Future Islands 11Oct2014 @ Mochvara

"Without enthusiasm you are doomed to a life of mediocrity, but with it you can accomplish miracles."

I went to see Future Islands perform at Mochvara last night.

It was a bittersweet experience, full-blooded, thigh-twitching affair. Magnificent.

I have watched them before, on their now cult performance at Kset in 2010. I remember writing to Zach afterwards, saying that people wept in the audience when Sam announced Tin Man. And I remember Mr. Herring's surprise and happiness with the reception by that audience. I remember how I was then just lukewarm fan, only getting to know their art, and how my being their fan grew from that tepid interest into rapturous devotion - and in the heart of that devotion, one thing stands true right from the beginning; you cannot improve on perfection.

That most perfect thing, one that caught my attention then and is also flawlessly present now is Mr. Herring's dramatic delivery of lyrics, just as one would present lines in a play. What makes this presentation especially engaging is the notion that it is propelled by enthusiasm and candor, rather then building a theatrical on-stage persona. Lines he delivers are his own, flowing from his life and his experiences, and them being enveloped in music only makes them more potent.

So, ...if this was such a great experience, why bitter-sweetness?

Well, I feel that venue was too small for number of tickets sold as it was truly, not only unpleasant, but disgustingly overcrowded. Mochvara has been my favorite venue for quite some time now, partly because of excellent, relaxed staff and also because of extraordinary jump in a quality of sound during live performances - both of which was clearly present yesterday - but the place was so packed it was sickening.

Other thing adding to bitter-sweetness is this unfortunate internet fame Mr. Herring has been in the center of recently. This is a thing that both upsets and angers me, because it once again shows the world populated by clueless buffoons. Short description of happening is that Future Islands were brought to center of "more mainstream" attention by being on now several shows that ended up featuring not really their music but even more so presenting Mr. Herring's performance as "unparallelled" by theatrics in the music business, which in turn ended up widening their audience. What angers me most is that I feel his dramatic performance is misunderstood since it is commented as histrionics, not giving him credit for what he really deserves; unparalleled enthusiasm and candor. Why this is important? Because it brought portion of the audience that wasn't there for the music and I feel that they were detrimental to the complete experience.  Example of such crap is this silly bitch snapping a selfie right on the stage during an encore.

Even in this less than perfect conditions Future Islands performance was impeccable and it was both honor and pleasure being there to witness it.

I hope I will be seeing them again.

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

MIMO 4 - Lovely Quinces and Druyd @MSU 12Apr2013

Fourth MIMO (Media Inventory of Music Originals) was held on April 12th at usual place in wonderful Gorgona hall of MSU Zagreb and it brought us Lovely Quinces and Druyd. Organization was impeccable, as always, and there was online streaming for international audiences as well as broadcasting on Radio Sljeme. Audience changed considerably from my last visit and there was noticeable lack of young urbanites of Pitchforky persuasion and considerable increase in organic cotton wearers with subtle hints of religious nonconformity among intoxicating preservative-free cosmetics smell. I fancied seeing that very much; it adds to the spirit of "Inventory" part in MIMO and noticing that diversity and yet "sameness" appeases my sense of security and consolidates the impression that all is well.

It is no accident that "Infinite Diversity in Infinite Combinations" was imagined to be the basis of Vulcan philosophy.

So, how was it?

I came forwarned that Dunja Ercegovic a.k.a. Lovely Quinces turns to primeval goddess as she starts to sing and that was stone chiseled truth.

She was frightened and confused and she was so cute in her stage fright I bet all of us had the irresistible urge to hug and comfort her... and yet, she bravely plowed on. She talked between songs and she told us titles and bits of stories about every song and she was both youthful and unmistakeably experienced and it was at the same time heartbreaking and heartwarming to see this lovely, young (21) creature transmute these experiences (seldom pleasurable) into wonderful songs. I was especially impressed by her powerful singing voice which she used with enthralling ease to sing emotion-ridden passages and it felt so calming, so matter-of-the-factly convinced that all will turn out for the best that I was and still am in awe.

