Fjodor and Radar Men From The Moon @KSET 12May2015

On Tuesday evening I went to see Fjodor play at KSET.

I’ve already seen them perform and have already written about them here when I first heard them and here when I wanted to further express my admiration. I also did my homework before this gig and listened to that evening’s headliners Radar Men From The Moon to be informed of the program.

I got to Kset little bit before planned start of the program, as published on Facebook, so I managed to get a beer (they are selling Medvedgrad beers now, w00t!) and mingle a bit, even get introduced to some new people. Guys from Fjodor passed us on their way to the stage and some of us nodded to each other in recognition.

Gig was absolutely awesome.

Fjodor @KSET 12May2015  - Magic from the very start.

There are two things that got burned into my memory during that gig.

First: it was just like meeting an old friend you haven’t seen in a long time. Tension is high, excitement translates to elation and before a minute you are already wrapped in exchange like no time has passed at all from the last episode you spent together. The joy of shared experience wipes out any and every other feeling that would slow this summit down or make the exchange non-seamless.

Second: there is this organic quality of their music I find completely wondrous. Strong pivotal position of rhythm like the one of a beating heart is complemented with huge array of additional sounds provided by all kinds of knickknacks/pedals and it is very hard, at times, to believe all this sound is created by just three guys, three instruments. Just like before, I was especially smitten with drummers mad skillz but could savor more of complete picture now. I loved how their performance was very relaxed and seemed effortless and yet they were very emotionally expressive; exchanging glances, speaking without words, smiling and frowning to the instruments and to each other. They played for a long time, we even got an encore, and their music was still fresh and rapturous, not at all tiring but like a tireless spring overflowing with auditory novelty. 

Fjodor @KSET - pedals! A place for everything and everything in its place :)

It makes me happy even to write about that. I warmly recommend checking out their music and supporting them by purchase of the album here from bandcamp.

I may be a bit biased but after that Radar Men From The Moon seemed like an anticlimax.

Radar Men From The Moon @KSET

They were not bad; they were technically well presented and their music had powerful feel but they were also bit flat and repetitive. At times I wondered if their songs were not actually envisioned to have a vocal over the music as couple of beginnings sounded just like something U2 or alike could play. I’m not exactly sure that is a good thing. That “feel” of cover band was so pervasive and it went so well with nonverbal cues of their performance I just cannot let go of that impression. You can check their music here to check if they rock your boat when they failed to rock mine.

Even though it was Tuesday that was one excellent night out and I don’t regret any effort I spent to be there. I hope there will be even more Fjodor gigs in time to come.

Portman, Elephant Stalker and Hesperian Death Horse at KSET 03Oct2013

On Thursday October 3^rd evening I went to KSET to hear Portman promote their new album The Man Who Carries a Light.

As I walked through the door Elephant Stalker started to play.

They are magnificent and I love them to bits.

I first listened to them in Spunk with Rens Argoa and Moraines on 15Jun2013 and I remember being rendered speechless all through their act. I also remember asking Rens Argoa guys how is it possible that we have such treasure within our grasp and that they are still not widely acknowledged and all of us sighing and exchanging familiar glances of complete non-surpriseness.

We are acutely aware of where are we living at, it seems.

And yet, such magnificence exists here to regale us.

Elephant Stalker were great this night also.

As KSET was nicely packed from the very start I chose to watch them from gallery. The sound was excellent and they were in good spirits, frontman jovially spoke to the audience:

“And now we will play one of our songs, from EP available on bandcamp. Whoever knows the words can freely sing with us.*”

There were also some jesters in the audience as I clearly heard someone sing “Na na Naa Na” during one catchy passage.

After a quick breather, Hesperian Death Horse were next.

I did not like this. I did not like this one bit.

I do not know what actually happened but there was a problem with the sound. Quite opposite from Elephant Stalker, sound for HDH was terrible to say the least. It was too loud and it was tuned so just bass sounds were prominent and the rest of sound landscape was muffled nearly into non-existance. It was so unpleasantly loud that I could feel my innards trembling with the bass. I was also surprised by the selection of tastes Elephant Stalker - Hesperian Death Horse - Portman as HDH sounded like something from completely different music book. It was pretty cold evening so I didn’t feel like standing outside but I got as much away as I could, right by the checking room, and it was still too loud and muffled.

