Teledrome, Juzni and Neon Lies @ AKC Medika

I only hold lower most contempt for "summer break" in Zagreb concert season. Year after year I hear explanations but they offer no more than lame excuses. With that said, I do understand the issue of overstretched expenses in many of venues and that makes my respect for AKC Medika bigger and bigger each year. I love their shows, their activism, function in front of form approach. Year after year it ensures interesting and fun summer in Zagreb and I never ever leave their commons disappointed.

One such example happened this Thursday. There was Teledrome gig in Attack and Juzni and Neon Lies supported them with their performances. I went there with high expectations and I left more than ecstatic.

For starters there was this great flyer by Biblical Violence Illustrations:

I did not know much about the performers before the gig but this is all my fault since AKC Medika social media person spares no effort to collate and present A LOT of information about all their happenings on Facebook, Twitter, and Attack homepage.

I knew there would be Sven from ### so I was sure there will be something interesting there. Not to beat around the bush - this performance was just awesome! Usual Juzni setup is Sara and Eva from Žen and Goran and Sven from ### - but due to some unforeseen circumstances Goran was absent from this gig and we were notified in advance on FB/twitter that the performers will be "Dražen i Lidija Transjužni Improvizacijski Trio".

I loved this set. It was majestic in sound just as much as it was pretty.

Dražen i Lidija Transjužni Improvizacijski Trio

They opened with something experimentally post-rockish (Sven is playing with some kind of drumsticks on a bass guitar laid flat - if I saw this correctly - and girls are blazing good on drums and guitar) and soon into the set the strobes started to flash and the music heated up and flowed - for 20 or so minutes - without ever ceasing to be really exciting and interesting. I loved this gig. I'm already hoping there will be more of their music.

Second act was Neon Lies.

Goran Lautar - Neon Lies - performing at Attack.

This was a surprise for me. I was so baffled seeing Goran Lautar is Neon Lies that it took a few minutes and half a dozen of funny smses to ascertain and confirm the situation. In this act first song was like first pancake; sticky and behaving weirdly, threatening to ruin your pleasure for the whole batch - but, sound got better and everything got adjusted and whole set was surprisingly smooth. I do not know the guy that well but he seemed quite freaked out before the set and he was very happy with the reception and his own performance afterwards. It will be good seeing Neon Lies again after this first ever performance. I have a feeling it could grow nicely.

And then, Teledrome.Teledrome was great.

There was this awesome mixture of Hemendex vibe with how Handsome Furs used to expend their energy while performing. Plus punk-ishly short songs. They have an album here so you can sample it.

I danced my ass off.

They were in good spirits, very relaxed and played with fierce energy. I loved how they just spread that cool, self-confident tone everywhere they went during the intermezzos in the commons and then took it to stage to wash over us like a tidal wave. It was a great, rejuvenating, energizing experience. I could have it three times a day without ever getting bored.

All in all great, great gig and another night well spent on Attack grounds.


*gig report also published at Terapija.net in English.

Withered Hand and Woodpidgeon @ Attack! 03Jun2015

My workday on Wednesday, June 3rd was truly horrible
and it ended with teleconference full of bad news and fuckups.
At 5 o’clock in the afternoon
when I was leaving for home I was spent and annoyed and my head was buzzing with cusswords.
I waited for a friend to come down since we carpool home
and I sat into my car
- it was a giant toaster white from the heat -
the sun was rich and beautiful yellow sunny side up egg in the sky
and we drove to town on the side of the street where there are no poppies to please me.


I thought; ”Even though paid in blood, finding a babysitter so I can go to Zur party tonight will be all for nothing - ‘cause there is no way I could recuperate by 9 pm to enjoy the gig.”

But we drove
and we chatted
and we laughed some
and I came home, made and ate simple but truly inspired dinner (who knew adding crushed sour cream & onion potato chips could improve mixed beans, proteins and veg salad so much!?)
and had a short nap.

