeze was now present, but No One Like You and Big City Nights turned the place to be hotter than hell, indeed. Really, who can blame a band for living up (or beyond) to the fans' expectations after all these years, with a 60-years-old singer in top top top form with a crystal clear voice, a guitar duo breathing fire while interacting with the crowd so vividly and a striking rhythm section punching our balls to the wall...

Leaving the stage for the fist encore, it was rather typical to expect a mild break; indeed, Winds Of Change and Still Loving You (long live Claus!) brought up the summer vibe again and then it was the whole guest list showing up onstage for a rocknroll performance of the Tokyo Tapes-featured Long Tall Sally (a 1956 Little Richard original) before the band leaving the exhausted crowd with a fire-waving take on the Rock You Like A Hurricane classic. Rock and roll over...

[Harry]: To tell you the truth, I had such a great time that I didn't realize how time passed. It was past midnight and it was time to get the way back home. An overall nice concert with three acts, and with - for the Greek standards - a low price ticket. The sound could have been a bit better and the monitors could have been placed a bit higher, but I don't think that any of the true SCORPIONS fans had a bad time. The Germans performed with honesty and professionalism, things that some bands with only two or three years of life and members in their late 20s early 30s don't possess.

And of course I will mention once again that we had the privilege to listen to Doctor Doctor live from the SCORPIONS plus the party atmosphere during Long Tall Sally. As negative comments I would mention the appearance of Vasilis Papaconstantinou on Holiday (he kinda ruined the song with his aaa and ooo singing while 'playing' with the audience) and that the promoters should have done something on prior in order for us to leave the arena as humans and at the edge of suffocation (especially the small children). Greg, I owe one for this gig. You know why.