When they finished I talked to acquaintance a bit and I shared my concern:

“As I did not listen to them before I’m not sure if this is what they are supposed to sound like but I think this visceral unpleasantness would be really a cheap trick for someone in this musical genre. “

But he chose to answer with sarcasm and condescension on top of blatant disregard of objective parameters and, I shit you not, with:

"I may not know anything about art but I know what I like."**

... so I think this acquaintance phase can only go downhill from here. Sometimes human relations are so simple and easily predictable.

To top this off after I got home I did listen to Hesperian Death Horse album on bandcamp and it seems to me that this was not a cheap trick but sound-setting error as they actually sound great on the album, with varied and bright musical picture and I thoroughly enjoyed listening to the album, with no unpleasantness of any kind.

When Portman went on stage sound was again excellent (re-set maybe?) and the frontman was just like I remembered him from Maybeshewill concert in Attack! plus a beard. I frequently remember subtle details about a person’s gait and “feel” they leave on people and pervasive quality (“aura”) they carry with them and I remember this particular mixture of standoffishness and penetration like most particular bouquet, intoxicating and wonderful in its essence, if somewhat somber in nature.

 They played excellently and I have already at that time listened to their release about a dozen times (even if it was only released that same morning) and I was sad I had to leave for home after just three songs but my kid had "Bread Day" celebration tomorrow morning and she remembered to tell me she needs freshly baked goods just as I was leaving for concert. So I went home and baked, pleased with the results of both the gig and baking session.

* Them being instrumental band makes this comment funny
** saying atributed to Orson Welles, btw

Killed A Fox & Apey and the Pea @KSET 18Apr2013

On Thursday night I went to see what kind of remodeling shenanigans they did at KSET and when I'm already there to have a listen to some stoner rock. I did part of my homework before going there - listened to Apey and the Pea EP on their bandcamp page - but I also wanted to be surprised a bit so I steered clear from too many information on Killed a Fox, which proved to be excellent, excellent decision.

I came early, with company, and had a drink while catching up with friends. Met some interesting people. Mingled a bit with musicians. Caught quite a few interesting rumors and validated my concert roster for Spring season.

Before long we spotted a band climbing on stage so we went inside to listen.

After short introduction and presenting new addition to the band (bass) Killed a Fox started to play and it was one most pleasant surprise. As I understand they did not have any gigs for some time and this was their first gig both in a long time and with a new bass player and on top of all that they are currently in process of recording new songs. You can listen to their materials here on their Myspace page and they are great, but stuff sounded so much more lively and firm live, I'm not even sure that they performed any of these songs. In short, they were freaking great! Emotional, bouncy, filled with energy and kind of spiteful jest, they kicked ass and they absolutely steamed up the place.

Impressive, to say the least.

I was very pleased and utterly amused as it is but when they played cover of Cure's Lullaby my heart was totally lost. I cannot remember the last time heard something so fun. Keeping my ear out for their new release will be a must.

Apey and the Pea came after them as a bit of an anticlimax.

They were styled OK, followed the appropriate etiquette, their music was well rehearsed and technically valid - but it just lacked any life. It felt flat and frontman was leaving the impression of arrogance and playing just to get it over with. It was slow-paced and somehow forced. Whole thing was sad because it really sounds great on the album and it feels like this would have inner sexiness and power that even more famous bands do not have - listening from the album it feels like this would be great music to hear on a enormous stadium concert! - but it did not seem like that live.

But well, everybody's entitled to a bad day. I think I'm gonna give them another chance if they happen to come by again.

And one last thing, in case you were wondering: KSET remodeling shenanigans seem to be just tiny differences in toilet stall heights.

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!

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.

Kreso i Kisele Kise, Cirkus and Officer Down @KSET 20Jan2012

I lived in Rijeka when I was in college. It was a great cultural shock for me moving from Zagreb to Rijeka. In positive sense.

You see, I was always more or less unwilling to conform and it often meant I spent a lot of time surrounded with punk and HC crowd. In Zagreb pressure to conform is great and mentality even now small-town and narrow minded (although Zagreb is by far biggest city in Croatia and also capital) leading to punks being beastly fierce, unforgiving and over-the-top in need of visual cues of belonging. When I moved to Rijeka I was, all of the sudden, surrounded with alternative dress-codes and lifestyles of all kinds and that was so usual, so nonchalant, so accepted as normal and so un-weird it was mainstream.

And that same sense of relaxed normalcy overpowered my weary soul when I arrived to KSET last night to see Kreso i Kisele Kise, Cirkus and Officer Down.

