Sjećate li se, drugovi: Sotonski marš kroz Graz! (2002) – koncertne priče iz zaprašenih arhiva
Autor: Aleš Podbrežnik
Mjesto: Graz (Austrija), Orpheum
Datum koncerta: 01.04.2002
Broj posjetitelja: 1000
Cijena karte: 30,00€
(attention: for an English version, please scroll down the bar)
Bio je to jedan od rijetkih ovogodišnjih sunčanih travanjskih dana. Odluka da krenemo već u 11:30 iz Ljubljane bila je potpuno na mjestu, jer je granica kod Šentilja zbog uskršnjih praznika bila užasno zakrčena gotovo isključivo vozilima s austrijskim tablicama, osim nekoliko svijetlih iznimaka s oznakom SLO koje su krenule nekamo drugamo, a ne k Priestima. Dva sata smo crkavali na graničnom prijelazu. Mislio sam da će mi eksplodirati mjehur. Spasio sam se najgoreg, iako me pritom promatrao cijeli svemir okićen praznično, jer se radilo o životu i smrti.
Graz u 16:00, lijen i pospan grad. Dvorana Orpheum, osim pohlepne blagajne, nije pokazivala znakove života. Karte na dan koncerta prodavali su za masnih 35 eura. Nakon 18:00 ljudi su se polako počeli slijevati u predvorje. Vrata dvorane otvorila su se u 19:30 i za poziciju u prvom redu trebalo je pokazati baš sve svoje vrhunske atletske akrobacije. Koncert je trebao početi u 20:00. I radije bih još koji sat mučio u prvom redu, a zašto, odmah ću vam reći.
Lokalni predbend, ponos grada Graza. Bez imena, neobjavljeni? Halo? Gibson “les paul” jednojajčani blizanci na gitarama, identične frizure (duga ravna masna kosa), identičan image, identični pokreti. Mali bubnjevi (neki dječji set, sudeći po dimenzijama) i čudesna škrinjica pokraj njih, za koju se ispostavilo da je neki drum & bass stroj. Inače nemam ništa protiv tehno kreacija, ali neka se barem koriste s ukusom. Dobro, da su barem bile upotrijebljene s ukusom, ali za zagrijavanje pred Judas Priest, gdje je svijet između ostalog odbrojio i poveće svote za karte, taj šou nikako nije bio primjeren. Narod se iz minute u minutu sve više ježio i vidno postajao neraspoložen zbog odabrane grupe koja se “trudila” zagrijati publiku. Kakve veze ima takva glazba s Judas Priest? Oh, kako su si članovi benda zaslužili aplauz kad su se odlučili maknuti s pozornice. Kamen mi je pao sa srca. Grupa bez duše, iza koje stoje imućni roditelji koji razmaženim dečkićima kupuju skupe “igračke”, koje tako nažalost postaju zlorabljene.
Počelo je posve ozbiljno. U 21:10 udarila je poznata munja iz vedra neba. “Metal Gods” i bogovi heavy metala bili su s nama. Narod je poludio. Dobro, dobro, skroz su podivljali samo prvi redovi. Bez ikakvog “Bok” publici, Priesti su krenuli dalje marširati s “Heading Out To The Highway”. Uauuuu, skoro deset godina nije ga bilo moguće čuti uživo, a bend je pred kraj šoua iznenadio i s “Desert Plains”, naravno u mnogo bržoj izvedbi nego na originalnoj verziji ploče “Point Of Entry”.
Ripper je zaista bio u top formi. Gdje Halford na originalnim verzijama pjesama obično ispusti jedan scream, Ripper ih je uživo ispalio i po pet zaredom (“Touch Of Evil”, “Beyond The Realms Of Death”). Posebno se istaknuo na izrazito dugom screamu koji zaključuje pjesmu “Victim Of Changes”. Ripper je pjevao fenomenalno, kristalno čisto, brutalno oštro, s bojom glasa se igrao kao spretni žongler. Lakoća s kojom je otpjevao sve te teške dionice Halfordova prethodnika bila je samo dokaz da je Ripper dostojna Robova zamjena, da još jednom uvjerim one koji se bezuvjetno kunu samo u Halforda. I kakva komunikacija s publikom! Stalna stiskanja ruku najvjernijim fanovima u prvim redovima.
