Location: Channel Zero / Ljubljana / Slovenia
Concert date: 04.12.2014
On Thursday 4.12., Channel Zero hosted »Bring on the vanguards« and »The Hoax Program«. The first have been on the scene for a few years and have a »demo« out that shows off plenty of promising tracks in true DIY style. Sound-wise the band roams around stoner rock with a refined dash of other genres. The Hoax program already have 2 studio releases behind them and express themselves more aggressively through their music. They kicked off the night, hitting the stage at 10 p.m. They were supposed to play all-new stuff, and from what I heard it was meant to be a sort of follow-up to their earlier releases, which sound tempting on the studio recordings. Live, though, at least this time the songs didn’t bring any special energy, but the whole thing still came off as a solid gig.
Bring on the vanguards took the stage a little after 11 p.m. and opened with »Too damn«. The right sound levels wandered around the mixing desk for a while before settling into place. That hiccup didn’t really get in the way of this well-rehearsed trio. By the second track, »Crooked line«, pretty much everything already sounded the way it should, and the drummer’s heartfelt rhythms deserve a shout-out too. The bassist was swaying on a surfboard in warm Hawaii, while the guitarist was busy trying to hoist the sail between the vocals and the guitar on the ship. Then »Great offence« hit, and no joke, it sounded at least 2x better than on the demo. »Lokomotif« was ok, and Nevermind opened up completely new horizons, hinting at the direction the band is heading with its new ideas. BOTV served up two more new songs, and of the rest of the demo material »Franco« definitely sounded best.
The gig had a great vibe, the organization was top-notch, and the bands definitely made themselves noticed. And going forward, if some quality »stoner treat« comes to Slovenia, give »BOTV« the support slot, and not anything like the last pick.
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