Venue: Orto bar / Ljubljana / Slovenia
Concert date: 11.12.2009
Attendance: 60
Ticket price: €5.00
Despite the barrage of gigs this December, we decided to head back to Orto bar for the Rolling Bastards and Hellcats show. The opener, despite being young and on their first club tour, is racking up more and more success and pulling in bigger crowds. And how could they not, when they play dirty rock and roll covers of Motorhead classics? Unfortunately, this time at Orto bar they had a lot of trouble with the sound guys and the gear, and by the end, overheated from all the concert racket, they snapped a guitar string not once but twice. Bad luck or not, they decided to keep the party going down in front of the stage, continuing as a duo with just drums and bass, which the crowd welcomed with open arms. Sadly, thanks to the mishaps, the Rolling Bastards set was very short, and the guys left the stage after barely half an hour.
The crowd, already well warmed up, was waiting for the “stars of the evening”, the hell-raising cats in their new lineup. Between their last gigs and Orto bar, the band went through quite a few changes. Katja Mavec has now taken over on guitar from Majda, and on vocals, after countless swaps, there’s Valentina Plaskan, whom we also know from Slavenger, the death metal “Arch Enemy” project. The girl showed on stage that she’s fitted perfectly into her new role, even in a hard r n’ r band. Valentina radiates just the right energy for a vocalist who has to keep the crowd glued to her in the middle of Hellcats’ front line, and with constant, well-placed banter she kept the audience on their feet all night. Besides their own songs, the girls played covers of Motley Crue, Vixen, Warlock, AC/DC and Divlje Jagode. In other words, a recap of the repertoire Hellcats often play at motorcycle rallies.
The crowd really came alive during the evergreen covers. The sound was surprisingly good for Orto bar, though you could have expected a bit more precision from the sound guy when balancing the mix. During the set there was just a little too much emphasis on the bass guitar and drums, which slightly drowned out the other instruments. The second criticism goes to Orto bar’s instrument “experts” too, since the bass had to be carried backstage mid-show to be tuned. Considering earlier incarnations of Hellcats and our past close encounters with the band live, we have to admit they’ve come a long way. With all the constant member changes on guitar and vocals, it has finally paid off, as the new lineup has shown the solidity and consolidation they need, which could bring them a real breakthrough on the Slovenian rock scene, and maybe even a ticket to take on audiences abroad. Let’s hope this new experience at Orto bar with the Hellcats show is the start of a new story for the band, a successful one.
photos: Martin Prezelj
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