Chris from 63 High
63 High is a ska-reggae-punk powerhouse from Thessaloniki. I saw them live at a Serres show last year and I was hooked straight away. Some lively, jumpy tunes combined with the balls, the attitude and prowess these guys have, all made for a great gig! After the show I got to talk with their drummer Chris for a bit, and now, approximately a year later, we spoke again. This time before their gig in Thessaloniki on the 24th of March!
LC: Do you still get excited when one of your favourite bands releases an album?
Chris: Most of my favourite bands are still around and they do a great job. I think they all are around 50+ years old, but they are not sellouts, really enjoying what they do, probably happy to be still a part of the scene they have supported for so long. Most of the punk rock bands I used to listen, they are re-united as well or released an album after a time gap, with better or modern sound and the same characteristics. Sometimes there is less speed related to the good old days, but as people grow older become more mature. I dislike releases where the sound gets more digital than it should, but a good record is always a good record. Bands like Bad Religion, Rancid, Face to Face or Propagandhi catch my attention for sure.
LC: Which was the last band that blew you away at a live gig?
Chris: Hard question. My favourite music styles these days are completely different from the past so I’m not following big gigs. The last one I’ve seen was Snuff in London and maybe a solo project of Bill Laurence of Snarky Puppy in Paris because he is a great piano player and composer.
LC: What was going on with the band in the gap between Think before Unzippin’ (2009) and Analog Hearts in a Digital World (2017)?
Chris: The band was playing live non-stop from 1997 to 2010 and everybody was tired. This CD had 27 songs in it and we wanted to have a brake. We changed 3 guitar players and horn players for the live shows, but no new releases came up. We all had other jobs, so we thought it would be a great idea to reunite and write some music only when we had something to say for real. I personally stopped playing music for 2 or 3 years in order to put my pieces again together. We never had a record label, we have always been D.I.Y. on recording and releasing a few stuff, except from Unzipping, now we have our own decent studio where the last album was recorded.
LC: Do you think that physical records (CDs, Vinyls) are still relevant for underground bands?
Chris: I am not a great fan of MP3s. It’s not about quality or how useful they are, but because most of the artist work ends up in a USB stick with no originality and character. Now that vinyl is coming back, I really enjoy holding a nice piece of art work along with some great music. CDs are fine too, they became cheaper and always my 2nd option. Technology and Social Networks help the bands to promote their music easier, no one can say they opposite. Everybody has access to so much more music and different musical genres than ever before and discovering new stuff is really interesting. This is why a lot of bands release records that include a digital download along with the vinyl so you can listen to it in the car or on your phone. I think that this situation is a result of the growth of home and personal studios that everybody can produce a song and publish it digitally on internet. However, for some genres it is crucial to have a physical record! Its old school and I like it.
LC: Do you have a favourite memory from a live show?
Chris: When the band is playing, it’s a gathering of friends. That’s the best part of it. People re-unite. We have supported a lot of bands that we used to listen to and I’ve met a lot of great players like the members of Sublime, Leftover Crack, the Aggrolites, No Fun at All, the Levellers or even the Family Man the bassist of Bob Marley’s Wailers and many more. The after parties used to be the most fun. We had some many shows in the past, but one to remember was Street Parade in Thessaloniki, we were playing on a huge truck that was driving around the city.
LC: After a certain period of time many people lose their motivation to play and tour. You’ve been around for over 20 years. What keeps you going today?
Chris: I don’t know. I just do it. I think the others (Paris and Alex) would say the same thing. Thessaloniki is a city where most of the musicians know each other, it has always been like that. All of us, used to go to everybody’s gig and in a way we push ourselves not to stop playing. Nobody is doing this for money, just for music. You only lose your motivation when the environment pushes you to quit, like your daily job and lack of time or family issues. If you love music you can’t stop. We are even having fun during our rehearsals, or writing new stuff.
LC: How would you describe the Greek underground?
Chris: It depends what you call underground. For me underground in Greece pictures is a band that has social lyrics, respect for the audience, music that irritates your heart and your ears and not particularly a punk rock title. I know bands like us (Vodka Juniors, Despite Everything) that play for so long and everything (merchandise, records etc.) is 100% D.I.Y., everything paid by the shows.
LC: You’re also a tattoo artist. Which started first and would you say you prefer one over the other?
Chris: I like tattoos since I was a kid. I got my first one in ‘94. I started working in the shop at 2001 because the owner was a nice person and became my friend and I’m still here!!! None of these two hobbies can be compared because I manage to do both. For example, I was tattooing the whole morning and then I went to record some songs with Alex until 3 o’clock at night. Also I still work in the days tattooing someone and then get in the van with the rest of the band to play a gig somewhere in Greece. I can’t quit. It’s a one way road. They are both creative passions that make me feel good and alive. I guess tattoos are more tiring cause you deal with people all the time. Music is something that you compose and release it without caring who is gonna like it.
LC: What other genre would you like to play if you weren’t in 63 High?
Chris: I played reggae for 10 years with a band called Soulfire. I learned a lot about reggae drumming, one drop and 2-tone beats and along with some other rhythm patterns of Jamaica. It was a good experience. Now I have a new Dub project called DubAdventure that is coming up soon.