TANGRA MEGA LIVE 15
KULTUR SHOCK, KONTROL, Pero Defformero
01.12.2009, Universiada hall, Sofia - Bulgaria

words byВ Nick The Stripper, photo: Elena Nenkova

Winter 2009 in Bulgaria is a drab, miserable affair, somewhat oppressive and bereft of joy. Not an attractive proposition by any stretch of the imagination. Unless, of course, you ski or snowboard, in which case you’re sorted. As for the locals, well most people are well overdrawn on their credit cards, quite a few owe money and nearly everyone feels unappreciated, misunderstood and unhappy with their lot. Which is precisely why we all needed a proper night out, to unwind, go mental and let our ever so passionate Balkan souls tear it loose!

Well then, make your way to this year’s Winter lunacy, stirred up by them obstinate bastards from Tangra Mega Rock – the radio that doesn’t, yet does, give a fuck! Tonight we’ve got rivers of alcohol, tons of merchandise, about 2-3 battalions of familiar faces and three bands ready, willing and more than able to kick your kebab loving ass! So…loosen up and let your most primal side roar our in unbridled euphoria! Ain’t no shame in it, be yourself….get in touch with your Balkan side! 

Преди Before we share our impressions of the gig, let’s clear up a few irritating issues – the venue was 3/4ths full, so, yes, the show was more than well attended, especially in view of the current financial crisis throttling Bulgaria. Then there’s the sound. Whatever gig you go to, whatever venue or band, there’s always bound to be someone who will inevitably moan and groan about the front-of-house sound. Well, tonight had its minor hitches, but, overall, the sound was mostly good and, during Kultur Shock’s set – quite clear and powerful!

First up were cheeky Serbian sonic bandits Pero Defformero. They hail from Novi Sad – second largest city in Serbia and hiome to the rather fab Exit Festival. Their style is described as turbo-folk-metal. Well, tonight they were more turbo folk than metal. Which didn’t stop the initially small, but steadily growing crowd from going “wa-hey” to their music and some punters even knew the words to the songs.  

Lead vocalist Goran Bisevac is seen flaunting his white suit, gold chain and medallion – God knows how he made it across the border! The crowd definitely made the band feel at home and greeted Pero Defformero like long-lost friends, which goes to show, once again, that we like the Serbs more than they like us.

Pero Defformero showcased the highlights from their current album Undergrand amidst ever-growing boogie within the crowd. Thus the Balkan buttock shake’n’roll began in earnest....

Twenty years ago Kontrol sold out this very venues and I was one of the few hundred unlucky rfuckers left standing outside, looking for spare tickets. Seems so long ago now….A Kontrol gig nowadays is as rare as Cristiano Ronaldo NOT diving to get a foul, so if you didn’t bother coming to this one, don’t fucking send us whining emails about how you “always wanted to see the original line-up”…

This is one the few bands that takes to the stage having won the crowd over already, before even having to play a single note. Not to mention the fact that their lead singer comes out with a fucking ace every time! Only those who haven’t heard or seen Kontrol don’t love them to death! 

Tonight they blast out a set full of hits and more. To “get” this band completely, one has to understand their lyrics, which are as accurate and humorous a mirror of Bulgarian psyche and traits as is humanly possible. Musically, you’ll find similarities with the Toy Dolls, Frank Zappa and some obscure, yet wonderful Hungarian bands. Suffice it to say, Kontrol are a national treasure! 

Their stroming set is followed by a beer and piss break. Rancid, Scarhead and other Tangra Mega Rock favourites rattle up the speakers as we await the main headliners, namely international rock-metal-punk-gypsy folk-Balkan thrash’n’trash outlaws Kultur Shock! Whatever you may think of their music – some detractors will stress it’s too “Balkan and gypsy” – there’s no denying the fact that this is one well oiled and incendiary passion-blast-to-the-last machine of committed partisan characters!
Yes, they make use of all the “exotic” clichés, but they’re also brilliant musicians and you’d have to be deaf or dead to not see that they absolutely LOVE and live for what they’re doing – a monster mountainous berserker-dervish sound, the best smack up and spank you’ll ever get, you dirty bitch!

There’s a rather touching moment here – tonight is the first time that the Kyosovski brothers have played a gig together – one drum-bashing for Kontrol, the other guitar-slinging it for Kultur Shock. There’s a long-haired guy in front of me, who keeps turning round and looking at the crowd in dismay all night – guess he got here a tad too late for the W.A.S.P. show and a bit early for the upcoming Moonspell gig....



Meanwhile Gino’s tracksuit bottom looks like it’s about to drop as the blokes around me drool over Kultur Shock’s mad violin wolverine Paris Hurley. Seems to me that she and Amy (violin) are showing more “Balkan”-type fire than the real natives in the band. Paris’ mad violin forays into Romanian/Hungarian territory, while Amy belts out a few acapella histrionics akin to an out-of-it Balkan river maiden from centuries past.
Gino assures us they’ll be back and that every time they tour, they’ll come through here. Well, we should bloody well think so mate…