When we received the press release a few days ago about the concert by the Greek Savatage tribute band, Greek Legion, we couldn’t help but focus on the part where the guys mentioned that there would also be a big surprise. Given that Savatage had been in our country for days rehearsing for their upcoming tour, it didn’t take long for us to figure out what they meant. Our suspicions were confirmed a few hours before the show started when we did a video interview with them (coming soon…), so our presence at Temple was a given… either way!
The doors opened at 8:30, and the atmosphere was perfect right from the start, as snippets from Savatage’s latest live release, “Madness Reigns From The Gutter”, were playing over the speakers. At a quarter to 10, Johnny Lee Middleton, Chris Caffery, and Jeff Plate made their appearance and went up to the balcony to watch Greek Legion’s set, which began a quarter of an hour later.
In an impressive and high-energy atmosphere, Greek Legion had prepared an old-school set for us, based almost entirely on the ’80s—though they also played “Damien.” They were incredibly well-rehearsed, with great sound and a constant smile on their faces—after all, it’s no small thing to play in front of your idols, right? Since I know their singer, Jon Voyager, personally, I truly understand how important this was for him—and, of course, for the rest of the band. They kicked things off with “City Beneath the Surface”, “Warriors” and “The Dungeons Are Calling”, and the Temple Club is on…fire as the crowd joined in and sang along nonstop to these classic Savatage tracks. Especially the chaos during “Strange Wings” and “Sirens” was indescribable.
And yet all of that was nothing compared to what followed. As soon as “Sirens” ended, Caffery, Middleton, and Plate took the stage amid total pandemonium! Three members of the Savatage lineup were standing just a meter in front of us, ready to play for us. Unbelievable! “Power of the Night” and “Hall of the Mountain King,” and the crowd was screaming as if there were no tomorrow. At the end, Chris Caffery stayed on stage and sang “Edge of Thorns” along with the crowd as it played over the speakers, after first making sure to tell us that Athens is Savatage’s second home!
It was a concert that evoked a bygone era. A concert that will remain forever etched in our memories, reminding us just how strong the bond is between the Greek people and this incredible band. The roughly 150 of us lucky enough to be at the Temple will remember it forever. Thank you to the guys from the Greek Legion for everything they gave us. Words can’t describe the feeling…
Sakis Nikas