And... I'm not really sure how to put this... it was an overwhelming feel of Sandman's sand in that voice, not so much the mythical character from Northern Europe but Gaiman's sexy and lethal Lord of Dreams facing the fact of life: "The Lord of Dreams learns that one must change or die, and makes his decision."

You can sample that wonderful voice through this clip:

"Band part" of the evening went to Druyd:

 They are, and that can plainly be seen and heard here on their bandcamp page, world music at its best, that can go hand in hand with best of them in the business.This music is not something I really enjoy as it unnerves and troubles me to listen to it at home but it was a thrilling and enlivening experience to hear them live. I have not been aware that didgeridoo could be used as de facto percussion section; I always felt that it is a wind instrument and that it adds melody rather than rhythm - which did not appear to be the case here.

Druyd also have strong sense of knowledge and respect for world music lore and they were a sight to be seen and remembered; they wore stage clothes, had painted themselves with intricate nature-like details (singer wore wings!), performed bare-footed, were surrounded with the aura of obligatory nonconformism (to mainstream culture, that is) and wore perplexing smiles of deeply satisfied people.

Lot remains to be said about popularization of knitting through their work.

There is lovely photo gallery here on MIMO facebook page where you can see more clearly happenings of last Friday. More will be served in two weeks time, on Friday April 26th, presented by MIMO at wonderful Gorgona hall of MSU Zagreb.

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.

Snow globe - Stronghold and Nasty @ Spunk 06Feb2013

Human mind is a glorious thing.

Some time ago my car broke down and I've gone to the shop to inquire about somebody looking into it. It was still under legal guarantee and also I can be quite civil when the need arises so I went there in good faith and with nary a worry in my mind. I spoke to sales representative, we looked over the car, done paperwork and it all went well. The only thing left for me to do was to come in early next morning and leave the keys and car to service personnel and I went home serene and pleased.

Next morning I walk into the shop at appointed time and there over the counter is the most gorgeous guy I've ever seen.

My knees felt weak. I blushed. My palms turned to ice and all of the sudden there was so little air in the room I had to breathe twice as much to get any oxygen.

He spoke and what came out was one most pleasing, reassuring, velvety, perfectly appropriate voice to go with that body.

I fumbled with the keys. Searched for the documents. Tried to get my bearings at least for the purpose of finishing simple conversation. The air was electric. Time stood still.

In a few moments we finished our dealings, smiling and shaking hands and arranging for me to be contacted immediately as the car is fixed so I could get it and go along with my day. It was a pleasant exchange and it felt shared. We went about our business.

I never saw the guy again but I kept this scene preserved inside myself as in a snow globe.

Beauty and appropriateness. Surprise. Excitement. Arousal. Velvet. Electricity of air and feeling of connection.

I told this story a thousand times already and I will tell it a million times more. I just put my hand inside me and grab my snow globe and shake and reality becomes engulfed in billion shiny sequins of pleasure and hope.

But... why am I telling it now?

There was this punk gig last Wednesday.

I've felt a bit down lately so I thought some Belgian/German downbeat hardcore could lift my spirits and there was this Nasty concert announcement. It was supposed to be at Attack! but luckily there was a shout on event page telling that the gig was moved to Spunk. So, when I'm already going to Spunk, why not have a drink with a friend at Prostor Do.

So I met my friend there and we had a beer and chatted a bit and she tells me this and that and my melancholy melts and there really is a crowd in front of Spunk and in the next minute concert is starting and we go over and....

.... and this year Christmas comes really early for me because there, center stage, stand no other than Stronghold!!!

I've listened to them in January last year as they were opening for Pure Stems Pack and I loved them, then and there. I loved them so much I even got myself to contacting strange people to procure Stronghold's only and unattainable release. I loved them so much I even made a visible note to myself to try and see them again.

And here, now, unexpected and unannounced, on the day I seriously need my spirits to be lifted, there they are!

