Artist: Šank Rock
Label: Dallas Records
Release: 2008
The pride of the Slovenian rock scene, which, in case you didn’t know, goes by the name Šank rock, celebrated the 25th anniversary of its existence in its hometown of Velenje in December 2007. Definitely an enviable achievement, one the band has now crowned by immortalizing the big event on DVD. Considering that moves like this are a real rarity in Slovenia, Šank rock are taking a step in the right direction as a follow-up to the success of the album Senca sebe. Sadly, though, or as you might expect if you prefer, the promised relic for rock fanatics is (with a few exceptions) anything but, unless of course you’re tripping on a definition of rock & roll modeled on Alya or, even worse, Omar Naber.
V živo z gosti tries to spoil us with a pair of discs: a DVD of last year’s concert at the Rdeča dvorana and an audio recording of that same event, sweetened with a good dozen music videos that make for an interesting visual stroll through the whole length of the “Šank” catalog. There’s a really lovely bouquet of blooms here. The chronologically ordered video presentation of the Šank rock legacy will surely delight the most loyal fans, who have been reaching in vain for rarities like these for years, and in the eyes of the greenhorns it will surely also pass as an invitation to discover the real magic of the Velenje band. Either way, the low-budget demonstrations of cock-rock choreography, Slovenian-style, will snap you to attention fast, especially with the already somewhat evergreen Rokerji, Maček or Lahka dama playing along.
The video documentation of the concert celebrating Šank rock’s silver anniversary is a completely different story, and unlike the highlights mentioned above, it doesn’t exactly offer thrills in abundance. Armed with a mostly commercially oriented repertoire that neglects basic rock values, stresses conventionality, and above all plays to the instant-gratification mindset of the Slovenian music scene, Šank rock cast a cautiously wide net. It’s as if, after the flash of inspiration that was Senca sebe, the guys suddenly realized that smuggling in a party-band vibe helps them more than it hurts in the long run. Nothing new, then? Almost! Surprisingly, the gentlemen evidently fear (or at any rate avoid) looking any deeper into their own past, so any overt flirting with the band’s roots is more the exception than the rule. That’s probably why we’re doomed to suffer through stuff like Hočeš nočeš, then the quasi-striptease via dolorosa of Dej bolj naglas radio, while the DJ show isn’t even worth wasting words on. The guys at least partly rescue the situation with confidently delivered Šank rock ironmongery, which, alongside the fresh material from the album Senca sebe, finally puts things in their proper place. Add the excellent sound during Tih bod in igraj or Nekaj pod kožo, and you’re in for a truly fairytale experience. But watch out! Unfortunately, the fairly static and unattractive direction does the overall impression no special favors either, although it’s true that Šank rock, at the peak of their midlife crisis, don’t exactly radiate the agility of Nadia Comaneci.
V živo z gosti is a fairly predictable product with little excitement going on, but for the most part it’s perfectly tailored to the provincialism of the Slovenian music scene. What’s more! Despite their enviable number of years on the scene, Šank rock show a certain lack of self-confidence with it. With a repertoire and reputation most bands would kill for without a second thought, the Velenje lads would surely have fared better at the anniversary without the presence of Natalija Verboten and 6packČukur. This kind of experimenting, neglecting the authentic rock & roll heritage and favoring collaborations of dubious quality, is probably something only we uniquely Slovenian folks can afford. Simple people whose small-town logic would rather turn every promised rock bash into a cow-barn village party, out of pure homesickness.
Lineup
Matjaž Jelen: vocals
Roki Petkovič: guitar
Davor Klarič: keyboards
Cveto Polak: bass guitar
Aleš Uranjek: drums
Production
Agencija Uran
Track list
1.Uvod
2.Rockerji
3.Zabava
4.Senca sebe
5.Tih bod in igraj
6.Dobro in zlo
7.Vzemi ali pusti
8.Hočeš nočeš
9.Nedolžen ali kriv
10.Hvala za vse
11.TV
12.Maček
13.Dam ti vse
14.Želim da si tu
15.Dej se mal nasmej
16.Nekaj pod kožo
17.Lahka dama
18.Laški pri
19.Metulj
20.Le
21.Delam kar paše mi
22.Dej bolj naglas radio
23.Pravljica
24.Pridite na žur
+ bonus 13 music videos