When I woke up, just half an hour later, there was a cat on my chest and he was purring so much he woke me up.
We played a bit and cleaned the house some and I went for my (surprisingly early) evening run,
came home, showered and dressed and jumped back into the car.

There was blood moon hanging on the horizon.
Evening was young and promising and it smelled sweetly of linden trees and unsuspecting vice.

I love Attack! commons.
I love the air of relaxation permeating the area and  whole this squat/diy/upcycle idea the residents are living so vibrantly.

As I came in I bumped into a friend
so we hugged and we spoke and I bought ticket and a drink
(never did a beer taste so appropriate than right then)
and evening was rolling out beautifully.

Then, there was Woodpidgeon on stage:

Mark Anderew Hamilton of Woodpidgeon performing at Attack!

I have listened to Woodpidgeon's music before, but not lately (I realized fuzzily how long it has been while commenting something to a friend)
but this guy (Mark Andrew Hamilton) is so endearing and so awesome that once the gig started it all came back, even the songs that I heard for the first time.
Very unpretentious, styled more like a tourist then an indie hipster musician he was both magnificent and completely adorable.
With excellent “bedside manner” when treating his audience he came across as smart, kind, mindful and a true artist.
His comments and ideas were transparent and diplomatic
and I truly enjoyed hearing him speak just as much I enjoyed hearing him sing/perform.

He said he does not write songs about politics and he sang a song he wrote disappointed that Canada decided to bomb Syria.
He was adamant that violence is wrong and then played Death by Ninja:

"I went to Ninja school
To learn how to murder you
With just one little punch"

There was an awesome intro he told us
to get us to sing with him
and I’m sure he told the intro thousand times already
but it was so great it will not grow old even with million more repetitions.

He did some magic with various doohickeys and doodahs he had in front of him on the floor
so he was singing and making samples and playing them and all at once and right in front of us
and I was smitten and amazed
and it was completely unexpected and fresh and great (even though I’m no stranger to delaying and pedals and beatboxing).
Later on he was standing outside in the commons talking with a friend
and their body language was so honest and so revealing
there has to be a great guy in there, behind those vigilant and intelligent eyes.

Little after Woodpidgeon had finished Withered Hand took center stage…

Withered Hand at Attack!

.. And I’m of mixed emotions (and impressions) of this gig.
Maybe the expectations got the best of me.
Withered Hand’s music, at least what I heard from it on the albums, just seemed more polished to me (then Woodpidgeon’s)
and I thought it will sound different live.
And it did.
But I was untouched.

It was well presented, and the guy was appropriately styled and in good spirits, and there seems to have been a lot of his ecstatic fans there
and I too felt a fan when he said:

"We're only on tour together for second time now... but that's only because I hate leaving my house so much"

and songs sounded well…

 I remember hearing Horseshoe and it did sound great live, and I’m listening to it now writing this and it truly is a great song...
But, at the same time,
It is like a magnificent ornate dagger someone is attacking you with
and you’re so frightened blood drains out of your heart
just to realize in the end that it is a switchblade mechanism, a theater prop -
one that retracts back into the handle when pressed against something so not to draw blood.

I've listened to a couple of songs and have tried to participate
but to no avail
so I got out, back into commons, where I conversed a little and rested my sore hip
(that was inflamed for past two weeks)
and got kissed by a guy who asked me to roll him a cigarette and was utterly pleased with results.

It was an excellent evening out, unexpected and highly pleasing, and Zur collective had closed one more season with awesome gig and a party.

*This concert review also available on Terapija.net portal here

Some Sketches From Concert Cornucopia Week

There were so many things happening last week I would hate to lose them in the hectic passage of time so I'll add a few sketches here so I can remind myself of this concert cornucopia at a later time.

Firstly, as a sort of intermission during Žedno Uho Festival I went to see Kurve (Hookers) with a friend. They played at Subsite party in Attack! and  they were so unbeliavably excellent my blood stil boils and body yearns to join the mosh pit when I remember that.

