Author: Aleš Podbrežnik
Photos: Aleš Podbrežnik
Location: Prečna (Novo mesto) / Lukna / Slovenia
Concert date: 27.09.2013
Attendance: 350
Ticket price: €0.00 (free entry)
El Kachon are a seven-piece that rocks with real vehemence. They recently put out their studio debut »In The Bush« (2013) – RockLine review HERE – and they’re not hard to catch on stages around Lower Carniola. This October they’re heading to Serbia for a short tour. The band officially calls Dolenjske Toplice home and is known for an outstanding team spirit, which is the core of its character and the foundation for achieving every one of its goals. As I mentioned somewhere, sometime, not that long ago, El Kachon are one of the best-organized bands in Slovenia. Organized, that is, when it comes to self-organization. The album came out on their own label, they handled the official merch themselves, designed with a careful aesthetic eye, and the band funds its own promo material too. When you see them on stage, the bass drum head carries the El Kachon logo, a big colorful banner hangs behind them, and there are even guitar picks engraved with El Kachon. So this is a band on the Slovenian scene whose camaraderie and self-discipline can be a shining example to the rest. A kind of vision of the future, since it’s clear that bands will have to become independent businesses.
But let’s move on from what the eyes can see. News of the day! The Lukna club is up and running again. The village of Prečna is near Novo mesto, close to that famous spot where we hope the Rock Otočec festival will return someday! Speaking of Rock Otočec, its father, Franci Kek, dropped by Lukna this evening too. Also on hand was one of Slovenia’s most renowned rock preachers, Dragan Bulič, and so on. Good news travels fast, and El Kachon definitely have a good name! A gorgeous little castle, a cozy venue full of warmth. Lower Carniola. The land of ever-smiling faces.
As expected, the band’s set was split into two parts of twelve songs each. The sound was excellent in both, and the band was clearly in much better spirits than at the early-September gig at Zagradec (on the Krka), which was by no means bad. They basically played their whole studio debut »In the Bush«, adding a bunch of new songs and some outstanding covers of originals that hardly anyone in Slovenia plays (the exception might be the universally »folk-ified« Helter Skelter). El Kachon are a crew that stands on a strong blues foundation. And into those blues roots they brilliantly weave elements of big melodic payoff, which adorn their own songs. Role models? Susan Tedeschi, Cream, Stevie Ray Vaughn & Double Trouble, Gov’t Mule, Derek Trucks, Mother’s Finest, Allman Brothers Band. And more. El Kachon are unburdened by trends; they’re pure joy and the desire to play the music that flows through the band’s veins. No pretending. Just a raw urge to express something primal. So you could say El Kachon are a timeless vessel hopping from one time dimension and galaxy to another. And it’s exactly this drive for the elemental that gives them their unmistakable, one-of-a-kind identity on the Slovenian music scene. And once again they radiated all of it at full blast.
If the first set was still weighed down a bit by caution, the second was a total switch-off. Except for keyboardist Mladen and drummer Žiga, every single member takes a turn on lead vocals. Things really got fun when PimpS got his chance and nearly set Krt’s guitar on fire. You could say that, as the hometown heroes, El Kachon were the ideal pick to reopen the Lukna club. They’re fantastically tight! What really stands out is how much care the band puts into vocal coloring and harmonizing the lead melodies. There were again top-notch solo excursions from the subtle Tomi Perinčič on slide guitar, and on the other side the much more extroverted, wildly untamed Krt (the guy listened to a lot of The Rolling Stones and AC/DC back in the day, and I’d even dare to hint at Motörhead). Krt and Tomi are like the little schnauzers on the label of »Black And White« whisky. Their differences complement each other perfectly. Not to mention the brilliance of the rhythm section. Sondža’s melodic, active and warm bass lines, paired with hefty, well-measured drum swings and backed by PimpS’s devoted, almost fanatical percussion, are the factors that put El Kachon not only in a special spot among Slovenian acts, but, I’d dare say, even among the best Slovenian bands of the younger generation right now. Especially when it comes to dealing in retro sound. They breathe in the days of the distant past, recode them, and serve them up to the listener masterfully repackaged for fresh consumption. They sound evergreen! At the same time, we can’t skip the fact that El Kachon also played a nice bunch of completely new songs on stage. The band already has enough material for a new studio album. The question is where some benefactor will turn up to help them record it and turn it into a new studio record.
Lukna was truly partying this evening. The night was long, and the thought of El Kachon’s great new stage show lingered long after the gig. I’ve got just one piece of advice left. If you can’t catch the band on stage to check out their qualities in the most authentic way, order at least their studio debut »In the Bush« through their website. You won’t regret it.
Setlist
1. Learn How To Live
2. What If
3. Couldn’t Stand the Weather
4. Don’t Start
5. Strawberry Blonde
6. Everything I Get
7. Still
8. Say What You Mean
9. Little By Little
10. Bad Little Doogie
11. Solo Moon
12. Midnight in Harlem
13. Same Time Same Place
14. Mustang Sally
15. A New Mistake
16. Harry Balls
17. Hard To Handle
18. Come And Get It
19. Home
20. Badge
21. You Got Me Rockin’
22. Helter Skelter
23. Damn Your Eyes
24. Snakebite
Photo Gallery
