MARCH. A MOSHING MONTH

Howdy folks.
Long time no see. My bad but I guess during all this time I didn't found nothing interesting worth writing for. Well until now. The month of March is definitely one damn interesting month when it comes to concerts. There's three that actually took my attention and which I'm gonna write about. Oh boy, it's gonna be hell of a month.


10.03.2011 DEATH BEFORE DISHONOR w/ Death Squad and Vendetta@The Box

I gotta admit that I was looking forward to see Death Before Dishonor in Sofia. This band is one of the few still active american hardcore bands that I actually like. They were here three years ago but alas I missed them back then. But I was not gonna make the same mistake twice. Their second concert in Sofia was probably one of the most anticipated concerts of the year and it was so for a reason. The Boston squad is known for delivering gritty, brutal, fast-paced brand of hardcore for which they're famous all over the world. With that in mind I knew that I won't be disappointed. Eight o'clock The Box was jam-packed with people from around the city and outside waiting to see the Boston brigade. The concert started around this time with first Death Squad coming to the stage. One of the better known local hardcore bands, Death Squad without any delay delivered strong and brutal set during which they performed some of their classic. Next on stage were Vendetta. The veterans of the Sofia hardcore scene played some of their best known songs as some new material which was damn good. Vendetta although reunited not too long ago played as they've never separated. Although Death Squad set the tone for a damn good night, Vendetta elevated the mood with their blend of old-school hardcore which led to some brutal moshing, circle pits and sing-a-longs. By the end of their set the audience was already on fire and waiting for the the bostonians to come to the stage. Without further ado they climbed the stage and started playing. Next thing you see people moshing, stagediving, singing along and forming circle pits. From the first to the last song everybody was dancing or trying to get into the pit. The mood was indescribable. A jam-packed club with no room to move, no air to breath but full of people who were slammin' on each other and singing on top of their lungs some of the most memorable songs in hardcore history like "666 (Friends, Family, Forever" and "Boston belongs to me" which by the way the band performed on bis. Well many things can be said about Death Before Dishonor but truth is that you know nothing 'till you see them live. That was one of the best hardcore shows I've attended so far. Great band and great show. I had the chance to speak a little bit with some of the band members and they seemed really cool and down to earth guys. Since then I got nothing but respect for DBD. That night was really a memorable one not only for me but I believe for everyone who was there. For those who weren't present: you missed big time. For the rest can only hope to see them again. Until then we got Sick Of It All coming in April and who knows who else. Damn I'm lucky!

Death Before Dishonor myspace
Death Squad myspace
Vendetta myspace


15.03.2011 D.R.I. w/ Brothers In Blood@Mixtape5

ONE OF THE GREATEST CONCERTS EVER!!!
Seriously. More than two (maybe three) hours of pure, brutal moshing and heavy sounds. Not too many people can fathom the epicness of the event and probably even few can assimilate the end-result after all this hardcore headbanging and moshing. OUCH! I still have bruises after that concert. But it was all worth it. Pain's nothing as every scratch, bruise and fall are adding more pleasure to the listening of those Dirty Rotten Imbeciles.

Around 20:00pm I'm in front of Mixtape5, the newest club in town. I have to admit that the venues was a pleasant surprise. Big enough to shelter all those 300+ people waiting in the cold, rainy evening. The two huge bars only added to the initial good impressions. Ventilation was obviously working as I wasn't strugglin' to breath as in some other box-sized clubs. Sound was ok but nothing exceptional. Hope they organize more punk, ska, hardcore show there as the place is just perfect for such events.