You can hear my favorite "Od sutra" here on their bandcamp page but if you will have chance to go and hear it live DO NOT miss it.

Ben Frost at Mocvara played during last day of Žedno Uho and his show was both technical masterpiece and completely outworldly. Reminiscent of SF movie soundtracks, both ominous and filled with sticky attraction it was like living through concentrated Blade Runner.

 

After Frost, Forest Swords who I actually love listening to at home came as a cold shower. I am unsure should I write that botched crap of performance to their youth and lack of experience or just to condescending douchebaggery they seemed to reek with.

I also went to see some Gričevanje performances  and I chose to listen to Punčke to see how they are coming along. Girls were energetic and fun and I disliked only long sound adjustments between songs that mess up continuity of otherwise really good show. I could also see that they are seriously preparing to open for QOTSA as the only thing left from their punk is short duration of songs and they have crossed over to firm rock sound.

I was finally able to catch Repetitor which somehow eluded me for so long and I was left stupified and speechless. The energy, the unity, the firm and confident slick and beautiful act! Absolutely wonderful!

I managed to take Belgian colleague visiting our Zagreb office to Flood Relief concert in Mocvara and to hear Nina Romić's Bicikl once again live (there is something uncanny in how this song just strips me of my defenses).

And after a long time chasing and not managing to catch them ESC Life finally added to my etchings :D

Rens Argoa @Attack! 25Apr2013

Some 10 days ago there was announcement on Facebook that on April 25th there will be Night of Space Blue Beavers at Attack! and that Rens Argoa would be playing and I immediately begun with arrangements to attend.

As you all know - I love Rens Argoa - and I have published here an interview with them as one of earliest Music Thursday offerings. They play powerful and psychodelic instrumental post-rock and I have been amazed with their performance and their music ever since they opened for Maybeshewill on a sold-out long expected concert in Zagreb. I listen to their album (that can be downloaded free of charge from Bandcamp) over and over again every few days and I can sincerely say it is as wonderful and deeply satisfying piece of music that just keeps on giving. They also have new web page that you can check out and see what they're made of and what they've been up to lately.

So how was the show on Thursday?

It was absolutely stunning.

First thing I noticed, even before the gig started is that almost all of the Professor Gang were there and that is alwas a good sign as guys definitely support quality. Secondly, there was quite a bit of a crowd there, above average by size and definitely not an average Thursday crowd for Attack!

As Rens Argoa started to play there was just one overwhelming impression in my mind: "This is how you can differentiate between really great band and merely a very good one!" and Rens Argoa truly are a great band. What makes that difference is a thing bordering on magic, for performers and audience both. They went on stage and started to play and it sounded so well, so overwhelmingly great, so natural and with sound so prevasive and saturated it felt as if the music comes from every direction at once. They played so great that even when they were adjusting the wires and checking the sound it sounded as if they were playing a song. There was a bit of talking and a bit of communication fun and laughter and it was just a natural flow of feelgood. Crowd responded well and I saw people dancing and nodding and enjoying themselves, cantankerous people I never see enjoying anything, and I really am an avid observer.

And in the middle of their act there was an illustrative event:

there was a guy there who must have been intoxicated out of his wits, or maybe he just hasn't got any to begin with. Anyway, guy stirred in the front rows a bit - causing trouble, pushing people, dropping things, making a fool of himself - and in one moment he decides to climb on stage and remove his pants. A guy, Attack! native, surfaces from the crowd and yanks idiot from stage and escorts him out in an orderly fashion and all this happens without a slightest glitch in the power and continuance of music. It was just like an action movie appearing out of thin air in front of our eyes and the music was so perfect a soundtrack it felt not only appropriate, but deliberate.

Masterpiece.

