Nastopajoči: Brkovi / Ice On Fire
Datum: torek, 31. 10. 2023
Lokacija: Izola / Hangar bar / Slovenija
(for Slovene version please scroll down the bar)
English version:
Ice on Fire & Brkovi (The Mustache), Halloween, Hangar, Izola, 31.10. 2023
On a rainy Halloween night, I went to Izola to catch Brkovi in concert for the fifth time in the last year and a half. Brkovi is a real refresher in my musical repertoire, as I started seriously listening to them about three years ago and then saw them live for the first time in Ljubljana’s Orto Bar last May. Their punk – HC sound supported by folk rhythms, melodies and chants is always a guarantee of debauchery!
The opening act in Izola was Ice on Fire from Novo mesto. The four-member group, at least judging by the interviews, ranks among the punk rock artists. Truth be told, there wasn’t much punk rock to be heard in the one-hour show. Maybe I’m old and I don’t know much about punk rock, but to me it all sounded like a pop version of post metal core without the growling, but including all the breakdowns and “jump da fuck up” moments. A pinch of Siddhartha can also be detected in the melodies and lyrics.
The guys took their role as warm-ups extremely seriously, the energy just oozed from the stage. I didn’t know their music before, but a couple of songs caught my ear very quickly, led by Samo za en dan (Just For One Day), which is a melodic rocker with hit potential. So from the first one I remembered the closing song Pleši (Dance), as well as a duet with a singer whose name I have forgotten, Petrilijan and Na moje rame (On My Shoulders). They also played three covers, they really succeeded in the evergreen hit Basket Case by Green Day, which they upgraded with HC and reggae rhythms.
The competent rhythm section is enhanced by a good guitarist who likes to weave very classic rock/metal sounding solos into songs and a charismatic singer who very rarely misses a note while spinning around the stage. I must also mention the completely flawless two-part singing in the choruses. A good performance that really warmed us up for the stars of the evening. The only slight problem I saw and heard was that the music the boys play is really not suitable for a club environment, but for larger concert venues, where a more massive sound would greatly contribute to convincing performance. Good luck, gentlemen!
After a good fifteen minutes, Brkovi took the stage with the legendary MC Shamso 69 at the helm! They started with two songs from their last album Krvava novčanica (Bloody Banknote) and continued with two more mid-tempo songs, so I was starting to get a little worried. Namely, I’m not really a big fan of said album. I also quickly noticed that there was no Tomac on the bass, but someone who looked like his younger version (son?), and even his stage clothes was the same (tracksuit plus Hawaiian shirt). The band didn’t explain Tomac’s absence, so I don’t know what’s going on.
Between the songs, the drunken fan was relentlessly inviting Shamso to perform oral sex, but the singer did not allow himself to be distracted and dismissed the guy with a humorous remark.
The tempo picked up with the fifth song Ništa više mi ne značiš (You Don’t Mean Anything to Me Anymore) and the frenzy began! Worries were unnecessary! The audience went crazy, singing all the songs from beginning to end, the most enthusiastic danced a couple of pogo dances and the energy was at a high! The band didn’t let up until the end of the show two hours later. The selection of songs evenly covered the entire discography, which meant – to my relief – that only the mega hit Više ni pankeri ni slušaju punk (Even the Punks Don’t Listen to Punk Anymore) was played from the new record.
Due to the time limit (it appears that the permit was until midnight), Shamso did much less theorizing and cracking jokes than usual. This chap is quite close to me in terms of his worldview, and I always laugh at his jokes on the subject of politics and society. Apparently, he also got a little bit more serious, as he only drank two rakia with ice during the concert. Also, his vocals seemed to be in much better shape than usual, as he even managed to at least partially sing the chorus of Ornela in the original tonality. He accompanied these attempts by commenting that he almost imploded…
The rest of the band was at the usual high level, the bassist was hiding behind the speaker, Šarac was smashing the drums with an unmistakable tempo, and the guitar duo with guitarist of the year 2020 according to Guitar World magazine Igor Paspalj and Vlajko exchanged hot solos without a second of rest. This time, Vlajko spared us a look at his popular black slip which he usually wears on stage, and dressed in a black coverall, a black beret and RayBans, so that he looked like a real terrorist.