Without much delay came the first band on stage, Brothers In Blood. Well much is said about them so no matter what I say it'll be insignificant. One of the best hardcore band this city has to offer with the right amount of attitude and presence, with the right blend of fast-paced and enegetic hardcore. There's always brutal moshpits when BIB are on stage. Add to that sing-a-longs and the occasional stagedivings and you'll get an idea of what this band is capable of. Basically the band played a firm 30 or so minutes set during which they performed much of their best known songs. Shame that they didn't had at least double that time.
But everything got from good to great once the Imbeciles got on stage. No I gotta admit that I didn't have any previous experiences with the band, never heard them until recently, only knew a bunch of songs and as a whole I went there without any expectations. Even better if you ask me because these guys blew my mind. Far above their prime youth these guys rocked like they were just starting playing music. They got so much energy and performed song after song tirelessly that a two-hour set seemed like a half an hour of playing or even less. Thirty-five or so songs later I felt like they did only the half of their usual repertoire. So intense was the atmosphere that I easily lost track of time. And how could not when I was almost constantly in the moshpit or in front of the stage trying to hold a stagediver. During the whole night there were plenty of stagediving (during which a young girl got injured as the crowd below here were unable to catch her and she fell on her head), constant moshpit since song one and neverending sing-a-longs. It was simply great. The crowd was chanting "D.R.I." from the beginning of the show. At the end everybody screamed "MORE" when the band played their last song which led to the dirty thrashers coming again on bis for three more songs. Three more songs during which I didn't miss to get in to the pit. I had so much fun that that night. Probably one of the best nights ever for me. I wished only if it could go a little longer. Alas it ended eventually. Still I wasn't disappointed. In overall it was a great experience. The band and the people made all this an epic event.

D.R.I. official website
Brothers In Blood myspace


24.03.2011 MARK FOGGO'S SKASTERS w/ Kontrol and The Pomorians@Universiada Hall
FINALLY I SAW KONTROL!!!
It's like a dream come true. I waited long enough to see them. After Novi Cvetia they were the other band I HAD to see live for they're one of the forefathers of the bulgarian punk. I know that some of you will argue that they're not a punk band and although they don't sound like Novi Cvetia or DDT they still got that punk attitude. I would say that they're more like The Ramones. And that's good enough for me.

Anyway back to the concert. I went to the Universiada Hall an hour earlier only to find plenty of people waiting outside, drinking, talking about the bands they were about to see. It was a rather chilly night but that didn't make the experience less pleasant. Once I got there I saw some of the people I usually hang out on concerts, talked a little, bough a beer (obligatory!) and headed for the main event. First on stage were The Pomorians, the ska/folk side project of Yanko Brekov of Artery. Went in to check them out, stayed there for about a song time, went out to drink. Not that the band was bad or something, it's just that they were kinda mellow for what was to come and probably because of that many skipped their set in waiting for the Liverpool stoner, Mark Foggo. Well the waiting was well worth it as the latter didn't disappoint the hundreds that came to see him. The all-time favorite "Hashish From Amsterdam" set the tone for a truly fantastic ska party that went for an hour or so during which no man was left idle. Our crowd really does love this ska man.
From one junkie to another. Next on stage came the legendary Kontrol which need no introduction as every adult and kids knows them or at least have heard of them. Possibly the most famous punk band in the country, one which is popular even among non-punk fans, pretty much like The Ramones. It was great to see them live but couple of times I was wondering if I'm attending a punk or rock concert as the band did play some slow songs that kinda bored me. Nevertheless their set was tight, one hour full of their most beloved hits plus-minus one or two. At the end I wished that they didn't play just an hour but I guess the interests of the individuals are before those of the crowd. Still I was glad that I got to see them. It's not something you see everyday and definitely not to be missed. I hope that in future they'll play more shows and with other renowned bands from abroad or from the country.

The Pomorians myspace
Mark Foggo's Skasters official website
Kontrol myspace (probably fan-made)

HATE CITY FEST 2010

Lemme see what I can recall that night...

First of all I'll start with little introduction about Hate City Fest. Basically it's an annual hardcore festival featuring some of the best-known bulgarian hardcore bands plus sometimes foreign support. It's the place where one can see bulgarian hardcore in it's finest.

