Third Helping of Beach Party Under the Union Jack (2013)

Arhiv Arhiv Last updated 11 June 2026

Author: Sandi Sadar Šoba

Venue: AKC Metelkova, Gala Hala, Ljubljana
Concert date: 25.06.2013
Attendance: 300 – 400

After the last school bell comes summer-pleasure time, and part of that is the now-anniversary Beach Party out on the forecourt of the Gala Hala summer stage. After Australia’s Parkway Drive, who kicked off the tradition, and America’s Suicide Silence, who stopped by Ljubljana next, this year Slovenia’s heavyweight-gig experts, the Veseli Dihurčki duo, decided to entertain the youth with British metalcore merrymakers Asking Alexandria. In these hard times they enjoy a rather cushy fate and constant praise, shared with their fellow trade-mates on both sides of the Atlantic. In a genre that blends a bit of metal, a bit of HC and a whole lot of emo makeup, only a few manage to bring enough of their own to the stage or the record to be told apart from the competition. Bleed From Within, Bring Me The Horizon, Architects, Napoleon and on and on … The supply of names coming to Slovenia never runs out, and neither does the supply of people who care more about looks than music, and more about the quantity of gigs they’ve attended than the quality, I recently got into a debate with a buddy. I could even agree with that, but I’d never judge anyone’s taste, since that’s up to each individual and not some general yardstick or mold we could use for measuring aesthetic quality. OK, so it was time for another visit to the beach at Metelkova. After a first check of the weather forecast (in case of bad weather, which has pretty much nested in the Slovenian capital in the manner of English climate – temperatures cut in half after the heat and plenty of rain, though no summer snow so far – the event could even have been canceled or moved into the bowels of Gala, which is suitable for such events, but ask yourself whether an indoor pool is the same as a beach outdoors), it was time to head for the venue. Outside it was teeming with youngsters who legally shouldn’t be ordering beer yet, and among the underage enthusiasts in the crowd there were even two or three lonely guys over 30, who were most likely there out of parental duty.

The first to take the Gala stage were Maribor’s Silence Before. Deathcore, Slovenian style, my buddy on the left adds, but I don’t let prejudice get planted in me and I like to listen to fresh stuff with my own pair of ears. The band formed in 2009, and these champions of intense, fat riffs, predictable breakdowns and well-stoked brutality have so far made their way onto the stages of Rock Otočec, Trnfest, Lampijončki and a few smaller festivals, racking up mileage anywhere they could harden their stage act. You could say that this slot in front of the British stars was one of the bigger things in their existence, and I have to admit that until this Ljubljana visit the guys in the lineup were a complete unknown to me. Even though they’ve launched their full-length debut On The Edge Of The World onto the world scene, I hadn’t managed to catch them live yet. Guitarists Mitja Levašič and Davor Krueger dominate the sound with their attempts at melodic inserts, which this time sounded a bit clumsy at moments, but still sharp and penetrating. Bassist Domen Kovačič was still looking for his proper spot by the monitors at the start, and drummer Miha Vučko poured kerosene on the flames of a sonic construct that really does follow every premise of the deathcore recipe. The cherry on top is the short-haired, muscular orator David Valh, who proves with the song Ground Zero that he’s got a pair of steel vocal cords in his throat, which, I hope the kid knows, aren’t indestructible. A bit of fumbling and rhythmic slip-ups don’t spoil the mood, and a decent little herd of lads and lasses gathers below the stage, among them a plush penguin who joins in on the revelry. The proverbial feuds between Podravje and Žabji dol stay outside the gates of Metelkova. Maybe also because here the only thing that counts is a good time, with no room for profound political outbursts or anything of the sort. After the start the guys warm up and kick in with somewhat more decisive tones, though it’s clear that total looseness from every member of Silence Before isn’t to be expected just yet. A rather static performance from everyone except the singer, who was clearly in full fusion with the quite responsive crowd while delivering the debut’s material, also brought the first single United Through Blood, for which the young five-piece shot a video some time ago. The mosh party got more momentum, though the band’s sound was still a bit rough and unpolished. After a little over half an hour it was time to leave the stage, but not before a group bow, thanks to the great crowd and a photo of raised hands, proof that the start of the day was more than promising.

