In a heartfelt confession, Christos Mastoras opened up about his childhood ahead of the release of his live album from the sold-out concert he held with MELISSES at the Herod Atticus Odeon—a tribute to the Greek bands that have made history. In a statement, the singer explained that he was a shy kid who, despite being the life of the party, felt quite reserved when he was alone.

Reflecting on his childhood and teenage years and his behavior in his social environment before becoming famous, Christos Mastoras said: “When I was a kid, I was ashamed to go to the kiosk to buy cigarettes for my father. I would send my best friend to get me something to eat from the cafeteria. But in the group, I was the first, the joker, and the entertainer. Fearless and a bit of a tough guy. I would create fake radio shows, film thrillers with a camcorder, and pull pranks over the phone—without caller ID back then—while the older guys laughed beside me. In the group, I was a leader, but alone, I was like a hermetically sealed oyster.”

He went on to say that the release of his new album is dedicated to the friend groups that have made history, which he believes were made up of shy kids—just like him. “This night is dedicated to the groups that made history, and I’m sure that they consisted of shy, sensitive kids like me, who were searching for their pack. These friends taught me music through borrowed cassettes and CDs and helped me escape from my locked room with my guitar, to seek out others like my socially awkward, fragile soul. I found them in the second most famous musical insects, MELISSES,” he remarked.