Author: Aleš Podbrežnik
Photos: Nina Grad
Location: Ljubljana / Orto bar / Slovenia
Concert date: 21.02.2013
Attendance: 140
Ticket price: €0.00 (free entry)
Every last Thursday of the month, Orto bar turns into the gathering cradle for those untamed night-prowling rock n’ roll outlaws who get their kicks from playing the standards of classic rock, hard rock, even sleaze and glam rock. Be it Led Zeppelin, Deep Purple, Whitesnake, Free, AC/DC, or Guns N’ Roses, Motley Crue and Cinderella. C4 are the right address for this kind of party! A crew of seasoned musicians led by the indestructible »Bombaš« Billy (Mirsad Odobašić), Billy’s sidekick Matic Ajdič, and Slovenian rock scene veteran and insatiable lover of »Thunderbird« bass guitars Sergej Pobegajlo (too bad Tesla and UFO classics are missing from the C4 repertoire), plus phenomenal drummer Boštjan Vajs (Victory). These are guys who don’t screw up. In principle, they shouldn’t. Or let me put it this way: if you go to a C4 show, you won’t screw up in any way!
As I said, Orto bar always draws a crowd of hungry rockers who miss the good old rock culture, but this night’s get-together with C4 was special. Before them, the devilish cats Hellcats took the stage. Hellcats, the lineup of sisters Saša and Sonja Zagorc and guitarist Katja Mavec, took a new singer, Ajda Kovačič, into their ranks last year. The girl, who I doubt is a day over 17, was the main target of our visit this time, since we were curious about the progress of the only true »all-female« Slovenian rock/metal band. Steelrider, Heavy Metal, Vladar noči and Hellcats shone in a fuller light than we’d heard at the band’s earlier shows. Especially »Ket’s« guitar playing has grown, while young Ajda fully convinced with her presence! She’s a charismatic singer who delivers an exceptionally dynamic stage presence, combining provocatively measured moves with an authoritative vocal performance. Exactly what Hellcats desperately needed. A sharp frontwoman who knows her business and with whom the band can keep growing on its path. Very nice. A simple closing line follows. The girls are on the way up. Let’s hope they release a studio debut soon!
Next up was C4, who once again hauled a full sack of evergreen rock firestarters into their repertoire! Excellent! With these four tomcats, it’s clear they could do their job with their left pinky. Proven. The yardstick of their gigs is usually how much alcohol derivative they’ve dosed into their bloodstream, and this time it was just right, so we heard no serious »fušes« (flubs). Billy of course remains fully in command when it comes to interpreting Guns N’ Roses, AC/DC and Led Zeppelin classics, Mötley Crüe and Cinderella suit him nicely too, while his vocal timbre is less effective on classics by Deep Purple, Whitesnake and Free. Anyway, there’s no hero alive who could sing Ronnie James Dia, Peter Steele and Barry White in one body, so there’s nothing at all to hold against Billy. He roars like a beast, and that’s the main thing, as he plows through AC/DC, Led Zeppelin and Guns N’ Roses classics, among others.
An event that was over before it even started. And it pulled in, no joke, at least 150 heads, which means a thoroughly packed Orto bar! And then some. It gathered Slovenia in miniature. The place was crawling with a whole galaxy of musicians, including some of the most respected and prominent Slovenian ones, as well as familiar faces who count for something in Slovenian music journalism, like the esteemed Val comrades Jernej Vene and Dragan Bulič. But what matters most, and what truly counts, is that the event was followed by a bunch of young guys and girls who went wild to the sounds of the ultimate standards from the rock n’ roll treasure chest! An unforgettable get-together that we’ll soon be back for. A get-together with positive energy vibes, where you feel solidly connected with everyone in the room and your hearts beating for the same thing. Long live rock n’ roll!
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