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We were not on the streets
because we are loiterers, you must
remember what those years were like.
Electricity shortages, all kind of
stupid things, there is some group of
people that came together on that bases,
listening to the same type of music.
It's normal they will listen to
it together, to run away from reality,
there was nothing else we could do.
Those who ruled 30-40 years ago, they
presented themselves as communists,
had some 'Youth Centers', I don't know,
I was not born back then.
They say it functioned somehow,
at least on the paper.
For us - there was nothing,
that was the only alternative,
you sit at home, and wait for 'TV Pink',
and whole country to became 'Pink',
or you are on the street, thinking
healthy and escaping from reality.
As forces holding Yugoslavia together
weakened, the power of the music
scene of Serbias' second largest city,
Novi Sad, grew stronger. 'Golden age'
lasted until mid 1990s, and in recent
times Punk-rockers from Novi Sad
almost vanished. Where are they,
what are they into today, and what they
have to say about their begginings?
New rise is on the brink,
or it was just happening
ONCE UPON A TIME
Back than you had no mobile phones,
no internet, computers, nothing,
but somehow everything was more honest.
You carry drums, instruments, lend.
We were making bas-drums out of
water-pipes closed on
one end with 'Scotch tape'.
We were braking into some barracks
to steal electricity for amplifiers,
and somehow we did our rehersals,
and everybody was happy.
Ninetees were years of crisis,
at least they told us so, and realy, we
ate less, and we ate poor food,
and we ate less often, there was nowhere
to go, there was a single enemy
who was to blame for everything, so it
was easier to make people get together.
Bands, artists, and generally people
with positive minds gathered around
single aim, to prevail common enemy.
For all these reasons, the scene,
artistic generaly, and music about which
we are talking about, was stronger.
During '90s situation was catastrophic,
there was no publishers, nor rock'n'roll
interested somebody. On the other hand,
it was some sort of, lets say,
rebelion against the establishment,
and many people were coming to concerts.
We as a band, as well as 'Atheist Rap',
'Ritam Nereda' and 'Obojeni program',
and so on, we got experienced by
playing all the time.
In the times of Milosevic, rock'n'roll
functioned fantastic, OK, not fantastic,
but we had, for example,
'Concert of the Year', clubs organised
gigs and the scene was somehow more
vital, if nothing else, it had aim to
fight against what was happening
in the country.
Was that an aim, or not, I don't
know, but it certanly was an alternative
to what was happening all around us.
In 1996 I got interested in non-
governmental sector, 'cause back then I
considered it as an sector or direction
which should bring some changes to our
society and to the system, and here
we can draw a parallel with the band
'Generacija bez buducnosti',
as we as a band also wanted to change
some things in the system.
More or less sucessfully, but essentialy
the message of our band was:
we are living in a system as it is,
but also we believe there are ways
to overcome that situation.
When our first album 'Nikog nema' was
published, it was not taken seriously,
but when it was published in Germany,
when it came here, they started to
watch on us, as back then we
were one of the few bands who were
singing about the situation.
I'm talking about beggining
of the 90's - 1989, 90, 1991.
The beggining of evil times that were
coming our way unstopably.
We sang about it openly, some were
simpathetic, but also there were
people who made it harder for us.
Ignorance, absence from some gigs
important to us. That was terrible for
us, when 20 most important bands are
playing, and no place for you, it hurts,
but, as they say, what doesn't kill you
makes you stronger.
I think 'Atheist Rap' was leading
among bands who kept young people
normal, and in most difficult period
to preserve positive spirits.
Specific spirit of Novi Sad,
spirit of joy and positive energy.
Ten years ago everybody was
angry about the situation,
and there were many shows.
For sure there was more shows.
Now there is much more media,
much more, what are we interested in,
TV and radio stations, but it happens
there is less space for this kind of
work now, and situation is much worse.
I used to think that there will be no
times worse than those, less organised,
more chaotic, but now you see,
whole society is going better,
situation in the country is improving.
It is incomparably better than it was,
but concerning what we are talking about,
I think situation is 15 times worse.
No one is to blame for that, not bands,
nor people from TV stations,
people are simply not interested for
scene, as it doesn't offer,
by my oppinion, professional solutions.
If we talk about music videos, they are
bad. If we talk about production,
it is awful. Banners, CD covers,
T - shirts, everything is bad.
Young people are not interested
if it is not hell-good.
I think there are two periods.