After more than a year of “fasting”, I’m finally back to attending gigs. I broke my fasting period with a fatty feast of 4 bands full of cholesterol.
The gig kicked off around 7:00 PM when our neighbors from Macedonia, Primitive Dread, took the stage. They are a younger band that has been around for 4 years and has 2 EPs behind them. In about half an hour of performance, the guys presented their vision of metal, inspired by thrash, crossover, and hardcore sounds. Primitive Dread decently warmed up the still-small audience and proved that they didn’t end up on this tour by chance, standing side by side with other “heavies”. A very good and energetic performance, and I believe this tour will give them a boost in their future work. I’m looking forward to their debut album, and you should definitely pay attention to these guys from Ohrid.
Next up on stage were Born From Pain, a band I was really eager to see tonight, besides Madball, of course. Fast, energetic and heavy. That’s how I would describe the performance of these Dutch masters in three words.In about 40 minutes, the guys went through their discography and honestly shook the walls of Zappa Baza club. Singer Rob Franssen did his best to animate the crowd, but it was clear that the band was saving their energy for the stars of the night – Madball. I hope that in the future, Born From Pain will get the opportunity to perform independently in Belgrade, because they definitely deserve more support.
After Born From Pain, Nasty took the stage. Honestly, before this performance, I had listened to Nasty and didn’t care for them, so I didn’t have much desire to check them out. But live… These guys completely changed my opinion. It turned 180 degrees. What a performance, what a band! I’m really not sure where my ears were when I listened to Nasty. During their performance, I felt like I was in a cage fighting 10 top MMA fighters with my hands tied. For 40 minutes, the guys from Nasty beat us with all their might and no mercy. A real explosion of energy and power. I came to the concert not wanting to see Nasty and left as a new fan.
And finally, a Bible for every hardcore music fan, from Anchorage (Canada) in the West to Vladivostok (Russia) in the East: Madball. Teachers, leaders, founders, masters. From the very first bars of “Set It Off,” delirium erupted in the audience, accompanied by mosh pits, stage dives, and choral singing.
“We are Madball! What’s up, Serbia?” Those words, spoken by singer Freddy, were enough to ignite the crowd. And while the anthems “Smell the Bacon”, “It’s My Life”, “Pride” and “New York City” were sung, I admired not only the band Madball but also the architects and craftsmen who built the space where Zappa Baza club is located. I really don’t know how the walls of the club withstood the eruption that Madball and the crowd created together. During a 60-minute session, the dads from Madball showed us what hardcore music is and how to play it. It may seem too short, but I really don’t know who could withstand the barrage of fire that this New York crew unleashed on us.
As a fan of metal music, I came out of this gig very happy, and I can’t even imagine how the people with hardcore running through their veins must have felt. Yes, I haven’t been to a concert in a long time, but I honestly can’t remember the last time both the opening bands and the headliner were equally good. It was great to reconnect with old friends and enjoy an amazing concert. This evening was a true celebration of the hardcore spirit and unity.
Photos by Ivan Veselinović
