Musical groups

Following its first gig at the Herods Atticus Theater in 2003, British rock legend Jethro Tull returns to the Athens Festival on Saturday, June 15, to celebrate 50 years in the music business with their Greek fans. Led by the ever-creative Ian Anderson, Jethro Tull has influenced generations of rockers with its diverse playing style and elaborate arrangements.

New Order headlines the Release Festival program on Sunday, June 15, playing some of the memorable singles that established the British band as a legend and went on to influence later generations of pop/rock acts, as well as material from its earlier days as Joy Division.

Bassist and composer Yorgos Fakanas, one of Greece's most accomplished influential jazz artists, is performing with his band at Six Dogs on Thursday, May 9. Doors open at 9 p.m. and admission costs 6 euros. The show will include milestones from Fakanas' 30-year career as well as newer work.

Six Dogs, 6-8 Avramiotou, Monastiraki, tel 210.321.0510

The dates and lineup for what has grown to become Greece's biggest rock festival, Release, have been announced and tickets are on sale.

On the eve of the Day of Saint George the Victorious, the Day of Valour and the Bulgarian Army (6th of May), musicians from the representative military bands of the Bulgarian Army will perform in joint concerts on the occasion of the celebrations, reports BNT. 

US Ambassador Geoffrey Pyatt on Friday joined his Dutch and Israeli counterparts, Caspar Veldkamp and Irit Ben-Abba respectively, as well as a team of experts, to help pick the three top winners at a student pitching competition at the Dutch Embassy's Orange Grove forum.

The Strasbourg-based Council of Europe has announced that it will dispatch a monitoring team for Turkey's municipal elections slated for March 31.

Deep Purple, one of the most iconic groups in musical history, is returning to Bulgaria for a new concert on December 7 in Arena Armeec.

Two years ago, they launched the The Long Goodbye tour, which stated they were finishing their concert activity. Because of the huge interest of millions of fans around the world, Deep Purple will again visit some countries, including Bulgaria.

Hailed as one of Europe's best tribute bands, with live appearances all over Europe and Asia, Not the Rolling Stones takes the stage at the Athens Concert Hall on Saturday, March 23, giving local fans of the legendary rock group a taste of the real thing. Tickets cost 15 euros and doors open at 10 p.m.

Greek black metal band Rotting Christ has had a concert canceled in an apparent response to protests over the obscenity of its name.
Sakis Tolis, the lead singer and founder of the group, said in a Facebook post that yesterday's gig at the Aigli venue in Patra in the Peloponnese had been called off.