And they were f***in' great! Although Spunk acoustics are dreadful and there is too much smoke and not enough light they were great and there were so many good-willed people there and so many true fans and mosh pit and everything. They even had new (and extremely nice looking) T-shirts. As my friend bolted immediately as they started as "this was all too loud" for her after their set I went out alone to get some air and met a friend I haven't seen in a millennium so we got to catching up a bit and later we got back in to see if Nasty are going to start soon and as it happened my friend knows Stronghold frontman so we got introduced.

... and this is why I was telling that story from the beginning:

In all this happiness and excitement and pure joy served on the day of my thorough discontent there was even icing on the cake. I could hear my sentimental and overwhelmed self inside as I was shaking guy's hand: "OMG!, OMG!, OMG! Heissocute! Heisevenmorecuteinpersonthanheisinadistance! Hishandsaresowarm! I'mneverevergoingtowashthishandeveragain,ever!"

... and this is the moment that got glassified for my new snow globe.

In the end there even was Nasty concert.

They had some problems getting here as they were waylaid by some skinheads in Bulgaria (or so I was told) and they looked seriously tired and worn out and I was moved with their presence and with their candor. Singer talked quite a bit and he spoke a lot of love and peace and goodwill and he thanked us for being there and it felt awkward and lovely at the same time. And then they played and jumped their hearts out! Well done, guys!

To Greet a Friend - Pozdrav Azri @Tvornica 25Jan2013

Few days ago I went to see Pozdrav Azri at Tvornica.

Years ago, when I listened to Azra songs on late night drunken singalongs I remember loving the songs, funny and frivolous and yet also insightful and poetic, and in the same time hating the singer's pompous, condescending tone that always ruined the stories with his "better then thou" standpoint.

There was none of that condescending pompousness here on Pozdrav Azri show.

There was just joy and camaraderie and pleasure. Leiner & Hrnjak, members of original Azra lineup and bunch of their friends, guests, were singing and playing with them. There were people in the audience that surely do not go clubbing anymore but they came here to taste their youth again. People (including me) knew lyrics by heart and song came out of our memories dragging finest moments of our lives along: friendship, openness of heart, naivety.

But for one old snoop like me, there was pleasure inside pleasure - kind of like having my cake and eating it too moment - to ease some serenity into my heart of hearts. A friend got me into backstage and as you could imagine it was a treasure trove for observer and ambience soaker like me. There was everything to be seen and heard and smiled upon and at.

What I loved the most was seeing Corto transform for stage. As he was to sing a few songs he came early to prepare and he seemed just a normal next-door-like guy. He came in with his bag, looked around a bit inconspicuously, mingled some and greeted friends. Few moments before he would go onstage he made some quick adjustments to his outfit and his hair, he pulled himself to his full height and as the announcement boomed through the crowd he stepped into the spotlight a different man - sexy, aggressive, confident, macho. From guy next door into performer in stunning one-step transformation. It was exhilarating and surprising experience, Mr.Jackill and Dr. Hide moment.

Those are the moments music especially well serves me with and moments in which I fall in love with the world, against my better judgement. Those are moments that inspire me to search and to endure, to lose, to listen, to see, to write, to climb and to cry and to want to try to be a better human being.

And it was a moment brought upon by unexpected kindness of a friend. Thank you Ari, you are the best!

Music Thursday - We Can Surely Rock! - She Loves Pablo

Reexamining impressions during list-making season I noticed that there have been many Croatian band concerts in 2012. that I really loved but just like the old proverb says: "No man is a prophet in his own land" this societal idiosyncrasy rules Croatian sound scene.

I do not like that and it does not seem fair to me so I'm going to point out some of the finest specimens to be noticed and adored. Three to be exact, in bussiness of making rock music that really rocks.

First one up, my longtime favorites - She Loves Pablo.

I have first noticed them in 2011. when they opened for Been Obscene and they almost stole the show, fact that was immediatelly and wholeheartedly acknowledged by guys from Been Obscene as they went onstage.

In March I went to see them on El Stonero and they were even better. I loved the show and I loved their sex and their energy. I also loved their audience and I loved being their audience - energized, aroused, ready to sin and to sacrifice. Their music is all you would want from a rock band and then some, and their 2009. album Mother of All (still available for free downoad) lost nothing of its freshness and its power.

