As karma really is a bitch, the first live report for Abaddon Magazine was written from the empire of infectious diseases (as a wise man once called a mosh pit). The drive to actually visit a high risk occasion, in these plague ridden times, was a terrible itch for loud music. I’m sure you all know what I’m writing about. I guess it will take about two weeks until I know for sure if it was a good idea. Either way, if I’m down to fake lungs by that time, you can hail me for catching the virus in your stead, to bring you a couple of lines about Atheist Rap and their first gig after the outbreak.

First and foremost, I need to read and agree to the terms and conditions of use for a concert, 2020 AD.

So, the concert needs to be held outside… Indoor shows are limited to 50 people and you cannot really expect a band with over 30 years on stage to play for just 50 people. Outside it is. Improvised stage in front of Zemun’s premiere rock club, called Fest. Good, there can be more people in the audience. The doctors said it is much less of a risk to catch the virus if you stay outdoors. Hooray for the homeless! They will all survive.

Next in line, social distancing… There needs to be about 1.5 meters between two people, in order to further lessen the odds in favor of the invisible enemy. Doable, though difficult. Especially since I’m a rare specimen that came to the show alone. At least get the distance between groups of people. Manageable. Call upon the consciousness of individuals. Punk rockers have always been socially conscious, so there should be no issue with that.

Masks… Mandatory, of course, no question about it. Makes it harder to sing along to your favorite songs, but it is possible nonetheless. It will probably quickly turn your mask into a spittoon, but you can easily discard it after the show. No need to be disgusted. It’s your own spit and you swallow most of it in your lifetime anyway. Beer and smokes bring along a completely different set of questions, but you can last a couple of hours without them.

Having read, understood and agreed to the terms and conditions, we can relax and enjoy the show.

But has anyone ever really read, understood and agreed to the terms and conditions? Hell no! Four beers and half a pack of cigarettes later, I can vouch for that.

Starting with “Momci se vraćaju u grad” all hell broke loose and the virus was free to roam about. But so was the band. Fully loaded from the long abstinence, Atheist Rap delivered a magnificent show. Characteristic, sarcastic, dark (and light) and socially conscious humor laced with energetic punk rock fueled the fire throughout. Sparing nobody, not even their own vocalist who became a spitting image of one of the biggest dirtbag politicians in Serbia, Atheist Rap browsed through their new and old hits. There was hardly any surprises for their fans. Pure, unadulterated violent fun. Enough laughs to spread around, along with a ton of topics to actually think about. As punk rockers must.

I’m terribly sorry for not being able to present Atheist Rap further. It’s simply impossible if you cannot speak Serbian. Along with that, you need to be a connoisseur of actual mentality of Serbian people and current (as well as past) political situation in Serbia and former Yugoslavia. Those who are familiar with the above mentioned, already know what I want to write here. What everyone needs to know is that Atheist Rap is one of the best Serbian punk bands and their shows are never dull, or just ordinary.

With a smile on my face, just from the memories from the latest one, I offer you my goodbyes. Just in case I actually did catch the virus. Glad I caught it at a concert, instead at some shitty workplace.