Exactly 25 years since the last official release, the album "Terra Mistica", the legendary ex-Yu rock band Atomsko skloniste from Pula has finally treated fans to something new. Although they have been announcing for the last few years that the next studio album could be expected from them, this time it is a live album, their third, recorded last year at the Belgrade Beer Fest, where the popular Atomci played their biggest hits. Although they didn't originally plan it, the concert was very successful, so the rockers decided to turn the recording into an official release.
"It's our third live album. That first line-up recorded two concert albums, the first was "Atomic Trilogy" in Pula and "Once in a Lifetime" at Taš in Belgrade. And this one was also recorded in Belgrade, at the Beer Fest, it's called "Those who come after us" and it was created just to be recorded, as a document of the lineup of this time where we returned to the roots of the Atomic Shelter through songs. When I saw the recording of that concert on television, I came up with the idea that without any intervention in the studio, it certainly could not be done because it was not multi-channel recorded, authentically documented and published absolutely live. So, that album is XNUMX% live, which does not mean that we did anything on the previous ones, but they were multi-channel recorded. This is like the good old days at the beginning of the last century or in the middle, without adding or subtracting", said frontman Bruno Langer at the beginning of the interview with "Magazin".
So, the idea came later, there were no preparations and the like?
No, there was no preparation. Probably if there were, then they would have made a multi-channel recording, so then the sound can be adjusted there, a little more audience can be added and similar, but we did not repeat anything there. Because I think it's no longer a live album, it's a studio album if you start intervening too much. Let's do this, then that, then it's not that anymore. This is a real live album, what was at that moment, every second and millisecond is authentic. That's why I especially like this album.
And are you sorry that a song didn't make the list, since you didn't know it would make it into the release originally?
Maybe yes. Maybe some lighter songs. But oh well, there will be more opportunities. This came out spontaneously, and somewhere we will intentionally record a concert where we will also perform these other things that we would like to see on the release.
Is it an ideal format for you, because among other things you are known as a great live band?
I think so. Now, in July, we opened a festival in Split near Diocletian's Palace, where there is a monument to Gregory of Nin, that huge statue. We played there, in that park, in previous years, at those festivals called Evo ruke. A great cultural manifestation, where there is blues and rock and plays and everything takes place every day. We opened it with a delay due to corona, all the necessary precautions were followed, but I felt exactly the same as always, as in the past years when there was no corona. A lot, I think that so far there was an audience that simply didn't want to let us off the stage, so with a few encores that lasted a total of half an hour, we ended the concert, which was exceptional. It was a real joy. I'm very sorry, we had good deals for performances in Montenegro, but the coronavirus pandemic prevented it. But I guess it will all pass quickly, it won't be forever.
By the way, you are in Montenegro more and more often, last year you were guests in Bijelo Polje and Kotor, before that in Podgorica and Nikšić, are you everywhere?
Yes, we were often. (cough) I'm sorry, it's not corona, but I choked. (laughter) As soon as a man coughs, he's suspicious... It's true that in recent years we've built a special relationship with the Montenegrin audience, and that really makes me happy, it's a wonderful audience. First of all, rock and roll is nurtured in Montenegro, and where can you find a better place for me, who has been playing rock and roll for over half a century. When I find myself in Montenegro, I am in my own environment. In real company. And I have a lot of friends there. In addition, the audience is wonderful, always has been and always will be.
You mentioned several times before the possibility of a new studio release, that you are working on new songs, what is happening with that?
To be honest, now, in this time of corona, maybe there was a real opportunity to do something on that front, however, corona forced me not into the studio, but into the woods and mountains. I started walking in the forests and mountains every day, first for a kilometer, then for five. I became a pedestrian and learned to walk. (laughs) I used to walk a bit, travel, play music. But I just opted for recreation and I think that's important for live performances. And it's never too late for studio recordings. I keep saying that we want to, but we can't go into the studio. I guess we will.
Do you have material ready?
A few songs, yes, which I'm finishing now, because we're not in a hurry. Namely, I like to say that Atomic Shelter does not belong to those bands that have to have new albums in order to perform somewhere. And it is not imperative for our performances. Last year, 2019, was the most successful in the existence of Atomic Shelter even without a new edition. We had over fifty concerts throughout the former Yugoslavia. From Bosnia and Herzegovina, through Montenegro, Serbia... We were the only one in Macedonia. We played everywhere else and it was wonderful. From good and big festivals, like Arsenal in Kragujevac, through Banja Luka, we recorded that live album at the Beer Fest. And like I said, it's always memorable when we come to your place. Somehow we have become very close lately. I remember the first performance of the Atomic Shelter in Montenegro, it was in 1982, it seems to me, a Yugoslav tour and promotion of the album "Mentalna higienica" and then we played in the sports hall "Morača". There were so many people, and I especially remember one experience during the concert that I always like to recount, when a rocker climbed on a basket that was on the side of the stage, we were playing, I watched what would happen, the militia shouted at him to get down , they threaten him with batons... In the end, several militiamen climbed up and then the law of physics entered the scene - a boom, a big load and they all fell together. It was memorable, nothing terrible, but I remember that the hall was full and that it was love at first sight. I always fondly remember that concert. After that we didn't play for a long time, then the war came and we didn't perform outside of Croatia, and then, when the borders were crossed, we came very often and that's wonderful. This line-up had its baptism of fire in Budva a couple of years ago at the Oktobar Fest, the first public performance with that young team - Matija Dadić and Erik Vojak, so this line-up is especially related to Montenegro. That was great.
