Spitfire (13)

Listed also as: Speedfire. Heavy Metal band from Athens, Greece. 1984: Dinos Costakis, George Velentzas, Thanos Kremidas, Κώστας Κυριακίδης and Elias Loginidis work on their own material. Songs like "lead me on" and "street fighter" are the set they playing in metal clubs, they also distribute demos to radio stations. 1986: EMI Greece invite the band to get in the studio and record their material. At that time the band is invited to open a Saxon concert in Athens. That would be their first appearance in front of a big audience. "The first thing we cared was not to get booed", said Elias. "Come down to it we played really well, despite the fact that in the first two songs the guitar didn't go through the P.A. Luckily, the people really helped us and when at last the guitar could be heard, things got really hot", Elias remembers. That same summer, the band was in the studio recording First Attack. The good thing was that Sierra Studio was the best recording studio at that time and the bad was that the time they had was not enough. Time was a pressure to them and they managed to mix most of the songs. Not long after the recording the singer Dinos Kostakis had a motorcycle accident and went into coma for years. In September 1986, just after Dino's terrible accident and before their LP's first release, Spitfire have their first obligation: A concert in Cyprus with Cornelius (Douglas) in the vocals. 1987: Party in Club 22 and LP's official release attended by the press and people of the music industry. In February back to Cyprus for a second open-air concert in front of 40,000 people with Μίκης Συγγρός in the vocals now. That year flows with concerts all around Greece and that came to be hard for some members that decided to quit. 1989: Elias made an effort to put the band back on stage as the old line up was just history! Elias made a first contact with Τάκης Τσαμουρόπουλος an old acquaintance, singer and guitarist in the band "Alien". Together they formed a band of 7 members which unfortunately achieved nothing. After this bass player Φώτης Αναγνώστου ("Wolf") and drummer Γιώργος Μανιάτης joined the band made and a new beginning with a sold out concert in Cine Maxim. 1990: Live at Rodon Club in Athens "Taste the..fire" was a success. Γιάννης Κουτουβός makes clear that they cannot use the name "Spitfire" anymore. To avoid legal complications the band’s new name is Speedfire. Molon Lave Records records 100% Live along with Sierra Studio [mobile]. The sound is a real mess but with no mixing (only the volumes were regulated). 1991: Elias finds out that some ex band members are making money using the band's name without anyone else's knowledge and permission. Elias furious "sacks" them in an interview in Metal Hammer & Heavy Metal. 1993 Thanos Kremidas joins the band again in the bass, George Aspiotis on keyboards), a new singer Αλέξανδρος Μπαλακάκης and Lampis Kastanas in the drums. They start rehearsing in Studio Aspiotis and within a few months they finish their demo of new songs like "Set me free", "Master of my heart" and "Everlasting love". A little while later, Thanasis leaves the band and Makis Kollias takes his place in the bass. They appear all around Greece and they hold a season with sold out performances at Wing Pub in Nea Smirni. Around the same time they appear in the Gate Club and the Paranoid Club. 1995: Κώστας Μακρυκώστας takes Makis' place in the bass and the band support IRON MAIDEN at a concert in Peristeri stadium, Athens. That was a moment to remember. They continue appearing for a second season in Wing Pub. 1996: Spitfire support IRON MAIDEN one more time in concerts in Athens this time with Αλέξανδρος Μπαλακάκης in the vocals. After some changes in the line-up with: Panos Dedes (vocals), George Maniatis (drums) and Michael Perantinos (guitars) the band records a demo in Rock Palais Studio with songs like "Danger in the world", "King of the mountain" and "I' ready". 1998: This time Alex returns and brings the guitarist Tasos Gripeos. Meanwhile, Elias reaches an agreement with drummer Mark Cross (2). They start rehearsing some new material and record a demo on Mark’s studio. Some appearances follow in clubs all around Athens and Argos. 1999: One last appearance in AN Club with George Karahalios in the drums . 2006: Spitfire opening for Dokken at Gagarin 205. 2007: With the following line-up: Vocals: Hannibal (8) , Guitar: Panos Chadjiioannidis , Bass: Nikos Michalakakos, Guitar: Elias Logginidis and the band starts recording Die Fighting that was released by Emotion Art in 2009: The album gained great reviews. Klaus Meine picked Spitfire to open the Scoprfest in Larissa and Athens. Line-up changes to: Manos Matsos on drums and Κώστας Τσουμπρής in keyboards. 2010: Chania Rock Festival . Spitfire are playing with W.A.S.P. and Orange Goblin. Also they play great concerts in Larissa , Giannena , Thessaloniki , Patra . In Athens they play at Kyttaro club and a big live at Korydalos. 2011: The band recording new material for their new album with no commitment IN any record label. New member Nikos Mihalas at Keyboards! 2019: Nick Adams (Dark Nova) replaced George Paximades on the drums. Current line-up Tassos Krokodilos - vocals Elias Loginides] - guitar Πάνος Χατζηιωαννίδης - guitar Nikos Michalakakos - bass George Aspiotis - keyboards George Paximades - drums