Author: Primož Novak
Location: Ljubljana / Orto bar / Slovenia
Gig date: 18.11.2013
Attendance: 30 – 40
Ticket price: €8.00 / €12.00
American band Valient Thorr first showed up in Slovenia four years ago, at Kino Šiška, where they wowed a small crowd with their unique style that mixes stoner metal, heavy rock and punk rock. And if the music didn’t win you over, the goofy music videos and the charismatic frontman who goes by Valient Himself surely did.
This time Valient Thorr got a second shot at winning Slovenia over, at Orto Bar, which immediately meant a more intimate vibe, but either way you could expect a proper rock’n’roll party. You could tell what was in store the moment you walked into the room. The stage was lined with nothing but Marshall amps, which for some is a prerequisite for a real rock sound.
The picture got even clearer when the band hit the stage dressed in ripped jeans in true Southern American rocker fashion. The two guitarists wielded the legendary Gibson Les Paul. Despite the poor turnout, the band played with confidence and energy and got plenty of people moving. The focus was of course on the new album Our Own Masters, which the crowd greeted with headbanging and the occasional mosh.
The most fascinating thing was the hyperactive frontman Valient Himself and his comical presence. Besides his beard, beer belly and sixties James Bond-style swagger, his shoes stood out too, the kind Formula One drivers wear. Fashion critics would probably have a lot to say. But Valient couldn’t care less. By the third song he was already showing off his swagger, and he stepped off the stage many times to hype up the crowd even more. At one point there was even some »rowing«, with the crowd lining up with Valient and pretending to row, which is a common sight at folk metal gigs. Valient’s hyperactivity definitely knows no limits. Besides the wacky frontman, the two guitarists drew a lot of attention, firing off virtuoso rock solos left and right. The rhythm section had no real standout moments, but then again, this kind of music doesn’t exactly call for them. Still, it wasn’t all played at a single tempo.
Besides the new stuff, the band didn’t forget the other hits from their discography, such as Double Crossed, Heatseeker, Sleepers Awakes and One Tuff Consumer. Tomorrow Police was an interesting one, sounding a lot like AC/DC, but thankfully it didn’t feel forced. Actually, nothing felt forced. Valient Thorr combined stoner, heavy rock and punk rock brilliantly, which showed most of all in the variety of people in the crowd.
Valient Himself gave it everything to get the crowd involved. His banter was hilarious. On the one hand he managed to get quite a few people moving, but sadly the room was half empty, so a real rock’n’roll party never quite got going.
All told, a handful of people got to see a great, high-energy gig that deserved a bigger room, and the beer should have been flowing like rivers.
kih.
Setlist
1. Double Crossed
2. Heatseeker
3. Immaculate Consumption
4. Master Collider
5. Night Terrors
6. Tomorrow Police
7. Life Hands You Demons
8. Torn Apart
9. Sleeper Awakes
10. One Tuff Consumer
Photo gallery