Ripper je naravno morao pokazati svu svoju modnu konfekciju. Na svakom komadu odjeće, od bejzbolske kape do hlača, pisalo je “Ripper”, a najbolje mu je (naravno) pristajala ona kožna oprema. Pokazao se i u hokejaškom dresu (naravno s natpisom Ripper) i Judas Priest simbolom na prsima u bojama Kanade, kako i dolikuje Ripperu, pravom Kanađaninu. Narod je bio u transu. Kad se Ripper obratio publici s “Sad ćemo usporiti scenu pjesmom s albuma “Stained Class” i htio pitati publiku da pogodi o kojoj je pjesmi riječ, ona je još prije nego što je završio rečenicu zagrmjela: “Beyond The Realms Of Death!”, a Ripper se samo okrenuo Tiptonu i vidno zadovoljan mu kimnuo: “Well, they’ve got it!” Zaista je jedinstveno doživljaj gledati Rippera kako s lakoćom otpjeva Halfordovu ostavštinu. Ne znam kako da ga uopće dovoljno pohvalim.
Dvije akustične gitare, koje su neko vrijeme samovale na pozornici, bend je upotrijebio za izvedbu “Diamonds And Rust”, “Beyond The Realms Of Death” i “Hell Is Home”. Uz potonju, bend je sa zadnje ploče odsvirao i ubojiti “One On One”.
Malo nezgodno, što se zvuka tiče, ispao je “Turbo Lover” (na originalnoj verziji gitare su inače odsvirane preko sintisajzera), ali Ripperu je baš dobro došlo da malo opusti glasnice, jer je nakon toga slijedio “Painkiller”. Inače je zvuk koncerta Judas Priest bio savršen.
I thrashom obojeni “Blood Stained” i “Burn In Hell” našli su svoje pravo mjesto na set listi i svojom agresivnošću dodatno pridonijeli uprizorenju pravog sotonskog marša, koji se zaključio poznatim hrumenjem. “Vrooommm, vrooooom…”, svjetlo Harleya Davidsona na zamračenoj pozornici. Ripper na njemu, kao malo dijete koje je upravo dobilo lizalicu, vidno se zabavljao. Bend je udario s “Painkiller”, narod odmah ruke u zrak, dvorana se zatresla pod hrumenjem dvostrukog bas pedala Scotta Travisa i još jedna Priest klasika oživjela je u noći. Tako je završio glavni dio nastupa.
Prvi bis otvorio je intro sa “Screaming For Vengeance”. “The Hellion” je normalno prešao u “Electric Eye”. Bend je znao da bi ih bez “Electric Eye” publika zasigurno linčovala. Iznenađenje je uslijedilo s pjesmom “United”, a prvi bis završio je (sad već dugogodišnja praksa koncerata Judas Priest) s “Living After Midnight”.
Narod je tražio još. “Priest, priest,…!” odzvanjalo je dvoranom, a dečki su se pojavili još jednom na pozornici i s čuvenom “Hell Bent For Leather” odveli nas u kasne sedamdesete. Nakon brzo odsviranog introa, Glenn si je priuštio nešto užitaka na tremolu svoje čuvene Hammer gitare, a onda su se s K.K.-jem postavili jedan uz drugoga i izveli onu čuvenu pozu, koja je kroz povijest benda toliko puta ovjekovječena bilo fotoaparatom bilo čak crtežom. Kike do poda, gitare lijevo i desno, riff do kraja, uauuuuu….sanjam li? Bend je tog prvog travnja zaista bio dobre volje i raspoložen. Možda im je koristio upravo jedan dan odmora (prethodni koncert imali su 30.03.2002 u Beču).
Kakav repertoar i kakav nastup!!! Legende!!!
fotografije: Milan “Dr. Evil” Krušič
“Satanic march through Graz!” (2002)
It was one of those rare sunny days of April. To start our trip in Graz early at 11:30 a.m. was very clever decision, because of celebration day which caused a long queue of cars on the border in Austria direction. We waited for a two hours to get through. So meanwhile I got a serious problems with where to take a pee. I was surrounded with highway full of cars and frustrated people in it waiting to move closer to the borderline. I thought that I will explode. I finally free my mind about all those eyes that stared at me and I made it. Well don’t get me wrong, but it was a question of life and death for me.
Graz at 4:00 p.m. was lazy and very boring place to be. There were no signs of life at Orpheum too, except guy who was selling high-priced tickets for 35 euro. The gates of the hall were opened at 7:30 p.m. and the gig should start at 8:00 p.m.
Local support group was something very special to me. I couldn’t get even it’s name. Well guitarists were twins. Same image, same moves, even same hair style and beside that the same copy of Gibson’s “les Paul” guitars. They were using stoner riffs, and most of those riffs were played through wah-wah effect. So they were hiding behind wah-wah, giving us a poor melody. Even one solo could not be heard. What we could also saw, was very small non-standard basic drum set nearby interesting box. This box was drum & bass machine. This computer was used as a basic rhythm, that covered drumming. So who needs drums at all?
