Showing posts with label Smoke The Fuzz. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Smoke The Fuzz. Show all posts

14.7.16

Smoke The Fuzz Fest

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!


https://www.facebook.com/events/144407249297745/

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/

24.5.16

S05E09

Season 05 - Episode 09 of the web radio show Heavy & Unhealthy (18.05.2016)
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https://www.facebook.com/events/1035216789858910/

That was the second time we managed to host a radio show featuring Smoke The Fuzz Gigs. It was also the second time that Smoke The Fuzz Gigs chose to appear on radio. Well, you get where we' re going with this...
Elina, mastermind extraordinaire and sole culprit for whatever 's cooking inside StF's cauldron, spent 2 hours with the H&U crew, sharing thoughts and stories behind many live StF productions, featuring bands such as Yob, Dopethrone, Stoned Jesus and so on. She was also kind enough to let us into some future plans (sorry, no spoilers, listen to the show). It's always great to interview a person who literally takes it personally when it comes to planning, hosting & executing (flawlessly) a live production. So, without further ado, here's the recorded interview of Smoke The Fuzz Gigs.
Thanx Elina, we <3 you!

7.12.13

S03E10

Season 03 - Episode 10 of the web radio show Heavy & Unhealthy (04.12.2013)
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A few weeks after the release of their debut EP Echoes Of Mount Ida and a few days before an upcoming live show, Heavy & Unhealthy welcomed to the studio members of the Drone Doom/Psychedelic/Metal quintet from Athens, under the name of Automaton.
Nick, George & Dimitris (two guitars & vocals, respectively) hang out with me for three hours, throughout which they played heavy tunes, drank some beer, and talked about their band's recent history and imminent future. Unfortunately out of the three hours, only one was recorded but, nevertheless, you can still get a taste of what Automaton is about. Monolithic & awe inspiring tunes with a touch of the darkness...



7.11.13

S03E06

Season 03 - Episode 06 of the web radio show Heavy & Unhealthy (06.11.2013)
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Elina, Smoke The Fuzz Gigs owner and mastermind, joined this week's Heavy & Unhealthy radio show for three long hours. She came, she saw, she conquered, she destroyed. One can find herein tunes ranging from sludge, to heavy, to fuck-this-is-too-complicated-to-bare-a tag, as well as some info regarding the label's past, present and future. With Smoke The Fuzz's second gig in the making & with a few more on the up 'n coming, It looks certain that Smoke The Fuzz will be the topic of lots of future discussions within the underground. Enjoy fuckers!