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Achtung!
Laibach in Kranj, Khislstein Castle, 5th of September, 2003.
by Zlato Krec
One week or two, before LAIBACH would hit the European tour,
International Multicultural Festival Carniola in Kranj - Slovenia,
promised to conclude their festival with a spectacular concert of LAIBACH
- the world premiere of WAT Tour programme. Usually, Laibach would give
a concert only some time after the tour for domestic audience. For example,
Kapital was presented even with a delay of one year or two. So,
it was a very rare occasion, if not unique, to experience the world premiere.
The WAT premiere in Trbovlje, just some six weeks earlier, announced
an excellent album of great songs with witty lyrics and made us predicting
that the coming Laibach tour might be the most victorious in their entire
rich and proud history. Curiosity of how will they put the tour set together
was a big enough challenge to hit the autobahn to Slovenia.
Those who were entering Slovenia by cars from Karavanke tunnel around
5th of September were warned with huge Achtung! posters around
every corner all over the region of Gorenjska, way down to Ljubljana and
maybe even further. Achtung!, Achtung! everywhere... Only those
who knew were greeted by these posters as name Laibach was written on
them in a very small letters. The road from Ljubljana to Kranj was extra
postered with Achtung! posters with added banners: "Laibach in Kranj
- tonight!". All this was promising a seriously organised event.
Khislstein Castle was pretty lonesome at some three quarters before the
announced concert. Metal fences of the the corridor to the entrance revealed
that a lot of people were expected. I heard that 2000 souls could be packed
in the courtyard of the castle, while some other said that police doesn't
allow more than 1500. Was it the paranoia of Kranj Police department which
experienced a huge vandalism of the water polo hooligans from Croatia
and Serbia recently, or lack of knowledge that Laibach audience is always
very cool and civilised? Those who caused most troubles to Laibach in
the far past was not their audience but Police itself.
For a short time, next to the bar, one could notice a small NSK merchandise
stand in dismissal. I just had some time to discover the new tour T-shirts,
a shoe-shine kit "Glanz mit Laibach", a search light "To
the New Light", a Laibach phone book, and lots of other more or less
funny things. Achtung! Laibach is going to empty your pockets if you meet
them anywhere on the tour. On the right side, halfway between the stage
and the mix desk was a huge projection screen of the Carniola Festival
to project the happening on stage. Everything seemed to be well prepared
and ready to kick start the spectacle. Ivan The Terrible of Laibach
was prepared too with his film projector, so he was able to greet now
and then acquaintances or friends who started to drop in to the venue.
He reminded me of Tito greeting and welcoming his politician comrades...
Audience slowly started to drip in to pack the Khislstein courtyard while
the sound system was playing some choral music in the background just
to set the audience into a "serious" mood. The courtyard was
pretty packed already at the announced time, which is 21:30. But only
fifteen minutes later we noticed that the music in the sound system had
changed. It started with a beautiful children's Christmas song which was
followed by Ave Maria mass in Latin. I believe this was in order
to consecrate the ground of the venue, so the immaculate performance of
LaibachKunst Machine could begin. Consecration became very popular in
Slovenia after the event on Mt. Kum which was followed by huge controversy.
The highest Slovenian Church dignities accused Laibach of Satanism, boozing,
smoking Marijuana, and the rest of vices...
After the mass at 22:00 sharp, members of Laibach started to conquer the
stage one by one in a non spectacular way. Dejan took place at his chess
decorated keyboards. Matej- the "guitar god", took his place
left of him. Roman - the veteran Laibach drummer - sat behind his drums
right from Dejan. Nikola the bass Lord took his place right of Roman,
and our Big Brother Milan in front, decorated with two drummer recruits
on his each side: Heidi and Hellga dressed and armed to drum and kill.
They are Laibach's newest achievement, and boy, they really look great
in the style close to Lara Croft. Don't even think of getting close to
them as they can sure kill you just with their cold and piercing look.
