Gagarin

After spending a couple of years off the live circuit, New York garage rock legends the Fuzztones and their eccentric frontman Rudi Protrudi return to Athens on September 26 with the promise of reminding fans what it's all about and initiating newbies in their high-energy psych punk sound.

Athens rock venue Gagarin 205 will be hosting a trio of first-class international post-punk acts on Friday, May 11. The lineup features Lebanon Hanover, a duo hailing from Berlin and London, dark wave specialists She Past Away from Turkey, and local minimalists Selofan, and doors open at 9.30 p.m.

Australian musician, singer and songwriter Mick Harvey, a longtime associate of Nick Cave and former member of his iconic Bad Seeds band, is coming to Athens on Friday, March 31, to perform for one night at Gagarin 205. The show starts at 9 p.m. and tickets cost 25 euros at the door and 22 euros in advance (www.viva.gr).

Local act Baby Guru (whose songs are mostly in English) brings its energetic blend of psych rock and pop to Gagarin 205 on Thursday, March 30, starting at 9 p.m. The three childhood friends already have three albums under the belt, two of which have met with international recognition.

Known for his blend of classic rock'n'roll with garage and soul, LA-based singer-songwriter Nick Waterhouse is on tour promoting his new album, "Never Twice." He will be stopping in Athens on Saturday, February 25, for a gig at the Gagarin venue. Doors open at 9 p.m.

BELGRADE - Unidentified persons have damaged a monument to the world's first man in space Yuri Gagarin in the Croatian capital of Zagreb, Head of the Consular Department of Russia's Embassy to Croatia Vladimir Polyanin told TASS on Wednesday.

"The Gagarin monument has been vandalized: the pedestal marble has been scorched and the inscription has been damaged," Polyanin said.

Russian Polina Gagarina, the sultry singer of “A Million Voices”, impressed Eurovision fans with her glitzy performance, managing to gain second place for her country in the contest. Though born in Russia, the singer spent the first years of her life in Athens and speaks fluent Greek.

The impressive Polina Gagarina, who placed second in Saturday’s Eurovision song competition with her song “A Million Voices”, only wore her shapely “birthday suit” in a photo spread for the Russian-language edition of “Maxim” magazine in 2012.

Gagarina, who almost won the title and was only bested by Sweden’s entry, had spent many years in Greece, as well.

Sweden narrowly beat Russia May 24 in a nail-biting 60th edition of the Eurovision Song Contest, winning its sixth crown in Europe's annual anything-goes music extravaganza.