Author: Aleš Podbrežnik
Photos: Aleš Podbrežnik
Location: Rožnik / Ljubljana / Slovenia
Concert date: May 16, 2011
Attendance: 3,500
Ticket price: €0.00 (free entry!)
May has rolled around again, and with it a fresh alibi for student partying on Rožnik, a hill protected by decree! This green island in the middle of the concrete of the capital, which witnessed some careless desecration in early March this year (just look at the clear-cut slopes right above and below Drenikov vrh today, and at the freshly cut, widened road that runs west of Čad toward the top of Rožnik), has now come to life for the second time this May. May Day is behind us, and now it’s time for student intellect to replace the workers’ uniforms.
And so it happened that the legendary Avtomobili turned up in Ljubljana again, on the stage of this year’s student event on Rožnik. Those who know them know that Avtomobili are still considered one of the finest rock (or pop rock, if you insist) bands Slovenia has ever given to the history of rock n’ roll revelry. They don’t make bands like that anymore, and they never will again. Avtomobili developed a distinctive musical style that we can only tag as art rock. Often so cunningly, subcutaneously seductive that you never even noticed when Marko Vuksanovič’s pleasantly caressing, velvety vocals had completely lulled you into a state of bliss. Simple as that. A legendary band with a legendary body of work that we Slovenes can be truly proud of. A body of work that has passed every test of time, music that sounds intelligent, fresh, seductive, unique and different at every moment, with perfectionist compositions that never stop amazing us with the sparkling genius of their authors.
The RockLine crew huffed and puffed its way up to the top of Rožnik this time, more or less in the spirit of elderly recreational hikers who aren’t exactly fond of uphill concert venues where motor vehicles are strictly restricted. Careful now, we’re in the Tivoli Rožnik Šišenski hrib landscape park. But Avtomobili are Avtomobili. Not The Stroj before them and not Jinx after them. Plenty of dust is being kicked up around both of those bands these days, and there’s no shortage of write-ups about what they’re up to. This time we stayed strictly focused on Avtomobili’s set.
The Avtomobili lineup today consists of: Mirko Vuksanovič (keyboards, backing vocals), Marko Vuksanovič (vocals), Boštjan Andrejc – Buši (guitar, backing vocals), David Šuligoj (bass) and Marko Lasič (drums).
The band climbed onto the stage but couldn’t kick off right away. Guitar trouble got sorted out after about five minutes. And what a difference. The guitar, barely audible at first, was suddenly balanced in the mix, and from there on it was downright fascinating what an excellent sound Avtomobili built. Experience is experience! Their sense of sonic perfectionism didn’t let them down this time either.
Of course Marko’s famous voice takes top billing, since it’s the main culprit for why Avtomobili’s music is so special and charismatic. Marko does remain a bit awkward ever since he stopped swinging a bass around, because he often doesn’t quite know what to do with his hands on stage. The man stands calmly, eyes closed, almost motionless. His voice does all the work, gaining a noble sheen with the years. Over the years, heh, heh, heh… how fitting. And of course that song, Skozi leta, wasn’t missing from the set either!
Great energy accompanied the revelry with the legends. Rožnik was packed! Those for whom music isn’t a priority indulged in the vice of getting cozy with brews of alcoholic origin, though I should mention that glass bottles and cans were banned for safety reasons. Bottles and cans were perfectly normal when the gray-haired comrades had their May Day party up here. So there was no need to think much about the quality of the beer. Really. The beer, served in plastic cups, was downright disgusting this time, so it’s no wonder the cviček they use to mix bambus (wine and cola) quickly started running short at the venue.
Let’s get back to our brave colleagues from the Nova Gorica wine country instead. By now they had dug deep into their repertoire and were spoiling the crowd with the songs Prihaja moj dan, Gorica, Drugačno nebo , Skozi leta, Pot domov, Enkrat v življenju, Proti luni, Gospodar, Navaden dan, Odpri oči, Sama, Nekaj let, Ljubezen ne stanuje tu, Argentina, Enakonočje, V mrzlih dvoranah.
A gig with excellent sound, where you could hear loud and clear the warm, melodic character of the active bass line, the clearly exposed blanket of Mirko’s keyboards, equally harmonized with the support of Buši’s guitar, and the precise rhythmic command of Marko Lasič! The sonic picture you want, at an event we’re witness to far too rarely in these new times. So let’s hope Avtomobili still have some fuel left in the tank for their mature years, and that they’ll start recording new material in the foreseeable future and maybe even put out a new album.
Avtomobili don’t play all that often, but when they get up on stage they simply enchant you. Their music and their interpretation of it are so strong in substance and character that Avtomobili build a world of their own at a concert, one that can suck you in instantly. In it you lose your sense of time and space, and when the guys say goodbye and leave the stage, that feeling lingers. It doesn’t go away. And that’s the best proof of how truly the charisma and original individuality of this venerable Slovenian band works. They wrapped up their set on Rožnik in a good hour and left the stage to the “notorious” and, hand on heart, slightly overrated these days, Croatian Jinx. The party went on until the early hours, but everyday challenges were waiting for us, so with the sweet feelings our ears had soaked up from the melodious sounds of Avtomobili, we left the venue and slowly slid down into the valley.
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