I have never seen anyone sing with the ferocity of Apollonia. Combine that with Nikos’ booming drums and Adonis’ constant wall of distorted shredding and you get Frenzee, a sibling trio of Greek rock gods that are so heavenly, I had to see them three times in a row. And those weren’t the only times they played that weekend either, with the band managing to squeeze in another two shows in the space of three days!
The Bearded Lady show with The Antics brought them plenty of new, and very sweaty fans. The next night at the Season Three Space was mercifully a lot cooler. Their Sonic Sherpa in-store set the day afterwards was sweltering again and right after that, they headed down to the Gold Coast for another set at Vinnies Dive Bar. Earlier during the Saturday, they also did a matinee show at Ithaca Hall just down the street from The Bearded Lady. How’s that for dedication?
(Editor’s note: It’s quite literally in their blood. The Xylouris family in Crete have many famed traditional folk musicians among their number, so the trio are probably used to pulling double sets already.)
After the Sonic Sherpa set, we peeled ourselves up off the floor amongst the stacks of (now melting) vinyl albums on the shelf. The humidity caused Luke, our photographer for the weekend, to have a light bulb moment… A walk-in refrigerator lightbulb moment. He said “Let’s do the interview in the BWS bottle shop walk-in fridge!”. A brilliant idea and the rest is icy cool history:
Adonis: (Loudly clears his throat into the mic) This (mic) is really cool, it’s fancy… (tap, tap, tap)
OB: Yeah, they’re pretty convenient. So, thanks for-
Adonis: Is this a Bluetooth thing?
OB: Ah yep. So Frenzee–
Adonis: Where do you get them?
Apollonia: Oh, will you shut the fuck up?
OB: Ha-ha-ha, it’s alright it’s a written word interview, so I can edit it out.
(We all started laughing, as a customer came in and walked out immediately after seeing three sweaty punks being interviewed. We attempted to recompose ourselves and continue)
The sibling quarrelling certainly started a bit sooner than expected, sorry Frenzee but this was way too funny to omit!
In case you didn’t get the memo, Frenzee are:
- Apollonia Xylouris: Vox
- Nikos Xylouris: Drums
- Adonis Xylouris: Guitar
1. 100°c is the perfect temperature for The Bearded Lady band room. However, is there a hotter gig you’ve played anywhere else?
Adonis: Yeah, maybe France in Marseille…
Nikos: In Le Molotov.
Adonis: In Le Molotov, that’s the name of the place. And it was so hot by the end of the gig the ceiling was dripping…
Nikos: Dripping sweat.
Adonis: Yeah, dripping fucking sweat, we were sliding on the floors and shit, it was pretty fun.
OB: Oh yeah, the same kind of thing happened to Civic.
Nikos: Oh yeah, yeah, we love Civic!
Nikos: I think Brissie has been the hottest location ever for us though. For places to play. For me it was.
Adonis: Brissie, HOT! Ha-ha!
2. If you could rework any album in history, to give it the Frenzee remix in your style what would that album be?
Apollonia: So, if we have one album and we remake it in Frenzee style? Fuck!
Adonis: Battle of Los Angeles.
OB: Wow! I like that.
Nickos: It’s not that I don’t like it. I love that album…
Adonis: Yeah, well we’re not changing anything on the album.
OB: No, but it’s like a tribute. Re-recording it, but in your style as a complete cover album.
Nickos: Hell yeah!
Adonis: Yeah, yeah that’s a good one.
Apollonia: I’m good with that, sure. I don’t even know what it is (the album), but fucking oath. Sounds fun as.
OB: It’s Rage. Rage Against the Machine.
Apollonia: Ohhh, it’s Rage! Ha-ha-ha!
(Yet another customer strolls into the cool room only to immediately turn around and exit! We are all in fits of laughter)
3. I’m not great with Rats in Here so I was wondering if you all Fear No Fear, or if you have a phobia we don’t know about?
Apollonia: I am definitely scared of spiders.
Ob: You are in the wrong country then.
Apollonia: No, I am in the wrong territory!
Adonis: Oh, I’d say spiders. Insects, all the little bitsy things here in Australia… and fucking heights! I can’t do them.
Nickos: Yeah!
Apollonia: I can’t do heights either, and he can’t either! It’s a family situation.
Nikos: Oh yeah, my stomach. Stomach just, ughhh! It gets all tingly. No good mate.
Adonis: Ah even the approach…. to the edge of a height, ah nope. I get to the edge and nope.
Apollonia: And arseholes, not a fan of them. That’s another phobia! Ha-ha.
Adonis: Oh, here we go, I have a story for you. I had a recent experience that was a little traumatising. I got this new swag, and a big blow-up mattress right, to put into it, because I have a fucked back. So, I am getting in there, and once I closed it up to sleep… I was really close to the ceiling of the swag. I full on panic, I couldn’t do it, so I had to open it up. So yeah, I am claustrophobic as well, great!
Apollonia: Yes, I feel that!
Adonis: So, I’m heightaphobic and claustrophobic. That’s my scientific term for it!
OB: My advice to ensure you don’t get creepy crawlies in your swag is always zip up your swag, and roll your swag up when not using it. Especially in Australia.
Adonis: Oh, I’ll take that advice. I’ll take it. Thank you.
4. What is making you the most Angry in the world right now? Something that you might say lights a “Fire In My Gut” for you to act on?
Adonis: You! (All laughing)
Nickos: Like right now, recent?
OB: Yeah.
Apollonia: Macho dickheads!
Adonis: Yeah, like Elon Musk!
Apollonia: Yep, bad politicians and even worse politics.
Nickos: Just the ignorance to all the bad shit that is just going down right now man…People don’t seem to be cottoning on to what’s going on. (All agree)
OB: I see the punk movement as a method to counter that right? It’s all about acceptance and looking after one another in the punk scene.
Apollonia: Exactly, and it’s really important right now, as fucking right-wing politics is on the rise globally. So, it means that our fucking scene is getting more and more important to help prevent this.
Nikos: Yeah globally, and this right-wing politics has a façade of… to help people. But only the people that belong in their intentions. And it’s only full of hate, greed, and suffering.
Apollonia: It has this façade of democracy.
5. What band is whipping up a Frenzy right now that you think everyone should be listening to?
Apollonia: Oh, so many, definitely C.O.F.F.I.N.
Adonis and Nick: C.O.F.F.I.N man, we love them a hundred percent! We really do appreciate those cunts!
Adonis: Splitties!!!! (Split System)
Nick: Where’s Jimmy. Those are three bands we really love right now
Apollonia: Gut Health and Amyl and The Sniffers of course.
Nickos: And Stepmother.
Adonis: Yeah, from Melbourne, Graham plays guitar from Annihilation Time.
OB: Sweet! Is there anyone from back home in Crete or Greece you’d like to give a shout out too?
Adonis: 1000mods yeah!
I ended the interview asking when Frenzee will return to Australia. How desperate is that?! Their remaining shows on the east coast were all in Melbourne with the last show at Flippin’ the Bird Festival in Frankston on March 1st.
If you’ve missed the six hundred or so shows Frenzee have played in Australia in 2025, you can support them by ordering their thumping 2024 album, What’s Wrong With Me, as a lure to have them return sooner rather than later.
A MASSIVE thank you to Luke Johnston (@luke.shots) for all the photos in this article and stepping up to the plate for two of these interviews on such short notice. He was without a doubt the MVP of the weekend.