Author: Aleš Podbrežnik
Photos: Aleš Podbrežnik
Location: Ljubljana / Sputnik / Slovenia
Concert date: November 26, 2013
Attendance: 150
Ticket price: €0.00 (free admission)
The wait is over: the solo studio album from the frontman of Slovenian hard rock legends Šank Rock, Matjaž Jelen, is finally here. “Nov dan” has arrived – RockLine review HERE. Time to celebrate, then. Welcome to the Sputnik bar (no Yuri Gagarin this time)! Matjaž was surrounded by a crew of longtime comrades, music devotees, and everybody who had a hand in making the album. A pile of familiar names from the rock world, even some showbiz types (trailed as usual by »paparazzi« photographers), and you won’t believe it: Smak, lock, stock and barrel!
After the opening address from the ever-charming Urša Mravlje of Nika Records, the label that put out »Nov dan«, Matjaž Jelen took the stage with practically the entire Mary Rose lineup behind him, minus Žak, of course. They opened by taking us »Na vrh sveta«! A punchy, classic hard rock opening stretch that instantly set the nostalgic heart trembling, the one that so often loves to look back on the days when Šank Rock conquered Slovenian stages.
Everything was in its place. There’s Matjaž, next to him one of the finest Slovenian bassists and Matjaž’s Šank Rock buddy Cveto Polak (this time as a special guest for one song), and on guitar Eki, who deserves the same words when it comes to the “top league” of Slovenian guitarists, and the band was already cranking out the stormy hard rock of »Ne, me ne zanimaš« – probably the most fired-up track on the album »Novi dan«. After that song, Mitja Kobal returned to the stage to take over bass duties again! An album that proves Matjaž is nowhere near out of creatively inspired ammo. With “nov dan” the man is moving forward, firmly laying the creative groundwork for his future music career, and carrying a good chunk of the Šank Rock legacy with him into new times. In the first part Matjaž presented his album »Novi dan«, skipping just two songs from it. One of Matjaž’s greetings, or special thank-yous, went to the Sputnik bar counter, where the famous Jan Plestenjak once reigned. He created the title track for Matjaž’s album, and word has it there’s only one thing left: Jan should finally cross over to the rockers!. For the song »Barve«, Manuella Brečko also took the stage, as she guests on the studio original as well.
The second half of the party at Sputnik was cut to the taste of Šank Rock nostalgics! The crew led by Matjaž walked us through some of the band’s best-known work! Two moments in the second half were especially moving. The first was the performance of »Poišči me«, dedicated to the memory and work of the unforgettable Danilo Kocjančič, who left us unexpectedly at the start of this year. The second, perhaps even more touching, came with the dedication of one of the best Šank Rock songs, »Pravljica o mavričnih ljudeh«: Matjaž dedicated it to Jure Toni, the producer of »Nov dan«, who watched the whole thing from one of the corner tables in the bar. Jure is fighting a serious illness. At times like these, the right thing is for all of us to wish him nothing but the best.
The whole event could easily have fallen »through«! It hung by a thread the entire time. The seriously ill Eki was playing at less than half strength. In such conditions a musician would normally cancel the show, but this time Eki gritted his teeth for Matjaž, and the crew brought the event safely home, from the first beat to the last. A big tip of the hat to the guitarist here!
The sound wasn’t optimal, but that’s just the nature of the venue, and you can’t expect miracles on that front. Still, what counts above all is that the release of this musical document is an important event for the Slovenian rock scene, just as the release of Aleš Klinar’s album »63 Special« was three weeks ago. It means Slovenian rock veterans aren’t giving up, and that alongside a host of up-and-coming retro-sounding rock bands with far younger birth years on their ID cards, the old guard is joining forces again and teaming up on musical projects. Let’s hope that’s a sign of better hard rock times for our Slovenian music universe.
Heartfelt congratulations to Matjaž on this solo step into a »Nov dan! Let’s hope he keeps defying the odds on this road in the same unshakable manner!
Setlist
“Nov dan” set:
1. Na vrh sveta
2. Ne, me ne zanima
3. Vse se v pravo smer vrti
4. Če tebe ni tam
5. Nov dan
6. Črna steklenica
7. Barve
8. Brez tebe padam
9. Today / Danes je dan
10. Počasi… Je lepo
—break approx. 20 min—
“Šank Rock” set:
11. Maček
12. Rockerji
13. Ker te ljubim
14. Laški pir
15. Pridite na žur
16. Pravljica o mavričnih ljudeh
17. Poišči me (orig. Danilo Kocjančič)
18. Jaz nimam noč za spanje
19. Le 17
20. Metulj
21. Dej bolj na glas
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