Location: Tvornica Kulture / Zagreb / Croatia
Concert date: December 23, 2008
Attendance: 1100
On December 23, Zagreb’s Tvornica hosted one of the most popular artists in Croatia, the Rijeka-born musician and singer-songwriter, lately also an actor, Damir Urban. Urban rolled into Tvornica, as per tradition, with the band Four at his side, and it’s practically impossible to imagine one of his shows without them. He stepped out in front of a sold-out, energy-charged Tvornica in a curious getup. Though he was wearing a perfectly ordinary suit and tie, his whole head was painted white, and the look was topped off with a white feather scarf that he kept on for most of the show. So right from the start of the gig, Urban kicked things off with the unusual, one-of-a-kind style that has followed him pretty much his whole career.
The concert kicked off a little after 10 p.m., when the first notes of Ruke rang out. The power and energy of Urban’s voice instantly filled every corner of Tvornica, and the always-ready crowd immediately sang along in unison. From the very first moment, as if by some secret agreement, the audience traded vocal lines with its favorite and kept it going non-stop for a full two hours. The guys served up songs from all three albums, and the crowd got the privilege of hearing some material from the new album Merkur/Negativ too. With his every move, Urban effortlessly kept sending out huge waves of positive energy. They peaked in the middle of the show, when the man reached into his pocket and, instead of coins, pulled out a few Christmas ornaments, tossed them into the euphoric crowd, and reminded everyone of the importance of family warmth in these gray days of recession.
With the help of Vlade Simičić-Vava’s acoustic guitar, Urban also took the crowd back to some of the best moments of Laufer, like Moja voda, Dio tebe, Mjesečev rog and Jezik otkinutih ruža. The audience gladly returned the favor with perfectly tuned singing, showing that Urban is one of the most popular musicians in Croatia, certainly thanks in part to the tight bond between him and his audience. To the great delight of everyone in Tvornica, Urban didn’t forget his biggest hits either, like Odlučio sam da te volim, Mjesto za mene and Mala truba. The performances of those songs only cranked up the electric atmosphere over the hypnotized crowd. Urban was also well supported by his backing band, who followed their in-high-spirits frontman faithfully at every step with a confident, top-notch performance.
Toward the end of the show, Urban & 4 came back out for two excellent encores after the crowd loudly called them back, and then, to the visible disappointment of the audience, Damir Urban wished everyone a final good night. The most stubborn fans kept calling for him to return, but the stage stayed empty, filled only by the instruments the band left behind. Urban worked through the Tvornica show like a pro and in great spirits. The professionalism of the performance, along with the jam-packed Tvornica, proved that the musician still ranks high in the eyes of his home crowd, as always, and that he has no reason to worry about any drop in popularity. The well-known Rijeka singer-songwriter is certainly one of the key figures of the Croatian music scene, one who has been successfully steering the line between mainstream and underground for years. With his distinctive voice, his way of singing, and a slightly dark yet emotional approach, Urban has won over many fans who increasingly grant him cult status.
Urban belongs to the group of musicians who don’t leave you indifferent. You can fall in love with him, or you can simply hate him. His presence and his music always squeeze an opinion out of you, both about him and about his backing band. The crowd’s response clearly showed how happy they were with the latter, and with this show Urban cemented, if that was even necessary, his status as one of the most important musical creators on the Croatian music scene. In the end, you could say we witnessed a concert that would turn even those who usually stay indifferent to Urban’s body of work into potential listeners in no time, and maybe, in the long run, even into die-hard Urban & 4 fans.
| photos: Denis Begić |
| Translated from the original and edited by: Daniel Pavlica |
Urban & 4 – Christmas Concert at Tvornica
On December 23, 2008, Tvornica kulture hosted one of the most popular musicians in the region, the Rijeka-born musician and singer-songwriter, lately also an actor, Damir Urban. As usual, he was accompanied to Tvornica by his band Four, without whose presence an Urban concert is unthinkable.
Urban came out in front of a sold-out, energy-charged Tvornica in an interesting look. Although he was wearing a perfectly ordinary suit and tie, his head was completely painted white. He rounded off his interesting “look” with a white feather scarf that he kept on for most of the time. So right at the start of the concert, Urban underlined the unusual and distinctive style that has followed him since the beginning of his career.
The concert started a little after 10 p.m., when the first notes of the song “Ruke” kicked in. Urban’s powerful, energetic voice soon took over the whole of Tvornica, and the fans were quick to sing along. As if by agreement, the crowd sang non-stop with its favorite for more than two hours. In that time, Urban and Four played songs from all three albums, and the audience also had the privilege of hearing a few tracks from the new album Merkur/Negativ. Urban sent a huge wave of positive energy into an already well-warmed-up Tvornica, and he pumped it up even more around the middle of the concert. Then, instead of coins from his hands, he took a few Christmas baubles and tossed them into the euphoric crowd, reminding everyone there of the importance of the fir tree as a symbol of family warmth in these days of recession.
With Vlade Simičić-Vava on acoustic guitar, Urban reminded the audience of some of the best songs by Laufer, such as “Moja voda”, “Dio tebe”, ” Mjesečev rog ” and ” Jezik otkinutih ruža “. Here the crowd once again came into its own with non-stop singing and support, and proved that Urban is one of the most popular musicians in the region precisely because of the especially good connection between him and his audience.
To the great delight of everyone in Tvornica, Urban didn’t skip his most popular songs either, such as ”Odlučio sam da te volim”, ”Mjesto za mene” and ”Mala truba”, which helped the musicians crank up the electrified atmosphere over the hypnotized crowd. His loyal band was a big help there too, backing their in-high-spirits frontman with top-notch playing.
Toward the end of the concert, Urban and Four came back to the crowd’s calls for two excellent encores. Much to the dismay of the fans who wanted more, Damir Urban wished everyone a good night and happy holidays and left the stage. The most persistent ones stayed on, calling for him to come back, but the stage was left occupied only by the instruments the band had left behind.
Urban worked through this show like a pro, in great spirits. His performance, and also the jam-packed Tvornica, whose fullness itself raised the question of whether there was room here for me, proved that Urban, as usual, ranks high with his home crowd, and that as a musician he has no need to worry about any drop in popularity.
The well-known Rijeka singer-songwriter is one of the key figures of the Croatian music scene, which has been sailing successfully on the border between mainstream and underground for years. With his distinctive voice, his way of singing, and a slightly dark but emotional approach, he has won over many fans who increasingly grant him cult status.
Urban belongs to that group of musicians who don’t leave you indifferent: you either love him or you hate him. His presence and his music simply have to push you toward some opinion about him, but of course, about his band Four too.
Judging by the audience’s reactions, nobody left Tvornica unhappy, and with this concert Urban himself strengthened, if that was even necessary, his status as one of the most popular artists in the region.
In the end, you could say this was the kind of concert that would turn even those who are indifferent to Urban’s body of work into, at the very least, potential listeners or even fans of Urban & 4.
photos: Denis Begić
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