The concert continued in high rhythm, together we were grunting Mala (Baby), a minor hit from the first record and the self-confessed Balkan Star. However, we were completely blown away by the final part with songs such as Kurvo prokleta (Fuckin’ Whore), Tolerancija (Tolerance), Samo pijan mogu da prebolim (I Can Get Over Her Only When I’m Drunk), etc.
During the song with the meaningful title Seks i droga (Sex & Drugs), I went to for a beer and at the bar, visitors and staff sang together about »making our sperm smell like cocaine«. At this moment, a youngster with a mustache in the style of ex pro skier Filip Flisar reminded me that I was too old for punk. After the initial shock, I decided, following Brkovi’s advice, that “pravo mjesto da ga teram, sad je pizda materina” (translate this one yourself). And I did.
Basically, a cracking concert with high-energy music, backed up by Shamso’s ironic-life-wisdom lyrics about (mostly unrequited) love, drugs, social issues and unprotected sex, and an audience that gave it their all.
Brkovi, see you soon!
Author: Igorac
Photos: Igorac
Setlist Brkovi:
1. Bauštela
2. Govno
3. Cvjetalo je meni cvijeće
4. Šef
5. Ništa više mi ne značiš
6. Ornela
7. Boli me
8. Srećo laku noć
9. Mala
10. A ja ću da pijem
11. Opasno se drogiram
12. Nije život cvjetno polje
13. Nisam ja za tebe
14. Znanac
15. Hormon sreće
16. Balkan Star
17. Bolje da sam s frendovima pio rujno vino
18. Tolerancija
19. Kurvo prokleta
20. Više ni pankeri ne slušaju punk
21. Hoću da mi dijete sluša narodnjake
—encore—
22. Samo pijan mogu da prebolim
23. Seks i droga
24. Pizda materina
Slovenska verzija:
Ice on Fire & Brkovi, Noč čarovnic, Hangar, Izola, 31.10. 2023
Na deževno noč čarovnic sem se odpravil v Izolo, da še petič v zadnjem letu in pol ulovim Brkove na koncertu. Brkovi so prava osvežitev v mojem glasbenem repertoarju, saj sem jih začel resno poslušati pred kakimi tremi leti in nato prvič videl v živo v ljubljanskem Orto Baru lani maja. Njihov punk – HC zvok, podprt z narodnjaškimi ritmi, melodijami in napevi je vedno garancija za razvrat!
Predskupina v Izoli so bili Ice on Fire iz Novega mesta. Štiričlanska skupina se, vsaj po intervjujih sodeč, uvršča med punk rock izvajalce. Resnici na ljubo pa prav dosti punk rocka v enourni predstavi ni bilo slišat. Mogoče sem že star in o punk rocku nimam dosti pojma, ampak meni je vse skupaj zvenelo kot pop verzija post metal cora brez growlanja, ampak vključno z vsemi breakdowni in »jump da fuck up« momenti. V melodijah in besedilih pa je zaznati še za ščepec Siddharte.
Fantje so svojo vlogo ogrevalcev vzeli skrajno resno, energija je kar špricala z odra. Njihove glasbe prej nisem poznal, ampak par komadov je šlo zelo hitro v uho, na čelu s Samo za en dan, ki je res ena taka melodična poskočnica s hit potencialom. Tako iz prve sem si zapomnil še zaključno pesem Pleši, pa duet s pevko, katere ime sem pozabil, Petrilijan in Na moje rame. Odigrali so tudi tri predelave, res jim je uspela zimzelena uspešnica Basket Case od Green Day, ki so jo nadgradili s HC in reggae ritmi.
Kompetentna ritem sekcija je nadgrajena z dobrim kitaristom, ki v komade rad vplete zelo klasično rock/metal zveneče solaže in karizmatičnim pevcem, ki med vsem kolovratenjem po odru zelo redko zgreši kak ton. Moram omeniti še res v nulo odpeta dvoglasja v refrenih. Dober nastop, ki nas je konkretno ogrel za zvezde večera. Rahel problem sem videl in slišal le v tem, da glasba, ki jo fantje igrajo, res ni primerna za klubsko okolje, ampak za večje koncertne prostore, kjer bi masivnejši zvok krepko pripomogel k prepričljivosti izvedbe. Vso srečo želim, gospodje!