As I had obligations Friday morning I did not stay to see secret surprise guests that were announced to play after Rens but this was more than enough to fill my cup of pleasure for the night. I'm already looking forward to see them play again, and not to miss concert announcements you can also make sure to like their page on Facebook so to get fresh information on gigs and projects.

And yes, their drummer still plays barefoot and his drumming was wonder inside a wonder, immaculate and sparkling with both skill and talent.

Franz Nicolay, Morning Glory and Me As Well @Attack! 28Mar2013

After a bit of concert-going silence that I spent growling in discontent and could not be bothered to leave my habitat Yesterday came bearing gift of interesting listening prospects at Attack! so I made truce with The World and went to The Gig.

It was freaking cold but I craved for a beer after my evening 2,5 km run so I welcomed a beverage and took heed of first act for the night: Me As Well...

... A band from Karlovac with 3 guys and a girl on bass who also shares vocalist duties with first guitar. They were sadly terrible, but the kind that can be forgiven. They seemed overwhelmed, underpracticed and sorely young. Every so often vocals would just "have to much on their mind" to stay within the rythm while singing and could not keep up. First guitarist continued to nag audience with less than humorous remarks and although the crowd was friendly it felt forced even to clap. They also are not HC Punk, as the announcement made us believe but more of melodic/light punkrock with heavymetal tendencies. In more metal-sounding songs they were much more synched than in punky ones because there was no singing/playing overlap so those were noticably better performed. I'd like to hear them again after they had more practice and maybe on a bit smaller system because the loudness ate whatever good was left.

Light was terrible and all my photos are too dark, but Franz Nicolay was magnificent!

If you like his music at all this incarnation was most perfect of miracles and if you don't care much for his music he was so great a performer, comedian, magician, star and co-sufferer in this rediculous walley of tears and laughter that it was a pleasure and privilege to be there with him.

He told stories. Introduced himself. Opened with The Hearts of Boston. He talked and told more stories in between songs. He played pretty much whole Do The Struggle album, some Bad Advice and more. And more. Somewhere in there he told story of expectations:

"I play all around the world and go to many places that are far away from home. Going to that far away places I always think that nobody will know my songs and nobody will come. Last week I played in Russia and before I played in a club there I thought that nobody will come. And there will be just me and the bartender. And halfway during my set bartender will go outside to have a smoke and there would be only me. With my songs:

"Hey Franz! Well done Franz!"
" Well, thank you Franz - so nice of you to notice!"

But you know what? People came. People always come. And, there is one great thing with having low expectations:

You can always be pleasantly surprised when your low expectations are met and exceeded. And that brings happiness."

I laughed and I cried and I danced and it was magnifficent.

And at one other moment he played I Had A Good Time Tonight and as he started singing the chorus:

"I had a good time tonight
But it would’ve been better if I could’ve danced with my wife."

... and his wedding ring glistened in the semidarkness and the song felt so real and full of longing and there, in front of me, in front of us all stood a person, not just performer but the whole nine yards.

And when he played Did Your Broken Heart Make You Who You Are? I could truly say:

"No. It did not."

Magnificent. Overflowingly magnificent.

Go see his homepage and buy some of his stuff.

Last ones up were Morning Glory.

They were talkative, friendly and funny ("We had to cross Yugoslavian border and it was terrible. Only other border I can think of that is so terrible is probably Canadian border.") and they played as seasoned professionals; confidently, effortlessly, vibrant and joyfull... but I was already very tired and my feet were frozen and my eyes stung from the smoke in the den so I went home carrying that elating ska rythm in my ears.

Great concert night.

Maybeshewill @Attack! 28Sep2012

Back in February 2010 while I was getting my festival accreditation for Žedno Uho #11 I exchanged  few e-mails with Mate Skugor suggesting that he brings Maybeshewill to Zagreb. He was very receptive and polite but, as it often happens, life brought unforseen turmoils so this fell off the radar.

