Author: Urban Bolta
Photos: Urban Bolta
Venue: Celjski mladinski center
Concert date: 04.12.2008
Attendance: 70
Ticket price: 8 €/10 € on the day of the show
Celjski mladinski center has come up with some really interesting themed nights. The first Friday in December saw the third one of the series, and after Nude and Mi2, Celje played host to Orlek from Zagorje. The event, called Pripovedovalci zgodb (Storytellers), was conceived as something different from a plain old gig. As the name suggests, it was a talk-and-concert evening where the crowd got actively involved. The audience chipped in with questions, comments and, last but not least, song requests – so understandably the setlist was a bit different from the usual Orlek one. The venue itself was also adapted to the concept, with the floor space filled with chairs – so yet another typical gig trademark got turned on its head.
Orlek are a nine-piece band from Zagorje who have been making music for almost two decades with their socially minded, humorous lyrics, a mix that, in their own words, is a kind of “folk punk polka rock”.
At half past nine the nine of them marched onto the stage, found their spots, and got a warm welcome in the form of applause. To kick things off, the boss, as the other members call him, Vlado Poredoš, announced that there would be no laughs and fun tonight, since the economic crisis had hit Zasavje even harder, a region that was already impoverished and whose sad heritage Orlek bring home to their listeners in their songs. Guitarist Bojan supposedly even had a pile of unpaid bills with him, which the audience was meant to help cover on the occasion of St. Nicholas’ Eve. Those first few moments already hinted that the night with Orlek would be properly interesting and relaxed, and unlike the usual. The musical part kicked off, as usual, with Perkmandeljc, a song about a mining spirit. Between songs there was a steady stream of fun snippets from their nearly 20-year history. They’ve also played some pretty exotic countries, Pakistan and China to name just two, so there were loads of those, definitely too many for a single night. Among other things, we heard the story of their first-ever gig, of lost passports and instruments right before flights were about to leave, and of trumpeter Janez’s close encounter with two American cops. There was plenty of self-mockery, and the band members didn’t spare each other either. Besides the “boss” Vlado, the most active in this were bassist Mitja and the aforementioned Janez, who was in an especially cheerful mood that night.
The positive energy was there the whole time. Especially with the best-known songs, like Na Kum, Punca s šohta and Adijo knapi, the singing and clapping along got really loud, and despite the club’s seemingly theater-like setup, those most eager to have a good time found some room along the sides to jump around and dance on their feet to the rhythms of Orlek’s polka-rock’n’roll. Orlek also premiered a new version of Ko so lipe cvetele, turning the calm, acoustic studio version into a raw boogie take. Asked whether the song was based on a true story, Janez, who was very talkative that night, answered: “V vsak’mu naš’mu komadu je vsaj polovica resnice!” (There’s at least half a truth in every one of our songs!). One of the funniest moments of all came in the second half of the set, when someone in the crowd provoked them with “bet you wouldn’t dare, and can’t play Račke”, and they proved that covers aren’t foreign to them either, even if this one was a song meant for the youngest of kids. They also played two songs that hail from the northeastern part of Slovenia, Matjažek je gujdeka klau and Dejte mati piti. Vlado Poredoš showed he still knows his Prekmurje dialect, which he spoke as a kid from Murska Sobota.
What an outstanding crew this is was proven by two longtime former members, the drummer and the saxophonist, who cheered on their old friends from below the stage, and for a few songs joined the others up there and told a few anecdotes of their own from their Orlek adventures. So they all played the last song of the regular set together, their version of Avsenik’s Na Golici, and the sight of the grinning, now 11-piece lineup on stage was truly magnificent.
After the encore, or rather two more songs, which the Orleks themselves voted for 6:5, there was still some hanging out with the band members, and by the time we stepped out of the club it was clear that, sadly, the lovely evening was over…
This was a gig for true Orlek connoisseurs. In the pleasant and above all relaxed atmosphere, every single person in the room could help shape the night. I’ve seen quite a few Orlek shows myself, and I can say with certainty that last night’s was the best of them. If you listened closely you could hear quite a few flubs, but those were more or less down to a setlist that hadn’t been worked out in advance and to the band playing some songs that haven’t been heard at their gigs in a long time. After a set of more than two hours they must have been happy themselves, as they showed what they do best. Orlek, see you, and until next time!
Photos: Urban Bolta
Setlist
1. Perkmandeljc 2. Henrik in Rozika 3. Na Kum 4. Mesto prihodnosti 5. Ko so lipe cvetele 6. Matjažek je gujdeka klau 7. Nocoj sem spet težil & Nocoj samo za vas 8. Pišta bači 9. Predvolilni boj na vasi 10. Punca s šohta 11. Mala Zagorjanka 12. Osmi dan 13. Dobro jutro moja ljubica 14. Adijo knapi 15. Račke* 16. Dajte mati jesti 17. Dolina Šentflorjanska 18. Na Golici —————- 19. Inštrumentalna 20. Lojze Gobc
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