Those who know, know. A concert for the few and the devoted, right in the heart of summer, in an indoor venue in Athens… At first glance, that might sound like an odd choice, since we’re used to open-air shows this time of year. But Gazarte, with its lovely garden and, above all, its excellent air conditioning, turned out to be the perfect venue for this particular concert.
The Dwarves, a band with a legendary history, celebrated their 40th anniversary on their second-ever appearance on Greek soil. Delivering what they themselves called a “marathon set,” they were, in a single word, devastating. Effortlessly, they transformed Gazarte into a genuine punk battleground, with nonstop pogoing, mosh pits, dancing, excitement, a bit of crowd surfing, and plenty of singalongs as the microphone was passed into the audience time and time again, with Blag sharing vocal duties with whichever fan happened to grab it.
The way the well-oiled Dwarves machine blasted from one song straight into the next, from the very beginning to the end of the show, was genuinely impressive. On bass, the towering Nick Oliveri—performing under the name “Rex Everything”—relentlessly pummeled the audience while also taking lead vocals on several songs. But for me, the undisputed star was Ginger, the band’s longtime hired-gun guitarist. With his slender frame, incredibly long hair, and beard that practically merged into one, he played with manic intensity, shirtless from the very first note. Equally shirtless was drummer Gabriel Martinez, who, in turn, mercilessly machine-gunned his way through one explosive song after another.
Their hellish set included one new track (they may have played another one too—I wouldn’t swear otherwise) from their recent album “Jenkem” (Editor’s note: it’s worth looking up what the title means), the self-descriptive “We Are the Scene,” and, of course, classics such as “Everybody’s Girl,” “Backseat of My Car,” “Demonica,” “Let’s Fuck,” “Free Cocaine,” and “How It’s Done.” Throughout it all, Blag Dahlia constantly interacted with the crowd, never standing still, pulling faces, cracking jokes, improvising between songs, and repeatedly reminding everyone that the Dwarves are the greatest active punk band.
The turnout wasn’t quite what one might have expected. Yes, we all agree that this is an exceptionally busy concert season, but it’s worth pointing out that very few shows around this time cater to this particular scene. The ticket price was quite reasonable (€23), the band is legendary, and the venue is excellent, with easy access by public transport. Was it the World Cup? The fact that it was a Wednesday instead of a Saturday? Who knows… What is certain is that everyone lucky enough to be there witnessed a show they’ll remember for a long time. After the concert, Blag and Rex stayed behind to meet fans, chat, pose for photos, and sign CDs, 7-inch singles, and vinyl records—which, thanks to their very reasonable prices, quickly sold out.
Yiannis Dolas
