Well, it's no secret that the Greek scene has upped the ante in the past few years, in terms of musical production and live performances. And about fucking time for that matter. As various new bands sprout by the month and new releases hit my news feed daily, I have come to the realization that this new wave of audiovisual goodness derives not only from the creativity and the inspiration of all the new and old local musical projects, but also evolves from the individual or collective efforts of local promoters. As I have a special affection for anything underground, I find particular interest into anything that starts as a one-man-effort and in this particular case, a one-woman-effort. So let me say a few words about Smoke The Fuzz Gigs and the culprit Elina.
I first met Elina when she was DJ-ing in a dodgy bar/live stage. That must 've been about 4 years ago. Impressed by the variety of tunes she spinned as well as the knowledge that girl had, we had a small chat about our general activities. When she told me that she had just started a small live production/promotion company, I asked her to come by the show. Thus we had
the first radio session with Smoke The Fuzz Gigs. I have to say, I was overwhelmed by the amount of the tunes she brought with her that day. I can tell you with all honesty that it was that day that I started listening to at least half a dozen new bands and started further exploring the doom/sludge/stoner genre. Despite the fact that we got shitfaced during that first radio interview, Elina kept rambling on about this and that band, about several releases and gigs that she loved in outstanding clarity and passion. I mean, she even brought notes for fucks' sake! I knew in spite of my baked head that the person that sat across me was deadly serious about music.
In time a came to love the way she chose to promote the various Smoke The Fuzz events (which grew bigger and bigger in terms of booking and attendance) in the social media. It was like reading ramblings of a die-hard fan, rather than press releases. Some may find that a bit unprofessional, but my personal opinion is that metal music is supposed to be personal and sometimes offensive, rather than clean and politically correct. Make no mistake, the personal attitude has not yet afflicted any blows on the sheer professionaism that is experienced in any of the StF gigs I have ever attended. Don't take my word for it, just ask another concert goer or even a band member that has been given the (royal) hospitality and treatment during their tour visit to Greece. About a month ago, Elina agreed to a
second radio interview, this time in the new home of Heavy & Unhealthy. I can tell you that the passion for good music and quality live production are still there. She was kind enough to through us a bone, announcing her plans for a big festival. Well, it's here, it comes in three parts and the line up is deadly. Keep up the good work Elina!
Smoke The Fuzz gigs
proudly presents
the first Smoke The Fuzz Fest
ever!!
The first ever and biggest festival in Greece that exclusively addresses to enthusiasts of doom/post/stoner/sludge/psychedelic/space/blues sounds!!!
Smoke The Fuzz is breaking ground with the gathering of huge
international bands of the heavy sound under one stage, thus creating
the first ever festival in Greece that exclusively addresses to
enthusiasts of doom/post/stoner/sludge/psychedelic/space/blues
sounds! Three different editions on three different days were designed
in accordance to the style of the bands included, thus rendering each
day an unprecedented for Greek standards music marathon that will
satisfy the wishes of the fans of each and every one of our favorite
genres and subgenres.
- Fall of Doom edition || Saturday 17
September 2016 @ Gagarin 205 LIve Music Space : Yob - Bongzilla -
Dopethrone - Sons of Otis - black cobra - SUMA - Love Sex Machine
event : https://www.facebook.com/events/1180413471992690/
tickets : https://www.viva.gr/tickets/music/gagarin205/smoke-the-fuzz-fall-of-doom-edition-en/
- Howler edition || Saturday 22 October 2016 @ Gagarin 205 LIve Music
Space : All Them Witches - Earthless - Causa Sui - band page - Electric
Moon - Siena Root - Yuri Gagarin
event : https://www.facebook.com/events/999988643453536/
tickets : https://www.viva.gr/tickets/music/gagarin205/smoke-the-fuzz-howler-edition-en/
- Post-mortem edition || Saturday&Sunday 5-6 November @ Iera Odos : Russian Circles - Cult of Luna w/ Julie Christmas
event : https://www.facebook.com/events/208487219549851/
tickets : https://www.viva.gr/tickets/music/iera-odos/smoke-the-fuzz-fest-en/
Smoke The Fuzz Fest is entirely special in its conception and identity,
since the line-up of each day is globally unique, it does not follow a
particular and is certainly not an extension or a copy of any other
pre-existing international festival. All the bands were picked one by
one, many of them flying as one-offs from the other side of the
Atlantic! Without a shadow of a doubt, the first Smoke The Fuzz Fest is
the greatest festival in the history of Greek concert standards that
concern the heavy scene. It includes 17 artists from abroad, many of
which would qualify as a surprise to watch on a stand-alone headlining
concert in our country, let alone seeing them sharing the stage all
together with other acclaimed and up and coming artists of our favorite
scene. Smoke The Fuzz Fest really does have the whole package: It
includes bands that the Greek audience had been yearning to see for many
years now (Bongzilla, Sons of Otis, Causa Sui, Electric Moon), bands
with whom we’ve already established an unmatched bond of love (Yob,
Earthless, Dopethrone, All Them Witches, Russian Circles, Suma, Siena
Root, Black Cobra), selective special appearances (Cult Of Luna feat.
Julie Christmas), and bands that qualify as some of the greatest up and
coming talents of the heavy underground (Yuri Gagarin, Love Sex
Machine). Responses for this one of a kind lineup were extended on a
global scale, both in the media world and the fans of this sound
themselves. With the announcement of the line-ups, people from all over
the world obtained airplane and festival tickets so they can be a part
of the triple ceremony of Smoke The Fuzz Fest. Since it is already
receiving the practical interest of fans from abroad, it is obvious that
this is a gigantic effort of Smoke The Fuzz, a musical initiative that
drags Greece away from the background and places it the center of the
maps of European festivals. We can now be proud of having our own
festival of international standards. It is time to sow the seeds from an
unprecedented trip, with an equally unprecedented -for our country-
line up. A breathtaking musical Hydra with three heads, a unique
festival for a unique audience and undoubtedly, a cultural experience no
one should miss.
http://smokethefuzz.com/
http://smokethefuzz.gr/
https://www.facebook.com/SmokeTheFuzzGigs
https://www.facebook.com/SmokeTheFuzzFestAthens/
