Partibrejkers

Partibrejkers

Partibrejkers performing live in 2003
Background information
Origin Belgrade, Serbia
Genres Garage rock, punk rock, blues rock
Years active 1982 – present
Labels PGP-RTB, Jugoton, Jugodisk, PGP-RTS, B92, Hi-Fi Centar, Sorabia Disc
Associated acts Urbana Gerila, Radnička Kontrola, Radost Evrope, Disciplina Kičme, Ekatarina Velika, Vlada Divljan Old Stars Band, Rimtutituki, Banana, Gluve Kučke, Oružjem Protivu Otmičara, NBG, Jugosloveni, Eyesburn, Kazna Za Uši, Kanda, Kodža i Nebojša
Website partibrejkers.net
Members
Zoran Kostić
Nebojša Antonijević
Darko Kurjak
Zlatko Veljović
Past members

Partibrejkers (Serbian Cyrillic: Партибрејкерс, transliteration for: Partybreakers) is a prominent Serbian rock band from Belgrade, as well as an acclaimed act of the former Yugoslav rock scene.

The band was formed in 1982 and released their debut album in 1985 in a two guitars, drums and vocal set (no bass guitar). Until today they have experienced numerous line-up changes. The mainstay of the band are Zoran Kostić "Cane" (vocals) and Nebojša Antonijević "Anton" (guitar). They have received steady critical acclaim over the years and are well received by audiences all over former Yugoslavia, not only because of their music, but also due to their anti-war activism with the Rimtutituki project. Their influences are diverse, such as the Stooges, MC5, early Rolling Stones and New York Dolls, combined with blues, rhythm-and-blues, rockabilly and classic rock and roll.

Contents

History

1980s

The band was formed by a former Urbana Gerila and Radnička Kontrola member Zoran Kostić "Cane" (vocals), former Republika members Goran Bulatović "Manza" (drums) and Ljubiša Kostadinović "Ljuba" (guitar) and former BG5, Butik and Šine member Nebojša Antonijević "Anton" (guitar). Bulatović named the band by Kostić's idea of themselves, a transliterated version of party-breakers. They had their first public appearance on October 4, 1982 at the Dadov Theatre, performing as an opening act for The Fifties. After the appearance, the band started performing often and on one occasion, in Zagreb, they held five concerts in three days time, Branimir "Johnny" Štulić being the sound engineer at the last concert, and even offering himself to be the band producer. The band had their first recording, the song "Radio Utopia", released on the various artists compilation Ventilator 202, released in 1983 by PGP-RTB. Demo versions of the songs "Hiljadu godina" ("A Thousand Years") and "Večeras" ("Tonight") were often broadcast on Serbian radio stations, and the newly recorded versions of the songs were released as their first single.

For the release of the band's debut album, Partibrejkers I (Partybreakers I), produced by Dušan Kojić "Koja" of Disciplina Kičme, the band combined rhythm-and-blues with punk rock, bringing anthem status to the band's songs "Ulični hodač" ("Street Walker"), "Ona živi na brdu" ("She Lives on a Hill"), "Gubitnik" ("Looser"), "Ako si..." ("If You Are...") and "Stoj, Džoni" ("Stop, Johnny"), a cover of Tomi Sovilj i Njegove Siluete version of Chuck Berry's "Johnny B. Goode". The album was recorded at the O Studio in Belgrade on June 1984[1] and the album cover was designed by Antonijević. As guests on the album appeared Branislav Petrović "Banana" on harmonica, producer Kojić played organ, and Branislav Trivić played saxophone.[1] The album was rereleased by Hi-Fi Centar and VTC Wien on CD in 1999.[2] Despite the success of the debut album, Jugoton denied to release the band's second album, stating that it "lacked rebelliousness". On summer of 1985, Bulatović left the band, being temporarily replaced by Disciplina Kičme drummer Nenad Krasovac "Kele", and in December, the band ceased to exist.

For a short period of time Antonijević performed with the band Plaćenici, after which Partibrejkers were reformed in a new lineup, featuring a former Plaćenici drummer Vlada Funtek and former Radost Evrope bassist Dime Todorov "Mune". The band recorded the material for the second studio album on June 1987 at the Barbaro Studio in Bukovac.[3] The recordings were sent to PGP-RTB, but they were not prone to releasing it. In the meantime, the band organized two charity concerts at the Lotus bar, buying sixteen cakes for the children of the neglected children home in Zvečanska street in Belgrade. On May 1988, Funtek left the band, being firstly replaced by Marko Milivojević, and then by former Potop and Banana member Igor Borojević. On September 1988, the band's second album, with the working title Kobila i pastuv preljubnik (A Mare and a Stallion Adulterer), was released. However, Goran Dimić, who designed the album cover, on purpose did not put the album title on the cover. Partibrejkers II featured prominent tracks "Ja se ne vraćam" ("I'm Not Coming Back"), "Prsten" ("A Ring"), "Mesečeva kći" ("Moon Daughter"), "Pet ispod nule" ("Five Degrees Below Zero") and "Nema cure" ("There Is No Girl"), for which Antonijević sang the lead vocals. The song "Put" ("The Road") was not recorded in Bukovac, but at the O Studio on March 1988 and added to the rest of the material. At the same time, MTV made a report on the band's work.