Now back to the story...
The fest was supposed to start at 19:30PM. Well I got there about thirty minutes late only to find out that the fest has already begun and that the first band was about to finish playing. To be honest I even didn't get the name of the first band. I heard it was a greek one. Missed. Don't care. No big deal. When I got in the club was like half-full.
The second band for the evening was Seven Ate Nine, a band that I've never heard before. The only thing I knew about it was that they've change their name from Toxic Hate...something... Once again don't know, don't care. What I saw was two kids screaming and kicking in what I was unable to determine - bulgarian or english. I've read that their style was supposed to be some kind of hardcore/beatdown but to me it looked more like screamo. Nevertheless it sounded bad almost to the point of me starting to regret for coming. I've nothing against those kids. It's just that their music sucks. Won't see them again. That's for sure.
Good thing that the third band for the night stepped in. To be honest I've been waiting for quite some time to see these guys live. Now I knew they were good (because I've already heard their demo) but I didn't know that they can be even better live. the band I'm talking about is none other than CUT OFF. They definitely managed to move the crowd, I give them that. If during the Seven Ate Nine set the people were mostly watching, during the Cut Off performance people were already starting to mosh.
Next in line were Brothers In Blood. In recent years they've become one of the better-known hardcore bands from Sofia mainly thanks to their frontman Alex or Shuta as he's best known. During their play the moshing became more intense with more people getting in. Well alot can be said about Brothers In Blood so I ain't gonna bother myself with writing any more stuff about them. What I can say is that they're damn good band and one not to be missed.
After the Brothers came the time for the most well-known in and out of Bulgaria local hardcore band, Last Hope. Chikata (Alex), the frontman is known to many and each time the guy makes a great show with his fellow bandmates. They've done a great set with fan favorite songs including "GFU" and "Fuck Police" as well as some older songs from their early years. Well what can I say more except that LH is the best hc band we have in town. It's THE band that everyone have to see. No excuses accepted.
And finally the evening's headliners straight from The Netherlands, No Turning Back. Well I didn't know what to expect from them as I've heard only a few songs on the internet. To be honest at first I had my reserves about the band which soon disappeared as they played song after song. Damn good dutch fast-passed hardcore which can't live one passive. Definitely not regretting seeing them. Damn good band.

Now... apart from the music I saw things I didn't like. In the moshpit there were a couple of people apparently trying to make problems. Good thing that I didn't escalate to something serious. I've heard that after the fest there were some more problems and even the police came. I don't about that as I left right after the NTB gig but one thing that I noticed and didn't approve was the presence of a bunch of skinheads. I even saw one with a tshirt with big "88" numbers in front. I don't like them and I don't like to see then in concerts. I still have no idea why they are tolerated but this has to chance.

FUCK MA(e)Y! a month of music

Howdy folks!

It's been a while since I last published something on this blog. I guess I can up with a thousand reasons but the truth is that I am lazy
Well for anyone who knows me well that's nothing new. I look at it as not being lazy but more like being a bonvivant
Now why I'm writing all this. Well it's all very simple. Finally I have something to blog about. At first I thought of writing separately about every single interesting event I come across but since the whole month of May was full of such events I decided that it's better to write about everything in one single article. So ladies and gentlemen here it is. In the text that follows you'll find about all the interesting concerts I've been to this month and why it has to be mentioned in this topic. Here we go. Happy reading

First we start with the first big concert for this month. It's something that you don't get to see everyday. And it's definitely something worth seeing and remembering.

05.05.10 H2O@The Box
Now H2O are all too well known american band so I won't bother myself explaining their history and music (you can check that out yourself). This is is their 15th anniversary which kicked with a european tour. Before their gig in Sofia I only knew them from a couple of vids and songs I've heard over the years. I knew that they were good but I didn't know what to expect from them since I'm not a huge hc fan. So I bought myself a ticket and hoped for a decent show worth the money. And so I waited. When the day came I was fairly excited and when I get to the venue it was already crowded in front of it. I waited in front and after several minutes I get in. And as usual I get myself a nice cold beer and waited for the show to start. To be honest the club itself isn't very appropriate for a concert that big. Way too many people way too less space. It was very crowded inside and good thing that I get there earlier. Well after about an hour or so the concert started with the bulgarian supporting bands. First in line was Rezerven Plan, a hc/punk sXe band from Plovdiv with rather unusual lyrics. I have to admit that they've played rather vigorously thanks of course to their lead vocal, Missues, known to the kids as the former host of Kulturistika (on the now defunct MM tv) and a radical vegan/sXe. Now the kid definitely got some balls going to a stage and screaming and kicking like that. The thing that impressed me most with this band was that in stark contrast to other hc bands this one used texts from some of Bulgaria's most beloved poets. And that's was something. However that whole vegan tirade that accompanied their set was something that I didn't like for in my country the whole vegan/sXe thing is mostly a fashionable stance for the kids to look cool and be different from their peers. Giving that and the overall presentation of the band I would say that it wasn't bad but also it wasn't something special. I personally didn't like some of the songs. Nevertheless it was nice to hear something new (at least for me). It was refreshing.

Next in line was Indignity, the boys from Varna who started their set with "My Truth", one of my favourite hc songs. Throughout their entire set the mood was high and to me it seemed like more people are enjoying their music in contrast to the previous band. A nice little moshpit was formed with more people willing to enter it. Their music was fast-paced and the kind that can't leave you watching from the side-lines. It definitely made me happy to be there and not regretting for anything.

