Location: Hala Tivoli / Ljubljana / Slovenia
Concert date: 11.11.2006
Attendance: 4500
Ticket price: 6.000,00 SIT
A traffic collapse on Celovška, plus lone cars circling like worn-out insects battering themselves against an overheated streetlight bulb, hunting for a parking spot behind the Union Brewery in the maze of streets “back there” in Šiška, told me right away that a mass party was brewing at this end of Ljubljana! I only managed to park on Zupančičeva, a good shot away from the very centre of town, and it was 19.40. The concert was announced for 20.00. The hall was already nicely packed and buzzing like an anthill. The crowd reminded me of the one at Spandau Ballet twenty years ago (1987), when as a teenager I crossed the threshold of Hala Tivoli for the first time. Of course, there was loads of fired-up female company, though thanks to the cold autumn days they didn’t flaunt that fieriness quite as provocatively as they would have in May or June. So what do you call Gibonni? “The Croatian George Michael”, or just “Robbie Williams”?
It was Ljubljana, and it was the opening concert in support of Gibonni’s new record “Unca fibre”! The clock struck a solid academic fifteen minutes past eight and Gibonni kicked off with Ovo mi je škola. The crowd went up in flames, and the whole hall (seats and floor) greeted the musicians on stage with one almighty roar. I don’t want to waste too many words, but like I said, Gibonni conjures up a spectacle all his own. As a musician the guy has fully matured and is probably at his creative peak, which his previous albums “Judi, zviri i beštimje” and “Mirakul” already confirmed, and the new “Unca fibre” only backs that up! The moment he first opened his mouth, the entire auditorium was with him. Picture this: the whole hall singing every verse from first to last, hot chicks in front of you swaying their hips in their November coats, and their blokes – the extras – jealously shooting looks at any unsuspecting lone wolf who sneaks into their vicinity. Have I painted a vivid enough picture of the majority that poured into the hall that night? Gibonni immediately soaked the concert atmosphere in the emotion that makes his shows so special. Relaxed, sovereign and with unbelievable self-confidence, he led and linked the show together like a master conductor. The vibe was full of positive energy, and Gibonni urged people to love, to love each other, which drew plenty of stormy emotional reactions during the almost three-hour set, and surely a tear or two rolled down the cheeks of a few people in the crowd. That evening with Gibonni was ideal for healing love wounds, for reconciliation, for a fresh start. The start of something beautiful… Maybe some loosened relationship got back together that night and a few little hearts healed? For the Croatian singer himself, that would be one of the finest tributes or acknowledgments. With a few heartfelt speeches he showed what a big man he is, sincerely wishing everyone present nothing but a lot of love and all the best.
And what is there to say about the accessibility, openness and immersion of a stage show that only a hot, genuine Dalmatian temperament can bring to life? Perfection. On top of that came the spontaneity of the emotionally unburdened Gibotto at the helm, and he was not stingy with it at all. The man really did seem to have a surplus of positive energy that he had no trouble sharing with others, as if he had conquered every fear. That’s what life makes of you. It was a long road to get here. He admitted as much himself during the show. A full 14 years, and in a wave of emotion he thanked the Ljubljana audience for “rescuing” him and offering “asylum” (read: refuge) to all the other musicians who accompanied Gibonni on stage.
All of it was woven into the incredibly deep verses of Gibonni’s poetry, which came alive that night. The man took care of every last detail on stage. He was backed by an eight-piece band of top-class musicians, joined by the Dalmatian klapa Iskon – a quintet whose high point came in the song Vrime da se pomirim sa svitom, but who really set the place on fire with a special rendition of Judi, zviri i beštimje, which the crowd rewarded with a thunderous response. As if Gibonni had truly thought of everything.
The musicians built a superb, full sound, perfectly balanced, where every instrument held a position in which everything was clearly audible and the sonic picture was maxed out and completely filled in. The singing was especially striking, of course. All the backing vocals merged with Gibonni’s into a gorgeous harmony, which the klapa Iskon enriched and lifted at select moments. How strong Gibonni is as an expressive musician was proven not only by the compositions themselves but by how they were performed. Dalmatian melos, enriched with short jazzy improvisational excursions and even South American rhythms, and in these Gibbo also found room to bring in some soul elements. All of it was wrapped in excellent spotlight lighting that added just the dot on the “i” of the ceremonial feel!
The musical guests also conjured up a one-of-a-kind mood. One of the highlights of the night was Gibonni’s collaboration with Goran Bare on the latter’s recent hit Anđeo u tebi. Toward the end, Neisha joined them on stage as well. Together with Gibonni she sang her hit Maš še kje čas and Gibonni’s Oprosti. Geoffry Oryema joining Gibotto on stage for Mirakul is no longer news, but it’s always a welcome extra spice for an evening with Gibbo.
Like I said, the almost three-hour show passed in the blink of an eye. 22.55! Really the end? The crowd just would not say goodbye to Gibonni. The moment he appeared on stage once more, the audience erupted so violently that you could feel a wave of euphoria that gave me the same feelings as watching documentaries about the good old immortal and one and only The Beatles. So, with the end right at the door, the guy came back out with the musicians and, since the refrain of Libar had been echoing through the hall a moment earlier, played it once more with his band. This was a concert event the likes of which I can’t recall from any Slovenian act. True, we on the sunny side of the Alps are made of different dough, but when it comes to musical perfection, charisma, knowing your own identity (let’s leave Avsenik or Laibach aside here), and above all the self-confidence that radiated real invincibility, we’d definitely do well to learn a thing or two from Gibonni.
Setlist
1. Ovo mi je škola
2. U ljubav vjere nemam
3. Hodaj
4. Ne odustajem (Non rinuncio a lei)
5. Cesarica
6. Tempera
7. Vrime da se pomirim sa svitom
8. Divji cvit
9. Tija bi te zaboravit
10. Judi, zviri i beštimje
11. Libar
12. Dvije duše
13. Projdi vilo
14. Anđeo u tebi
15. Maš še kje čas
16. Oprosti
17. Sve ću preživit
18. Zlatne godine
—encore I.
19. Mirakul
20. Činim pravu stvar
21. Vrime da se pomirim sa svitom
—encore II.
22. Libar
