The Skelters is a Greek rock band formed in Thessaloniki in 1996 from brothers singer/guitarist Angel and drummer/vocalist Daniel Charavitsidis. The original lineup was completed with lead guitarist/vocalist Stavros Amanatidis and bassist Thodoris Nikolaou. They have appeared in several live stages throughout Greece and supported many other artists such as ZZ Top and Pavlov's Dog.Some of their main influences are the Beatles, John Lennon, U2, Queen, and Elvis Presley. The first album of The Skelters is entitled “Explain To Me” and was released in 2009.
History
From a very young age, Angel Charavitsidis and his younger brother Daniel developed an interest for classic Rock ‘n Roll music which ultimately resulted in the original band The Crickets in 1996. The name was later on in 2001 changed to The Skelters, because The Crickets was already used as a band’s name (Buddy Holly and the Crickets). The name Skelters was an idea coming from the original Beatles song "Helter Skelter" which has been the main influence of the band since its formation. Up until 2003, the lineup has changed several times, yet always consisting of Angel and Daniel. The lead guitarist and vocalist Stavros Amanatidis joined the band in 2001, while the bassist Thodoris Nikolaou in 2004. Immediately after its formation, the band started appearing live locally counting more than 1000 appearances all over Greece to date. They have appeared in the most important live stages in Thessaloniki and Athens, festivals, TV and radio shows. Also, they were the support act for other artists such as ZZ Top, Nazareth, Iron Butterfly, Pavlov's Dog, Steve Harley and Cockney Rebel, Louisiana Red, helping the band to gain more recognition and fame. Also, the band is known for its legendary tributes to artists like The Beatles, John Lennon, Queen, Elvis Presley and U2, which have been the main influence of the band since its formation.
First public appearance (1998–1999) Their first public appearance was in May 1998 at the elementary school of Tagarades. In February 1999 the band appeared for the first time in a TV show Jammin in National Television. The Crickets, as they were called at the time, was the youngest band who ever appeared in that particular show! When they appeared for the second time on that show, in May of the same year, Stavros Amanatidis, the third member of The Skelters was on the guitar.
Development
In the period of 1998-2000, the band had already composed three original songs. From 2001, the band’s performances became more often and they began to appear in important live stages such as Mesogeios Live Stage and Café Americain supporting the well established group Blues Wire. In March 2002 they appeared at a concert in the Cultural Center of Thermi, where they performed their original songs live. In November of that year they recorded for the first time one of their songs, "Let’s Go Party". In December they recorded another one of their songs "See How Much I Love You". In July 2003, they recorded "Now Is The Chance" and in September "It's a Pity". In January 2004, the fourth member, Thodoris Nikolaou, bassist, officially joined the band. The same month, the band paid a great tribute to Elvis Presley with a very special gig at Mylos live Stage in Thessaloniki. In February, they recorded "She Is a Liar". In April to May 2005, they supported Blues Wire once again in their appearances at Café Americain. In early 2006, they put on another tribute to Elvis Presley, as well as a series of tribute nights to The Beatles at Mylos Club in Thessaloniki. In November, the band paid tribute to Queen and the late Freddie Mercury, performing numerous songs of their discography. In December, another live tribute for John Lennon was done. In 2007, they continued to perform live tributes, that time to U2 and The Beatles, while making appearances throughout Greece. The appearance supporting Louisiana Red and Blues Wire at Mylos Club in Thessaloniki was a great success. In 2008 The Skelters performed live their song "Let's Go Party" on a very popular Greek TV show, Radio Arvyla. That year, they also supported Iron Butterfly on a concert in Thessaloniki and jammed with Puressence. Moreover, they supported Paul Di' Anno on a concert in Thessaloniki Port.