Two years later, Maybeshewill was announced to perform at Attack! on May 11th 2012 and I bought the ticket the minute they were released. There was a bit more waiting involved but on Friday September 28th 2012 I finally got to see Maybeshewill perform in Zagreb.

It was well worth the wait.

As usually, I got to Attack! early to see everyone and poke my nose into everything. First thing I noticed entering almost empty Attack! was minimalist setup on stage - fact that left me flabbergasted. As evening moved along I was no less confused but after the gig I have to say that it was the perfect greeting for this evening of pure perfection.

First ones on stage were Rens Argoa.

From the first moment they began to play I was utterly impressed with beautifully set, christalline sound that covered wonderfully whole Attack! floor. Small supporting bands usualy get served short end of the stick as sound is set up for headliners - but not today! Sound was beautiful and, as you can see in the photo here, there is really minimal amount of equipment on stage. Guys play bravely and I was shocked I did not hear about them before as they were really really good. I could swear I heard something James-Bondish in one of the songs they played. Fun idiosyncrasy I also noticed is that their drummer plays with no shoes on, wearing only socks. They have some great music put up on their soundcloud page so go there and check it out.

After a short break Portman went up.

After a bit of commotion with the drumset they started out slowly and a bit pingy at first, with a bit too much cymbals which made whole sound picture dirty and unpolished but after first song it cleaned beautifully and Portman played their set of firm metal/stoner warp interwowen with classic postrockish weft. Another great discovery worth listening through from their SoundCloud page.

And then, after a minute change in stage setup, Maybeshewill went on stage...

... and they were all I imagined and hoped for and then some.

Sporting stickers and T-shirts by Nothing But Hope And Passion they were living, walking, music making epitome of that phrase. Surprised and moved by loving reception from Attack! audience they played their hearts out.

Song after song was beautifully clear and impeccably delivered and it felt so fulflling and overwhelmingly beautiful I was sincerely moved to tears. It was so utterly marvelous that if I closed my eyes, while standing amidst the biggest crowd a meter from stage, I could be so lost in exquisiteness of the music I felt no people surrounding me,... like I was standing in the middle of the field, immersed in beauty to such extent that music came from within me, not from outside.

They played and played and then played some more...

...and I did not feel the passage of time at all. They could have played their whole discography over and over again or just one second of one song - I was so filled with love I felt completely zen.

... heart's content...

After the show, in contrast with my usual routine I did not run away home immediately trying "to keep the music in my ears" but I stayed and watched the crowd disperse slowly. I did not talk. I did not drink. I did not move.

I just stood there letting the world flow by me and it felt like nothing I ever felt in my life.

Leaving Attack! I passed Jamie Ward in the hallway and I thanked him for the show and he smiled and nodded and it was perfect end to a perfect show.

Graf Orlock @Attack! 25Jul2012

Last night's Graf Orlock gig at Attack! made stunning entrance into top 5 of my favorite concerts of all time.

Allthough it started over an hour after announced time it was well worth the wait. Guys from the band were talkative and friendly, they set up stage in front of the stage close to an audience and they were so well played in and rehearsed it was raptutous to watch them play. Sound was set up loud, real loud, and there were few objectioners in the audience but in my opinion it was not over the top. Also, albeit loud, sound was crystalline clear - ringing clear - with a warm ting that was very distinctive and pleasurable to listen to.

Cinematic grindcore sounded like an interesting concept while I was browsing through their work on Last.fm and I am very pleased I went to see and hear that because I feel that Graf Orlock have successfully wed two of my great loves - punk and movies. I especially liked the fact that there were no visual cues to this parade. As opposed to recent Meniscus gig in same venue, which had a lot of visual material to accompany the music making it a crossover experience modality-wise, this gig and its auditory directiveness was refreshing and vivacious, grabbing attention from the very start and making this experience intense and personal. In fact, it was so personal that I stood there grinning and taking pictures and tapping and hopping and enjoying the moment so much it resembled the  experience of "being churched" (you can read about that on this great Virtual Church of The Blind Chihuahua: What is Church, Anyway? page or if in need of more scientific explanation here are some notes on limbic resonance).