But they were already preparing new material at that time and Gamblin' was first official video released:

Second one, even more to my taste, was Impassive, Massive and Aggressive:

And tomorrow, on Friday January 25th 2013.,  their new album will be out and presented  to the loving public at KSET. You do not want to miss that.

Ticket 20 kn, door at 20:00. See you there!

Let there be Music... Thursday!

Work crazyness and new home shenanigans have ceased a bit and in forseable future there should be more time for me to write here about things that make me happy.

Happy like music makes me happy..

End of the last year brought on quite a lot of chart-making and summary writting and I enjoyed remembering and summarizing but I've also hated the arbitrary note of choosing the best among music released in a single year. I do not listen to music in terms of new or old releases. I do not care for release date in any way but to give the music in question its sociocultural background, context that intensifies the experience seldomly by looking at one album or one song. Sociocultural background and time-space coordinates are the parameters that make a difference in context of work and growth and changes and discographies. Out of that context, one of band and its music as a living organism, one album or one song is but a fleeting snowflake - every one different, but all just the same.

So I think I will invest some time talking and writing about music I like the way I like it. Taking sides, praising tries, glorifying successes and mourning failures. With no regard to release-date-freshness of the material, but with regard to its freshness to my own feelings and to function music fulfills to me, the recipient, and to music makers as senders of the message.

Additionaly, I like my happines served regularly so I'll do this every Thursday beginning today.

Today I share few photos from gigs I haven't written about. Yet. But I loved them nevertheless.

Dosh Lee (Velika Rock Eksplozija #5 @Močvara)

Zvonka adjusting before gig on Strossmartre.

Bernays Propaganda at Močvara.

Mark Lanegan @Pauk

With first news of Mark Lanegan playing in Zagreb I binded myself to seeing that show. Now, after being there to testify to that experience I am rather irresolute writting about it.

It was a mixture of pleasure and pain, scintillating bitter sweetness of rapture and regret, missfortunate chain of events attesting to nothing more than to current sociocultural era of vapidness, vanity and poverty that leads to having strange bedfellows.

Maybe I am snobbish in my approach to concerts but me being a snob does not change the facts and the fact is PAUK should never ever be used as a house of music. It is too disjointed, has too much reverberation points and distorts even the simplest and clearest sounds. It does no favors to artists and it tramples the experience for a listener. This concert was not announced to be at PAUK but, awkward enough, concert was sold out and moved from NKC Park (400 tickets) to bigger venue, horrible PAUK club (1300 tickets).

I am very sad this happened because of two things: because I am absolutely sure Žedno Uho would appreciate better venues for their concerts as Mate is nothing short than true connosseur of music and also artists' promoter, caring deeply for artists and treating them as dear friends, but I'm also aware that there are non-insignifficant financial and other reasons behind concert ending up where it ended. Second thing that bugs me is the situation behind this concert being sold out.

I would love nothing more than concerts being sold out to fans, friends, simpatizers and people open to new experiences but being there I would not dare to say that 30% of people in PAUK ever heard Mark Lanegan's music, no matter which his career era we're talking about. Rather expensive tickets these days in Zagreb go mostly to people of all ages who know (or care) nothing about music but like to be seen attending events, people who cannot find their place in slim to nonexisting 30+ club scene, misfits who use concert-night as an excuse not to be somewhere where they think they ought to be.

Sad but true.

On the other hand, there were upsides to this story also.


Creature With the Atom Brain were very interesting  and hearing them there I immediately wished to know more about them and listen to more of their songs.

Mr. Lanegan was Dr. Cool.

He was so cool he stood in his own coolness bubble and he owned the space spreading five meters in every direction. He hardly moved and scarcely emoted and he was utterly magnifficent. When he started singing I had such visceral feeling of content and excitement that small hairs on the back of my neck rose with tingles...

... and as my ears hurt and my soul bled I scoured PAUK in search of a better listening spot and I found one, just behind the sound station.