Usually early, watching musicians go through sound checks and crowd gather, I was reminded of that very shock and the sense of being at home I always had in Rijeka and from there it only got better.

CiRKUS from Poreč were first on stage and they made for one great show...

... both with their music and being funniest live act I have ever seen. Their front-man was talking all the time and he was so unusually candid that everything they did was regarded benevolent and funny - including few awkward jokes and side-show their nauseous guitarist had during the performance. Reggae really is not high on my list of preferred musical styles but it was sheer pleasure to listen to them play - relaxed, vivacious, auditory attractive, direct.

Next ones up were my primary point of interest: Kreso i Kisele Kise (Kreso and Acid Rains)...

... and they were utterly fantastic! There is very small selection of things more beautiful to me than than to see people that were up until ten minutes ago blending mimicricly with the audience all of the sudden climbing onto stage in wigs, skirts and flower-design long-johns. They played all of my favorites (Odmor-Stan, Zamet me Zove, Babo! Babo! Ugrizo me jež!) and then some and they had absolutely wicked collection of props doing this including feather boa, sprays and paper fireworks. I laughed so hard I lost my voice and I danced and enjoyed this gig immensely.

And if all that was not enough there was another band after KKK's: Officer Down...

... who were promoting their new album "Fušeri uzvraćaju udarac" and who have a cutest girl ever with wonderful singing voice among their midst. I almost felt sorry for them when they were going up stage as the night was not very young at that point and two bands have already shaken the crowd up but all my concern proved to be in vain as the audience had indeed brought their dancing shoes and goodwill with them and they sang with and danced and drank and enjoyed themselves.

I do not think I ever saw so many females like there were last night in KSET nor so overwhelming female to male ratio at any concert whatsoever. And most certainly I never did see women sing so passionately any song with any topic as they sang Rakija (distilled strong spirits, Schnaps) last night.

Great performances, great concert night and great night out.

Pure Stems Pack @ KSET 12Jan2011

It may be that I'm most cautious going to gigs of people who I know from my ex-life but there is no better time than the present to confront one's own misconceptions. So I went to see Pure Stems Pack album promotion show at KSET on Thursday night.

First up there were Stronghold, street HC band from Zagreb...

... and they were pretty good. Well played-in, energetic, raw. I loved the nonchalance with which the singer communicated with the audience and I loved how the moment they started to play I was absolutely sure my decision to come to this gig was the right one.

Also, I immediately remembered what I loved best back in the day:  this is the crowd with which there is absolutely no doubt whatsoever that no matter how well stocked the party is there will always be people there who are NOT too drunk to fuck. People who are so autonomous they need no help to say no to drugs, to booze, to pressure of any kind. Regally Independent.

Next ones up, Dryflood, kicked ass and they were contagiously playful and fun to see and listen to. Having two vocals could be tiresome and chaotic but they pull it off quite nicely.

Between taking pictures, dancing and greeting old friends time just flied and then there were Pure Stems Pack up on the stage.

There was some talk, some laughter, few guests and firm HC sound and it all went by too fast.

I am pleased.

It may be that HC is not everyone's cup of tea but they do make best live shindigs. It was good of me to allow myself some leeway in this matter to go and see and remember where is it I'm coming from.

Rikk Agnew at KSET 04Oct2011

There was a moment about a month ago when I realised I watch far too many indie gigs and that resolute action is needed to re-direct myself to better music homeostasis.One of attempts to mend my ways was going to see Rikk Agnew play at KSET and it was invigorating remedial fit.

Black Gust was just starting to play when I arrived. As this was my first time to see them play and there is little to none information on them available on the net I left myself some space to be surprised but sadly, it didn't really help. Allthough there was some raw power in the decibels they were far too much screamo for my taste. Lead singer has weird mannirisms singing - keeping his eyes closed all the time and making awkward gestures with his tongue - I was under more impression of what I saw then of what I heard but that seemed all right because from all that unintelligible screaming it seemed he just sings same words over and over on top of different music. Combined image of that performance and of strangely hick female posse afterward did not leave very good impression but I wish them luck as I definitely see interested clientelle in their future.

After a loooong break and sound check Rikk Agnew and his babies arived and it was as fun to watch as it was to listen. Toothless grandpa (as he stressed out during more then a few age-related jokes) has gathered musicians from all around the globe and he seemed happy to have them with just as they seemed to love his quirkiness. It was pure magic seeing them play and seeing the crowd respond - it felt like a gathering of comrades in arms more than a concert and I loved being there, mumbling away the lyrics and watching out for signs of too close mosh movements.

