Thessaloniki Hip Hop Festival December 19/20 2009

Preparations are already underway for the annual THHF (Thessaloniki Hip Hop Festival) which has become one of the largest festivals of its kind in Greece. For more information on artists go to www.zoltantribe.com in the coming weeks. Last year's artists included RA The Rugged Man (USA), DJ Vadim & Yarah Bravo (UK), Snowgoons Soundsystem (DE), Freestyle (The Arsonists), Lerroy of the Saian Supa Crew (France), Wax Tailor (France), DJ Flip (ITF world), Zion I (USA), Zontanoi Nekroi, FF.C, Razastarr, Eisvoleas, Sifu VERSUS, Sugahspank!, Professional Sinnerz, Rodes and many more.

At the moment their website is still under construction but I will keep you poste when more information becomes available.

Love on Fridays, Kazarma Club, September 16

Starting Friday 16.10 2009 at the Kazarma Club, Konstantinoupoleos 84, 1st Floor, Gazi, Paul Sofianos creations presently a weekly event in Athens. The action kicks off at 11.30 p.m. and continues to 5:00 a.m.

DJs on set include:

Paul Heron, Olivier M., Danny Verde, Agent Greg, Mattias, Mister Mola, Steve Pitron, Steven Artis, Tommy Marcus, Pier Morrocco, Phil Romano, Danny Tuval. Onstage dancer is Oscar Bustos from Barcelona. Entrance is Euro 9 and you can fin dmore information from the KAZARMA CLUB, Gazi under  6957 222 083. Or you will find more information at www.kazarmaclub.gr.

Gay Serbia - "in our city infidels and Satanists will not pass"

Fine words from a country and the city of Belgrade which should feel shame rather than triumph. Today organisers of a Gay Pride in Serbia agreed to call off the demonstration after renewed threats of violence. Great news form a country which one wold have deemed  "democratic"? This all seems par for the course when one recalls even the first gay pride march in 2001 which ended in violence.
The organisers were asked to move the march from the center of Belgrade to a "field" outside the city and faced with the choice of this humiliation or calling off the march they made the wisest choice under the circumstances and called off the demonstration.
Is seems somewhat overambitious that Serbia a country where both nationalists and religious leaders are for sexual discrimation, that they should have ambitions to become a member of the European Union. Equally the case for a country where many applauded freed war crimes perpetators at The Hague. I think that Serbia has a little further to go in human rights issues before even thinking about joining a European Union where at least the fundamental rights of citizens are secured by law.
The choice to call off the march has propeled the country again to world headlines and not for any reasons to be proud of. Courage to the gay acivists!  As they said The Republic of Serbia has capitulated. We have not.

Crippled Black Phoenix in Thessaloniki in September

This is how the Boston Phoenix (newspaper) describes the group: Ostensibly centering on former Electric Wizard drummer Justin Greaves, CBP are a loose congregation of various musicians who can shade the often lengthy compositions with waltzy Tom Waitsy sea shanties one minute and delve into "One of These Days"-y Pink Floydian bass throb the next, with occasional tracks into Alan Parsons–esque retro-synth fugues of inspired madness.
They will be appearing at the Principle Club which is about 20 minutes form Thessaloniki on the main motorway to Nea Moudania and Halkidiki. As I am unsure about how to book tickets all I can offer is the telephone number of the Principle Club ( 2310)  428 088.