By Alix Norman
Unless you’ve been living under the proverbial Precambrian for the past thirty-odd years, there’s little doubt you’ve heard of Ozzy Osbourne. Known informally as the Godfather of Heavy Metal, his decades-long career (and weirdly addictive reality show) has inspired and captivated thousands of die hard rockers of all ages. And only slightly less famous is Gus G, Ozzy’s fiery guitarist widely recognised for his wild stints in Dream Evil and Nightrage, who will be performing live in Cyprus for the first time ever this coming Friday.
Brought to the island under the auspices of Carlsberg Turns On the Music, Gus G and his Firewind crew will be playing at Pavilion in the capital as part of their promotional world tour for their latest album Apotheosis – Live. Jamming for over ten years, Firewind have seven studio albums under their belt, from the outstanding Few Against Many and the renowned Live Premonition DVD, to their newest live album release. But despite the band’s worldwide fame, it’s Gus himself who will undoubtedly be the star of Friday’s show.
Born Kostas Karamitroudis in 1980 in Thessalonika, Gus’ precipitous rise to stardom is undoubtedly a product of his amazing musical talents. With a father who was a part-time singer and a huge fan of rock, Gus was introduced early on in life to bands such as Pink Floyd, Santana and the Eagles through his father’s album collections. Inspired to start playing guitar after listening to the Peter Frampton record ‘Frampton Comes Alive’ at the age of ten, Gus soon began lessons, which culminated eight years later with his enrolment at the Berklee College of Music in America. Leaving college after only a few weeks in 2009 Gus was invited to audition for the role of guitarist in Ozzy Osbourne’s band, and secured the coveted position on the spot.
But for so stellar an artist, Gus is still pretty down to earth about his stardom, admitting that he never in a million years expected to be playing in a band with Ozzy Osbourne: “I mean, come on, you know being from Greece you don’t even think about it. Even when I got called to do the audition I was like, hey, I probably won’t get the gig!” Luckily for audiences around the world, Gus’ career has leapt from strength to strength, and his fanbase now spans all four corners of the globe; jetting from Europe to America and back, packing stadiums and wowing the crowds, he and his band are renowned as a high octane live act whose explosive energy will no doubt rock the capital to its core this Friday night.
Citing his influences in a recent interview on Loudwire (the world’s biggest online magazine that specifically covers hard rock and heavy metal music) as a wide range of styles from progressive infusion to classic rock, Gus sums up his style as a love for the hard rock of the 70s and 80s blended with more modern music. “Obviously I’m from the newer generation. I guess that’s what I’ve been trying to do all these years; mix it up. Have that classic rock or classic heavy metal vibe into the stuff I’m doing now.” Renowned for keeping the melodic flame alive wherever he and his band appear, audiences will definitely be blown away by an impressive medley of memorable and catchy tunes, topped off by bending fretwork and solos that command instantaneous air guitar and a dropping of jaws from all who witness this wonderful madness.
And there’s a further treat in store with three of the island’s best known bands guesting on the same night: rising metal stars Arryan Path, renowned group Marianne’s Wish (Minus One) and Neon Knights, particularly well known for their hard rocking covers and – of late – their brilliantly original material. Such a spectacular line up promises that the night of Friday December 13 is going to produce what will be referred to in the future as a truly unforgettable performance. With coaches running from all cities to the venue, and tickets priced at a mere €20 it’s certainly going to be hard to justify staying at home this Friday. Gus G and Firewindare definitely set to be the musical highlight of 2013.
Gus G and Firewind
Live at Pavilion Friday December 13. Guests include Marianne’s Wish (Minus One), Arryan Path and Neon Knights. Doors open at 8pm.For further information call 77772939. Tickets: €20 are available online at http://store.pitchblackrecords.com/ and at the following locations: Nicosia: Octagono Kiosk, Megaland, Pavilion; Limassol: Musical Paradise; Larnaca: Acappela Music Store; Paphos: Calypso Music Store. Each ticket will be entered into a draw for an ESP signature guitar (GUS series), which will be specially signed by Gus G on the night of the concert. For information about the coaches running to the venue on the night, call 99 656367
