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..The Bullets..
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The Bullets were formed in the eastern side of Thessaloniki in 1988. It was the time that rockabilly was very popular all over Europe. Although the rockabilly revival movement, which started in the 70s, lasted until the late 90s, the Bullets have managed to be active up until today. During all these difficult years the band has performed live countless times, creating wild and memorable moments for their fans.
The Bullets music style is without any doubt… rock’n’roll. Obviously their major influences are the trash/desperate rockabilly of the 50s and the primitive surf sounds of the 60s. Other influences include doo-wop, garage and british teddy boy rock. The result of the mixture of the aforementioned styles is not out of date thanks to the group’s vibrant playing and its fresh approach to its music. The Bullets’ philosophy is based on having fun, love for life and being optimistic. Certainly these are the reasons why they will keep on being together for a very long time!
Today Bullet Cost is the only founding member of the band that is still part of its line up. Shockin’ Steve (vocals, guitar) joined the Bullets in 1992. After a Johnny Carroll gig the same year at Mylos in Thessaloniki, the band is rejuvenated! In 1999 Tommy (bass guitar), a founding member, leaves the group. The bond among the group’s members, though, was and still is so strong that it was very difficult for a new bass player to fill his position. Captain-K (Frantic Five), who was already an unofficial member, took his place, temporarily at first, but he was to stay for the next five years. Finally, Wrongman replaced Captain K and is the Bullets’ permanent bass player. The line up of the band has occasionally extended. The additional members are Mary, who is a great singer, and the renown saxophone player Haris Kapetanakis who has played in various bands and is a member of the Latin band Aroma Caribe and adds to the Bullets’ sound with his playing. Sometimes the “crazy” pianist Peter Athanasiadis (Little Peter & The Bad News) also joins the line-up and makes the Bullets’ sound even more explosive with his untamed playing.
The band’s first release was the 7inch surf-a-billy single Fuzzbitten which came out in the spring of 2003. It was released on On Stage Records and features 3 songs. In the following years Bullets’ songs were included in the Compilations Enjoy The Greeks 1&2 (3 in total, volume two issued by Pop+Rock magazine), in two compilations of Rock+Roll magazine (later named Pop+Rock - the one including unreleased songs and the other one songs recorded live), and on the compilations White Boppin’ Tower 1&2 (On Stage Records). These compilations released by On Stage Records are the soundtrack of the international festival by the same name. In 2005 the compilation Their Hottest Tunes 1997-2005, which features almost all the group’s recordings up to that time, is released. The quality of the aforementioned releases and participations in compilations resulted in the big awaiting of the band’s debut album by their fans. In 2007, time had come and in October “Final Race” was released. The album, which features guest appearances by some of the greatest artists in the Greek rock’n’roll scene, truly stands up to the Bullets’ history and quality as a band. “Final Race” covers a wide range of music styles such as teddy boy rock, neo-rockabilly, surf, doo-wop and desperate rock’n’roll demonstrating in a unique way the diversity of the bands’ sound and influences. It’s worth mentioning that the album’s title song has been incuded in the compilation of May 2008 issue of the famous German rock’n’roll magazine, “Dynamite”.
All these years the Bullets have played live many times all over Greece, gained a strong fan base and many concerts like the Battle Of The Bands or even in trains while travelling (!), are unforgettable for those who were lucky enough to be there.
The band is also popular abroad and as a result of that their records are sold in various European countries, USA and Australia and there has also been a demand for the Bullets to play live in various places worldwide. Their first tour titled “The Bullets Roll Over Germany” took place in November 2003 in six German cities. Next the band appeared successfully as the headliner in a teddy boy festival in Genoa, Italy. Now the band is planning a tour in central Europe. Adding up to the popularity the band has abroad is the fact that its music was used in the soundtrack of a film about Surfers that was shot in Lagoona beach in California.
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God bless your ears, Here come THE BULLETS!!!
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