Location: Cerkno / Bar Gabrijel / Slovenia
Date: Monday, 23.12.2019
Orlek — neither Žamboh nor Ostrež, but no less of a Zasavje rock’n’roll band for it — are celebrating 30 solid years of existence this year and rank among a long line of great veterans preaching punk rock of a distinctly Slovenian musical “nature.” That means nobody comes close, which is why their own invention, “knap’n’roll,” is perfectly on the money. Unique. Thoroughbred Zagorje. The miners’ nonet made sure this year’s festive December included a stop in Cerkno. Bar Gabrijel was celebrating its 24th birthday, and every 23rd of December this beloved Cerkno venue throws an exclusive concert to mark the occasion.
Gigs at Gabrijel are always something special. Simple as that. It’s a one-of-a-kind venue — nothing else even comes close. Anyone who knows it is probably already shaking their head, wondering how on earth nine musicians managed to squeeze onto Gabrijel’s tiny stage. No problem. Like four elephants in a legendary Fičo — two in front, two in back. On top of that, Orlek hauled a piano up there too. Nothing was missing that evening; above all, there was an abundance of joie de vivre, good cheer and positive energy that demanded a total disconnect — offering a long-overdue, absolutely satisfying release from the gruelling days of December. The hundred tickets were gone fast. The event had been sold out well in advance. There was also a strong showing of young people with “LJ” plates.
The band played. Played with a capital P. A full two and a half hours. No breaks. No pauses. They threw the crowd headlong into the legendary “Orlek theater.” In doing so, Orlek demonstrated extraordinary tightness, paired with an incredible sense of reliving every moment and a full-blooded joy of performance. Orlek are a well-oiled musical combine of a punk rock orchestra, braced on all sides and richly layered with brass arrangements and the often dominant presence of the remarkable Jure Tori — who occasionally switched to the piano as well — while the background is sustained by the sharp, bristling guitar work that holds absolutely nothing back on the decibels, and a rock-solid rhythmic drive. When the impossibly charismatic vocalist Vlado Poredoš steps on stage, the whole machine for reviving miners’ customs and traditions and other Zasavje tales becomes complete.
Alongside their celebrated classics that can never, ever go missing from the iron-clad setlist, the band also played through their entire new album “Živel Rokenrol” (among the songs, a brilliantly arranged “Fešta” also sparkled — which in its original form belongs to The Pogues), and at no point did they show any signs of flagging, because that evening in Gabrijel, Orlek had decided on a proper concert marathon with no end in sight — just as there was no end in sight to this unique and unforgettable evening in the company of what we can only call a legendary band. When the suitable fumes of high-octane combustion in the group’s tank did eventually start running low after all, Vlado quickly hollered toward the bar: “Now get us some spritzers sorted back there!” — and in an instant, it was done.
When Orlek are on stage, you know you’re watching a band with extraordinary mileage. Simple as that. It comes through in their exceptional tightness, complemented by the incredible ease and self-assurance of every member and their uncanny mutual awareness and chemistry. The band members know each other extremely well, and along with that comes command of a whole bag of (almost routine) tricks with which they meter out their stage theater — first among them, of course, the impossibly infectious, near-iconic Vlado, who had the crowd eating out of his hand.
The band delivered exactly what we came for. They disarmed the crowd with a phenomenal rock’n’roll bash, and because the whole thing unfolded at a venue with genuine club character, it captivated and seduced everyone present even more intensely with its unique musical voice, authenticity and the sparkling energetic voltage of their own knap ‘n’ roll. If you’re looking for a name for a proper party, the answer is simple. Orlek. Gabrijel that evening was raucously bursting and groaning at the seams, the walls flexing right along with it, and over time — aided by the noble fumes of various alcoholic derivatives — growing quite concretely “damp” themselves.
author: Aleš Podbrežnik
photos: Aleš Podbrežnik
