Live Reports

Whitesnake showed up in Zagreb as a well-oiled machine and put on a show a notch more memorable than the one they recently delivered in Ljubljana.

A progressive blend of musical excess and the unpredictable evolution of his one-of-a-kind artistic character. This time dressed up in orchestral clothes, with some famous pieces from Vai's rich, expressive body of work.

"After all the booze I've downed, all the rock'n'roll I've played, all the nights I've partied away - I'm still here," goes one line from the band that fits The Drinkers like a glove!

With their third visit in four years, the legendary Saxon laid Ljubljana on the altar of heavy metal.

Janez Bončina Benč just doesn't know how to miss. Every time he steps on stage, he effortlessly feeds the crowd with a charismatic cross-section of his decades-long career. This time at Cvetličarna was no different.

" Suffocation prove again and again that they are and remain an unstoppable death metal force, firmly planted on death metal's bloody throne!"

"Hi-Rock turned out to be an ill-fated project, with a calamity and a state of emergency from massive flooding adding their share"

Location: Ljubljana / Gala Hala (Metelkova) / SloveniaDate: 06.06.2013 The progressive rock scene is in full bloom. So full that it's seriously closing in on its golden years, the seventies of the last century; if nothing else, it's…

If you let your body soak up all the volume of the night, you were rewarded with ecstasy, that much-hyped out-of-body experience, with feelings you just can't get from everyday earthly pleasures. If you left early, you missed at least one…

If the Vipava Valley usually battles violent gusts of the bora wind, this time it was shaken by the sound of Zmelkoow and Pelhan. Each band successfully delivered its own definition of rock'n'roll, so the event's basic mission, giving the…

Perfection is hard to describe, since it's so much easier to write about flaws and the humanity that comes with them. But on this night, there were no flaws. There were just four otherworldly musicians who, with a thoroughly human…

It's not just the weather that's heating up: the tension is building ahead of this year's MetalDays too, and the warm-up gigs are fanning the flames!

The Boys Are Back In Town was what Thin Lizzy sang in 1976, and the legendary New York death metal giants brutally tore it up on their third return to our capital. But no matter how many times Suffocation come back, the local death metal…

HiRock Festival! When the wet dreams of AOR fanatics come true and a catastrophic flood washes away an entire festival day, taking Toto, Survivor, Rick Springfield and FM with it. Half the turnout, half the festival. But we got out with our…

Location: Trieste / Piazza Unita d'Italia / Italy Date: Saturday, May 25, 2013 Is there really such a thing as eternity and lasting staying power at the very top of the hellish trinity of sex, drugs, and rock'n'roll? There have…

"The man keeps his youthful cheek and enthusiasm in approaching his daily artistic pursuits! After another one-of-a-kind experience, let's hope Satriani never loses either trait in the art of the singular, exhibitionist brilliance of his…

Joe Satriani – a guitar ace, an out-of-this-world artist when it comes to mastering six-string theory, and in sheer genius pretty much an "alien" – presented his new studio album "Unstoppable Momentum" on his third visit to the Slovenian…

Despite the rain, Trieste gladly surrendered to the stage brilliance of the legendary American pop punk trio.

Location: Zagreb / Arena Zagreb / CroatiaDate: Thursday, 23.05.2013 Depeche Mode are today considered one of those bands whose pioneering artistry had a groundbreaking influence on the modern understanding of the entertainment side…

Aluk Todolo definitely delivered. They delivered something new, something innovative, something loud, something properly nasty. The French of the 21st century clearly have the creative side of the business nailed – the financial or…

Another triumphant Zagreb stop for yet another band that defined the eighties!

A dream pairing of two of the most outstanding musical talents the British Isles have ever produced! Stripped-down, raw acoustic style and a one-of-a-kind reinterpretation of some eternal rock evergreens. The duo: Murray Hockridge and Dave…

Deck Janiels at the launch gig for their studio debut in their hometown of Kamnik, with Ljubljana's Retro Kult in support.

"Even though both Beardfish and Sound of Contact lived up to the big expectations, the Spock's Beard guys proved in the end who the 'main men' were, more than justified their status as the evening's headliners, and above all confirmed once…

After four years away from Križanke, Big Foot Mama showed and proved that you must never run out of good ideas and reasons to party.

Following the March release of their killer debut Last Man Standing, Black Diamond have finally unleashed their heavy metal beast live!

Even though the new S.A.R.S. album is called "Kuča časti," this time K4 didn't comp anyone a round of beer. Instead, we got a one-of-a-kind gig party with a band that's on a meteoric rise!

