No Hay Banda is a modern rock band from Greece, formed in 2016. They are: Aggelos Andy Lani (vocals), Konstantinos Pappas (guitar), Panagiotis Chartas (guitar), Alkiviadis Mistsis (bass) and Dimitris Pliatsikas (drums). On February 25th they perform live at FAUST Bar-Theatre-Arts in Athens.
Tell us a few things about No Hay Banda. How long have you been actually active?
The band was created 10 years ago and since then we have gained many experiences through live concerts and corporate events. The band consists of Aggelos Lani, Konstantinos Pappas, Alkiviades Mistsis, Panagiotis Chartas and Dimitris Pliatsikas.
The band’s name in Spanish means “there is no band”. Why did you choose this name?
Actually this name existed before our band. In the “Mulholland Drive” movie, which is one of our favorite movies, a band with this name appears in the most surreal spellbinding and hypnotic scene of the film. We liked it so much that we decided to use it!
Which are your main musical influences?
If we had to choose our favorites bands, they are definitely Wovenhand, Clutch and Pearl Jam (grungier).
How would you characterize the band’s sound? Is it a mixture of genres or an experimentation on genres?
Our music ID is a combination of folk, western and stoner sounds.
How come despite the fact you’ve been active regarding live shows for quite some time, you haven’t released something until recently?
In the beginning, we just wanted to have fun. But, as we were jamming, we found out that we can produce our own sound; which was really inspiring for us, in order to set the goal of an album release.
Do you have plans for an official release of your material in the near future?
Yes this is our goal. Releasing a complete album, including all of our tracks.
On February 25th you will perform at FAUST Bar-Theatre-Arts. What can the audience expect from you in this live?
We are looking forward to this particular live. First of all, we are going to perform at our favorite stage. FAUST Bar-Theatre-Arts has the most beautiful and theatrical stage at the same time. We believe that the atmosphere will be magical and the audience will follow us in this journey. So, we are really excited and we want to have our best performance so far.
Are you planning more shows in other cities as well this year?
Our main goal is to release our album and after that, we hope to organize a tour around Greece.
Thank you very much for your time! Close this interview as you will.
No Hay Banda. There is no band. It is an illusion.
Photo credits: Konstantinos Pappas (1st one), Spyridon Chamalis (2nd one)
Mary Kalaitzidou