Ελληνικά
Last Updated on 03:02 PM by Giorgos Tsekas
Amidst an extreme heat wave and the complete afternoon silence, the heart of the city was beating at Fix Factory of Sound. It seemed like an oasis. Why? What do you mean, why? IT’S BLACK LABEL SOCIETY DAY. One of the most highly-anticipated summer events has arrived, so we showed up early at the venue, had a few drinks and wondered “Holy shit, we’re seriously gonna watch BLS? Seriously?”. The answer was a definite YES.
The doors opened around 20:00 and the crowd entered Fix Factory, filling it right from the beginning. To my surprise, oddly enough, the support act of the evening, Potergeist, hit the stage at 20:20. Not just on time. A quarter earlier. Guys, what’s wrong with you? It’s a concert in Greece and we won’t have to wait a couple of hours? Shame on you!
To be perfectly honest, I wasn’t familiar with Potergeist. I was unaware of their existence. I have an issue with their genre. You could you say I avoid it like plague. I know it’s strange since I’m attending a BLS show… It is strange, I understand. But there’s no one like Zakk Wylde! As I was informed Potergeist have been around for a decade now, they have released four albums so far, the last of which was released in 2015 entitled “Crodile Tears”. Their presence and mood on stage took me by surprise. They were full of energy, in good spirits and managed to start the evening the best way, gaining a huge applause from the audience, which seemed super-satisfied with them. There was also a minor incident before their last song. The guitarist’s cable detached but it didn’t spoil our fun. Everything was ready for the big name of the evening.
Nearly half an hour later, the lights lowered and “Whole Lotta Love” of Led Zeppelin and “War Pigs” of Black Sabbath (or as it is now known, “Whole Lotta Sabbath”) were played in the venue. Others were humming; others rhythmically chanted the name of BLS. The huge imposing banner with the classic skull icon appeared on the back of the stage, while in the front of the stage appeared the microphone with the wooden cross, a Zakk’s trademark and a small raised platform Zakk uses to stand higher. Fix Factory now was packed and the heat was unbearable, especially for those who were in the center and front of the stage. One big minus of the evening. Think about what happened when BLS started. We melted. Anyway, the concert begun with “The Beginning at Last” and that’s when the crowd went frantic. We listened to songs from almost their entire discography and the tacks that have made them worldwide known, such as “Bleed For Me”, “Suicide Messiah” and “Stillborn”. After “My Dying Time” Zakk introduced us to the other members of the band, John DeServio, Dario Lorina and Jeff Fabb. “Damn the Flood” then followed and immediately after that, Zakk did a guitar solo that lasted 5-6 minutes, something he always does in his concerts. Here though, I wasn’t thrilled. He seemed uninspired. It’s like he did it to get out of the obligation. First foul. After they made changes in their guitars, BLS played “Godspeed Hellbound”, which was the gig’s peak. There was chaos. The time had come for the ballads of the evening. Firstly, we listened to the perfect “Angel of Mercy” and after a short intro on the piano, “In This River” followed, which only a few understood from the very beginning. It was totally different. It’s ok to make changes in your own tracks, to put some new touches, but not to change its entire essence. Of course, he dedicated it to Dimebag, saying “We love you, Dime” at the end but it felt like listening to another track. Second foul. “Blessed Hellride”, which I love so much was next. Here, Zakk changes the track as well, but in this case it was extremely successful. You could understand what was being played. You weren’t lost. The last tracks we listened to were “Concrete Jungle” and “Stillborn”.
In general, it was a relatively good concert, despite some problems in sound; we kept losing Zakk’s voice in the front at times (third foul) and despite the brief setlist (fourth foul). Everyone was in great shape; especially John DeServio seemed amazed for being in Thessaloniki. Dario Lorina was the quietest of all. It sounds logical since he is the youngest and the latest addition in the band. Zakk left me with mixed feelings. Although he did jokes while he was talking or went back and forth on stage, it seemed like he just needed to perform his duty. All-i-have-to-do-is-to-just-say-a-few-BS-and-everything-will-be-ok (fifth foul). Maybe it was my idea, maybe not. The concert ended with the band bowing in front of the audience and Zakk banging his fist on his chest and raising his vest for everyone to admire.
If I I’m not mistaken by my boozed memory, BLS’s setlist consisted of: Whole Lotta Sabbath / The Beginning at Last / Funeral Bell / Bleed For Me / Heart of Darkness / Suicide Messiah / Dying Time / Damn The Flood / solo / Godspeed Hellbound / Angel of Mercy / In This River / Blessed Hellride / Concrete Jungle / Stillborn.