The eternal optimists from San Francisco blew us away all over again, just like ten years ago, with their remarkable onstage spontaneity and tight interplay, plus a sparkling sense of humor that's usually pretty thin on the ground in…

Andy Timmons is a guitar ace. One of those players who lands in the world's top tier every time the talk turns to polished guitar playing. And that's exactly what the evening with the maestro at the Bluesiana club in Austrian Carinthia…

The second pact of the godless made a stop at Metelkova this time, last Thursday at Channel Zero!

"A two-hour journey through the legacy of one of Britain's most celebrated guitarists satisfied the appetite of a hungry Ljubljana crowd, who gave themselves over to the melancholically mellow yet still majestic musical storytelling of Mark…

A two-hour trip through the legacy of one of Britain's most respected guitarists fed the hungry Ljubljana crowd, who gave themselves over to Mark Knopfler's melancholically mellow yet still majestic musical storytelling.

We witnessed a gig of superlatives, one that offers everything rock music possibly can: irony, madness, fun, great riffs, catchy melodies, booze (and drugs??), group sing-alongs, improvisation, and so on.

"The banality of the band's own musical legacy is offset by the development of giant stage-production scenery, a plethora of excessive, well-acted theatrical stage sketches that don't let the audience breathe for even a fraction of a…

»Wir halten das Tempo« is the title of the new tour by German industrial Conans Rammstein, on which they also put the flammability of Ljubljana's Stožice arena to the test. For a moment, it could have been renamed the Jesenice steelworks!

It was a real pleasure to drive to the Croatian capital on a sunny Monday, because a music event that promised a lot was waiting for us there. Zagreb got a double bill of technicians with a capital T: Polish death metallers Decapitated and…

The ad hoc organization of a collapsed Zagreb festival, which surely helped all three bands enormously, paid off in its mission: art matters, the people who put their hearts into it matter, and that's what makes us human. A sense of…

Location: Ljubljana / Gala hala / SloveniaDate: 25.04.2013 The Puzzled is yet another "off-the-wall" project. It's an alliance of four musicians from home scenes devoted to strict musical experimentation and free-spirited…

"The mission to bring the Genesis magic back to life on stage, with maestro Hackett in the heart of Vicenza, was more than a success. Over roughly two and a half hours, we got a proper fill of some of the most beloved classics from the…

And the goosebumps just keep coming, proof that the musical essence of The Puzzled is kneaded from true artistic dough. It's gorgeous both in its brutally jagged chaos and in the softly cushioned melodiousness of its tunes. Avant-garde, and…

The magic of the Prekmurje soul charmed the bashful refuge of SiTi Teater, as the man with the black guitar from Beltinci, alone on stage, once again poured a handful of magic words into the ears and souls of the crowd, emotionally feeding…

Maestro Hackett's mission of reviving the Genesis magic live in the heart of Vicenza was more than a success, meaning that over roughly two and a half hours we gorged ourselves on some of the most beloved classics from the musical saga of…

DMP don't do nonchalance, and to quote singer Alan Vitezič: "We'll work our asses off for you and have a blast doing it." And that line pretty much summed up DMP on this night (and probably on plenty of others, too).

I'll admit it, I expected nothing from this show, and I walked away with a lot. Blackbird Blackbird proved to be an artist who knows how to spoil a crowd and whip up good energy, without compromising on sound quality or, ''God forbid'',…

Avtomobili! A quintet of top-notch musicians, led by the indestructible Vuksanovič brothers, does the job superbly, and so tightly it's almost "sinful" in its perfectionism. Another show that confirmed their "new spring" is still going…

American heavy blues outfit Cactus didn't come to Steinfeld, Austria, just to cash a check. With a genuine, no-frills show, they convinced the crowd that even in the autumn of their career they still do their name proud.

Let's put it loosely: with their multilayered genre character, HeaveniX are a modern, kick-ass take on Avtomobili for today, with an even bigger dose of silky groove and a charming funk vibe that can, at any moment, spice up its structures…

The Mosh Still Lives Tour hit Ljubljana with a less-than-crushing punch. Besides a venue ill-suited to moshing, the total switch-off was also spoiled a bit by the lack of live stamina in some of the performers, and instead of full…

Attack of the Mutant Camels!

The way Eric Sardinas plays and pours experiences straight from the depths of his heart is something truly unique, and his facial expressions and movement while playing only deepen the already powerful message of the lyrics. Theatrical.…

Pioneers here, resurrections there: is the core (still) the core?

