Author: Aleš Podbrežnik
Photos: Aleš Podbrežnik
Location: Ljubljana / Studio 14 / Slovenia
Concert date: 19.11.2012
Attendance: 200
Ticket price: 0.00€ (free entry)
Since 2008, Val 202’s call »Hočemo dobro glasbo« has been turning into a successful ritual incarnation, giving birth every year to a compilation CD where homegrown acts show off their artistic reach. This move is especially welcome as a showcase for acts that are new and fresh and need concrete backing in the first steps of their creative careers to establish themselves, as well as a kind of guiding »feedback« to help them »hone« the language of their very own artistic identity.
The cozy surroundings of Studio 14 combined two events this time. First came the official presentation of this year’s version of the »Valovski« compilation CD »Imamo dobro glasbo!«, followed by the first official live promo for the release of the new CD by punk rockers Niet, titled »Rokovnjači«. Two birds with one stone, in other words.
After an opening address from the masterminds of this year’s compilation, three representatives of the homegrown scene who earned a spot on it by the jury’s pick took the stage one after another: indie rockers Bo!, primorske gore list and hip-hopper Valter, plus the inconsolable Kočevje melancholic Gaber Brin with his backing crew. They each cut two songs, one of their own choosing and the other the one you’ll find on the compilation. A fun overture to the Niet set that followed right after.
Niet, encore included, »burned through« a mere 40 minutes on stage, if anything a minute less. In that window they played the whole album »Rokovnjači« and tugged at the heartstrings of everyone there in the encore with the standards Lep dan za smrt and Februar. The presence and contribution of Buldožer man Borut Činč is becoming ever more important for Niet in their new era. Not only does the legendary musician and sound engineer keep the sonic controls steady for Niet in the studio when shaping the sound of the songs, but with his insight and experience he also helps co-shape the arrangements of songs that are further fleshed out with his keyboards (and of course we can’t skip the obligatory Buldožer Hammond).
Otherwise, the »quintet plus Činč« was fully in command, from the opener Bogatun, which is also the first single from the album »Rokovnjači«, to the very end of the set. Worth mentioning: the album’s music is also part of a new stage production of Jurčič’s story »Rokovnjači«, a collaboration between the Slovenian National Theatre Nova Gorica and Prešeren Theatre Kranj. So we can’t look at the album »Rokovnjači« in »black and white« terms, as a classic studio album. First and foremost, it’s the scoring of a theatre production. You could say Niet cooked up a »punk musical« here, except of course it all sounds different with Borut Marolt on vocals. »Modern-day Niet style!«
Given this well-tuned move, it’ll be interesting to see how the real studio successor to the album »Trinajst« (2010) fares in the artistic maturity test! After the quick presentation of the album »Rokovnjači«, with the increasingly missed Severa Gjurin joining in as a special guest for a duet with Marolt on one of the songs near the end of the set (she recently also helped Avtomobili at their 30th anniversary in Cankarjev dom), Niet predictably got the crowd on their feet in the encore with the tried-and-true standards Lep dan za smrt and Februar, putting that desired »dot on the i« on the whole show.
Setlist
1. Bogatun
2. Otroške roke
3. Dva čevlja od tal
4. Bratje svinjsko trdih rok
5. Naj crkne rokovnjač
6. Pod staro jablano
7. Balada za obešence
—encore—
8. Lep dan za smrt
9. Februar
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