This is the only spot without awkward echo because it has extremely low ceiling and I stayed there for the duration of the show. They played my current favorite, "Grey goes black", while I was already "in the den" and I was grateful and pleased I did not stay at front.

After the encore, guy from CWAB came on stage and said: "Just one more announcement, dear friends: after the show Mark will be at merch stand talking to fans and signing whatever you want signed." and this was so warm and welcoming I loved the sound and the idea of it.

In the end I thawed a bit to this experience and went home pleased.

I'd like to see him sing again.

Fjodor and Zechs Marquise @ NKC Park 10Nov2012

As I entered NKC park Fjodor were just beggining to play and I was immediately captured with their stunning display of ability.

Wonderful stuff.

Their music is clearly propelled by drums and the guy playing them was all just one flexible muscle, in shorts, full of energy and already dripping wet. Sound was not too loud and it was cristal clear, vibrant and refreshing and beautiful.  Bass was communicating with the audience and guitarist played impressively fast changing chords with lightning speed and with exquisite audio-results. I just stood there in front of the stage, my jaw hanging open, transfixed and overjoyed through their set. I liked how they communicated with each other and I loved how they looked happy and surprised by audience reception. Can't wait the album that they announced and I'm really looking forward to seeing them play again soon.

After some rearranging, Zechs Marquise assumed positions:

The thing with me and Zechs Marquise music is simple.

They were introduced to me by a friend when their Getting Paid album just got out. This is firm rock stuff, King Crimsony melodic figures and psychodelic overtures envoking kind of lust for life, joie de vivre, unleashed passion urging scenes and feelings Hunter Thompson could think of and peruse. When I listen to it I am overrun with desire and kind of fine nostalgia of times passed, times containing unsafe sex, smoking and illicit substances. Later on, I got their earlier album Our Delicate Stranded Nightmare (2008.) which is more ambiental and wonderfully theatrical and instead of  producing sense of dissapointment (as it wasn't similar to Getting Paid) it just made perfect sense. Where they're coming from and what are they coming towards. And I hardly waited (lusted, actually) to see how it will sound like live.

It was great.

As they performed songs from both albums it also made perfect sense live. Sound was really good and audience attentive so all the parts, even ambiance sounds and odd pings, were audible. Guys were in good spirits and talkative and I was impressed with how fresh they seemed in the light of their busy itinerary (I suspect I would be less than perky if I woke up every day in another country and had a gig to perform every night). There were oodles of couples in the audience and people danced, Saturday night was imbued with festive feeling, even Mate Škugor danced and had good time and didn't dedicate whole evening just to control if everything is running smoothly.

Yet smoothly it ran. And it was great.
After the show I scuttled absent-mindedly through Park Ribnjak and into my car followed by my ferverous nostalgia. Bubbling cauldron of x-rated ideas bubbled away happily in my mind.

Family Affair - The Revival Tour 2012 @Mocvara 06Nov2012

Most people, even the ones that surmise to know me well, I do not strike as a familial person that values much bonds of biological connectedness and for most of the concept those people are right.

Family is not blood bond. Family is love bond.

Even my brother, about which I most of the time feel only mild contempt, is a person I fiercely fight with and whose opinion I take into consideration even when it is polar opposite of my own. We grew up together, laughed together, cried together, broke each other's noses, ended one another's relationships, spat on one another's values and in the end we always found it in one's self to say things as they are and have a cup of coffee together afterwards. It is a demanding, turbulent love that never ceases to expand the borders of our tolerance and it is a love that gives the greatest gift of all - certainty that there will always, no matter what I do or what life will bring, always there will be that person in my corner giving me support and cheering me on.

That is what I mean saying that "family is a love bond"...

... and that is what Chuck Ragan's music speaks to me.

I could hardly wait his Revival Tour to come to Zagreb and now I've seen them play I can only say I wish I knew more musicians like that. More people like that.

They started as a family - all together on stage, sharing goodwill and good music with one another and with us:

And they continued to play, coming into spotlight one by one, communicating and supporting and performing.

