Venue: KUD France Prešeren / Ljubljana / Slovenia
Concert date: October 28, 2007
Attendance: 150
text: Lea Lesar
On Monday, October 29, 2007, the sixth studio album from Slovenian rockers Big Foot Mama, with the fitting title “Važno, da zadane” (“It Matters That It Hits”), saw the light of day. Where, how and with what the new record hits, the guys showed us at the launch show at KUD France Prešeren in Ljubljana, the very same stage where they launched their first record, Nova pravila, back in 1995.
Ahead of the release of one of this fall’s most anticipated albums (KUD selling out in two days is proof enough!), plenty of questions were floating around. Would the album surprise us with a return to the uncompromising rock’n’roll of the first two records, or had the guys sailed back into the slightly different, poppier waters of “Doba norih” or “5ing”?
When the official release date of the new record was announced, a vote also kicked off on the website www.bigfootmama.net for the best track from all five previous records, and the guys played the songs with the most votes at the launch show, which spiced up the setlist.
The show kicked off at 9 p.m. sharp with the aforementioned Važn´ da zadane, and the crowd literally went nuts at the very first riffs. Next came Mal premal, and what can I say – it sounds good. That was also a quiet hint that Big Foot Mama had gone back to the good old rock of the first two records, though we had to wait a few more songs for confirmation. The guys fueled the early excitement with the first track picked by the fans, Nisem več s tabo, from the album “Nova pravila” (1995). Then came the mellow Razjeda, before the storm blew in again with Tornado. The second fan-picked track was the one about the “most beautiful and darkest” flower: Črn tulipan, from the album “Kaj se dogaja” (1997). Just as the party with BFM was slowly reaching its fever pitch, Grega announced the third fan-picked song. It wasn’t hard to guess: Led iz severa (“Tretja dimenzija”, 1999). During Men se trga, it wasn’t just BFM tearing it up – the attics of every head in the crowd came loose too. You just can’t stand around with your arms crossed to the sound of pure rock’n’roll. Narava gre po svoje was the next track from the new record. Then came the fourth fan-picked song, Oklep (Doba norih, 2001). On “Važno, da zadane”, Big Foot Mama also included a cover of Moja mama, which they gave a fresh sound especially for the 35th anniversary of Val 202, and I have to say it burns just as hot as it did twenty-five years ago, when Videosex played it.
According to Grega Skočir, spring is the most beautiful season of the year, and you’re probably wondering what the seasons have to do with Big Foot Mama? To anyone who doesn’t know their music, nothing – but it’s actually the title of a song from the new record, Pomlad (“Spring”), which brought the calm before the storm. After Pomlad came the fifth fan-picked track, Vrn´se k men (“5ing”, 2004), even though you could already hear it on “Best of Big Foot Mama” (2003). A short break followed, then the guys came back on stage and surprised everyone there with a track, and they fired up the end of the night with Matr´ je mraz, which, according to Grega, has verses describing freezing your butt off in Ljubljana’s Bežigrad district. The guys wrapped up the show with a reprise of Važn´ da zadane, just so nobody would forget Big Foot Mama hitting the mark with great rock’n’roll.
The album launch itself was excellently put together. Arriving at the KUD gallery, guests and other visitors could treat themselves to Indian food and a glass or two (after three, it tends to hit an inexperienced drinker) of Jack Daniels whiskey, which surprised me, since the Big Foot boys (especially singer Grega) once swore by Jim Beam. We could also check out an exhibition looking back at BFM’s history – an archive of T-shirts with various “little feet” designs that have followed the band through their 17 years together, articles from the early days of their music-making, gold and platinum records, their music videos playing on a TV, and the indispensable Ančka hanging from the ceiling. After the show, Big Foot Mama joined the crowd, and the band members first gave a few statements to the media before turning their attention to the fans.
The party celebrating the release of “Važno, da zadane” was more than a success. The crowd welcomed the new songs with enthusiasm, roared its approval for the new album and cheered Big Foot Mama’s return to the rhythm of pure rock’n’roll. The new Big Foot Mama record simply hits the mark.
Setlist
1. Važn´ da zadane
2. Mal premal
3. Nisem več s tabo
4. Razjeda
5. Tornado
6. Črn tulipan
7. Vse se mi upira
8. Ona je samo za mene
9. Led s severa
10. Men se trga
11. Narava gre po svoje
12. Oklep
13. Moja mama
14. Pomlad
15. Vrn´ se k men
16. Matr je mraz
17. Važn´ da zadane
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