Live Reports

Sweden's death metal wolverines sank their claws into Gala Hala this time, with genre veterans Grave along for the ride!

Three bands, each miles away from the others genre-wise, repped an event called »Pržan se prži« this weekend. They put it on themselves. Head to toe. Just Le Seprtentine from Kranj and the Ljubljana outfits Pyroxene and Portmänteau.

Location: Munich / Backstage / GermanyDate: 30.09.2014 If the last Tuesday of September saw a convoy of four-wheeled tin cans streaming from the homeland toward Germany, mostly because of the Champions League match between Germany's…

MC Jedro in Medvode has come alive again. Pure Medvode through and through! Three bands, each stylistically miles from the others, but when it comes to home turf, all of them were founded in Medvode. Great friends. The well-known classic…

There aren't many all-female bands in rock, so the show by Sweden's Crucified Barbara was a very welcome shake-up for the music scene in Slovenia these days.

On the first evening of October this year, it looked like a storm was about to roll in over the capital, as German veterans Brainstorm and Scottish pirate Alestorm put their music on show at Gala Hala, with young Australians and Canadians…

Judging by the happy faces in all four directions, Edguy's cheerful, feel-good party won over the well-heeled German crowd, and by their own promise they'll be back in the Bavarian capital soon.

It's a shame guitarists of Kotzen's caliber don't visit our country more often, and a stroke of luck that we've got a club like Bluesiana so close to the border, where owner Gudrun Kofler always makes sure good music is within our reach…

After the summer lull, Orto bar kicked off the new season with a bang, as Kadilnica of Death swung its smoky doors open once more!

A metal shindig with an antlered, ossified musical pedigree of biblical proportions, going by the name Tygers of Pan Tang! At the GO4Rock festival in Italian Gorizia.

After the fairy tale kicked off in Laško, where Šank Rock, partly in the old lineup and partly in a refurbished one, came back after a break of a good three years and played the Pivo in cvetje festival, it was only a matter of time…

About an hour and a half in, Ian, "crushed" and sick of the awful sound of his backup guitar, asked the crowd one more time: "Does nobody here really know how to change a guitar string?" And then a brave, gray-haired gentleman stepped up…

It was another Thursday, another day, another gig at Prulček bar in Ljubljana. Old acquaintances. Good acquaintances. Moonlight Sky Trio. Yep. Those three young guys of rare musical gifts, grandmasters of their instruments, who fuse into a…

Channel Zero got a proper dose of brutality and technicality with Cryptopsy, Disgorge and Jungle Rot. Definitely a solid opening to a packed autumn season.

Eric Burdon remains a traditionalist. He could have pitched his shows in a more mainstream direction, but he'd rather cater to the pickier music connoisseurs, the ones with the long-forgotten language of the sixties running through their…

Sometimes things are so good you've just got to do them again right away. That's exactly how it went with Steamroller's gig at Bluesiana. Thursday's opener was followed by an encore performance on Friday. "Same time, same place," as they…

In the first of two back-to-back gigs at Bluesiana Rock Cafe in Austrian Carinthia, hellraising rock 'n' roll trio Stemaroller, featuring Doug Aldrich (guitar), Michael Devin (bass) and Brian Tichy (drums), took the crowd on an…

Ryan McGarvey blew everyone away. In everything. That night at Bluesiana, he gave it all. Both "daddy" Eric Clapton and Joe Bonamassa have sung his praises in their own words, and not for nothing: the enthusiasm and admiration are well…

The stage remains his first home, and Brecelj uses it brilliantly for shock therapy! There's nobody like him, hardly anyone can match him, and it's clear that nobody on the planet is capable of following in his visionary footsteps.

Judging by what we heard and saw, the concert experience with the legendary Blondie in the autumn of their career comes down to conjuring up the golden age of new wave. Debbie Harry and company, short on power in their old age, couldn't…

If there's anyone under the free Slovenian sun who fits the label "working-class hero", it's without a doubt the legendary Slovenian singer-songwriter Jani Kovačič. "Besne pesmi" keeps the artist in touch with the pulse of the current state…

A night full of surprises. Some nicer than others. But it was great to see that not a single one of them killed the good mood of the trio, who maybe weren't quite as tight in tone and rhythm this time, but who showed with heart, commitment…