The guy on vocals was wearing an image of a fellow who just felt unfortunately down the escalator. All those moves he made on stage convinced me that he is very much in love with nu-metal and rap. All his “singing” (better for me to say loud spoken words in German language) reminded me on Hitler’s famous ecstasy speeches somewhere a long time ago. So the audience was becoming from minute to minute more impatient and frustrated because of guys who really “hardly tried” to warm up the people. Even some screams (in all sort of languages): “Go fuck yourselves!” blazed out. And the only moment that we enjoyed in a whole gig was when they finally left the stage. Oh, what a release.
So the time for a big bang ran out. Uauu,”Metal Gods” at 21:10 p.m.! And true metal gods were with us once again. Audience went totally insane. O.k., o.k. only the front rows. Without any “Hello” they continued with “Heading Out To The Highway”. I was really happy about the decision of the band to put “Heading Out…” and “Desert Plains” (both from “Point Of Entry” album) in their set list again. “Desert Plains” came later in show and was played in much faster way that could be heard as original LP version.
Ripper was really ripping. High tuned heavy screams, he shouted out even five together one after another (when you listening to original versions of tracks, there is usually one Rob’s scream). When the band reached the end of “Victim Of Changes”, shouted Ripper a real long and high lasting scream and proved that he is a real challenge to Rob Halford and his Judas Priest heritage (for all of you, who still think that Rob is the only choice for Judas Priest). Ripper done his job perfect. All sequences that are really hard for singing and we all know that only Rob can do it, seemed to Ripper a piece of cake. Hail to you Ripper and welcome on board again! A great communication was established between Ripper and audience with continuous shaking of hands during the show. At one point, Ripper turned to audience with: “Now we will slow down a little bit with a song from our Stained Class album!” And even before he tried to let the audience in guessing game which song is it, he got an answer: “Beyond The Realms Of Death!” Ripper satisfied with great response simply turned to Glenn and said: “Well, they’ve got it!” Ripper also disguised himself a few times. Well he wore a baseball cap with sign on “Ripper”, belt with “Ripper” on it, even hockey sport shirt again with “Ripper” in back print, but most of all it was the leather (of course with “Ripper” sign on) that made him real.
On the stage there were two acoustic guitars that were used during “Diamonds And Rust”, “Beyond The Realms Of Death” and “Hell Is Home”. And beside “Hell Is Home”, the band stroke with “One On One” (based on great killer intro riffing) from “Demolition” LP, too.
The sound through entire show was perfect. Only at one moment it felt a little weaker. During “Turbo Lover”. Maybe because I have always in my head those keyboards (from original LP version) that are played through guitars, and “in live” there were none. Ripper could relaxed himself a little bit before great finale.
The lights went off. And a single light appeared. It was a light of Harley Davidson and we could hear: “Wroooommm, wroooooom,…! Ripper on a motorcycle enjoyed like a little kid who just got a candy. After a while Scott’s double bass (with great previous rolling intro) detonated. It was “Painkiller”, another Judas Priest classic. Heads were rolling again, crowd went totally mad, as the main part of a gig was over.
First encore began with “Hellion” and (of course) “Electric Eye”, followed by one of surprises that night “United” and finished with classic end “Living After Midnight”.
But the crowd wanted priest to came back: “Priest, priest…!” And they’ve got another thing coming. And this thing was “Hell Bent For Leather”. Quickly played intro of a song followed by Glenn’s magic hands on tremolo. For a moment I thought he will never stop all guns to blaze. After Glenn’s intro, K.K. joined him side by side. In well known Judas Priest style which is almost a part of heavy metal history, the guys brought us their show to a final end.
After the concert, the whole band came to the fans in first row and shacked their hands. Even always a little bit shy and introverted Ian did. Well it was real great repertoire and most of all fantastic gig. To see Judas Priest after 35 years still at their best. Metal gods, revolution and the first name of heavy metal to me, thank you for everything and I hope to see you soon again!
photos taken by Milan “Dr. Evil” Krušič
Setlista
1. Metal Gods
2. Heading Out To The Highway
3. Touch Of Evil
4. Blood Stained
5. Victim Of Changes
6. One On One
7. Diamonds And Rust
8. Green Manalishi (With The Two Pronged Crown)
9. Beyond The Realms Of Death
10. Burn In Hell
11. Hell Is Home
12. Breaking The Law
13. Desert Plains
14. Turbo Lover
15. Painkiller
—prvi bis—
16. The Hellion
17. Electric Eye
18. United
19. Living After Midnight
—- drugi bis— 20.
Hell Bent For Leather
===taped outro===
21. Lost And Found
Galerija slika