Which brings me to next logical point - Why do I go to "real" punk concerts anyway? I do not listen to that much grindcore or hardcore or any kind of punk exclusively. I dabble in indie and enjoy piano driven Japanese nu-jazz  post-rock. WTF?

Well, no indie Japanese post-jazz gives me the feeling of joie de vivre and absolute invigor'ation punk gives. When I stand there and listen to punk musicians, as good as those four were last night, play, my consciousness is wiped clean of everything except pure joy. All I feel is happiness, destructive wonderful happiness, sexually arousing exculpating happiness, violent and deafening happiness pure as the blood that runs through all our veins. No white, black or yellow, no straight or queer, no vegan or kosher, no inprisoned or free. It does not cross boundaries, it negates them. There is no "do". Only "be".

It is such a wonderful and liberating feeling, hologramic, wholesome,.. like being a cell and Consciousness Embodied simultaneously.

Here you can sample some of Graf Orlock work and by all means do support artists by buying their stuff.

Rosetta @ Attack! 12Jul2012

I do not usually come late to concerts but things became complicated really fast on Thursday so I just managed to arrive to Attack! as Man Zero were closing. I was not pleased because I like Man Zero quite a bit but Biškup said I was excused so it all went well. Short conversation and some laughing later Kings Destroy took the stage.

I managed to listen through about half of their act before I was so upset I had to go out and have some air and release steam and I will eventually get to what ticked me off like that - after I type a few words about Rosetta act.

Rosetta performed beautifully.

From the first moment throughout their act their sound was superb and there was so much love and devotion in the air that it was moving to watch. Lead singer was so thrilled with the reception he almost never wandered two feet from the audience. He hugged with them, allowed them to sing with him, smiled, had people climb on stage and take his picture from a foot away, he seemed to enjoy the attention and crowd loved to see him enjoy it. It was a beautiful experience as it seemed like a personal performance - acoustically exquisite and emotionally fulfilling - like having your favorite band perform in your living room, like songs are all bits of conversation flowing effortlessly between loving friends.

Which brings me to Kings Destroy and me being apalled, hurt and confused.

Kings Destroy were so utterly fucked in this endeavor I cannot fathom to understand how this happened.

I did not listen to their material before nor did I know anything about them but from this here experience I can say that they can play, they have handsome and adaptive frontman who tried to make the best of it and has great showmanship "string" - communicating and bonding with the audience both on and off the stage (as opposed to Rosetta gang who were autistic off stage, never leaving their smartphones for a second). Also I can say that it is not seldom for supporting band to be wronged by equipment and sound being set up for main attraction but this was not funny at all and if it was me on that stage performing - hearing how it all comes together would cause heads to fly. Last thing I do not understand is - how this fit was made?! Who got up one morning and said; "Hey, I got it! I think Rosetta should tour with Kings Destroy!" because that guy should have his head examined. Final impression seeing and hearing these two bands together was a lot like Miss Pennsylvania going out with a fat girl-friend. It does not raise her rating, it does not look like friendship, it just looks like somebody sat on her self-esteem and now verified beauty queen wants someone to go out with who will make her look beautiful by contrast.

I do not know how this actually happened and I am fond of fat chicks personally but this did not look good.

Moraines and Meniscus @Attack! 07Jul2012

Intrigued with the notion of a post-rock band having female band members yesterday evening I went to see Meniscus gig at Attack! It may seem trivial to care about gender in questions of good music but I assure you - there's no triviality in organizational behavior and any female being part of post-rock band is no small feat. Also, post-rock being truest of my true loves I had an urge to be there and experience it firsthand.

And it was an evening of sex and surprises.

