Author: Aleš Podbrežnik
Photos: Aleš Podbrežnik
Location: Krško / MC Krško / Slovenia
Concert date: January 11, 2013
Attendance: 50
Ticket price: €0.00 (free entry)
Krško has also let out its first signs of life in the new year, and they promise that 2013 will pass in the spirit of proper rock activity. It’s great to see this corner of Slovenia waking up to rock more and more eagerly, thanks to individuals whose hearts beat honestly for the magic of music. One of the important pillars on the Krško-Sevnica stretch is Jože Hvala, an incurable rock enthusiast who has for years been missing from absolutely no gig, whether it’s a tiny, insignificant local band or a big-sounding name that still shakes (or once shook) the world map of rock music.
Jože Hvala is first and foremost a great friend! He’s a keen photographer, such a keen and devotedly sincere music lover that he’s always warmly welcomed in the RockLine crew too, for which Jože has contributed plenty of top-notch concert photo galleries over his career. The folks at MC Krško know and appreciate the guy as well, so they threw a special night for him, backed by an exhibition of Jože’s concert photography. The evening then stretched into a long concert celebration, marked by sets from Sergej Škofljanec, the terrific throat behind many a Slovenian hard rock outfit, the local hard rock matadors Honky Tonk, and the naughty heavy rock revivalists Šah Mat from Celje.
Shortly after nine in the evening, Sergej Škofljanec (Iron Median, Zabukowski, ex-Requiem,..) . started entertaining the crowd. Twelve strings, a guitar and a voice in top form. His colorful repertoire of rock evergreens, famous classics that pulled the crowd of 40-50 heads right in, was especially impressive for the incredible chameleon-like flexibility of Sergej’s vocal skills, adapting beautifully to the genre quirks, and above all the vocally treacherous nuances, of some of the best-known rock voices of this era, from all over the world as well as the Balkan peninsula. Masterful playing, masterful singing, and you can feel that Sergej has slept with a guitar if that’s what it took, and for many, many years. A master is a master. It takes talent, but also extreme practice. And of course Sergej’s charisma is outstanding. Sometimes it’s enough on its own, so you don’t miss a single extra player on stage during Sergej’s solo acoustic set, a set that reminded us of Eric Martin’s recent concert in Trieste. With one important difference, of course. Sergej’s vocal range is at the peak of his life, and nobody can argue with that. Sergej confirms again and again that he’s one of the best rock vocalists of all time in Slovenia.
Honky Tonk are actually the former Štrombringer, a local band that took over the stage. As the name itself says, it’s obvious which big rock act it nods to, and the band’s show was built around that. Standing at the mic for the first time in this lineup was the excellent and charismatic Andrej Jeličič, a guy who sings in no fewer than five bands at once. Maybe some of you have already caught him with the Sabbath-flavored Snowblind? A hugely promising show, where the keyboards fell short, especially in the first half, because they were set way too quiet in the mix. Otherwise impressive playing, especially from both guitarists, who walked worthily through some unforgettable rock riffs as well as the soloing. Andrej apologized a few times during the gig, totally needlessly, saying his cold didn’t let him sing at his best, and yet several times he nearly blew the roof off the club when he hit the highest vocal registers. For two songs Sergej jumps on stage, and the duet with Andrej turns out wonderfully. This pair could team up more often in the future. Andrej can boast the same kind of outstanding stage charisma as Sergej. He wins the crowd over in no time, with infectious banter, and his personality and stage presence are carved out for this kind of show.
The last act on stage was the up-and-coming heavy rock trio from Celje, Šah Mat. Our colleague Čedo and his two partners hit the stage when the hour was a little late for the crowd to properly focus on hard, chain-rattling rock reactions, but still. Original music, Slovenian lyrics. All in all, Šah Mat occasionally remind you, though from a distance, at least in the shaping of the lead guitar phrases and the development of the songs, of the pupils of the early heavy rock school, the legendary Pomaranča. The playing is convincing, solid, fluid. Only the vocals show some reserve, being not expressive enough, not colorful enough. Maybe the band should think about bringing in an extra vocalist, who’d add even more dynamics to the live shows. Sound okay, playing okay. The energy of the guitar riffs and solos confirms that Šah Mat are cut from the right rock cloth, and the original material and its bold songwriting show the band is confidently ripening toward a studio debut. Good luck, guys.
A really lovely night that could have pulled in a few more people is a clear sign that rock fans in the Krško-Brežiške basin won’t go hungry for hot gigs in 2013 either. Let’s hope these nights become a fixture that also brings in people from other corners of Slovenia. Especially from the Celje and Laško area, Novo mesto, and maybe even from nearby northern Croatia, if the Ljubljana divas aren’t too prim and proper.
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