Trio Highway gained popularity throughout the region thanks to the show X Factor where they reached the finals. Their original songs, as well as their participation in the 2016 Eurovision Song Contest, brought them a larger number of fans. Their debut album will be released soon, and the audience can hear some of the songs at their concerts on Tuesdays in a bar in Podgorica. The trio consists of guitarist Luka Vojvodić, vocalist Petar Tošić and guitarist Marko Pešić, who reveals some unknown details about the performances...
What is characteristic of your club gigs?
Our club gigs are characterized by a good atmosphere and a lot of energy that we give. The choice of songs in the repertoire is probably also responsible for this, as it consists of fast pop/rock numbers. For us, gigs represent good fun and socializing, and we approach each one with the same commitment, regardless of where we play and how many people we play in front of.
Do you sing original songs at performances and how does the audience react to them?
We always try to sing as many of our original songs as possible at performances, because then what's the point of creating them if we don't perform them at gigs as well. It is extremely useful to see the reactions of the audience, who do not listen to us often, to our original songs, and so far they have been mostly positive. Considering that our songs are mostly in a faster rhythm, it's nice to see when people dance to them, and even nicer when they know the words to the songs, which is not uncommon.
Which of your songs is the most requested by the audience at concerts?
I think the best feeling is when someone approaches us during a concert and asks for one of our original songs. I think the song "Crazy" and then "Salt Lake City" were the most requested for now. They seem to have been well received by the audience.
How many songs do you have in your repertoire?
We have never counted the songs we have in our repertoire, because we often know how to throw out the songs we don't want to play anymore, and supplement them with new ones. I think that, for now, it is a figure of about 100-150 songs. These are songs that we know how to start and play to the end.
How often do you change your repertoire?
We change the repertoire as much as our commitments allow, because it is very difficult to find a practice time that suits everyone in the band. However, we try to never repeat the same repertoire at two concerts in a row, so that it would be as interesting as possible for the audience.
Is there a song you avoid playing at shows?
There are a few songs we avoid playing, not because they're bad or because we don't like them, but because they've been played countless times at our gigs or at other people's gigs. If I were to choose one song that we are looking to avoid, it would be Galija - Kotor, unless someone has a special desire to play that particular song.
Without which track is the performance unthinkable?
There are several singers and groups whose songs we regularly perform at our gigs. These are Dino Dvornik and EKV. I don't think any of our gigs went by without playing a few songs from these artists. The track that you can always hear at our concerts is a cover of the song "Why are you making an elephant out of me" by Dino Dvornik, but in one of our versions.
Do you fulfill the musical wishes of the audience at your performances?
We always try to fulfill the audience's musical wishes when we know the songs they are looking for. Among other things, we are here for them, that's why we should give them the best possible party. It happened that in the middle of a gig we would search for a song on the Internet in order to sing it at someone's kind request. In this way, a connection is created between the performer and the audience, which the audience is extremely appreciative of.
Do you tip at shows and what's the biggest bill you've received?
Given that our repertoire is made up of pop/rock songs, it rarely happens that someone gives us a tip for a song by Haustor or Arctic Monkeys. However, that also happens. The biggest bill we almost got was 100 euros, but when the man who was taking it out saw it, he said to himself out loud that he didn't drink that much, he returned it and gave us 50 euros. We don't blame him for anything, and we were surprised at first.
Given that people around you know that you play music, do you sometimes play and sing unplanned at private parties?
Whenever I'm at a private party I try to be as far away from the microphone as possible. The reason for this is that I like to listen to other people's interpretations of well-known songs or possibly original songs and to enjoy them. In our country, people have a problem that if they don't know the songs, they can't spend time with them. What matters to me is the artist's singing, the approach to the gig, as well as the band itself, whether I know the song or not is less important. In order not to stray too far from the topic, it often happens that I take the microphone in my hands, but usually towards the end of the gig.
Which gig will you especially remember and why?
I think I will forever remember the New Year's Eve concerts in Podgorica and Budva. I don't think we've ever played in front of so many people. Also, the performance at the City Grove festival was one of the best. I will still remember one for the event that happened. Namely, a few years ago, when we were supposed to have a concert in Sarajevo on the occasion of the Sarajevo Film Festival, we went there by car, somehow we could barely find the place where we were supposed to play. We went in, brought out all the equipment, set up, and after all that the bar manager asked us 'what are we doing here'. It turned out that there are two bars with the same name in Sarajevo and that, of course, we went to the wrong one. However, we managed to quickly pack up and get ready for the gig that night.
Whose gig do you like to go to?
I don't go out often, but I'd love to go to a Milf Hunters gig if they were in town.
If you couldn't go to an already arranged gig, who would you call to replace you?
I think that such a situation can hardly ever happen, and if it did happen we would probably cancel the gig. If I had to choose, I would probably call Miha Radonjić to see what he is doing.
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