It ended with just one more song AFTER we were warned of curfew and I scuttled away into the night happily and with batteries filled for yet another stress filled day.

Been Obscene at KSET 29Sep2011

Last night I saw the best live performance in my life so far.

So there you have it, I said it and I can now continue with description which will not surmount the experience itself or even give it justice, no matter how much I tried. Head on - here we go!

I got to KSET waaaay too early and I had a chance to soak in the atmosphere and watch how the audience slowly gathered for the event. Sitting there, listening to music play before the act I thought about how this, now, is a place where I could take my father out with me. He used to enjoy music like this before conformity irreversibly fucked him up. Maybe there is something that could snap him out of it - and that if such thing existed at all - it is possible that it would be music like this.

To put an end to my woolgathering She Loves Pablo started to play. Zagreb own, they have from the very start shown they can rock. Energetic and wonderfully adjusted, relaxed and funny they went through their set confidently, powerfully, beautifully - nothing was missing and everything was in its place. The audience seemed overflowing with their faithful fandom and that had given wings to their act even more. I was especially impressed with their second guitarist who in addition played keyboards, extra percussion and participated vocally in the act.


As they were playing I remember thinking how this the first concert I attended that hadn't had opening act suffer the toll of everything being set up and sound adjusted for main attraction - and then they finished their set and started gathering their things and, what do you know, all the stuff and instruments I thought set for the B.O. were taken off stage.

After short pause for more gathering and adjusting Been Obscene started to play - and it was an experience so beautiful and all-encompassing it send shivers down my spine. As they are promoting their new album Night O'Mine I expected they will play more of their new material but they have played many songs form The Magic Table Dance and I loved it to tears.

Driving home I saw Zagreb sleeping and birch leaves on Vukovarska fluttering in the breeze. My ears were buzzing from loudness and my body tingled with joy.

Young Gods at Kset 11Feb2011

Young Gods are obviously not so young anymore yet they give godly performance nevertheless. I had new hairstyle and I danced 'till my feet hurt and still I wasn't able to overpower my inner nagger. There is something rotten in the state of Denmark. I am doing something about it. I believe I am doing it the needed way. I do not care if my actions are weird and nonconformistic. I do care if it yields desired crop.

Man Zero and Kelly Meickle at Kset

Monday night this week was reserved for Kset and Man Zero returning from their Balkan tour. Visibly exhausted but pleased with new experiences gathered playing on this tour thay have rounded up this experience with exquisite performance at home field in Zagreb.

For this occasion, small bend from Đurđevac, Kelly Meickle, opened the concert evening with actually ashtonishingly well played gig. What they lacked in showmanship they have surely substituted in enthusiasm and goodwill. I especially liked singer's impeccable pronunciation which heightened their act to almost professional level.

Man Zero followed shortly after and they were amazing. Meticulously over-rehearsed and wonderfully adjusted soundwise they absolutely owned the crowd. It was difficult to remove eyes from their act; someone always moving around, performers switching guitars, adjusting and readjusting ton of switches so seamlessly and well rehersed that it almost seemed efortless. It was a celebration of functionality in itself. Their music, on the other hand, was perfect - live, vibrant and satiated with mental imagery. In their performance they had all the pomposity of let's say - Battles (think Tonto) along with crystal clarity of melody and sound of If These Trees Could Talk (think Above the Earth - Below the Sky). It was a revelry of sound that left me dream-filled and pleased to infinity.

Man Zero Autumn 2010 Balkan Tour

Warmly greeted few days ago by Man Zero guys I had an unparallel opportunity to talk to and spend some time with them before they left for their autumn 2010 Balkan Tour. They will be performing in Serbian, Macedonian, Greek, Bulgarian and Hungarian clubs (for more detailed itinerary please visit their myspace page) in the next few days and for tour finale they will be performing at KSET on October 11th.

Tomislav, Igor, Denis and Elvis are very eloquent and down to earth bunch of people which I found in good spirits preparing for the trip. We exchanged couple of brief remarks about the band and their work, about making of their album Telemark and their outlook on genre classification, eventually giving priority to making and listening to music. You can check out their myspace page to get better acquainted with their music – fortunate concoction of instrumental post-rock and pragmatic kinda' love of playing that shines through every riff and beat.

