Music unites.
And at the end of it, it divides into four parts. In the distant 2004, 4 fanatical Monster Magnet fans find out that they are coming to the Rhodes for a live show. Coincidentally, the 4 fanatical fans are also cousins to each other. 16 April 2004. One of the three, the oldest, a driver and with a fever of 39, gets off work and says I don't care, we're not missing a live show, let's go! The second with a banged up knee from a recent stagediving, the third broke because he went out the day before, drank and lost his wallet along with ID cards etc. The fourth, me, surprisingly only with a hangover from the same late night.
We start with the best mood!!!! Halfway through, tire!!!! Our first time, we were struggling with triangles to put on the road, spare tires, etc. Come on we had to find a vulcanizer to fix our tire though because you don't go to Athens with a spare tire.
To our bad luck we find a police checkpoint and we say let's ask if they can help us find a nearby place to change a tire! Let's not forget that this is 2004. They didn't play cell phones with data gps and google maps. The cops of course take us down for inspection, searching the car etc! Nervous laughter from us because it seemed tragically ironic to go to ask for help and get in trouble! In the end, after seeing that the only illegal thing we had was some copied CDs, they send us to a vulcanizer!
Child labor! This is what we saw in all its glory! A country bumpkin sitting in a lounge chair on the concrete in front of the workshop entrance and 2 12 year olds repairing the tire and putting it through. We between surprise and shock can't believe what we are seeing. When we tell the kid that we are going to see a rock concert in Athens he is shocked! Rock? What is it. We secretly gave him 3 CDs (copied of course). Cathedral, Summoning. So we planted the seed and left.
With a lot we reach Athens!!!! And we're going to Rhodes. And out comes Monster Magnet! And if I remember correctly, dancers on stage at some point! And Wyndorf setting a guitar on fire! And singing "i never gonna work another day in my life" and believing it! And to experience through fever, beer, fatigue, screaming, what rock n roll is, what the power of music is and how it enlivens body and mind! Alive mind that is. Tired, but refreshed, we continue our night until the early hours of the morning. In the morning one was flying to Rhodes, one would stay in Athens, one would go to Chalkida and one would return to Larissa.
So the music united us and at the same time it filled us with so many funny things that I still remember them all almost clearly!