Yes, by the way you are the favorites of the festival organizers?
Yes, that makes me really happy, the only thing is that because of this corona we had to cancel about thirty concerts, some of which we have already publicly announced, there were a lot of them in preparation, but by God, there will be more. Health above all.
How has this corona crisis affected your work and your everyday life, was this also hinted at in your songs like many things that you once predicted?
You don't have to be surprised about the corona, we predicted it all in the songs. About, yes. I didn't experience it so hard, because I live here by the sea, so as soon as I leave the house, I go along the coast, and then, as I said, through the forests and mountains. So I don't see anyone, here and there I meet a rabbit, a small hedgehog or a bird on a branch, I don't meet people in the woods. So when we were in quarantine, I didn't experience it so hard. I think it all depends on the person, how they organize themselves. I sympathize with these people who are, say, on the tenth floor of some apartment building. I almost talked to Žik Jelić from the Yu group, my great, great friend and colleague on the instrument. He complains to me how awful he is. His brother lives not far away, but at least he has a yard, and he is locked in a building and complains that he hasn't left the house for a month and a half. So, when a man is in the apartment, it's already very difficult when they lock you up. I am here by the sea, so I saved myself, and I ran away like the partisans into the forest and no one could find me.
It turns out that musicians in this area are among the hardest hit by these precautions, has there ever been a tougher time than when you've been playing?
I've been playing for 55 years and it's never been this hard. So, I've been playing for over half a century, that's not a little, and since my first performance it's never been like this, and some colleagues I know have started doing other jobs. They are engaged in construction because there is a lot of construction here, that tourism, is still invested there and then they are on mixers, on concrete all day. Very, very hard times have come for musicians. Although something is happening now, like this festival in Split, but these are open spaces. One swallow does not make a spring, nor a playing season. We have to wait, we suffered the most. But specifically here in Pula, where I live, it is the hardest for the people who worked in the shipyard which was over 160 years old and which has disappeared. It's worse than corona and everything, it's gone forever. Rumor has it that he will be resurrected, but I don't believe it, hard. We are a bit under attack, we musicians must not even complain that it is difficult for us, because then the uproar begins. Some were hit on the head because they said that things were not right.
In our country, musicians also complained and wrote petitions, believing that the treatment of them was unfair and that they did not endanger anyone more than others?
I absolutely agree and support fellow musicians in Montenegro. What I don't like in life is a selective approach to a problem, and we were the ones who insulted us the most, especially the rock genre. These musicians who work in concerts, not only rock and roll, have suffered, while at least where I live some can. Electronics and the like, that can be done one on top of the other, nothing to anyone. That's a little unusual, isn't it?
The impression is that the authorities think least about culture at times like this?
Yes, that's the simplest. Now we have discovered that we are the last hole in the pipe with the authorities. That they don't perceive us at all, which is what they say. Well, we knew that before. But here there is a big fuss about weddings and funerals. That's just incredible to me. Surely these are gatherings that know how to be indoors. But I don't know, let's say at a funeral, that would be bad. We have rave parties here and nobody does anything. And someone dear to you dies and you can't organize a funeral, but two or three people send him off. That's sad. It is restricted and recommended not to go to funerals, not to rejoice at weddings. I don't know, it's a bit unusual. The same rules do not apply to everyone. When there were elections in Serbia and Croatia, it was different than now after the elections. Now you have to survive this tourist season. As far as I can see, there are tourists, even more than all predictions, which is nice, but you can't make a living from tourism alone. The rest of the industry does not exist and we live off the tourist season, which is in full swing for 40 days, and this is the rest of life. So what kind of business is it that you work for two or three months and live for the other nine? It is impossible. I think there is something wrong with the whole strategy. Because when you rely only on tourism and things like this happen, it's a drama. I'm sure it's the same with you. This is called playing one card, which is not a very good strategy. I'm not an economic expert or a forecaster, but I just look at life around me and see that people have invested a lot of money in apartments. If there was no corona, it would be a record season again and that would be wonderful, everything would be hali-gali. This way, unfortunately, it will be a long winter and before that a long autumn for all of us who live here on the Adriatic Sea. We all know how desolated the cities are when the tourists leave. And now we are facing an unprecedented desolation, because we are facing uncertain and financially challenging times.
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