First surprise were Moraines, opening act from Zagreb. As I did my homework listening to some of their materials to familiarize myself with their work before the concert I was a bit perplexed when their drummer went on stage and said something like: "We shall play all new songs for you now... New chapter in our creative process... Last album was eaten by the Internet and now, let's play!" and played they did and it was... It was absolutely great! Firm and persuasive post-core instrumental sound with vibrant, violent guitars and rhythm that spares no lives. I was so shocked and so moved my first impression was stirring of a memory of when I first heard Sepultura's Refuse/Resist, with wild unforgiving drums and bestial sexual desire it provoked. The act yesterday was nothing like somber and sepulchral "The Perfect Pantheon Of Absence" they made before. It was instrumental only. It was lively, salubrious, pounding and heartfelt. Sound was excellent and I stared and listened hypnotized, overjoyed.

When I was still in Medika yard, soaking in the atmosphere while waiting for concert to start, one elderly couple came in in search of venue where their loving relative from Australia would perform. People were endeared with their presence and eagerly helped them find their way and settle in and that was so lovely to watch and to witness. We hear every day that times are violent and that it is a dog-eat-dog world everywhere you turn but that may not be the case as much as it would be expected from those words. There are nice people everywhere and we should all nurture personal responsibility to be good people.

And in a short instant, there was our Australian relative and his two friends on stage.

Alison, Cameron and Daniel served us with luxorious audio feast accompanied with VJ Marty Wong's video selection. Shoegazerly and emotive, sonorous and relaxing. As much as Moraines gig had that feverish penetrating urgence of new lovers, Meniscus show had that comforting, reassuring feel of lovemaking only couples that know each other well can create. There's nothing wrong with predictability as it weaves fine net of security and belonging. Meniscus act was void of vapidness that characterizes so many post-rock bands. It was familial, societal and friendly. It was slow and encouraging. It was intimate.

I felt enriched being there. Almost loved. I highly recommend that experience. Here you can stream their new album and see if it talks like that to you too.

Pistolrays and Eke Buba @Attack! 05Jul2012

I last saw Pistolrays at Tvornica 17Sep2011 opening for Threesome and at that occasion the only complaint I had on their act is that they weren't comfortable enough playing before an audience. That has changed now.

Pistolrays I saw on Thursday were different band alltogether preformance-wise. They were confident, relaxed, persuasive, passionate. They played through their set-list with vigor and tangible pleasure of performing, conversed with crowd and gave themselves fully to their craft. It was wonderful to listen to them play, and on a different notice - to see them play as they have the cutest and most feverishly energetic drummer I've seen in a loooong while. It seems I always end up typing about drummers but it was purely rapturous to watch him do his work as there seems to be unquenchable curiosity and overzealous abundance of life inside the vessel of his body

After the show, which flied by in an saddening instant as I could have watched and listened to them much, much more - and that sentiment was shared with many more form the audience - they sold physical copies of their EP "Moon Riot" and I treated myself with a copy. Same EP can be downloaded from their bandcamp pages for free but please consider donating because making music takes time and money and this is indeed one fine piece of music.

Some 15 minutes later, Eke Buba were on stage.

This was my first encounter with energetic Zagreb trio playing old-school rock n' roll.

They are very young and this is the first thing that catches attention because their on-stage behavior epithomises RNR youth. With confidence unparallel with performance they either raise symphaties or antagonize in an instant. Bold and overbearing, it is good they surfed on Pistolrays wave and I am curious to see how this would fare in less favorable circumstances.

Evening was continued socializing and I must say this was one of most relaxed and sociable crowds I ever saw in Attack! and it seems we should also thank Pistolrays boys for this as they mingled, smiled and interconnected vast group into big cuddly mush of friends. I loved this. Can't wait to see them again.

Kivango @ Attack! 29Jun2012

I had terrific time last night on Kivango gig at Attack!

As this was my first night out since we moved I was a bit apprehensive about everything but I decided to go out and have a cold drink and mingle a bit.

