Author: Aleš Podbrežnik
Venue: Orto bar / Ljubljana
Concert date: 08.04.2016
Attendance: 200
Ticket price: 9 €
“We’re missing punk” could have been the slogan that packed the bigger downstairs hall next to the smoking room at Orto bar on Friday, April 8, 2016. The daily special on the Orto fest menu this time was Zagreb punk rockers Hladno pivo. The band, whose roots go all the way back to 1988, currently plays in this lineup: Milan Kekin–Mile (vocals), Zoran Subašić–Zoki (guitar), Krešimir Šokec–Šoki (bass), Mladen Subašić–Suba (drums), Milko Kiš–Deda (keyboards). Hladno pivo are a band that has never lost its charisma, which is why they’re still more than welcome on Slovenian stages today, if not downright wanted.
When you get past the security guys at the door and step into the concert space of Orto bar, and the hall is already packed with smiling people looking forward to a good time, that’s a guarantee of a great gig. There was no support act that night, and Hladno pivo kicked things off just 15 minutes after the announced time, which is surprisingly punctual. Over roughly two hours and 15 minutes, the Zagreb crew filled the setlist to the brim with the most iconic songs of their career, along with tracks from the current studio album “Dan zatvorenih vrata”. Hladno pivo call their genre punk rock with a bit of everything thrown in, and you can only agree. Besides a few songs from the latest album, which the band released last year, the show was more or less a “best of” compilation, which is exactly what the thrilled crowd wanted. Neither the band nor the crowd ran short of energy from start to finish, and the audience jumped along with the songs and clearly had a blast from the first track to the last. The hits were all there: »Svijet glamura«, »Pjevajte nešto ljubavno«, »Maderfakersi«, »Šank«, »Zimmer frei«, … Shooting photos in the front row turned into a tough job. It was closer to a battlefield, which is pretty much standard for gigs by fun punk bands.
After two obligatory encores, Hladno pivo treated the thrilled crowd to »Nije sve tako sivo« as the last song of the night.
What to say in closing? A really strong show from our “neighbors”, who, judging by what we saw, clearly feel at home in smaller club halls, and given the charisma the band radiates, Hladno pivo simply belong on club stages. Judging by the energy the band pulled out of them, the crowd also likes them best served this way. Straight-up guitar riffs with no fuss, a piercing voice and lyrics covering all sorts of ground are surely a recipe for success.
I have no complaints about the sound in the hall. Everything worked as it should and was nice and clear. The official merch table was also praiseworthy, with a few current records and T-shirts up for grabs.
This kind of Hladno pivo, served alongside cold beer at Orto bar, is something we definitely want more of in the future. With a remarkable and long-lived 27-year tradition, the band remains a first-rate live experience, and with their visit to the Slovenian capital they more than successfully spiced up this year’s Ortofest program.
text and photos: Klemen Udovč
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