Now the last of the bulgarian bands to come out before the headliners, was Brothers In Blood from Pleven. Another very good bulgarian hc band. From start to finish they didn't let down the audience. One thing I noticed about their lead vocalist was that he was kinda fashion-like compared to most hc musicians in Bulgarian with the big exception of Last Hope, who in my humble opinion are probably the most fashionable hardcore band in the country in both visual appearance and music. Still Brothers In Blood delivered fast and ass-kicking hardcore, one not to be missed by the appreciative fans.

After the last band came the time for the main event - H2O. To tell you the truth is was worth paying and waiting for. The band came to the stage and without wasting time started playing. By that time the crowd was already in the right mood so when Toby jumped to the stage, instinctively the whole audience moved forward to the stage. And it was a blast from the first to the last song as the band gave everything from themselves and in response the fans sing-a-long from the beginning. Of course as in every real hc concert there was a proper moshpit, one that leaved me and many others exhausted and out of breath (literally). Still it was such a big fun that even given the circumstances and went in and out several times and not regretting for doing so.
I have to admit that one thing that made me a big impression was the fact that although H2O are well-known band they didn't react as a fucking rock stars or something. Gotta admit that the guy singing in front of me was probably one of the most humble singers I've seen in years. Fuck, the guy even climbed the sound speakers and sang from there. It seemed like the band can play endlessly for hours. They played long enough even responded to a biss call. Alas all good thing sooner or later come to an end and so their gig eventually ended. Much can be written about that night but words will me meaningless if you were not there. Definitely it was one of the greatest concerts I've been to and one I will remember forever. Somehow I doubt that I will be the only one giving the excitement and joy that was in the air and the infinite smile on the people's faces. Oh what a night!

http://www.myspace.com/h2ofamily
http://www.myspace.com/brothasinblood
http://www.myspace.com/indignitybg
http://www.myspace.com/rezervenplan

08.05.10 PIZZA@The Box
Well this show has to be the weirdest I've been to. But nevertheless it was nice. Why weird? Simply because there were about a dozen people who attended the gig. The funny thing about it was that I plus two more guys were trying to do a pogo which was absolutely ridiculous and fun at the same time. There was also three girls who smuggled illegally alcohol from the outside. The whole thing was absurd but it turned out nicely for my surprise. To be honest even with a dozen people I had fun. As for the band itself, Pizza is ska/punk outfit that comes from the city of Varna. I have to give them credit that given the shamelessly few people that came they didn't seemed to be disappointed as they played like the club was full. And that they did well. After the gig there was something like a "after-party" in front of the National Theater where we all had a beer with the band.

http://www.myspace.com/elkobo

09.05.10 THE TOASTERS@Swingin Hall
That was an interesting night. First I didn't want to the concert it was kinda last minute decision. Second I wasn't a Toasters fan so I reluctantly went to the club. Third I wasn't in the mood for that kind of music that day. But anyway I went. And to this day I do not regret for my decision. I know that it contradicts everything I mentioned above but after all every person do make mistakes from time to time and I'm glad I didn't made it. Now to the point. I went there a little bit early and had to wait for about an hour or so until the concert starts. One of the bands that had to come was Red Five Point Star but they were robbed few days before coming to Bulgaria and were replaced in the last minute by the Kaya, bulgarian ska (mostly) band that I've never heard before. To be honest I was fairly disappointed by them. They've made me feel slippy and that's quiet an achievement. I wish I could tell something good about them but they were simply boring. Well sorry about that but they wasn't my kind of band. Next on stage came another bulgarian ska band named Plastic Bo from Asenovgrad, whom I already knew from one concert in Backstage two years ago. I did like them in the past so I had fair amount of expectations about them. Don't know why they let me down. I don't know what I liked about this guys before but that night I was unable to find something worth dancing to. Except two or three songs that I liked the rest was simply dull. I guess that I've simply grew up and my musical taste shifted to more serious stuff. In contrast to that the were of course lots of kids who were dancing to their music. Whatever. The best was for the last as The Toasters went up on stage. As I already mentioned before I had no expectations about them and at first I simply watched them playing. Soon I realized that I'm beginning to like them and not long after this I began to skank. Basically I danced almost to their entire set and of course most of the time I was on te front line. After they've played all of their songs they were called to bis several times and to my surprise they came to the stage every single time. That was something. I have to admit that this was one of the best ska concerts I've been to and I'm glad that I went there although my initial reserves about the band. It was fucking awesome!