On February 1989, the band made new demo recordings, this time with the help of the Električni Orgazam frontman Srđan Gojković "Gile", who played rhythm guitar. The recordings appeared on the third album Partibrejkers III, which, like the previous, was released through Jugodisk. The album, recorded on August and September 1989, was produced by Milan Ćirić and Antonijević, mixed by Vlada Negovanović, and as guest appeared Petar Miladinović "Pera Joe" on harmonica.[4] The album cover was designed by former Kostić's Radnička Kontrola bandmate, Srđan Marković "Ðile".[4]

1990s

In 1990, the band started a major Yugoslav tour, and performed as an opening act on the Motörhead concerts in Yugoslavia. During the late 1990, Borojević left the band and was replaced by former Baby Kate drummer Borko Petrović. The new lineup released a live album, Zabava još traje (The Party Is Still On), recorded live on July 1991 in Zrenjanin and Vršac and released by Sorabia Disk, and on February 1992, as guests at the band's concert in Belgrade SKC appeared Emir Kusturica, a movie director and former Zabranjeno Pušenje member, Johnny Depp, an actor and former The Kids and Rock City Angels member, and Jim Jarmusch, a filmmaker and a former Del Byzanteens member.[5] At the time, the lineup changed one more time, as original lineup guitarist Kostadinović and drummer Borojević returned to the band, and Todorov left the band, being replaced by NBG bassist Saša Vlajsović.

At the beginning of the Yugoslav wars, in 1992, Antonijević and Kostić, with Električni Orgazam and Ekatarina Velika members, formed an anti-war supergroup Rimtutituki, releasing the "Slušaj 'vamo" ("Listen Up") single, released by Radio B92 and promoted live in Belgrade with the band performing live in a truck while circulating the streets. On November of the same year, the band was one of the first in Serbia to perform live in Slovenia, being well accepted by the audience given special attention by the media. On March 1993, the band performed at the Milos club in Thessaloniki and toured Macedonia. As a part of the Ko to tamo peva? (Who's That Singing Over There?) project, the band, with Ekatarina Velika, Električni Orgazam, and Vještice from Zagreb, performed live in Prague and Berlin. The band also held two concerts in Belgium at a multimedia festival.

The fourth studio album Kiselo i slatko (Bitter and Sweet), produced by the band themselves with Vlada Negovanović and recorded from May to December 1993 at the PGP-RTS Studio 5 and 6, featured guest appearances by actress Branka Katić and Srđan Gojković "Gile" on backing vocals, Saša Vlajsović and Zoran Radomirović "Švaba" on bass, Srđan Todorović on drums, "Pera Joe" Miladinović on harmonica, Bajaga i Instruktori member Saša Lokner on keyboards, Goran Čavajda "Čavke", Marin Petrić "Puroni" and Borko Petrović on percussion and backing vocals and Milan Mladenović on vocals, guitar, and harmonica.[6] As the most prominent tracks on the album appeared "Molitva" ("Prayer"), "Ljudi nisu isti" ("People Are Not The Same") and "Hoću da znam" ("I Want To Know").

After the album release, the band took a break and was on hiatus until 1996 when Antonijević and Kostić reformed the band with Zrenjanin musicians, Gluve Kučke members Gojko Ševar (bass) and Srđan Graovac (guitar) and Oružjem Protivu Otmičara member Darko Kurjak (drums). The band released a greatest hits compilation Najbolje od najgoreg (The Best of The Worst), featuring two new songs, "Ludo i brzo" ("Crazy and Speedy") and "Rođen loš" ("Born Bad"), recorded on February 1996. The band then started performing live and had many successful appearances including the comeback concert held in Novi Sad in front of the auditorium of about five thousand people and a sold out concert on Tašmajdan Stadium in Belgrade. At the same time, the band released a video album, Poslednji dani slobode (The Last Days of Freedom), released by Radio B92, recorded live at KST in Belgrade on June 1991. On December 1996, the band performed in Frankfurt am Main and was well accepted by the audience, and the following year, the band was to perform at the Belgrade Republic Square on New Year's Eve, in front of an enormous audience.

