Author: Rok Klemše
Location: Medvode / MC Jedro / Slovenia
Concert date: 01.03.2013
Attendance: 100
Ticket price: €0.00 (free entry)
If last Thursday, with its gray skies and clouds, was tailor-made for black metal at Orto bar, then Friday was its complete opposite. A sunny Friday was a lot easier to get through, especially with the »release party« of hard n’ heavy outfit Tomcat on the bill that evening at Medvode’s Jedro, celebrating the very day they dropped their debut, Bits N’ Pieces. So last Friday, the afterburner roar of an F-14 Tomcat jet shook Medvode’s Jedro!
The warm-up job this time went to the Celje rock trio Šah Mat, firmly anchored in classic rock waters, with the guys occasionally tossing in a raunchier heavy metal riff or two. They spent most of their nearly hour-long set on original material, wedging in an interesting cover of a Led Zeppelin classic. The guys did their job with confidence and swagger, but things clearly weren’t going quite as they should on stage. A string of technical problems and feedback piled up over the set, and probably because of that, a few more mistakes crept into the playing. Still, the trio showed they’ve got plenty of potential, especially in the playing of the technically well-schooled guitarist, who kept spoiling his gymnastic finger-stretching along the neck by clumsily stepping on his cable and yanking it out. In those moments a big hole yawned in the band’s overall sound, one that the rhythm section couldn’t quite cover up. The animal behind the drum kit won me over with some serious pounding on the skins, and the constant grimacing and hair-tearing reminded me of Mikkey Dee. On the vocal side the band still has plenty of room to grow, since Čeda’s vocals can come across a bit too dry, and it might be bold to bring in some extra backing vocals to cover the slight monotony of the vocal lines. Above all, it might be smarter to start writing the lyrics in English – it’s commendable that the band is making the effort with lyrics in their mother tongue, but they’re high-school naive and, with their silliness, remind you of the worst moments of some Šank Rock. Solid for a warm-up, but for anything more, the trio still needs a few more miles on the clock.
Of course, Friday night was entirely about Tomcat and the celebration of their debut Bits N’ Pieces, released on On Parole. The guys stepped out in front of a warmed-up crowd a little after ten and hit them with the furious Purgatory, then over the next hour or so played their firstborn in full and added a few ironclad hard rock classics. It’s obvious the band has been one of the busiest live acts on the local scene over the past few months, since they look like old tomcats up on stage, even though the band has only been around for a little over two years. All those live miles mean the band is tight, plays the material full-on and with balls, and knows how to work the crowd and command a stage. Friday night was all about the new record’s release, which Tomcat, clearly thrilled and with big smiles on their faces, premiered in full for the crowd gathered at Medvode’s Jedro. Up front, vocalist Denis was in charge of flirting with the audience, and thanks to his excellent vocal performance and charisma, he pulled it off. Above all, you could hear that the guy is still steadily improving as a singer. This time the fantastically delivered falsetto screams and higher registers really shone, and he did no worse on the more melodic lines either. Denis gets generous backing vocal help from his comrades-in-arms Gregor »Šujo« Šujica and Rok Barle, though it’s a shame their voices weren’t pushed a bit further forward in the mix. What was up front again, though, was Rok’s devilish soloing, which, despite his youth, shows a great deal of mastery over six strings. He’s also strong enough at writing recognizable riffs, which the Šujo/Žiga Ravšelj rhythm section confidently builds on. The guys managed to keep the crowd in their fist from start to finish, whether it was the punchier hard ‘n heavy sounds (Purgatory, Hangover), classic hard rock burners, or sensual ballad moments (Goodbye, Follow You).
Tomcat’s debut launch was a total success! The band proved that despite their youth, they’re becoming an important player on the local hard rock/heavy metal scene and one of its busiest live warriors. Even more important, within just over two years of the band’s birth, the guys managed to record and release a debut, something plenty of local bands could take a cue from. The presentation of Bits N’ Pieces was no emergency landing, but a masterful night landing on an aircraft carrier.
Tomcat photos: Jože Hvala
Šah Mat photos: Aleš Podbrežnik
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