It's nice to have friends... Even if they live in different countries, but with whom - despite of the long
distance - some special things keep you close. It's nice to have friends, especially these days, that
friends have been proved "so-called..."
I was thinking of all these at 2:00 a.m. in the morning on Saturday 20th of March, in the almost empty
"Rodon" venue. I was in low spirits, for some personal reasons and I was having my last drink at the bar
just before Danny was going to close it, when I heard behind me Budgie saying "You must be Theo!".
We've been knowing each other for more than a decade and - to be more accurate - our initially formal
acquaintance (for business reasons) turned into a more friendly one, passing through underground
"skiladika" (=hardcore bouzouki clubs) in Athens, "tsipouro" (=ouzo-like strong alcohol) drinking under
heavy rain in villages on Olympus mountain, parties in luxurious houses in Islington of London, strong
arguments in Salonica and late-night revels in clubs of Athens.
A few minutes later, with us heading towards Siouxsie, she turned around, pointed at me and laughed:
"Hey! Mr. Nine Eighths (9/8)!" I assume that she still remembers a conversation we had, around 1988,
on this - almost "inconceivable" for the West Europeans - rhythm, that we call "Nine Eighths".
"That's friends are for!" I said, laughing too. "For... broadening each other's horizons".
Seconds later, Nana Trandou, joined us. She and her partner Nikos Loris of "DiDi-music" are friends of
mine since ages, too. "Why don't we tell Budgie our idea about the festival?" Nana suggested.
"Why not?" I said. Bugdie got more than enthusiastic (asked for details, too), but what exactly was the
idea about still remains a secret between friends!