"Plenty of people called Misery Index the winners of the night, but anyone who swears by hardcore in the broad sense definitely got their fix with Converge. And the locals confirmed that a show like this hadn't happened at Pekarna in a good…

In an hour and five minutes, the band presented their new studio album »And Man Created God« and, as expected, spiced up the show with classics. A septet lineup and completely new arrangements "pulled the rug out" from under many people who…

Watching All Strings Detached, you can't help but marvel at the superb interplay and intuition running through the working chemistry between these two artists. Just as striking is the incredible precision, cohesion and focus that never once…

Rhapsody of Fire squeezed everything they had out of themselves that night and rewarded their loyal crowd with a top-notch show packed with some of the most cherished standards from their colorful career. It also caught the attention of…

The Reel Big Fish wrapped up the night with the aforementioned Take On Me, bringing a whole line of tireless stage divers back onto the stage to sway shoulder to shoulder until the very end.

Plenty of people reckon Misery Index stole the night, but anyone who swears by hardcore in the broad sense definitely got their fix from Converge. And the locals proved that a gig like this hasn't happened at Pekarna in a good while.

From celebrating anniversaries (30 years of the album "Maček Muri") to the present, the era of the current album »Od daleč«. Neca's magical voice remains seductively bewitching. Like a fresh, crispy bread roll. Even at her mature age!

One of Slovenia's biggest singer-songwriter authorities brought a slice of our music history to Kamfest with a pleasant stroll through a decades-old legacy.

The show by Alex Carpani, David Jackson and their up-and-coming sidekicks was a must-see for every fan of the Italian symphonic prog rock scene and the unforgettable Van Der Graaf Generator legacy.

"Lots of bands get big and forget that this (points at the crowd) has to be earned, and we should never take respect for granted!"

Location: Unterpremstätten (Graz) / Schwarzlsee / AustriaDate: 02.08.2014 After a scorching rock Friday that left plenty of people with rosy memories (and sunburns) on their skin, Saturday promised an even hotter metal day. Already…

"Kansas's show in Holzkirchen was a top-notch experience for every fan of the American prog-rock titans and for anyone who loves some of the most beloved evergreens in the history of rock music."

No matter the look or the taste, what ties everyone here together isn't love, it's loyalty to their genre. And that's where you see the true face of the bands up on stage.

The day's chatter mostly echoed with NOFX lyrics, which the crowd at the main stage had been impatiently waiting for since the very first minute.

Punk Rock Holiday has proudly held its place as one of the biggest punk rock festivals in Eastern Europe for 4 years now.

"Possessed could only wrap up their set one way, which was also the perfect finish to the day – Death Metal!"

If Friday at Seerock was all about unwinding with some rock'n'roll, Saturday started bombarding everyone's ears with full metal force just after noon.

"Even though almost all of us ended up soaked to the bone under the stage, Simple Minds' show in Lignano was a real treat for every nostalgic fan of big new wave hits with the occasional dose of art rock molasses."

Kansas' show in Holzkirchen was an unforgettable experience for every fan of the American prog rock titans and anyone who loves some of the most popular evergreens in the history of rock music.

Candlemass undoubtedly enchanted the crowd, and the concert had a great atmosphere, without the usual festival crush.

Performers: Anthrax, Ektomorf, Europe, Hirax, Mad Max, More, Obituary, Rob Rock, Stryper, Twisted Sister, UnisonicLocation: Balingen / Messegelände / Germany Date: 12.07.2014 Day two of Bang Your Head!!! 2014 got off to a slightly…

The so-called Rock'n'Chill Day, the first day of this year's Seerock festival, brought sets from a slew of legendary bands.

Even though almost all of us ended up soaked "to the bone" in front of the stage, Simple Minds' show in Lignano was a real treat for every nostalgic fan of big new wave hits with the occasional art-rock molasses.

The last day of the festival delivered an unexpected surprise in the fantastic Heaven Shall Burn, the return of the sorely missed Frank "The Tank" Mullen with Suffocation, and a farewell to Swedish veterans Tiamat.

For every devotee of the classic rock tradition, this was an unforgettable night without a doubt. It skimped on only one thing: the set length.

From the big-show spectacle of classic Megadeth hits to the primordial old-school pioneering of the fantastic musical merry-go-round that is Riot V, and of course a heap of musical delights in genre colorfulness from Prong, In Solitude,…

On day three the weather finally took pity on us, and Wednesday served up a fiasco from the big headliners, the heroes of today's metal scene. Meanwhile, the small-stage set by the legendary band that gave its name to an entire genre was a…

The festival's second day was all about fickle weather that showed us no mercy even late into the night, but during killer sets from Obituary, Manilla Road and Vader, the rain quickly drifted into oblivion.