Laibach never looked so sexy before. OK, there was some controversy about
the girls in Slovenian press after the WAT premiere in Trbovlje, but I
don't want to dig that dirt in this place, because it is not important
on the international scale. Girls are doing their job as hell, and that
is their entire job. So bang the drums!
Laibach kick started the set with anthemic B Mashina which was much more
pronounced this time then six weeks ago in Trbovlje. Since then, they
had three gigs under their belts and I could notice only more confidence
and determination. Milan was at his best. In the Army Now, Dogs of War,
and Alle gegen Alle followed. I must admit that I don't consider the NATO
album Laibach's ultimate achievement, but this time all these songs sounded
great as if they were from WAT album. Most of us know by now that Laibach
is constructed of many paradoxes. One which appeared very obviously this
time was that Laibach sounds as a techno band while they look pretty much
like a normal rock combo when we would abstract their militaristic looks.
In this respect I must specially expose the "guitar god" Matej
who was constantly providing all kind of pertinent noise. Bravo, maestro!
With his guitar, the WAT songs sound even better than on album.
I noticed a small group of Slovenian nationalists (or were they skinheads?)
waving their white flag with a black panther of Karanthania. They were
pretty noisy and accepting every word from Milan very seriously, saluting
him with Sieg - Heil! frequently. But, no other harm was done.
Mars on River Drina was a turning point where all the photographers (a
numerous bunch) had to leave the three meters wide corridor which separated
the audience from the stage. Laibach blasted off God is God, but when
they started Tanz mit Laibach everybody went bezirk jumping and dancing
to Laibach, while the Sieg-Heil-ing and "Laibach - ϋber Alles"
shouting could be heard again very often. Next songs continued in a blitzkrieg
style: Du bist unser, a great song in dub style (!!!). Achtung!
warned us about the danger when looks are deceiving, and everybody changing
its coat. Did anyone notice yet that Laibach can be sexy too? Hell
: Symmetry and Du bist unser are the best proves of that. And
I'm not talking about Heidi & Hellga. Now You Will Pay followed,
Satanic Versus, Das Spiel ist Aus, and The Great Divide.
Unlike in Trbovlje, this times it seemed (at least to me) that the lights
were used better and making the coloration of the songs more various.
Laibach concluded the set with another anthemic song We Are Time.
While they were leaving the stage I noticed something what I never have
seen before: Milan and Dejan (and others maybe too) waved to the audience.
This is pretty unusual for Laibach which always kept an ice cold distance
with their audience. Besides, for some time already, Laibach does not
need to play the applause at the end anymore to come back for a "spontaneous"
encore. They won the applause on their own with people scansioning and
shouting "Laibach - ϋber Alles". Laibach let us wait for some
time - they let us work for a change. But, soon enough they returned to
the stage the same way as they left it, giving away a couple of waves
to audience. They blasted off Anti-Semitism, which is the only
song in Slovenian language on WAT beside German and English songs.
Sympathy for the Devil followed and concluded the show with pyrotechnic
effects. Laibach left us all in the dark for a short while and then Ave
Maria mass was continued, just to make sure that evil forces were
blown away, and the ground of the venue was properly consecrated again.
Soon after, white lights were turned on, and a remix of Tanz mit Laibach
started to play while crowds started to break up. The musical part of
the concert was some 85 minutes long while the mass lasted at least some
15 minutes before and after the event.
LaibachKunst Machine proved to be well oiled, in full swing, and
ready to conquer Europe. America will follow soon, and then the entire
World. After twenty-three years of existence they stand more firm than
ever in their boots. Don't miss them if they play in any town in your
neighbourhood. Bring your parents and siblings with you. They have many
things to tell, and question you. Your life won't be the same again. The
missed chance won't come again.
Set list:
1. B Mashina
2. In the Army Now
3. Dogs of War
4. Alle gegen Alle
5. Mars on River Drina
6. God is God
7. Tanz mit Laibach
8. Du bist unser
9. Achtung!
10. Hell : Symmetry
11. Now You Will Pay
12. Satanic Versus
13. Das Spiel ist Aus
14. The Great Divide
15. WAT
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16. Anti-Semitism
17. Sympathy for the Devil
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