And it went great.

Gig started a bit late for my taste (23:00 h!) but Zagreb was so hot and so void of air currents it seemed understandable. Also, it was nice to wait a bit because it gave me opportunity to check out "summer crowd" at Medika squat. There were no usual suspects and there was unusual proportion of shirts vs. tees. Ladies there always sport very creative attire and yesterday was no different. I especially loved the one in Madonna Desperatly-seeking-Susan stylings.

The gig itself was scrumptious slice of comedy audio pie.

Three guys wearing ski masks, playing beliavable metalcore, with lead singing into a ram scull.

I'm quite sad all photos turned pretty bad but I blame it on stupid-no-good-for-anything red lighting. You can almost see guy with no head on the left crouching over ram scull.(UPDATE: See some much, much better photos from this gig here on Facebook)

In between songs they introduced themselves and announced few songs: Rakija (Schnapps), Ide mama s kolačima (There goes mum with the cake) and Neno Belan's Stojin na kantunu (I'm standing on corner) for end-performance-cover and it was lovely, humorous mush of feelgood. After a few moments of getting used to distorted metalcore vocals I could discern words and they were exquisitely funny.

There is one great moment in Željko Vukmirica's one-actor play Povijest moje gluposti (History of my foolishness) in which he, after falling in love with blues music, searches for someone to translate the lyrics to him and is consequentially stunned with their triviality (lirics spell something like: "Potočić žubori i krave paseju" = "Creek gurgles and cows are grazing"). I had the feeling that Kivango boys spotted good market space for selling metalcore vocals and wonderful use of efffect switches to the flock (or should I say herd) and that exhilarated me immensly as I had distinct feeling this was purposeful and deliberate, showing signs of unquestionable intellect.

As it was midnight when they finished and I was so happy with their performance I did not want to spoil the impression so I decided not to wait main attraction (Mother Fucking Christians) and went home.

I'm very pleased with my first night out.

Concert nights are home.

          x          x          x

This is fifth post in the series "What is home?". Read posts one, two,  three and four below.

Krum Bums at Attack! 23Nov2011

Going to a punk gig the night before two-day business trip of course has its benefits, yet it also fills me with ominous sense of being behind on some concert reviews - so I'm up and on to rectify this immediately.

There was  Krum Bums concert at Attack! in Zagreb on Wednesday night, 23rd November 2011.

My most noticeable ailment being nosiness I came early to watch the crowd gather and musicians adjust and prepare. I found it lovely how there is always something cute to look at and interesting stuff to admire and also food for thought to tuck away for slow digestion later.

The task of being local support went to Passive Aggressive, fun and surprisingly well-sounding hardcore punk band who performed with new drummer - and I could have sworn that their new drummer is, in fact, Black Gust guitarist. It could be that I'm developing some weird recurring motif illness but it seems to me Black Gust have somehow inexplicably found a way to infiltrate my every punk-gig-post so far. In either way - Passive Aggressive were pretty good - their sound firm and assertive, frontman cute and confident and when they finished their set I could honestly say I could have listened to them more.

As for Krum Bums I was both honored and humbled by their act and I feel I should digress a bit to describe the situation: they seem like a big and important enough band, who gets good reviews and has enough (even new) material to be interesting to Zagreb audience yet Zagreb audience chose to sleep in on this November Wednesday. And that is sad and humbling because I almost felt ashamed with our low turnout and tepid reception - especially because Krum Bums kicked ass!!! It felt as if they were shaken by fact that there were around 40-ish people in the audience but after initial dragging of feet they played for 40 of us like they would for a thousand. And it felt good and their music sounded great and I enjoyed their act and a sense of professionalism it was fueled by.

And it is a really nice professionalism as you can see in this great video for song Gasoline from their new album Cut the Noose:

Also, you can check out this clip - for S.O.S. from American Streetpunk and Oi! (the movie):