"Jarnbyrd or Under Isen from the album I Krig would have fit in nicely, but Vreid completely skipped it this time. Still, the Norwegian wrath-bringers easily washed away the bad taste of the dismal middle of the night, and at the same time…

With their hard-hitting "blues rock" tornado at this year's Ortofest, Hamo & Tribute 2 Love served up their studio debut "Dve" as a proper live party. The album just came out on Celinka.

One of the heaviest moments of this year's Ortofest opened Thoth's book of spells, though the cramped stage made them hit less hard than usual. Noctiferia are still the best Slovenian metal has to offer today.

Norwegians minus the sombreros took over Gromka last Thursday, and it was mostly the tour headliners Vreid who made sure the night went down smooth.

This year's Ortofest also gave us a chance to catch the indie-rock quartet Werefox. The psycho-pathic half is Bekko (guitar) and Melée (vocals), while David (drums) and Manuel (bass) are their diametrical opposite (ex-Sphericube,…

The birth of Litošt pretty much cancelled out the whole (somewhat meh) experience with The Soft Moon. So the night wasn't about a more or less watered-down set from the American post-punkers. It was the start of something one-of-a-kind,…

Location: Ljubljana / Orto bar / SloveniaConcert date: 09.04.2013Attendance: 100Ticket price: €4.00 Photo Gallery

Location: Ljubljana / Orto bar / SloveniaConcert date: 08.04.2013Attendance: 15Ticket price: €4.00 Photo gallery

Catching a first-rate player like Steve Lukather in an intimate club setting is a one-of-a-kind experience, since this guy is one of the most accomplished and universally (»cross-genre«) defined guitarists in the galaxy. "Toto's…

Three years ago the king of shred guitar paid a visit to Slovenia, but this time we Gilbert fans had to head west to Trieste if we wanted to hear and see him live.

Location: Ljubljana / Orto bar // SloveniaConcert date: 05.04.2013Attendance: 100 Photo gallery

Da Phenomena is riding again, with a third studio album on the horizon.

The gig flew by. It delivered exactly what we came for: the full, tangible eclectic substance of the unique musical language of the album »Club Deuce«, served up in true Balladero style on the platter of the concert stage!

Location: Ljubljana / Orto bar // SloveniaConcert date: 02.04.2013Attendance: 180Ticket price: 8,00€ / 10,00€ Photo Gallery

While the sheep stuffed their faces with ham, dyed Easter eggs and let their brains get washed by the compulsory-for-every-payer license fee spent on picking the national TV's second channel, the Deathrashing Across Europe tour was…

After our post-apocalyptic survival ride with Moveknowledgement, we jumped forward in time too, led by the doctors of rhythm and rhyme. The magic of excellence took over the universe, and for a moment at least, all our worries went…

Despite her bitter, pain-soaked songs, Chinawoman conjured up a fantastic night of live music. The grim, month-long faces vanished for a while, and good music proved once again that it's a serotonin factory and a miracle worker. This time…

There's no HC without pain, and by the standards of blood, sweat and lumbago, Slovenian two-step HC deathcore plus British metallized hardcore turned out to be a seriously reactive mix, one that makes you appreciate the pain at least five…

Sergej Škofljanec, Matic Ajdič, Martin Rozman and Jure Doles make up San Di Ego. The names speak for themselves! A new band, new original music! And of course, new gigs! So let the ego do the talking!

"Alan Parsons Live Project's show in Vienna can only be described as pure sonic perfection, the kind you can these days catch at only a handful of concerts by musicians who have devoted most of their careers to art rock refinement and…

Location: Medvode / MC Jedro / SloveniaDate: Saturday, 23.03.2013 Adi Smolar! When Adi Smolar is announced on a concert bill, it's a Saturday, and the gig is close to where you live, there's no way you're not spicing up your…

Like plenty of Adi Smolar gigs before it, the Medvode show lived up to expectations. Hanging out with Adi Smolar gives you wings, lifts you up, and fills you with optimism. It's at the heart of this one-of-a-kind performer's interpretation,…

Peter Hook delivered an incredibly emotional, high-energy show and gave it everything he had. He put his own very personal spin on the material while staying remarkably true to the Joy Division legacy, and in the end we felt exactly what we…

Alan Parsons Live Project's Vienna show can only be described as pure sonic perfection, the kind you can only catch these days at a handful of gigs by musicians who've spent most of their careers devoted to art rock refinement and polish.

