Venue: Križanke / Ljubljana / Slovenia
Concert date: 09.09.2011
Attendance: 2
Ticket price: €10.00 (subscribers), €30.00 (regular price)
Slovenia’s biggest mobile carrier brought its Itak party back to Križanke this time, which is definitely a great choice given the lineup. The stage was great too, with a huge three-part video wall, solid lighting and a sound system that did what it should for musical guests of this caliber.
The foyer had another smaller video wall with a live feed from the stage, so you could grab a cold drink without missing a second of the show. For whatever reason, Križanke still doesn’t let you bring a drink into the venue, even if it’s poured into an ugly plastic cup – a weird rule that should be scrapped ASAP, to the audience’s delight!
While it was still a hot afternoon, Toronto Drug Bust took the stage in front of an almost empty auditorium. The young Ljubljana five-piece kicked off with real punch and gave the middle of the set to slower, melodic songs. Just when it looked like the hot sun and the big stage were draining their energy, they closed strong again and showed they’re a band with promise.
The break between acts was filled by the DJ duo Danza Macabra. I have to say the music selection didn’t do much for me given the event’s Indie billing, but a break is a break.
After a break of well over half an hour (the venue had to fill up, after all), Bosnia’s Dubioza Kolektiv hit the stage, regulars at festivals and other music-fueled parties in our neck of the woods. Dressed hilariously like a swarm of rowdy wasps, they started off energetically and played a great show. Their mix of reggae, funk, hip hop and traditional Bosnian melodies and rhythms always hits the spot.
The crowd went wild, singing along in tune to the biggest hits like „Kokuz” and „Blam” and other odes to intoxicating substances. Dubioza wins you over with quick, unexpected rhythm shifts (reminiscent of Manu Chao), and on top of a tightly rehearsed performance, both frontmen add a really effective connection with the crowd.
Their „homie” Saša Lošić also showed up on stage, but sadly I couldn’t make out his singing… maybe the sound guy ducked out for a burek.
Another sizable break, some cooling off for overheated throats, and then the evening’s first British indie masters, The Wombats. The trio from Liverpool ran their dancey indie rock with real energy from the very first note, with the dance rhythm from drummer Dan Haggis and Norwegian-born bassist Tord Øverland-Knudsen topped off melodically by guitarist, keyboardist and vocalist Matthew Murphy.
Those English harmonies, along with the „catchy” choruses, are to blame for the success of a band that basically rests on a couple of MTV hits. Unfortunately, apart from the hits, most of the other songs sound pretty forced, as if they’re somehow short on real ideas to take things up a notch.
Speaking of MTV hits, the Wombats closed the show with the biggest one, the dance anthem Let’s Dance to Joy Division, plus a jam where Matthew put on a panda mask (hm, why not a wombat?).
By the time Editors took the stage, Plečnik’s magnificent venue was completely packed and the crowd was ready for the high point of the night. Even the mellow start with Camera got everyone on their feet and sent hands flying into the air. The sound was excellent and crystal clear, something we missed at the earlier shows by indie giants Interpol and The National. Not that you could compare those three anyway; every band has its own character and its own story.
Live, Editors shine above all with the solid rhythmic foundation of drummer Ed Lay and bassist Russell Leetch, on which they build an extremely rich texture of keyboards. Lead guitarist Chris Urbanowicz and vocalist-guitarist Tom Smith both pick them up now and then, but we often hear them straight from the backing track.
Tom’s full baritone is what lifts the instrumental story higher with his storytelling. Editors have their own distinctive sound that makes them one of a kind in today’s indie rock scene. Every song is crafted and arranged to perfection, from the intro to the short, mostly abrupt ending.
The atmosphere slowly built, and the four-piece from Birmingham confidently strung together hits from their three albums, mixed with the odd newer song like Two Hearted Spider, right up to the last one of the main set, the excellent Smokers Outside the Hospital Doors.
Tom kicked off the encore alone with an acoustic guitar and the darkly romantic The Weight of The World, where his excellent vocals really came into their own.
The other three then joined him on stage and together they treated us to four more songs, including the latest hit Papillon, visibly delighted with the fantastic response from the audience.
The closing Fingers In The Factories faded out leaving us wondering whether anything could top this excellent show, which will be hard to do, since Editors really gave it their all on a superbly prepared stage with great sound. And the subsidized ticket price brought a big young crowd down to the front.
photos: Nina Grad
Setlist
EDITORS: 1.) Camera 2.) Bones 3.) Bullets 4.) An End Has A Start 5.) Two Hearted Spider 6.) You Don’t Know Love 7.) The Racing Rats 8.) All Sparks 9.) No Sound But The Wind 10.) Eat Raw Meat = Blood Drool 11.) Munich 12.) Smokers Outside The Hospital Doors —encore— 13.) The Weight of The World 14.) In This Light And On This Evening 15.) Brick And Mortar 16.) Papillon 17.) Fingers In The Factories THE WOMBATS: 1.) Our Perfect Disease 2.) Kill the Director 3.) Party in a Forest (Where’s Laura?) 4.) Jump Into The Fog 5.) Patricia the Stripper 6.) Here Comes the Anxiety 7.) Techno Fan 8.) Last Night I Dreamt … 9.) Backfire at the Disco 10.) 1996 11.) Moving to New York 12.) My First Wedding 13.) Anti-D 14.) Tokyo (Vampires & Wolves) 15.) Let’s Dance to Joy Division
Photo gallery
