So, this has been a year where one band has dominated my playlists, my shuffle remixes and my general listening experiences. That would be, Villagers of Ioannina City. Ever since I discovered them via their new live record, Through Space And Time, I have been mesmerised by their sound. I even wrote an entire blog about it back in April about how much their music just blew my mind. It was like a musical awakening and let me tell you, there haven’t been many bands that have gotten me this excited in a long time. For a little while, I thought that unless I packed my bags for a gig abroad, I would never get to see them live. So, imagine my surprise when a little over a month later they announced that they would be doing some UK dates, and Manchester was on the tour schedule. Oh, how my little heart sang in delight. I bought tickets as quickly as my internet would allow. All that there was left to do was wait.
November soon came around and it was time to head out to Manchester and the iconic venue, Band On The Wall for the show. Immediately you could tell that the anticipation was high. The first thing I noticed was the range of people in attendance. There seemed to be a healthy mix of people and ages in attendance, and it felt very much like a community and all there for the same thing. To see the band rip the roof off. There was no support act, which gave them more time to breathe and take their time with the set. At first, Band On The Wall felt like a strange venue, at least to me. Anytime I’ve been here, it’s been for blues or jazz music, not for metal. Though in hindsight, I think it was the ideal choice for them. The acoustics allowed the sound to carry and you needed that to hear the more folk-inspired moment of the set.
The lights dimmed and the band made their way onto the stage. The band started with subdued and bluesy. Setting the atmosphere and tone for the night. The gentle blues number lent way to the first song “Age of Aquarius”. Which received a massive ovation and the crowd sang along to the opening. The band would kick into high gear and the bass tone alone was enough to rip open your ears. The band boomed and the music that I had been familiarising myself with this year, sparked to life and became more tangible and real. The show got into a groove with the following tunes. Every part of the production just echoed most excellently. The vocals from Karametis were insane. The guy didn’t need a microphone, he is a microphone! His voice was just exquisite, projecting loudly throughout the venue. Coupled with the amazing musicianship on display, all together it made for an amazing sound.
Let’s talk about some of that music for a second. I was simply blown away by the drums in this set. The drum fills were amazing. Just the way it brought a lot of the songs together and, at the same time, demonstrated dexterity and talent. The keyboards twinkled lightly in the back of the production, giving the songs a lot of depth. Songs like “Dance of Night” benefitted massively from this. Then the core of the sound came from the big, beefy sound, the guitar and the bass. The sound felt massive. Taking a song like “Father Sun” to a whole new level in my ears. Rounding off the sound was the wonderful tone of the various folk instruments: kavel, bagpipes and clarinet. This is the part that excited me the most listening to them on record and, let me tell you, it did not disappoint live on stage. The wailing sound of the bagpipes felt very complimentary to the doom/stoner metal sounds. They were played with enthusiasm and vigour.
I will say this for the Manchester audience, they were loud. After nearly every song came the loudest ovation for the band. You could tell this meant a lot to the band, this being their first time in the city. Also, what must have meant the world to them was the crowd singing along to songs like “Ti Kako”. Their older material got as good of a reaction as their newer material. Which made every song on the setlist feel like an event. The band had an amazing connection with the audience too. Even though they didn’t banter much with the crowd, they did come across as very genuine and humble to the audience in attendance. They also had excellent chemistry with each other. Playing off of one another and having a lot of fun on the stage.
When it came time for the encore the crowd burst into rapturous applause and excitement as the band made their way back to the stage for one final loud, sonic blast. Finishing the set with iconic staples of their back catalogue. “Zvara” and “Karakolia”, both songs getting everyone in the crowd singing along. I guess you could say these are their two biggest hits songs. I, personally, consider them more of an album band than a singles act. Anyway, these songs were the best choices to end one. They send the crowd home happy and they’re just fun recognisable tunes. I just got lost in this sound. The last 5 minutes of the set were just the band riffing off one another and jamming out. Which I think should be more of a thing, in all honesty. Who wants a carefully controlled ending to the set? It should be just heavy metal loudly blasting over and over.
What an excellent show. The setlist? Well-chosen. The pacing? Well-timed. The band? Professional and fun. Everything came together for them and I’m so glad. Please, Villagers of Ioannina City, do not let this be the last time you make your way to the UK and Manchester specifically. As far as this reviewer is concerned, this band is welcome back anytime to our shores.
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