The fifth album Ledeno doba (Ice Age), produced by Dušan Kojić, featured the prominent songs "Sjajnija budućnost" ("Bright Future"), "Sit gladan" ("Fed Hungry"), "Dobro radio loše radio" ("Did Good Did Bad") and Kostić's "Ne možeš mi ništa" ("You Can't Do Anything To Me") which was already recorded by Instant Karma on their 1996 album Roll Over (Oktopodijada 1987-1996). As guests on the album appeared "Pera Joe" Miladinović on harmonica, Saša Lokner on keyboards, Marin Petrić "Puroni" and on percussion and the Deca Loših Muzičara brass section. In order to promote the album, and celebrate the fifteenth anniversary, the band had a free concert at the Kalemegdan fortress in Belgrade, near Nebojša Tower. In 1998, guitarist Graovac and bassist Ševar left the band, the latter being replaced by former Jugosloveni member Miodrag Karajanković. The new lineup performed, after a six year break, in Sarajevo, at the sold out club Sloga. They also released a compilation album San i java (Dream And Awareness), featuring new songs "Da li sam to ja..." ("Is That Me...") and "Krug" ("Circle").

2000s

In 2000, for the first time after the breakup of SFR Yugoslavia the band performed in Croatia. The band also worked on a new studio release, Gramzivost i pohlepa (Money-grubbing and Greed), with the drummers Miloš Velimir "Buca" and Darko Kurjak, keyboardist Bata-Bata, bassist Miodrag Karjanković and percussionist Marin Petrić "Puroni". The tracks "Žurim" ("I'm Hurrying"), "Pogledaj" ("Look"), "Noćas u gradu" ("Tonight in the City") and "Razmetljivko" ("Bragg-Boy") were distinguished as the most prominent. In the meantime, the band members participated in the christian rock project Pesme iznad istoka i zapada (Songs above the East and West) with the song "Koga ću da hvalim?" ("Whom Will I Praise?").[7]

The band appeared on the 2002, Milan Mladenović tribute Kao da je bilo nekad... Posvećeno Milanu Mladenoviću (As If It Had Happened Sometime... (Dedicated To Milan Mladenović)) with a cover version of the song "Zajedno" ("Together").[8] On November 2003, the band went on a two weeks North American tour, performing in Hamilton, Toronto, Vancouver, Chicago, Los Angeles and New York. In 2005, the band performed as an opening act for Chuck Berry in Zagreb with a new lineup, featuring former Kazna Za Uši and Eyesburn drummer Dejan Utvar and former Kanda, Kodža i Nebojša bassist Vladislav Rac. Together, in 2007, they released the band's seventh studio album Sloboda ili ništa (Freedom or Nothing).[9]

2010s

In 2010, the band, in the lineup consisting of Kostić, Antonijević, the returnee to the band Darko Kurjak (drums) and Zlatko Veljović "Laki" (bass), released a live album Krš i lom (Higgledy Piggledy) through Odličan Hrčak, recorded on March 20 and 21, 2009 at the Belgrade Dom Omladine.[10] During December of the same year, the album was released for free digital download through the Exit Music record label.[11] At the time, a 166 page monograph about the band's work Srce kuca tu je (The Heart Beats, It's Here), edited by Flavio Rigonat, featuring the complete album lyrics, interviews and photographs, was published by LOM.[12] In January 2011, on the webzine Popboks annual lists, Krš i lom was polled by the readers as the second best domestic album and Srce kuca tu je as the best book released in 2010.[13]

The following month, the critics of Popboks made a list of the best domestic albums released in the previous decade on which Sloboda ili ništa appeared on the 15th and Gramzivost i pohlepa on the 29th place.[14] At the time, in an interview, Kostić stated that the band had already finished six or seven songs for the upcoming studio album and announced that the band would start performing the new material on Autumn when the band intends to organize a large concert at the Belgrade Sports Hall.[15]

Legacy

The album Partibrejkers I was polled in 1998 as the 18th on the list of 100 greatest Yugoslav popular music albums in the book YU 100: najbolji albumi jugoslovenske rok i pop muzike (YU 100: The Best albums of Yugoslav pop and rock music).[16]

In 2006, the song "1000 godina" was ranked #7 and the song "Hoću da znam" was ranked #21 on the B92 Top 100 Domestic Songs List.[17] In 2011, "Hoću da znam" was polled, by the listeners of Radio 202, one of 60 greatest songs released by PGP-RTB/PGP-RTS.[18]

Discography

References

External links