SPITFIRE: SHOOTING THROUGH THE SKY

 

   There's a band that carved its name in gold in the greek rock scene, even if most of you haven't ever heard of it. A short lived dream that went down like a movie, the legendary band Spitfire spanned in just three short years enough drama and glamor to make even the biggest cynics think twice about whether or not Hollywood movies are realistic after all.

TAKING FLIGHT

   Formed in 1984 by ex-Foxes guitarist Elias Logginides, the band's original line up consisted of Dinos Kostakis on vocals, Thanos Kremmidas on bass, George Velenjas on keyboards and Kostas Kyriakides on drums. As such they would enter the studio to record their debut album. 

   

   So during those first couple of years they sat down, came up with their own songs, and went around local clubs playing and spreading the word. Some of these songs would make their way into that debut album. 

   Sometime in 1985, during a festival organized by the American College in Athens, they come across a manager (and later on EMI executive) who offered to take their demo to EMI. An opportunity that shouldn't be passed, the band was all too happy to accept, and suddenly, they were on the radio. And it didn't stop there. In 1986 they signed with EMI and in May they find themselves opening for Saxon's first live in Greece... taking straight to the studio to record their debut album over the summer. 

   With a final count of 70 hours in the studio, and half the songs being left unmixed, it was through a lot of painstacking effort and troubles that the final product was finally ready to be thrown to the public: the hard rocking classic, legendary album "First Attack", is finally ready. 

   And then it all took a turn down darker paths. 

JUST LIKE A MOVIE?

   Just a little bit after the album was all mixed and ready, and a couple months away from its release, vocalist Dinos gets in an accident with his motorcycle. He is left in a coma for a many years, and when he finally wakes up, he remembers nothing of these years. He has severe amnesia, and can not even recognise his bandmates. When he finally gets the chance to listen to the masterpiece he took part in, he has absolutely no idea what he is listening to. 

   Distraught after the accident, with their signer comatose and no idea about when, and if, he will wake up, the band finds themselves at a loss as their scheduled appearances in Cyprus are coming up. In the late 80s, auditioning for replacing band members is no strange practice in any rock band abroad. But not in little Greece. Not in a band that was made up of a bunch of kids just wanting to do what they loved most. How do you replace your dearest friend with whom you've lived through everything so far? For the time being, Cornellius of a fellow greek AOR band (Douglas) steps up to fill in the spot and save the dates. The band can not be saved however. 

   Eventually they did find a permanent vocalist, namely blues singer Mikis Singros, and they continue their live appearances in Greece and Cyprus. In fact, they get a music video (the first greek rock band to get one!) for the song "Evil Thoughts Around" which is broadcast on tv by the state channel. But slowly the friendship between the band members is wearing off. Arguements, and eventually, a gig where some of the members refused to show up for. One by one they leave the band, leaving only the guitarist and founding member Elias behind under the Spitfire banner. 

THE NEXT DAY

   Spitfire went on hiatus for a year, but in 1989 Elias decided to fight some more for it. Spitfire was back and running with Ilias, Takis Tsamouropoulos on guitar and vocals, Fotis Anagnostou on bass and George Maniatis on drums go on to take the public by storm once again. In regard to their gigs, there is no doubt, this was the best era for the band. 

   New troubles for the band arose when it was made clear that the record company still had rights on the Spitfire name, which was also claimed by former members. To overcome the legal issues, the new lineup signed up with greek label Molon Lave ("come and get it"!) and changed their name to SPEEDFIRE. Like that they released in 1990 a live album recorded during a club gig, and despite "100% LIVE" suffering from bad production, it does a good job of communicating the electrifying energy of the band. But once again, fighting between the band members and public accusations cause the band to split up yet again. 

   And Elias is still not giving up, and in 1993, Speedfire emerge again, with Alex Balakakis on vocals, George Aspiotis on keyboards, and Lambis Kastanas on drums. Original Spitfire bassis Thanasis Kremmidas returns briefly only to be replaced by Makis Kollias. During that time they record a demo, and in 1995, Spitfire return under the original name! The following year, they play support for Iron Maiden in their dates in Thessaloniki and Athens, to a crowd that hasn't showed up only for Maiden. Rumor has it that they made such an impression, that Steve Harris asked them to moved to the UK permanently. One thing is for sure, if they had, the landscape of heavy metal would be much different now. 

   Unfortunately trouble begun anew in the band and a steady rotation of band members became the new normal for the band. Among these ever-changing musicians, drummer Mark Cross. The years went by like this, with no new album ever gracing the hungry fans.

RESURRECTION

   Finally, in 2006, the band steps on stage again as support to Dokken, and after more than a decade, the wait finally comes to an and with the release of the much awaited album, "Die Fighting". To top it off, the band plays support for Scorpions, in their legendary, "a night to remember" gig in Athens which I was blessed to attend (featuring Michael Schenker and Uli Jon Roth among others) and their following gig in Larisa. During that time the lineup is as follows: Alex (Hannibal) Balakakis on vocals, Elias Logginides and Panos Hajiioannides on guitar, Nikos Mihalakakos on bass, and Manos Matsos on drums. After a decade and a half, they join Saxon again in 2010 and, in 2012, Y&T. 

LOSS 

   Unfortunately their return was mared by loss. Original bassist Thanos Kremmidas died in 2011, casting a shadow over their newfound glory. The original Spitfire vocalist, Dinos, who sunk to anonymity after he came round from his motorcycle accident, had been suffering from ill health ever since, as the severe injuries left him with many recurring issues and weakened him. He died aged only 55, early in October 2016, leaving the entire rock scene of Greece and many fans abroad speechless at the loss of the man who was dubbed "the first greek heavy metal hero".

LEGACY 

   For good or for worse, Spitfire splitting up all the way back to the 80s did turn out to have a silver lining: when drummer Kostas Kyriakides left Spitfire, he formed Raw Silk, an AOR/hard rock band that despite being just as short lived as the original incarnation of spitfire, spawned music that, had they not been stranged in Greece, would have taken the music scene by force and halted the decline of hard rock in the early 90s. Yes, THAT good. More info on this blog, pending... 

   And of course, a documentary in 2012. "Back to Zero", which has yet to be released on DVD but for many years has been resurfacing in film festivals now and then, proved to be the ground where Elias Logginides and Dinos Kostakis met again, after many years, together with their first manager, Yannis Koutouvos.