Tidal wave is the band that gave us the idea to make this site. Well you might be able to understand how deeply this site is inspired by that band if I tell you its former name. The band was originally called "Pyromaniacs"(now you're starting to get the whole picture, don't you?) but it wasn't long ago when the band was renamed to "Tidal wave". But let's take it from the beginning...

Tidal wave were originally formed by two guys: Orestis Rakitzis(or Amazon as his buddies used to call him) and Nick Bandis(or I'm-prez@ which is his nickname). Orestis plays the guitar for some time now and he started learning how to play nearly two years after his friend Nick started to learn to play the drums. It's been three years and a little bit more since they started jammin' together in Nick's basement. They both had a great deal of influence to each other. Nick started to listen to heavier stuff, which were introduced to him by Orestis and Orestis started to play the guitar just because he and Nick had the vision of jammin' together as members of the same band. They started with playing some Metallica stuff like "Nothing else matters" and "Sad but true" as they were both obsessed with Metallica at that time. Of course they just played for fun.

Last summer(2006) the idea popped into their heads! They planned to found a band. A bit difficult as they couldn't get together as they were both on vacation. Nevertheless they found a solution after many many SMS. They decided on recruiting another guitarist, named Anastasis Tzotzou. He is a classmate of theirs and has been playing the guitar for four years now. He agreed on becoming a member of the band. They couldn't find a singer and a bassist though, as there's not plenty of those. However, Nick and Orestis couldn't wait to return to Thessaloniki and start with the rehearsals. First rehearsal was in mid-November. Of course they didn't ready any song for that rehearsal as it was more like a test for Anastasis to prove himself as the guitar player of the band. The other two had never heard him playing the guitar before. The first playlist Pyromaniacs(that was their name at that time) had included the songs: Cowboys from hell(Pantera), Cemetery Gates(Pantera), Nothing else matters(Metallica), Enter Sandman(Metallica), Sad but true(Metallica), One(Metallica), Master of Puppets(Metallica), Fade to black(Metallica). The band faced major problems with the voice as Orestis couldn't sing and play the guitar at the same time that well and his voice sucked anyway. So they started taking some friends of theirs to the gigs and let them sing. But it had no result. It was around that time that the name "Pyromaniacs" came to the surface. No one saw that one comin' as it was suggested by a friend of theirs while changing clothes in the locker rooms before a PE lesson. And that's how they decided οn that name. Orestis didn't like the name at the beginning as he suggested the name "Hellfire" instead.

Right after Christmas, Nick arranged to meet with a very old pal of his, whom he hadn't seen for three whole years, although they were best friends. Orestis happened to be at the meeting, too. The three of 'em went to a cafe. While discussing and recalling old memories, it came along that George(that's the guy's name)has been playing the guitar for three years. He was at first called to join the band as the bassist player and the singer. After a short time though another guy was convinced by Orestis and Nick to join the band as the bassist player. His name is Nick Gagalis. He had a band at that time and it was difficult for the guys to approach him the way they wanted. Luckily enough his band dissolved and he joined Pyromaniacs. Nick Gagalis used to play the guitar but he dumped it and started playing the bass guitar. He has been playing it for at least a year now.

After a short time things were very intensive as the band's chemistry went to hell. Not long after that Anastasis left the band and was replaced by George. He had to sing apart from playing the guitar. The band's playlist didn't change in any way at the beginning. At that time Nick Bandis started to listen to other stuff like Green Day, Offspring and so and mocked Metallica and Pantera. Apart from that a new member joined the band. Her name is Lea and she would be the singer. She listened to even lighter stuff like alternative, soul, ethnic and reggae. She couldn't stand listening to slightly heavier stuff and this led to the playlist's drastic transformation.

All songs except for "Nothing else matters" were replaced with other ones. Orestis didn't like the whole thing as the new songs were not his style(let's better call it, his "fixers"). Some of the new songs were Polly(Nirvana), Smells like teen spirit(Nirvana), Lithium(Nirvana), Creep(Radiohead), Self Esteem(The Offspring) and such kind of stuff. The band didn't have a name at that time as all the other kids except for Orestis didn't think of "Pyromaniacs" as a proper name for the band(that's some piece of ironic shit as it was the whole way around at the beginning for as far as the name is concerned...).

It didn't work out with Lea either though... The band faced a dead end as they couldn't decide on whether to have a male singer or a female one. Opinions were equivocal. They finally decided on a female singer. Her name is Nikoleta Kriki Although there were some doubts at the beginning, in the end everything worked out and the problems that preceded that choice were solved once and for all. The band started running a schedule and arranged occasional rehearsals in various studios over the city of Thessaloniki. Hard work was involved in the project and the blind commitment to the band was essential. All this resulted in a perfect result and a flawless playing that has already granted the band two live appearances so far. But let's not run. Somewhere in between the name was changed. As I've already said the band no longer used "Pyromaniacs" as its name. The problem of the name arouse as live appearances were arranged cause you must have a name to say to the audience when you're on stage...

There was some tough brainstorming on this one as it was extraordinary tough to agree on one name. Many offered to help the band on this one, writing down whole pages of names that the band read. But none was good enough. There were many many options with the prevailing ones to be overdose,pop porn, punkached,freefall, wallride and other ones. But then it popped into Nick's Gagalis head...TIDAL WAVE it is!!! And that's how they all agreed on that name while being in an overcrowded bus where they couldn't move a single muscle...

Yeah I know... hell of a story for a band!!! But I believe it was all meant to be this way... A really tight bond binds the band members with each other and they have hell of a time when they get together, doing every shit you can thing with your mind and laughing the hell out of it!!! That's the one and only...Tidal wave!!!


by Amazon (or better Orestis Rakitzis)