I especially liked Cory Branan who proved to be excellent storyteller in live performance. He is so cute; with wavy hair and big blue eyes and yet so expressive and explicit  it was wonderful to see that discrepancy in action.

As you can see, Ginsberg lost his mustache (I was shocked for a minute or twenty - he looks great with them I was perplexed why he'd give them up).

Emily Barker is so beautiful none of the promo pictures give her justice and also has exquisite voice. As I usualy dislike female vocals and can bear only few of them this fondness surprised even me.

Jay sang some king of sailor song that I cannot remember the name of for the life of me but that was really great...

... and as there were so many of them and they just played one after another without pause it was a bit much for Tuesday after work. Nevertheless, the music was great and the feeling of camaraderie warm and persuasive.

They even bonded with one of the audience as our ambassador of goodwill:

Great, heartwarming performance and emotion-stirring experience.

Chuck Ragan has a tatoo "Forever Family".

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.

Japandroids @Purgeraj 08Sep2012

I took some time off here, at the end of summer, and I was on vacation last two weeks after working the summer away. In this time information bombshell fell at the office and I was called home for consult on something every #*%$#* day... So opportunity for some R&R presented itself in a form of Japandroids concert that was announced at new Zagreb venue, NKC Park, and I went there to check up the place and soak up some noisy emotion-provoking goodness.

As is happens, my camera-phone fell into tub of water earlier that day and I was so pleased it was still working after some drying and tinkering with I naturally assumed it would serve me well at concert site...

... but it was so hot there, at small hall in Purgeraj, that the remaining water in the phone condensed on inner side of the lens and all my Be Forest pictures turned out like this.

Soft-edged, dreamy, retro-feel grainy. I love them. Just as I instantly loved Be Forest and their somnambulate, nostalgic sound of times passed, evocative and sweet, sensual yet performed by people so young and fairly attractive it was a paradox in itself to let oneself enjoy it fully. And I loooved them.

I mingled a bit and poked my nose around the venue and I enjoyed the company of friends as crowd gathered for the main event. Concert was sold out which did not surprise me but I was a bit surprised by multitude of people and compactness of space at Purgeraj. Small hall was jam-packed with people and it was difficult to see and difficult to breathe for me as I am not much of a people's person and I like my personal space unpopulated with people I'm not intimate with - so I squirmed out of the concert hall and back into the bar and there I noticed, with no small surprise and happiness, that there are screens in the bar space and in the outer terrace space showing camera feed from the stage!!!

I have heard and read oodles of silly remarks during past few days on how "this is not the same as watching the concert from first rows" and that "you can watch the concert like that from the comfort of your own living room" but I say: "Don't be daft!".

If I had wanted to watch the concert from first row I would get there in time to experience it like that. If I had wanted to press against people in the hot oven I'd do just that. In addition, you are forgeting that there are people that do not feel the inclination to jump into mosh pit but they still like being out with their friends that do. There are people that are just very short, or maybe disabled - having medical conditions like MS or are in a wheelchair that would very much appreciate having such a great opportunity to watch the show from few meters away but still to be sheltered and have full comfort of motion.

So I poked around some more and I mingled and I spoke with super-friendly bartenders and waiters and drank blueberry juice from ice-packed glasses with lovely giant straws and I still enjoyed the show very much. I had unparallel opportunity to observe friends and acquintances engulfed in wild extasy of singalongs, stagedivers, unknown secret lovers AND I still had enough time and space to take some more awful pictures of stars of the evening with my dried-out phone. Japandroids made for a great, energy-filled flying carpet of happiness and their showmanship and communication with the audience, both before and during the show was endearing.

This was one great night out, rapturous and multilayered, remedial for body and soul.

Argies @KSET 01Aug2012

I went to see Argies play at KSET on Wednesday. I did not listen to them before but I was intrigued with the description of their music as "combat street rock" and I did my homework going through their stuff on youtube and investigating online so I was prepared. I also wanted to get a taste of what Monteparadisians were gonna get this year, to satiate my newly discovered desire to plan endeavor of going to a festival next year.

