Under the sounds of one of the best intros in the history of domestic song, and under the fear of never creating the tribute due to obsessive use of rewind, an “farewell” will be attempted for Antonis Tourkoyiorgis. And a prolonged look at the sky for all those electrifying figures who opened, not roads, but entire avenues, under very adverse conditions half a century ago.
The aforementioned song with the intro is “Lady”. The band is Socrates. And in such cases, those like-minded who remain behind drink the… hemlock. Metaphorically, of course, because their mission is to honor the memory of legends like Tourkoyiorgis and Spathas. As well as to support artists who have “Starvation” even to climb “Mountains,” in order to achieve their rock purpose through legal means.
The people of Piraeus are known for their liveliness and passion. At a desk in the 3rd Gymnasium of the city towards the end of the 1960s, Giannis and Antonis often discussed music. That was where the foundations of a strong friendship were laid. Friendship is a value. Therefore crucial when it comes to two people walking the same path professionally.
Giannis was born in Paxos, but soon his family moved to the largest port in the country. Antonis loved Olympiakos very much, while he played basketball even into his second… decades. Both possessed authentic, innate humor, and that is proof of intelligence. Tourkoyiorgis self-deprecatingly showcased a particularly unique way, a sign of a completely untroubled person. Furthermore, a friendship that encompasses many common interests, endless dialogues, and exchange of opinions/concerns continuously improves both parties.
On stage, they were completely different. However, each contributed in their own way. One of the greatest guitarists the planet has seen (as many have said, so we simply… reprint) silently ignited the fuse. Well, not so silently… One of the two best performers from the authentic rock scene (along with Pavlos Sidiropoulos), grabbed the bomb seconds before the flame touched it, swallowed it, exploded within his guts, and from the explosion, his hair, his bass or guitar, his entire “being” shook. And all this shockwave in the form of a very thin man was impossible not to enthrall the audience present.
The drummers Ilia Boukoulavas, George Trantalidis, Nikos Antypas (yes, the well-known composer), Leonidas Alakhadamis, the guitarists Akis Tourkoyiorgis (Antonis’s brother), Kostas Doukakis, the bassist George Zikogianis, and the keyboardist Pavlos Alexiou, were their musical companions from 1969 until the mid-1980s.
With the immense respect for the other bands of the period 1965-1975 not being questioned, Socrates Drank the Conium was the one that approached the physique of the British and American scene the most. Then came the iconic albums “Metaforaï-Ekdromai O Mitsos” (Dimitris Poulakos) and “Flou” (Pavlos Sidiropoulos-Spyridoula), which well and truly “Hellenized” rock, given that Spathas-Tourkoyiorgis preferred the English language, except for the first album which included the songs “Close your eyes and listen” and “Come close to me.”
The adventures were not lacking, starting from school, where classmates Spathas, Tourkoyiorgis, and Boukoulavas received a three-day suspension from the principal because they participated in a concert in Terpsithea.
A little later, specifically in 1971, they left the country after much hardship due to the dictatorial regime. With the help of a manager, they traveled to the Netherlands and played at the legendary “Paradiso,” which was built in 1880 as a church, transformed into a recreational center in 1968, and until the 1990s was the largest concert venue in Amsterdam. They made another appearance outside the city and then sought a music license from the relevant union, but instead ended up in jail for about two months because they had no work permit.
Two years later, specifically on Saturday, September 15, 1973, Athens was “hit” by Western rhythms. Thousands of young people gathered at the beach of Agios Kosmas for the 1st Outdoor Super Rock Festival, which was characterized as “Little Woodstock.” Middle of the Road from Scotland was the strong name, however, Socrates stole the show.
Spathas, Tourkoyiorgis, and Trantalidis, who in the meantime had succeeded Boukoulavas on drums, did not perform on some elevated stage, but literally a breath away from the audience. There were people in front, back, left, and right. Everywhere! Until during “Starvation,” the frenzy of excitement from the spectators almost endangered the physical integrity of the musicians. The concert was momentarily interrupted, but continued and remains in history.
This is a unique rock document from the early 1970s. A relic, as commonly… stated. Let’s not forget that the festival took place just two months before the Polytechnic uprising, with all that implies for the prevailing atmosphere and tension.
The next decade passed between France, England, and Greece. They collaborated with Vangelis Papathanassiou, producing the legendary album “Phos,” which achieved tremendous commercial success. The album “On the wings” became particularly popular even in distant Georgia, while later they toured with UFO in several cities in England. Legends such as Lemmy, Elton John, Gary Moore, and Jeff Beck admired the Greek boys. A proposal for permanent relocation to the USA was put on the table.
They then changed their name to Plaza, as Socrates was deemed unmarketable for an international career; anyway, the journey was reaching its end. Obligations to their homeland and the fact that they probably would not fare particularly well financially pushed them to decide to return. They disbanded in the mid-1980s, pursued separate careers, reunited in 1999, and until 2010 offered the opportunity for the old to remember and for the young to learn.
All this until that fateful day when Antonis Tourkoyiorgis suffered a severe stroke, which did not allow him to energize his audience even in his seventh decade of life. However, he was such a dynamic performer and had such humor that he cannot be forgotten. Rock requires guts, he had written and sung. And he had it. Pure rock guts.
SOURCE: menhouse.gr