A pretty precisely measured half-hour break followed, during which the stage got Marshall amps nicely decorated with lion graphics, a double A and British flags, along with a more prestigious drum kit and risers for stage antics. Asking Alexandria, the York-born kids with a sound garnished with pop and metalcore cannonades, have dominated the genre scene since 2008, when guitarist Ben Bruce set out in Dubai to take a step toward his musical joy and release the debut The Irony Of Your Perfection. The Dubai story ended ingloriously in a breakup, and all that remained in memory of that first step was the name, which promises different things to different people. Is it screamo, electronicore, metalcore or heavy metal? Labels don’t matter, because already after the pre-beats of the intro track Welcome and the arrival of everyone on stage – bassist Sam Bettley, drummer James Cassells, both six-stringers, founder Ben Bruce as well as Cameron Liddell, and the frontman Danny Worsnop, a damn-near Gušti lookalike – it’s clear the guys are on a mission of total domination of the evening. The striking duo of well-synced guitars, and above all solid stage coverage of both left and right sides, serves up the opening treat from the still-current album Reckless & Relentless, in the manner of complete professionals. Danny flirts with the crowd in a not-so-Cockney accent, and the crowd follows his every hint. The front lines turn into a true scene of mass ecstasy, with no shortage of mosh, smiles of happiness and the first signs of mass catharsis for all the frustrations piled up during the school year. Teenage boys and girls fall into a trance, and Asking Alexandria keep driving their train of pleasure onward with an electronically backed shock wave of surgically precise pauses and ruffled rhythmic engravings. Danny handles the demonic, more guttural part of the vocals, while Ben takes care of the softer, girly contours, »gayish« in the words of a fellow trade-mate. Gaycore? Still at the level of perfection, as the murderously inclined Closure proves. As if Raunchy put on Craddle Of Filth’s fashion, threw in a bit of glam and some brutal passages along the way, or poured distorted béchamel over pop, I think, and despite all the kitschy clutter the show is magnetically attractive and damn likable. Asking Alexandria are masters of suspense and of blurring contours, and below the stage the group ecstasy and the first attempts at crowd surfing are proof that it’s all in place. Whether purists and critics like it or not, it’s the right recipe for success. After the never-learned lesson of A Lesson Never Learned and the song Breathless, it becomes clear that Sumerian Records, home label of the superb technicians The Dillinger Escape Plan, Veil Of Maya and After The Burial, is justifiably carefree when it comes to the sales stats of these British interrogators of the almighty Alexandria. »It’s like final countdown – sort of …« the mouthy Danny says, ushering in Final Episode, a song from the band’s first full-blooded release, the album Stand Up And Scream. The guys rinse off the exhausting blend of screams, disco beats and predictable passion-braking with breakbeats right there on stage, with swigs of vodka, while Dedication and Someone, Somewhere serves up one of those unwritten sentimental constellations of total tenderness from the gentler sex, along with the aggressive macho manliness of the baby-faced lads on the other side. Raised hands and phone recorders switched on, and a few moments later the provocative lyrics of Reckless And Relentless. »Music is fucking dead / It’s thanks to you cunts, stabbing it in fucking chest / You, and every one of these fake, righteous undeserving bands / Fuck You!!!«. Rock’n’roll and Asking Alexandria as its saviors? An interesting picture of the world, no doubt, and despite all the posing the thing works, at least as far as the fun of the moment goes. And that carries on through the further toying with the crowd’s passions, as they swallow everything, whether it’s posing or a genuine, purposeful outpouring of wisdom, while I’m waiting for something new, something I haven’t heard yet. Just before the rainy finale of the evening, with a few rare but fat drops falling from the sky, Asking Alexandria decide to present some of what will see the light of day in August as the album From Death To Destiny. The Death Of Me and Run Free in no way violate the basic principles of Asking Alexandria aesthetics. A guttural stampede of guitars and Danny’s brutal stance next to Ben’s sweet melodies – heard and seen before, but effective. If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it, right? Next comes the predictable Run Free and, after the HC cannonades, the still-demanded encore in the form of the anthemically uplifting Morte Et Diablo.

Satan is dead? No, he rises from the ashes as an indestructible seed of dual catharsis. After a last anointing with a generic dose of feigned anger, Asking Alexandria withdraw for good into the shelter of backstage. Justifiably, and with hardly a trace of unsatisfied passions among most of the crowd. I’m satisfied myself. At least my curious audiophile side is, which hoped for a qualitative upgrade over the previous two Beach Parties and, believe it or not, even got one. Even in the form of a local warm-up act that promises we’ll soon get another deathcore surprise or two in Slovenia. There’s plenty of room for improvement with the homegrown lads and, at least I hope, they’ll always follow that principle of getting better. As for the stars of the evening, Asking Alexandria – even if they’ve peaked, with all due respect we can only tell them »Always welcome on this sunny side of Alps!«. Everyday worries were wiped away, at least for a moment, and the young generation can justifiably put a notch on the wall of their idols for having seen something good, something above the level of the usual idiotic pointlessness.