Despite the sour weather, the very first day of this year's Metaldays festival delivered a few early peaks and was living proof of why waiting a whole year for metal holidays and a return to Tolmin is so damn hard.

Lineup: Axel Rudi Pell, Accuser, Traitor, Sebastian Bach, Exodus, Kissin' Dynamite, Michael Schenker's Sonic Temple, Vain, Warlord, Riot V Location: Balingen / Messegelände / Germany Date: Friday, July 11, 2014 This year's Bang…

"The Winery Dogs are a band worth sinning for. Especially for a ticket that cost a measly €12.00 in presale and €20.00 on the day of the show. Anyone who missed the chance to catch The Winery Dogs live in Laško is going to have a hard time…

It looked grim, but it all turned out great in the end. Ian's crew may even have exceeded expectations, especially in the second half of the show, when they completely won us over with some properly 'dusty' Tull standards. Ian delivered an…

Šank Rock revived the Fairy Tale (for one night at least) that they spent almost thirty years writing.

Performing: Grave Digger, Victory, Stormwarrior, Bullet, DynamiteLocation: Balingen / Messegelände / Germany Date: Thursday, 10.07.2014 Another year has rolled around and a new edition of the Bang Your Head!!! festival is right on…

It wasn't wine dogs howling, it was beer dogs! The first day of the Pivo in cvetje festival ended on a spectacular high with an unforgettable set from the super rock trio The Winery Dogs!

A show that, without any needless pretense, throws a night of switching off and going wild and follows a very simple ideology: Whatever pops into your head first goes down the hatch first.

One of the founding fathers of rock music, the original voice of the legendary Led Zeppelin, the one and only Robert Plant, stopped by Piazzola Sul Brenta in Italy as part of the tour announcing his new album.

The second day of Bang Your Head!!! 2014, closed out by the indestructible kings of glam metal Twisted Sister.

The first day of the 19th Bang Your Head!!! festival was all about celebrating the first 25 years of music-making by famous German guitar hero Axel Rudi Pell, who often gets tagged as the German Blackmore.

Another year has flown by, and a new edition of Bang Your Head!!! is right around the corner. It's the nineteenth one already. As tradition demands, no festival year can kick off without a warm-up day, held the day before the official…

"Kvelertak aren't some wimpy little Harry Potter owl, they're an owl that listens to Motörhead, AC/DC and Darkthrone and guzzles beer!"

After forty minutes on stage, menacing black clouds washed away the rest of Fogerty's set, leaving the crowd with nothing to do but sing the lines "and I Wonder, still I wonder, who'll stop the rain?"

The Crimson ProjeKct's show was a night of one highlight after another, the kind only musicians inseparably tied to the King Crimson legacy can deliver, a legacy that somehow links every former and current member of these prog rock legends.

The Norwegian heavyweights made their first-ever stop in Slovenia, packed Gala hala and proved that Kvereltak aren't some wimpy little owl from Harry Potter but an owl that listens to Motörhead, AC/DC and Darkthrone and guzzles beer!

"An hour and fifty minutes of exceptional musical and instrumental aesthetics, walking the perfect middle line between ultra-melodic catchiness and the free-spirited playfulness of improvisation from the one-of-a-kind master of the…

An hour and fifty minutes of brilliant walking the perfect middle line between ultra-melodic catchiness and the free-spirited, mischievous wit of improvisation from the one-of-a-kind master of the six-string bible left the crowd stunned by…

Despite the short set, drawing the line under another big concert night brings an indescribable satisfaction, because this meeting with one of America's greatest rock institutions ever was more than a performance triumph.

The two support acts blew us away, but Kylesa's short, low-energy set failed to live up to expectations.

Cradling his cream-colored Squier Fender Stratocaster replica once again, Tilen instantly swept us into his magical musical world, embodied by his studio debut »Inner Strength« as well as his new material.

Stewart's hits, backed up by a proper concert show, predictably delivered a carefree trip back to the seventies and eighties of the last century.

A photo story of the American band Lord Bishop Rocks live at the Lent festival in Maribor.