http://www.myspace.com/toasters
http://www.myspace.com/plasticbo
http://www.myspace.com/kayabandbulgaria

13.05.10 MERUDIA+ORATNICA@Twins
To be honest I haven't planed to go listening to those two bands but I was surprisingly invited by a friend. I had absolutely no idea what music does the two groups perform. I was almost convinced that this is going to be one of those ethno music meets drum&bass night but I was totally wrong. First there was a dj set by a dj who didn't made me even the slightest impression. But that was ok given the fact that the interesting part was afterwards. The first band that played was Merudia, some kind of reggae with male and female singers. I have to admit that I definitely liked the voice of the girl. In overall they played a nice melodic kind of reggae that was really nice. After their performance it was turn for Oratnica to play. Now this band is a peculiar one. My understanding is that they play some sort of bulgarian ethno/folk music combined with elements of dub and probably other electronic styles (which I can't remember now). I've never heard anything similar so I didn't even know how to react to this. To my amazement I did like what I've heard. What was even more amazing was the fact that on two of their songs the people started dancing horo. And that's not something you see everyday especially on a night like this. It was definitely an interesting experience. One that I won't mind repeating again.
P.S.: this club sucks big time. it is unbelievable that they've ran out of beer. WTF?!? this is a night joint. it is supposed to have alcohol, plenty of it. it never happened to me before to go to a club and the beer to end in the middle of the night. FUCK that. i had to smuggle in beer from the outside. BULLSHIT. and by the way the blonde female bartender with the short tail deserved to feel first--hand what i've learned from the boxing lessons. what a twat.

http://www.myspace.com/merudia

20.05.10 LAST HOPE+HITMAN@The Box
What can I say. One of the oldest and best known inside and outside of Bulgaria local hardcore bands Last Hope did a nice little concert backed-up by the well-known serbian hc act Hitman and the bulgarians B.F.D.M. No big surprises there. The hardcore princesses both male and female all were there as well as the core fans. First the stage hit those born from different mothers or as they're best known B.F.D.M. Another group that I heard for the first time. Nice fast-paced hardcore. Nothing special. Next were the serbians Hitman. This band is already well known to the bulgarian audience as they played in Bulgaria several times and they released a split with Last Hope. They definitely play some kick-ass hardcore. It's been a while since I've heard such a good hc band. Definitely a band worth listening to. Last but not least Last Hope. The name says it all. The band has played with such notorious bands as Murphy's Law, Stampin Ground, 25 Ta Life, Agnostic Front. They know how to make a good show for sure. Since the beginning they revitalize the audience by bringing them closer to the stage and into the moshpit. Those guys made one heck of a show and crowd seemed to appreciate it. Veterans of the bulgarian hardcore scene Last Hope did not disappoint.

http://www.myspace.com/lasthopesofia
http://www.myspace.com/hitmanbhc
http://www.myspace.com/bfdmsfc

27-28-29.05.10 MELLOW MUSIC FESTIVAL
Now this festival is something I came across accidentally on the internet. I was completely surprised that something like this is going go happen in my home city and I was curious to see what it's like. To be honest this festival was like a breath of fresh air after all this hardcore/ska concerts. To be honest more than the half of the musicians/bands were completely unknown to me (well almost all of them actually) but that didn't stop me from going. To be honest I was quite surprised to see so many people from different age groups and probable with different musical tastes together. I have to admit that I like the whole idea of the festival - couple of artists brought together on one stage in a park which is in the center of the city. Very neat idea. Well there wasn't tea at the park but for my pleasure there was plenty of beer and other liqueur. The format of the festival is rather interesting I have to admit. You have bands playing during daytime in the park for free and you got artists playing in the Expo Center during nighttime which you can listen to for the prize of a ticket for the whole event or just for one specific night. Well I haven't been able to check all artists but as a proud bulgarian I'll mention at least the bulgarians present during the three day festival - Auditory Ossicles, Help Me Jones, 1000names, The Bulgarian & StefaK.
In overall great idea, great timing, good realization!

http://www.myspace.com/audoss
http://www.myspace.com/helpmejones
http://www.myspace.com/1000names
http://www.myspace.com/thebulgariantracks

the end