I also had an opportunity to snap some photos which (if you don’t mind my saying) came out great as their state of perfect unison inevitably radiates through.

Lastly, if you find yourself in the way of Man Zero itinerary from today - 30th September to October 09th 2010 come and see their show which will be coming back to Zagreb on October 11th. See you all at KSET!

We Could Live on Future Islands

Yesterday evening I went to see Future Islands at Kset. I first heard of them through my online acquaintance Zach Kelly's Pitchfork review of their "In Evening Air";. Though at first I found their sound awkward and dispersed I have grown to like them very much so when I heard they are going to perform in Zagreb I was very excited and had no doubt in my mind that I should attend. And it really was a nice show; a bit sloppily adjusted sound-wise but I am starting to feel I am spoiled rotten by few superbly set up gigs at Kset (last one being unbelievably perfect Russian Circles). The crowd was in good, dancing mood and performers pleased with the reception. Very nice show indeed.

Richmond Fontaine and Stendhal syndrome at KSET

Back when I finished high school and started working on my first job my best friend and I used to go out to a club in downtown Zagreb. She liked a guy who frequented there so we hanged there too, conversing and hoping he would make an appearance, even a short one, so she would take one look at him and her mission would be fulfilled for that day. As I gathered she was hopelessly in love with that guy, yet she was not trying to meet him, or to approach him in any way other than watching him from a distance. That was quite uncommon for her as she usually is pretty straightforward about issues of the heart but I allowed for her space, not prying into something she was not ready to divulge.

So, days went by...

One evening we walked into our club and there he was, talking to a friend of ours we were coming to meet. We approached their table and our friend started to introduce us. She only got as far as him saying his name and grasping her hand to shake it when she short circuited... just stood there, opening and closing her mouth without any words coming out, panic-stricken and watery-eyed... overwhelmed. Really overwhelmed.

It was a scene most peculiar and fascinating, scene so unexpected outside of stories that it etched itself to my mind with holographic acuity.

And time went by...


X X X


I went to Richmond Fontaine concert on Thursday at KSET. I had that on my itinerary for as long as it was first announced, and wished for it even longer and it was really worth the wait.

Opening act were Eileen Rose and The Holy Wreck and they were warm, energetic and wonderful. Part of Eileen Rose's Holy Wreck crew is Joshua Hedley who just self-released his Green Eyes EP. During the concert he sang cover of Jagger/Richards song "Dead Flowers" so yearningly and beautifully that it defies my description efforts. Now that I have listened through his EP for a few times I can say that all his material is equally good and has that lovely quality that listening to it feels like a personal concert - acoustic and intimate - almost as if you could speak to him in between songs.

And then comes Richmond Fontaine...


...and it was surprise after surprise for me.

It is so weird and so exquisite to be proven wrong in your expectations as there is so little that offers any genuine surprise nowadays. As soon as RF started to play I started to suspect that special treat is afoot.

I really love their music and I hardly ever took their albums from my car last few months (that is where I do most of my music listening now) but they sound entirely different live than on the albums. So much more vibrant, post-rock-ish, almost progressive. Fascinating. Songs were vivified in so much more substantial, firmer and richer musical form that it completely left me in awe. For me it is always magical to see musicians, band members, enter a state of perfect unison and proficiency that their act resembles a collection of puzzles falling into place and that magic was clearly present in this concert.

And it was only during encore that I managed to gather enough composure to remember to record a bit of their act. It is dark, and fuzzy, and as much as I love multifunctionality of my mobile phone - recording in the dark is not one of his strong points - but, here it is; Richmond Fontaine on KSET stage in Zagreb 22/Oct/2009:



The Earth stood still when they were performing their last song of the evening and then they stopped and Dan came off stage and straight to me and said "I've noticed you recording the concert, are you going to upload it to you tube or something?" and this is where the upper, seemingly unconnected part kicks in. For a brief moment all of that holographic memory traits flooded in and I just stood there, panic-stricken and opening my mouth with no words coming out. And then old habit nudged me in the back saying that Time waits for no man (or in this case overwhelmed females) and it is move it or lose it for me now - so I moved and finished our conversation, and met Dan and Willy, and am more pleased now then a pig in a puddle.

And lastly, on completely different note, I've noticed that none of their promo pictures do them justice in regards of their appearance. In person they are really really much more handsome and warm, approachable-looking and nice and it is a great pleasure for me that I had an opportunity to meet them.

Thank you guys for this great concert, and I'm looking forward to next time you come around!