!Billy's live firepower was on full display as the main set wrapped up with Rebel Yell, when the crowd belting out that anthemic chorus at times drowned out the Tivoli hall's PA, which held up well that night."

Almost half a century into their career, Chicago remain credible keepers of their rich legacy.

Keeping company with moths and other fuzzy winged critters of the night shift. In the fresh air of the Polževo plateau above Višnja Gora, in front of an eager bunch of good-natured Lower Carniolan souls. And a fascinating new experience…

Irish-American party-starters Flogging Molly visited Slovenia for the third time and once again proved that they feel right at home here.

I can't remember the last time an extreme metal show on our turf drew a crowd this good, which only proves what a mighty, immortal legacy Chuck Schuldiner left behind after his untimely death in 2001.

The new rock spectacle satisfied the appetite of a packed Tivoli hall, even if, compared with the show four years ago, the Slovenian crowd deserved a fresher take on those eighties hits.

It doesn't happen often that an action-movie icon who's also a decent blues musician, like Steven Seagal, lands on a local stage. These days plenty of people just smirk indulgently at his name and wave it off, but this evening the cult…

Even on a predictably tight schedule, Skid Row brought a slice of their former glory to the Styrian capital and gathered everyone, young and old, who lives and breathes this kind of music in one place.

A good three hours together, and the Pearl Jam show in Trieste will be talked about for a long time to come.

Metaldays 2014 is creeping closer, and the official warmup party with America's Battlecross and Huntress made the wait of a good three weeks a lot easier to bear. At Orto last Friday, one of six local bands also earned itself a slot at…

"Two years ago, Iron Maiden decided to revive this important chapter of their history with the Maiden England World Tour 2012-2014."

Heavy metal heavyweights Iron Maiden took us back to the glorious ice age of Maiden England and Seventh Son under the majestic backdrop of Belgrade's Kalemegdan!

Teaming up is the road to success, and the people of Kočevje are a role model for the other Slovenian regions! Under the wing of the Kočevje Musicians' Association, this year again saw the "Kočevska rock scena" festival go down!

The long-awaited Black Sabbath reunion in our part of Europe is behind us, and if this means goodbye, it was a sweet one.

Gig of the decade? Hard to say, but what stays with you from Križanke is the image of the blazing sun, the stuffy heat, and the sound of Go With The Flow on an old-school radio.

As part of his 30th anniversary celebrations, Bajaga also stopped by Ljubljana, where he packed Križanke to almost the last corner.

Nula Kelvina turned the front of the Repete bar into a stage for a gig full of refined play, packed with lucid flashes of Boh's theatrics, and in just under two hours they delivered a real "sweetie" to the file on June's concert pulse in…

Norwegian theatrics merchants Vulture Industries have once again proven why they became darlings of the Slovenian crowd and our stages. The Tower needs! The Tower is more!

Meeting up and hanging out with Šinobusi, one of the most eye-catching retro-sounding bands the Balkans have produced in the past ten years, and with their fresh-off-the-press studio album Nebo od Skaja (2013)! This time on their home turf!

Poltrona Express hit Ljubljana's Prule district with a progressive blues assault!

"Watching Hackett's band run through some of the greatest achievements in the history of progressive rock is always an unforgettable, almost transcendental experience, like hopping into a time capsule and landing in a far more romantic…

"In all honesty, Saga were the absolute winners if you compare the two bands' sets. Besides a fascinating setlist, the whole band was in phenomenal form from start to finish, and they were rewarded accordingly with longer applause than…

Watching Hackett's band run through some of the greatest moments in prog rock history is always an unforgettable, almost transcendental experience, like hopping into a time capsule and landing in a far more romantic musical era, and right…

Two great bands who had their biggest successes in a far more romantic era of music wowed us once again with exceptional professionalism and filled us up with the kind of positive energy that most modern rock outfits chronically lack.

Krokus stripped the magic of rock'n'roll down to its primal heavy rock sawdust with ease, so the satisfaction was complete!

"Over a two-and-a-half-hour set, Yes dazzled with near-flawless takes on three key albums from their vast career, backed by a superb sound system, which means we got a full dose of music 'fit for the gods', the kind only the giants of…

Where else but Prulček as the last hours of Sunday tick away. Especially when the band on stage tosses a layer of cabaret theatrics on top and keeps the crowd endlessly entertained with its honest-to-goodness musical essence! The sextet…