sat 16/11/2024

Fanfare Ciocârlia vs Boban Marcovic - Balkan Brass Battle, The Dome, Brighton | reviews, news & interviews

Fanfare Ciocârlia vs Boban Marcovic - Balkan Brass Battle, The Dome, Brighton

Fanfare Ciocârlia vs Boban Marcovic - Balkan Brass Battle, The Dome, Brighton

No ballads, no pauses, just sheer demented energy

Balkan brass bands Fanfare Ciocârlia and Boban Marcovic prepare to whip up a musical storm

Subtlety is overrated. I've always thought so. Critical consensus too often rates nuanced, emasculated emoting over music that smashes you over the head with an iron bar. From hardcore punk to gabber to speed metal to the sort of dubstep that sounds like four-storey bass bins begging for mercy, music that's ballistic doesn't leave room for quibbling. You're either on the bus or you can piss off and listen to Bon Iver in your bedroom.

Subtlety is overrated. I've always thought so. Critical consensus too often rates nuanced, emasculated emoting over music that smashes you over the head with an iron bar. From hardcore punk to gabber to speed metal to the sort of dubstep that sounds like four-storey bass bins begging for mercy, music that's ballistic doesn't leave room for quibbling. You're either on the bus or you can piss off and listen to Bon Iver in your bedroom.

Share this article

Comments

Drat - I'm so sorry I missed this (though with four operas on the trot I guess I needed a night off). Was introduced to Boban Markovic and his Orkestar by two Austrian friends who've been to Gucar twice, and found the complex rhythms of some of the numbers unbelievably sophisticated. Sounds amazing, but can you reassure me it wasn't amplified? That's what stopped me going to such things after I heard the likes of Ivo Papasov and Taraf de Haidouks miked to buggery.

Add comment

The future of Arts Journalism

 

You can stop theartsdesk.com closing!

We urgently need financing to survive. Our fundraising drive has thus far raised £33,000 but we need to reach £100,000 or we will be forced to close. Please contribute here: https://gofund.me/c3f6033d

And if you can forward this information to anyone who might assist, we’d be grateful.

Subscribe to theartsdesk.com

Thank you for continuing to read our work on theartsdesk.com. For unlimited access to every article in its entirety, including our archive of more than 15,000 pieces, we're asking for £5 per month or £40 per year. We feel it's a very good deal, and hope you do too.

To take a subscription now simply click here.

And if you're looking for that extra gift for a friend or family member, why not treat them to a theartsdesk.com gift subscription?

newsletter

Get a weekly digest of our critical highlights in your inbox each Thursday!

Simply enter your email address in the box below

View previous newsletters