Maintaining friendly relations with the mastermind of the band Absolva, we did an interview - evaluation, of the tour in our country, as we want to see the perspective of the musician after the end of the tour.
How were the shows for Absolva & Blaze Bayley in November 2022 in Greece?
The shows were fantastic, possibly some of the best shows we’ve ever done in your wonderful country of Greece. ‘Absolva’ who already had some fans from the days of Fury UK many years ago, were greeted by many familiar faces. But what was great for me is we played to many new fans. The audience response for ‘Absolva’ every night was mind-blowing. Very good.
How were the Greek fans?
The Greek fans always surprise me. After touring the world and you come back to Greece you never forget their passion and their volume. Haha. The Greek fans certainly can sing and shout loud. But what was also very nice is the Greek fans are all very passionate but also very polite. After each Absolva show there was no aggression, it was all good atmosphere and appreciation at the signing sessions. Excellent people.
How was the Greek food & drink?
It was incredible. We had some incredible food every day and night. There was something new to me. I’m a big fan of the Greek kebab Giros. But there were many other foods I tried. New baked cheeses things like this. Drinks…. we were treated very well by many after show parties. Rock Bars that we went to for a few beers after the show and meet with the fans. This was excellent also.
What were your favorite towns and shows of the Greek tour?
It is impossible to pick 1 favorite. We did 5 shows in Greece in total. Xanthi, Thessaloniki, Larissa, Athens, Patras. Xanthi, Patras & Larissa were smaller shows. And Thessaloniki & Athens were bigger shows. But this helped us. Having Xanthi as a smaller show but completely SOLD OUT. Was a great warm up for us, to prepare for the rest of the tour. Larissa was an awesome show and great for the routing between Thessaloniki & Athens. Then Patras was fantastic as the final show, sometimes finishing the tour with a smaller show is fun too. Athens was the BIG one. One of the biggest headline Blaze Bayley shows in history. Absolva went down an absolute storm and the audience were fantastic. I felt that Absolva & Blaze Bayley performed better and tighter in Thessaloniki. Not for any particular reason, but I think performance wise we were on fire there. Whereas Athens the audience came out in their masses, which was incredible. This is why it is impossible to pick a favorite. Haha
How were the new Absolva songs live?
The new songs have almost taken on a life of their own. Its always strange when you write a new album, certain songs that you think will be incredible live sometimes don’t take off, then the songs on the album that you least expect happen to be the best songs to play live. In total Absolva were playing 5 songs from the new album ‘Fire In The Sky’. The title track ‘Fire In The Sky’, ‘Burn Inside’, ‘Addiction’, ‘What Does God Know’ & ‘Refuse to Die’. These are all deep meaning fun songs, high energy and dynamic. Everything a heavy metal fan needs in their life.
What are your plans for 2023?
Absolva have a lot more touring planned for 2023. For the first half of the year we continue to tour as a double package, Absolva & Blaze Bayley. The fans seem to really like this in Europe. So we will carry on. We are looking at also releasing a new single. All very exciting stuff!
Message to the Greek Fans :
Thank you all so very much for you passion & energy at the Absolva & Blaze Bayley shows in November 2022. Greece will always hold a dear place in my heart. I’m looking forward to seeing you again very soon. But just remember one thing……..AB-SOL-VA!!!
Cheers
Christopher Appleton