"The Pumpkins are no doubt one of Germany's biggest bands and will always be welcome here, but they're capable of way better, and that setlist could really use a serious shake-up. Gamma Ray, on the other hand, blew everyone away."

The second edition of the Hellish Rock tour, which pairs the two biggest names in German power metal, Gamma Ray and Helloween, finally made a stop in Ljubljana!

"Once again it was one of those gigs that leave you gaping in post-show afterglow for days. Justin and the band don't let you catch your breath for a second while you share the live magic with them"

Great musicians, whom club owner Gudrun Kofler keeps inviting onto her stage, plus the cozy, intimate feel of a club with friendly staff – that's a winning combination that never lets you down at Bluesiana. And Eric Martin definitely…

"Release party" for Panikk's new homegrown thrash metal monster, Unbearable Conditions!

After quite a few months without any rock'n'roll in Celje, a really nice gig finally went down, and it pulled in a decent crowd. Local favorites Šah Mat and Kronika played, along with an interesting duo from Armenia called Wattican Punk…

With their gig at Orto bar and the simultaneous release of their debut »V neznano«, Pelhan laid another piece in the mosaic of Slovenian hard rock and proved once again that the Slovenian Littoral is one of our leading regions in that…

Rock 'n' roll is a catapult to ecstasy in a parallel world that we illusorily paint before our eyes. And after what they showed in Vienna, The Darkness remain among the most convincing standard-bearers of rock 'n' roll magic. Sinful…

"Meeting Threshold was unforgettable and one of a kind! We probably saw them in Ljubljana for the first time, the last time, and never again."

A British-American invasion of air-conditioned metalcore, Napoleonic predictability and oceanic emptiness served up a karaoke night, but no standout moments.

Another magical night at SiTi Teater flew by in a flash, even though the show ran almost two hours. That says a lot about its tightness and the fascinating way Severa Gjurin paints a musical landscape, the way she sees it and serves it up.

Watching Sabaton on stage was a pleasure. A pleasure because the band is living through its career peak. Sabaton are right at the top of their game. A rebuilt lineup, renewed in spirit and heart. An incredible bond between fans and band,…

British prog metallers Threshold, one of the most distinguished bands on the planet in this genre, put out a superb new studio album, "March Of Progress", at the end of last August. It's probably the most sophisticated release in their rich…

Not a single slip-up in the "Tiho" epic's farewell. Dan D closed a chapter of their journey in grand style and, enriched by a fresh experience, are calmly looking ahead, fully ready to take on a new musical adventure.

Moonleejada 2013 showed off yet another excellent pleiad of bands under its wing, while also giving hope to everyone who defies the capitalist (music) industry with their independence. Moonlee Records stand for everything in music that's…

Given that World::Within's music carries a dreamy, cerebral premise that can blast a receptive listener into a parallel world of "space psychedelia," and given that the band managed to re-create that feeling on stage, their set passed in…

This time around, the "ferret's smoking chamber of death" took the naughty Styrian metalheads Sabaium into its bosom. A sinister offshoot of a successful collision between death metal and gothic and doom elements, it would have burned even…

Meeting the grand old man of British rock Ian Hunter fed the Trieste crowd's appetite, though the cherry on top, a livelier performance and more interaction with the audience, was missing.

In our third encounter with the legendary drummer and his two virtuoso sidekicks, the Carl Palmer Band show turned out to be the best one yet, and almost all of us walked out of Bluesiana with satisfied grins, feeling fulfilled and full of…

Author: Jerneja JerakPhotos: Jerneja Jerak Venue: Channel Zero, LjubljanaGig date: 03/02/2013Attendance: 60-100Ticket price: €15 (€12 with a reservation) Photo Gallery

"Judgment of the Goats at Gala hala" would've been a fitting title for Saturday's gig at Metelkova, because German (goat) death/grinders Milking the Goatmachine played Slovenia for the first time as part of a club tour.

Sure, the gig was far from flawless and dragged quite a bit through the first hour and a half, but it's not every day you get to hear the generational anthems of the eighties live and see the charismatic Marina Perazić on stage. The…

When do you know a band is getting old? When the front rows are packed with ladies in their late twenties instead of teenage girls, and yet, despite those extra years, more is going on both on stage and below it than at any gig of…

Last Friday, the afterburner roar of an F-14 Tomcat jet shook Medvode's Jedro!

At Channel Zero, Mate Brodar, one half of Da Phenomena and known as a solo artist under the BRO project, sent his second studio album off into the world. He called the new record »Smoods«.