When I came to KSET, around nine-ish, an hour later than KSET homepage prophesied for door to be open (to my wild disbelief), club was still not open, and after it opened there was not any live music until about hour and 20 later. I see the wisdom (or should I say profit) in getting the people clubbed and spending money hours before gig they paid to see but it ticks me off beastly nevertheless. Oh well, cest la vie. Very hot vie also, because KSET was melting down from accumulated heat, and no cold beverage in the world could put a dent on that heat.

First I got to see No More Idols...

... and they were very, very dissapointed by low turnout but once they started to play they were great. Added bonus was that familiar crowd made NMI play very playfully and unrestricted, like they were alone, somewhere on a practice session, communicating with friends. I felt bad at one point not being so familiar with the scene as blondie there (far left on the photo there) sang one song with NMI and I could not place him. Blondie surely belongs to another band becouse he without doubt has mad performing skillz and I'm sure this will all be revealed in due time.

40-ish minutes later, Argies climbed the stage - and they were a different class altogether.

They started with a few chords from London Calling, just to get our attention and they continued on to play fiery mix of their own songs and covers - I forgot half of them but I remember we heard Nicaragua Sandinista, I fought the law, La Bamba, Psychokiller, Guantanemera. They were beautifully set up and I can't remember I ever heard drums in KSET being set up so explosive and loud but it worked wonderfully, not overpowering other instruments and giving whole performance one nice old-school big-space sound.

One other thing I noticed is how they are very clean, exquisitely well prepared warderobe-wise (wearing clothes that look great on stage and also can go through all daily errands including travel and high-end dinners), sensibly chosen shoes and it all looked deliberate and planned ahead. I liked that very much as I keep good dress code and travel-packing at very high regard. Last but not least, their bass player is so damn hot he deserves richly to be spoken of separately from on-stage performance.

I also decided to include one more photo, 'cause Argies were such good sports and they let the stage to be overtaken by home team a bit more:

We all had a good laugh and it was great, great night out.

Meszecsinka @Močvara 27Jul2012

Začarana Močvara (Enchanted Swamp) is low-key project of Močvara club and it hosts world music or indie  bands with artsy proclivity. Friday night we had an oportunity to see three bands - number that I usually consider too big for a live show but it turns out the program was well pieced together.

First ones on were Amarchord, if I understand correctly promo materials for the evening, project that only got together after they were invited to perform at this show. Their singer is magnifficent rubenesque creature of unearthly, etheric beauty and even greater voice and for the next show I'd put spotlight more on her than current  band lead. I hope he was just very very nervous and that he really is not a person that always divulges point of a joke before telling the joke itself. Musically they werent bad but I think they should strive for a bit more coherent act.

Second act was a surprise to me and I was so taken with auditory affluence of their voices I got goose bumps all over.

Trio Vuge are singing fairies, part of Etno Udruge Vuge (Ethno Association Vuge) and they sing, sometimes accompanied by old instruments music, bunch of beautiful traditional songs from Croatia, Macedonia, Kosovo, Romania,... They were dressed up and adorned by flower garlands and they sang wonderfully. I did not understand half of what they were singing about but I immensely enjoyed their playful voices - cornucopia of sound - spilling over audience, makin' us forget all except the music. Fairies, I tell you! Wonderful stuff!

And then there were Meszecsinka - stars of the evening...

... band from Hungary consisting of three middleaged guys and very sensual girl singer. They played bunch of Balcan-sounding ethno songs and many Spanish ones. You can sample their work on their bandcamp (link above) or soundcloud pages - they do not offer same selection of songs. They played fine and had good connection with people but what I liked the most in their act (beside Annamaria's wonderfuly skittish voice) is their body language: very relaxed, joyful, at ease and notably gender-defined. Annamaria is so abundantly feminine and guys so masculine and protective that it oozes from ther act and makes this one extra-special crossover experience. It's a bit sad they are visiting here in the height of summer, when it is too moist and too hot for meaningful loving because this would make glorious first date, one after which everyone would most certanly get lucky.

I love how live music experiences never are just music.

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.