Author: Aleš Podbrežnik
Location: Orto bar, Ljubljana
Concert date: April 7, 2017
Ticket price: €18 / €20
It’s been quite a while since American outfit Dog Eat Dog last visited Slovenia, and even longer since their last album, “Walk with me”, came out in 2006. Still, the lively Americans brought their new EP, “Brand new breed”, to the all-grown-up 18th Ortofest.
The night kicked off at 9:20 PM with Austrian four-piece Bloodshed Remains. As usual for an opening act, the hall was still fairly empty. Even so, the Austrians delivered a solid, tight warm-up for the main event.
At 10:30 PM the night found its real purpose with Dog Eat Dog. The Americans, led by singer John Connor, had only just kicked off a month-long European tour with the Orto bar show. Only Budapest came before Ljubljana, a good sign that there’d be no shortage of energy. And there really wasn’t. The gig, put on by the well-known duo Dirty Skunks, didn’t sell out, but those who showed up got exactly what they came for: an energetic set backed by some serious crowd-working. The mix of metal, punk, hardcore, funk and at times even reggae rhythms is an interesting one, and it clicks together with those unmistakable sax parts. Even though Dog Eat Dog presented their current EP, they clearly knew which part of the catalog the Slovenes know best. Naturally, that’s their first and most famous record, “All Boro Kings”, from way back in 1994. From that very album, “Who´s the king” and “No fronts” got the biggest cheers. After a short stage interlude in the style of the movie “Rocky”, the only song that really rivaled those two was “Rocky” from the album “Play games”.
So what can you say about the show itself? No major problems to report. Years and years of playing have clearly turned it into routine, though with plenty of energy still in the tank. You can sense a little that Dog Eat Dog aren’t exactly kids anymore, since we’d expected a bit more of a finishing touch to the dynamics of the performance. The sound, though, was beyond reproach.
After roughly two hours on stage, Dog Eat Dog hung out with their fans at the bar, and over a beer we had a few words with singer John Connor, who unfortunately didn’t reveal any plans for the future. He only promised that it won’t be the last time we see them. During their Ljubljana visit, the band also shot a few more scenes for their video at Metelkova.
words and photos: Klemen Udovč
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