Music from Goriška and its music scene
Introduction
During the transition years, and especially after the transition to the 21st century, an unusual dynamic between the center and the periphery, the province or the periphery, has emerged in the Slovenian cultural space. For various reasons, the prevailing view in cultural and media circles has been that the vast majority of internationally relevant and topical cultural events are concentrated within the Ljubljana ring road. The editorial policy of the main Slovenian media based in Ljubljana, as well as the national policy of financing cultural production in general, have contributed to this. In the last 20 years, not only people from Nova Gorica, but almost all cultural workers working outside the capital have faced a similar situation.
National cultural policies, combined with local political intrigues, have led to a dead end in recent years. This is not to say that nothing is happening in Nova Gorica. In fact, there is no shortage of events, but something more important is missing - the feeling that there is a scene, or better yet, scenes. A quick look at the musical history of Nova Gorica and the surrounding area shows that we are perhaps at our lowest point in terms of the number of active bands and venues. It is important to emphasize the global context here. Similar trends, such as the closure of local micro-scenes, the closing of independent clubs and the decline of independent music production, can be observed all over Europe. Organizing music events has become a demanding and expensive business, and people's listening and consumption habits have changed radically, especially when it comes to leisure and nightlife. At the same time, the idealism of the DIY approach, which has always been the driving force behind the independent music scene, including New York's, seems to be slowly but inevitably losing the battle against the neoliberal principles and bureaucratic processes that hamper the production of cultural events.
But it is always worth looking to the past for inspiration and new visions. Too few of us are aware of the extensive and important nature of local musical heritage. Most people, especially the younger generation, have never heard of the concert given by the iconic American punk band Dead Kennedys in 1981 at the Palasport Hall in neighboring Gorizia, just one year after the release of their seminal punk album Fresh Fruit for Rotting Vegetables. Few people know that Laibach, the most controversial band in the wider Balkans in the early 1980s, played their first show in Slovenia since 1983 in Dobrov in 1986, having spent the intervening years mostly abroad due to a ban on touring. The first-class avant-gardists, who were personae non gratae in the capital, were welcomed with open arms by the rural punk scene! Many people do not know that the first Slovenian grindcore band Extreme Smoke 57, which was also the first ambassador of extreme guitar music in Slovenia, was formed in Nova Gorica. And that Nova Gorica was considered one of the epicenters of the Slovenian punk, hardcore and metal scene in the 1990s and early 2000s in general.
Perhaps a little better known is the anecdote about the canceled gig of grunge icon Nirvana in Goriška hulls. The Seattle legends had already agreed to perform at the Cooperative Home in Hume, but Kurt, Dave and Krist were supposed to stay in Dobrovo with my neighbor, concert organizer Franjo Polanc from MKUD Strelišče. But during the preparations for the tour, the album Nevermind (DGC, 1991) was released and changed the course of music history (they played in neighboring Muggia/Milje in 1992!). In between, the Strelišče team also had a hand in the legendary performance of American punk icons NOFX in the aforementioned hall in Hum, where they performed in 1992. Indirectly, this concert certainly influenced the development of the local punk rock scene, which in later years gave us bands such as Scuffy Dogs, Elvis Jackson and Pigs Parliament. According to Brno drummer Zlatko Kaučič, it was the "Streliščars" who, in addition to punk and other concerts, organized numerous free jazz events in the small club in the 1990s, and who were responsible for the discovery of free jazz in Ljubljana. Primorske novosti even wrote about the Hum Hall as a link between Berlin and Milan. The legendary Ljubljana promoter ŠKUC, headed by Igor Vidmar from Nova Gorica, organized concerts there by bands such as Inca Babies in 1987, Firehose in 1988, Crime & The City Solution, Das Damen and Savage Republic in 1988, A.C. Temple and the Doughboys in 1989, and finally D.O.A. in 1990.
Electronic music was not far behind in terms of relevance, with Meblo, Zeleni gaj, Grad Vipolže, the Odeon discotheque (later Cream, KGB and Marco Polo), nearby festivals such as ECO and other local venues hosting some of the biggest names in the global techno scene such as Jeff Mills, Dubfire, Rino Cerrone, Adam Beyer, Joseph Capriati, Rebekah, Fernanda Martins, Miss Sunshine, Speedy J, Marco Bailey, Joey Beltram and Chris Liebing. Drum'n'Bass music was also very diverse, especially during the Intensity Music series, which brought names like Friction, Mungo's Hi Fi and Koan Sound to Nova Gorica, not to mention the influence of pop and rock bands like Avtomobili, Big Ben and Zaklonišče prepeva. Or all the musicians who came out of Zlatko Kaučič's kombo music school and are now in dozens of bands that shape the Slovenian alter scene (Kavasutra, Grunt, Eating Sports, Bregove dere, Spranga farbat, KOMBO A, B, C and D, the unfortunately no longer active Nesesari Kakalulu and Koromač, and many others).
All these names and anecdotes confirm the fact that Nova Gorica and its surroundings have a vast and impressive musical heritage that needs to be internalized and meaningfully placed in a broader European perspective. We live in a culturally extremely rich and transitional area, which provides a critical mass for high quality cultural production. But before we can even think about visions for the future and cross-border integration, we need to be aware of what we once had and what we have lost. Ultimately, it all begins and ends with educating audiences. Musical tastes and sensibilities must be taught through quality curated programs that encourage people to be curious and open-minded. And this is exactly what was successfully done years ago in Strelišče, CRMK, Mostovna, Pieffe Factory and elsewhere. Once you have an educated audience, it is important to nurture it and never underestimate it. Once you have good local musicians, you have to give them the opportunity to develop in the local scene, in local clubs and venues. And once you have quality venues and clubs, you are well on your way to making the local scene really come alive in all its glory.
Avtor: Jaša Bužinel