Po dobrih petnajstih minutah so oder zasedli Brkovi z legendarnim MCjem Shamsom 69 na čelu! Začeli so z dvema komadoma z zadnjega albuma Krvava novčanica in nadaljevali še z dvema komadoma srednjega tempa, tako da me je začelo rahlo skrbeti. Namreč, nisem ravno velik oboževalec omenjenega albuma. Hitro sem tudi opazil, da na basu ni Tomca, ampak nekdo, ki je zgledal kot njegova mlajša verzija (sin?), še celo odrska oprava je bila enaka (trenirka plus havajska srajca). Bend ni pojasnil Tomčeve odsotnosti, tako da ne vem, kaj se dogaja.
Med komadi je opiti osebek neumorno vabil Shamsota k oralnemu seksu, ampak pevec se ni dal motiti in ga je odpravil s šaljivo opazko.
Tempo se je dvignil s petim komadom Ništa više mi ne značiš in norišnica se je začela! Skrbi so bile odveč! Publika je norela, prepevala vse komade od začetka do konca, najbolj zavzeti so odplesali par pogo plesov in energija je bila na višku! Bend ni popuščal vse do konca nastopa dve uri kasneje. Izbor pesmi je enakomerno zajel celotno diskografijo, kar je na moje olajšanje pomenilo, da je z nove plate prišel na vrsto le še mega hit Više ni pankeri ne slušaju punk.
Shamso je zaradi časovne omejitve (kaže, da je bilo dovoljenje do polnoči) precej manj modroval in stresal šale kot običajno. Možakar mi je po svetovnem nazoru dokaj blizu in se njegovim vinjetam na temo politike in sociale vedno nasmejem. Očitno pa se je tudi malce zresnil, saj je med koncertom spil samo dve rakiji z ledom, vokalno pa se mi je zdel v precej boljši formi kot običajno, saj je celo uspel vsaj delno odpeti refren komada Ornela v originalni tonaliteti. Te svoje poskuse je pospremil s komentarjem, da je skoraj implodiral …
Ostanek benda je bil na običajno visokem nivoju, basist se je skrival za zvočnikom, Šarac je z nezmotljivim tempom razbijal bobne, kitarski duo s kitaristom leta 2020 po izboru magazina Guitar World Igorjem Paspaljem in Vlajkotom pa si je izmenjeval vroče solaže brez sekunde predaha. Vlajko nam je tokrat prihranil pogled na svojo priljubljeno črno kombinežo, ki jo običajno nosi na odru, ter se je opravil v črnega pajaca, črno baretko in rejbanke, tako da je zgledal kot pravi terorist.
Koncert se je nadaljeval v visokem ritmu, skupaj smo odkrulili komad Mala, mini hitić s prve plate in samoizpovedno Balkan Star. Povsem pa nas je dotolkel zaključni del s komadi, kot so Kurvo prokleta, Tolerancija, Samo pijan mogu da prebolim itd.
Med pesmijo pomenljivega naslova Seks i droga sem šel po pivo in ob šanku smo obiskovalci in osebje skupno prepevali o tem, da naj nam sperma diši po kokainu. V tem trenutku me je mladenič z brčicami v stilu polpreteklega smučarja Filipa Flisarja opomnil, da sem mal prestar za punk. Po začetnem šoku sem se po nasvetu Brkov odločil, da »pravo mjesto da ga teram, sad je pizda materina«. In sem ga.
V glavnem, odpičen koncert z glasbo visokega energetskega naboja, podkrepljeno s Shamsovmi ironično-življenjskimi teksti o (večinoma nesrečni) ljubezni, opojnih substancah, socialnih problemih in nezaščitenem seksu, in publiko, ki je dala vse od sebe.
Brkovi, še se vidimo!
Avtor: Igorac
Fotografije: Igorac
Setlist Brkovi:
1. Bauštela
2. Govno
3. Cvjetalo je meni cvijeće
4. Šef
5. Ništa više mi ne značiš
6. Ornela
7. Boli me
8. Srećo laku noć
9. Mala
10. A ja ću da pijem
11. Opasno se drogiram
12. Nije život cvjetno polje
13. Nisam ja za tebe
14. Znanac
15. Hormon sreće
16. Balkan Star
17. Bolje da sam s frendovima pio rujno vino
18. Tolerancija
19. Kurvo prokleta
20. Više ni pankeri ne slušaju punk
21. Hoću da mi dijete sluša narodnjake
—dodatek—
22. Samo pijan mogu da prebolim
23. Seks i droga
24. Pizda materina
